Quitting the Boss (4 page)

Elisa dug in to the chips the server had brought over. It was obvious by the way she’d pushed them across the table that she was trying to avoid eating them, but willpower wasn’t one of Elisa’s strengths. “What’s going on? Is Kurt making things difficult for you?”

“Kurt, no, he’s fine. He set up direct deposit, so I get his child support payments every week and we don’t have to speak at all. That’s good. It keeps me from wanting to castrate him.” He’d accused Carly of cheating when she got pregnant because he had gone behind her back and had a vasectomy. It apparently didn’t take because the paternity test proved him to be Abigail’s father.

“Then what’s up?” Jenna prodded, following Elisa’s lead and drowning a chip in the salsa. It wasn’t like Carly to complain. Well, at least not this much.

“HR is sucking the life out of me. People are assholes. My mother is too controlling, trying to tell me how to take care of my daughter. Mine.” Carly pounded her index finger to her sternum to emphasize the point. “My sisters are never around, so all that help I thought I was going to have is non-existent. I wish I’d never quit my job here. At least I’d be close to my friends.”

“And we’d get to see Abby-G more often.” Elisa was completely smitten with the little girl. Though Jenna wasn’t interested in children of her own, she wouldn’t mind seeing Abigail more often. She was precious.

“If there was an open position, would you consider applying for it?” Jenna asked.

That perked Carly up. “At Logicesse or as a PM?”

“Both,” Jenna said through a smile.

Elisa slammed her hand down on the table. “Who’s leaving? What do you know? Come on, dish. Is it Serenity? Please let it be Serenity.”

“Not Serenity,” Jenna said sympathetically. “It’s me.” Jenna let that hang so she could absorb the shock on her friends’ faces.

“What? How did I not know this?” Elisa hated being the last one in the know. It was probably mean, but Jenna got a little satisfaction over having kept it a secret even if her motive was to keep it from Alec and not Elisa.

“I got the official offer this morning. You’re looking at the new director of training.”

Elisa and Carly both squealed and hopped out of the chairs to embrace Jenna from each side.

“Oh that’s so awesome,” Elisa said, squeezing Jenna a little tighter. “And not just for you. With Miss Stone Cold Overachiever gone, that takes some of the pressure off the rest of us mere mortals.”

Jenna laughed. If Elisa wasn’t such a good friend, her uncanny ability to make everything about her might be annoying.

When they sat back down, Carly seemed to be contemplating - or maybe scheming. “Do you think Alec would hire me back? I mean, I’m a single mom now and he doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would be supportive of that.”

“I don’t think even Alec is that much of an asshole,” Elisa responded.

Jenna was sure Alec would hire her again. “You’re a great project manager, Carly. You’re familiar with how we do things. Alec didn’t want you to leave in the first place. Of course he’d hire you back.” That might also tamp his anger. She knew how much he hated hiring new people, but Carly wasn’t new. She’d been on the team when Alec was still a project manager. They knew each other well. “You should go talk to him after lunch.”

“I think I will. Thanks.”

“Oh my God,” Elisa’s excitement echoed throughout the restaurant. “You got a promotion. You might be coming back. This is great. Things happen in threes. Maybe something great will happen to me next.”

“I have to get the job first,” Carly reminded Elisa, but she seemed a little giddy herself.

Elisa rested her chin in the palm of her hand, dreamily looking up at the decorative tile ceiling. “I’d settle for a hot night with a hot guy – maybe a couple of hot nights. I haven’t had sex since the last time the planets aligned.”

“Stop being dramatic.” Carly nudged her. “You’re unattached. Try getting laid when you have stretch marks and the baby to go along with them. Men don’t like single moms.”

“That’s not true. You just need to find the right guy,” Elisa said.

“I agree,” Jenna added. “There are plenty of good guys out there.”

Carly sighed. “I’d settle for a bad boy and just one night, at least for now.”

Jenna didn’t figure bad boys looking for just one night were in short supply. “What we need is a girl’s night out.” She’d been so stressed lately with the pending interview. Now she was anxious knowing she had to have the serious talk with Alec. A girl’s night might be just what the doctor ordered. “Are we still on for tonight?”

