Playboy Boss Read online

  “Hey, loser,” Brett said, ruffling Scottie’s hair as he passed.

  “Get off me!” Scottie smoothed down her hair, furious and hurt that her best friend would be so heartless.

  Brett kissed Tara on the forehead and took the banana Scottie had her eye on from the counter. With a lump in her throat, Scottie turned. She needed to leave.

  “I’m not kidding, Scottie,” Tara barked with her finger pointing at Scottie accusingly. The conversation was over.

  Brett groped Tara, kissing her like he’d never see her again.

  Scottie groaned at the display. Tara could have done much better than Brett. Scottie grabbed her keys on the way out the front door.

  On time, Scottie walked on her worn pumps through the lobby of Korr Properties, waving at Susan, who’d answered a call just as she walked in.

  Butterflies fluttered violently in her stomach on the walk to her desk. Konrad had arrived. She could smell his fresh cologne as she advanced in the suite. She was anxious. She was excited, though she didn’t want to admit it to herself. Would he bring up the dinner party? Would she? What would he say?

  With all the thoughts rolling in her head, she couldn’t prepare herself for what she saw. A beautiful woman, refined and blatantly wealthy, eased out of his office in a cream dress holding a Prada purse in her delicate hand. She was tall with dark hair, perfectly coifed, understated makeup to show off her sculptured features. God, she was gorgeous. Scottie froze, her stomach dropping a little. This woman looked like someone Konrad would date.

  She leaned in to kiss his cheek. A seductive curl on his lips made Scottie think she’d judged him correctly the first time. He was a player. He liked women. Tamsin. Pilar. This woman. Who else? Yes, Scottie had pegged him correctly.

  “It’s so nice to see you, Konrad,” she said, her voice melodic and soothing. She ran her finger over his jaw in a dignified, yet intimate, caress. They knew each other. No doubt about it. “Sorry I came by on a whim. I look forward to seeing you tonight.”

  Yes, they certainly knew each other.

  “Thanks for coming by, Anisette. You’re looking gorgeous as always, love.” He winked. Did this man know no boundaries? He’d seen Scottie and knew he had an audience.

  Beautiful Anisette turned on her Louboutins and eased down the corridor, the red soles flashing at Scottie. Mocking her. Telling her she could never have a man like Konrad. Wait. What? Scottie perished that thought quickly because she didn’t want Konrad. No way.

  Scottie’s gaze moved up Konrad’s body. His fancy shoes, his tailored pants, his fitted jacket, his shoulders, his bright-blue eyes staring at her. Attractive was an understatement. He was beyond that. It was almost cruel to be that good-looking. If she was honest, she’d have to admit he was the kind of man who was easy to fall for.

  That didn’t always fare well for people, her mother included. Scottie wiped the stars out of her eyes because reality demanded it and she hardened herself to his charms.

  “Good morning, Scottie,” he said, pulling her from her digression. “After you get settled, come in my office. I have a task for you.”

  “Okay.” Walking as fast as she could to her cube, she threw down her purse. And just before she grabbed her notepad, she glanced at herself in the reflection of her cell phone screen, taking inventory of herself. Sighing, she put the phone down on the desk and went to Konrad’s office.

  “Close the door,” Konrad said upon her arrival.

  She closed it and waited for more, all the while maintaining her wild heartbeat.

  He leaned back in his chair, arm up over the headrest. “I need you to send some contracts over to legal for some Korr Properties.”

  So, he’s not going to mention the dinner party. Okay, she could deal with that. Probably was better that way. Nodding, she sat in the same chair she’d sat in the day before and prepared for his direction.

  She looked up, the silence growing thick in the office. He gazed at her, considering her in a way that made her self-conscious. For a moment, she thought he would bring up the dinner party, because he looked at her the same way he’d looked at her then. But he didn’t. It was business as usual. Exactly what she should expect.

  “I’m taking you down to Korr Solutions.”

  “I thought you said I’m only doing work for Korr Properties?” She was too breathless.

  “Correct.” He nodded. “It’s just a tour.”

  “Sure. Okay. That sounds good.” Please stop looking at me that way. The power of attractiveness had never been so in her face before.

  A notification chimed on his cell phone. With his attention on the screen, he said, “Also, I need you to call Christine, my personal shopper, who is in my contacts. Tell her I need a gift, preferably Chanel, for a woman. And make sure it’s sent to Anisette Bonnenfont today. In addition, add a personal note saying, ‘Raincheck for tonight? Something has come up. My best, Konrad.’”

  “My God, how many women are there?” Scottie didn’t look up from her notepad. The thump of his cell phone on his desk let her know she’d gone too far.

  Their eyes met once again.

  “Do you have something to say, Scottine?” His voice was surprisingly calm, though he shouldn’t be. He was the boss, after all, and clearly she crossed a line.

  But his lips curled up in humor. Was he making fun of her? The notion made her hot with anger. Was she a joke to him just like the rest of his women?

  Scottie clenched her jaw, and a slow head shake followed. “I don’t have anything to say.”

  “Are you sure? Because you seemed to have a lot to say seconds ago.” He placed his thick forearms against his desk, his palms facing down. “You know, Scottie, if you can’t do the job, you should let me know now. I can find a replacement in no time.”

  Resistance tensed every muscle in her body. She needed this job. She needed him. “I can certainly do this job, Konrad.”

  His intensity made her self-conscious. Naked even. Damn him. Her whole body throbbed under his stare. And as ridiculous as it was, she imagined what it might be like to be naked under him.

  “Is there anything else you need me to do?” Scottie’s mouth dried out. She was desperate to leave, to be away from him and his pull on her.

  “Yes.” He looked at his computer screen. “I need you to set up a meeting with Bayou Sling Brewery.”

  Scottie wrote fast, still hyperfocused on the blood surging through her veins. “Any specific date and time this week?”

  “Later this week. They aren’t a priority.” Another chime from his cell phone took his attention.

  “So why meet with them?” Just shut up and take notes, Scottie. The question was for herself, not him. This temp thing was not going well.

  Amusement colored his face. “They don’t have enough investors.” His eyebrows furrowed. Scottie was done talking. “I’m not in this business to give property away, Scottie. It’s always about the bottom line. You should have learned that in college. Now you can leave.”

  Scottie was conflicted. He was clearly a man who only satisfied his own pleasure. Did he ever consider anyone else? He seemed annoyed.

  Just like that, she detached from the magnetic pull he had on her and stood. Three months of taking orders from Konrad seemed like a long time. And with that twirling in her head, she straightened and marched out of his office.

  Once she was in her cube, she dialed the number to his personal shopper. The phone rang, giving Scottie a focal point. She needed to get her mind off Konrad.

  On the fourth ring, a nasally voice answered. “Personal shopper services.”

  “Uh … hi…” Scottie didn’t know how to begin. She’d never called a personal shopper services line before.

  “Hello?” the nasally voice asked.

  “Hi, yes. I’m calling on behalf of Konrad Korr.”

  “Ah, yes, Mr