Carly nodded. “All I can do is dinner. My sister is picking up Abigail from daycare but is expecting me back before bedtime. Don’t let me drink tonight. No matter how horrible Alec is after I crawl into his office begging for your job.”

“Don’t beg,” Jenna suggested. Alec only liked begging in bed. And even then, he didn’t give in to it. “Walk in with confidence and own that job. That’s what’ll get you hired.”

“Jenna told you she took a new job?” Alec asked, wondering what else she revealed during her lunch date with Carly and Elisa.

She hadn’t been at his place last night, which stirred his anger. The only thing that had calmed him down was the late night emails sitting in his inbox from her. She’d obviously returned to work at some point, because aside from sex, work was the only thing that cooled her down.

Alec had avoided stopping by her cubicle because he didn’t want to bark at her in front of everyone and he wasn’t in the mood to put on his un-ambivalent boss facade.

“She did. If you’re going to fill her position, I wanted to let you know I’m interested.” Carly sat confidently, her posture quite different from the last time she’d been in his office telling him she was leaving the company.

“Things aren’t working out in Montpelier?” Alec tried to sound sympathetic. He liked Carly. She had a strong work ethic and she got the job done without needing to be micromanaged. He’d hated to see her go and he’d love to have her back on the team, but not at the expense of losing Jenna.

“I don’t like my job and my family isn’t really that helpful. Honestly, I wish I’d never left Logicesse, but I wasn’t really thinking clearly.”

“You were going through a tough time.” She’d been a wreck when she sat in the same chair she sat in now, telling him she was quitting. Given the way Carly looked, she was doing pretty well without her ex-husband, even if she did hate her new job. “I’d like to hire you back, but we have to announce the position and open it for applicants. You’ll have to submit your resume.”

“No problem. It’s ready.”

“How do you feel about taking on Westville?” Alec already knew the answer, but he wanted to see just how bold Carly had become in her short hiatus from being a project manager.

“If getting this job means I have to handle Westville, I’ll do it.”

Alec laughed at her very politically correct response. “No bullshit, Carly. I want an honest answer.”

“I hate Westville. I’d rather go through labor again without pain meds than work with Deirdre.”

A bark of laughter escaped and Carly joined in. “I’m not kidding,” she insisted.

“I know. I haven’t decided who gets Westville, but I’ll keep your perspective in mind.”

“Rumor has it Jalen wants the account.”

Foster had proved himself an effective project manager, but Westville Credit Union was a long-standing account with a difficult manager. Alec didn’t trust that Foster had the balls to handle it.

“I appreciate the opportunity, Alec,” Carly said as she stood. “I’ll send you my resume today and submit the application as soon as the position is posted.”

Five minutes after Carly left, Jenna was knocking at his door. “I’ve come up with a transition plan. Do you have time to talk about it?”

The last thing Alec wanted was to discuss a transition plan, but it was the first time since Jenna had stormed out of his office yesterday that he’d been face to face with her.

“Close the door,” he demanded.

“I think it’s best if we leave it open.”

Alec didn’t want the damn door open because then he’d have to act like the damn boss and keep his hands off Jenna. What he wanted to do was bend her over his desk and remind her of what she’d missed by ignoring him last night.

Instead of barking another order at her, he sat back, his eyes glued to her. She was wearing pants again today, most likely a deliberate choice in wardrobe. She sat at the conference table and Alec moved next to her, ensuring his leg brushed hers as he slid close to the table.

With her laptop open and angled toward him, she opened a spreadsheet. “This is the status of all my projects. I talked to Gavin and once I make the move in two weeks, he’s willing to offer some crossover for an additional week or two to ensure the transition is smooth for each project. If you designate the PMs now, though, that crossover may not be necessary.”

Giving each project a thorough review, Alec was once again impressed. She’d covered everything, not just the current status, but expenditures, remaining budget, timeline and expected milestones, key players, background information, and tips on best times to call and personal information to keep the client happy.

“Deirdre Bowman watches WWE?”

“If you can get her talking John Cena, she’ll agree to almost anything.” He loved the amusement in her voice and she finally seemed to relax.

Her hair smelled like the rain. Alec’s fingers twitched, encouraging him to get tangled up in the silky lengths. It didn’t help matters that her thigh still pressed against his. Her proximity made his office as hot as a goddamned sauna.

“The door is open,” she whispered, but she didn’t move away from him.

“You should have closed it.” It took all his effort to keep his voice low. What he wanted was to tell the world she was his. To hell with human resources and the company’s no fraternization policy.

“We both know that wouldn’t be smart.”

Alec backed away to keep his control from shattering. “This looks fine. Email it to me and I’ll start assigning PMs. If I’m able to hire Carly back, I’ll need you for the crossover period since she’ll need to give two weeks notice. I’ll get that worked out with Gavin.”

“Thanks,” she said, closing the laptop and pushing back from the table.

Alec didn’t like all this polite formality. There were times when Jenna worked with him in his office with the door open so as not to feed the gossip mill, but it was never so polite. When Jenna reached the door, he barked her name, unable to maintain the friendly boss facade.

Jenna closed the door as if knowing what he was about to say. “I’ll be over tonight,” she affirmed without Alec having to ask - or more accurately, demand.

He simply nodded. Jenna licked her lips, her gaze lowering to his mouth before she opened the door and disappeared from sight.

“Why do you still have clothes on?” Alec’s tone was that of the boss man, all commanding and demanding. Sometimes that made Jenna hot. Tonight, it made her cold as ice.

“We’re going to try this again. I’m going to go back out and when I walk back in that door, you’re going to say hello.” She turned toward the door and got two steps before Alec grabbed her wrist and swung her around.

The heat of his body penetrated hers as he crushed her body against his. He was hard, his erection a steel rod against her belly.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Alec claimed her mouth, a furious possession that melted away the ice. Jenna loved it when Alec lost control. Even though she should be seething from his snarky comment when she walked in, she was hot as a volcano ready to explode.

Jenna had intended to talk to Alec before they had sex. Instead of enjoying dinner out with Carly and Elisa, she’d spent the past two hours rehearsing in her head what she was going to say and working up her courage. She should have pushed him away, but this was so much better. Jenna kissed Alec with the same furious rapture, absorbing his heat and desire and making it her own.

Clawing at the buttons of his shirt, her fingers shook with want. The man made her crazy.

“You make me fucking insane,” Alec said, as if he’d read her mind. He nipped at her ear, his fingers digging her blouse from the waist of her slacks. He didn’t bother with the buttons, instead pulling it over her head with a swift tug.

Still fumbling with his buttons, she felt inept. She’d never been so shaky, not even the first night they’d fucked in that hotel room after the team gathering. Was that really a year ago?

“I need to fuck you.” His voice was more animal than man, a thick growl across her ear as he pawed at her bra. Releasing the front clasp with the determination of a man who knew exactly what he wanted, his deft hands pushed the straps off her shoulders. Her slacks and panties were quick to follow. Jenna was still fighting with Alec’s shirt when he pulled it over his head.

“Lean against the mirror,” he commanded as he turned her to face the enormous framed glass mounted next to the door.

Jenna put her hands on the mirror and Alec kicked her feet apart. She felt like she was under arrest and being frisked, except she was completely naked, so there was no way she was hiding anything.

He pushed a finger into her and she was so hot and wet there was no resistance.

“So wet,” he growled, removing the finger and circling her ass. “Hold on,” he warned and a moment later he’d driven himself into her.

Jenna’s pussy clenched around him, pulling his hard cock deeper.

“Fuck me,” she demanded. Hardly a night went by when she wasn’t in Alec’s bed. She’d stayed away last night in hopes it would give him a little perspective. It seemed to have worked given their very professional meeting earlier in the day, but she hadn’t slept a wink. She’d grown accustomed to the warmth of his body, so her bed had seemed incredibly cold and empty.

He gripped her hips and leaned back to get a better angle. She watched his reflection in the mirror, his gaze locked on where he pounded into her. Jenna wanted more of him, wanted the full body contact, but she understood his need to possess her, to claim her body. She suspected he’d even punish her for spending a night away from him. Jenna was looking forward to it.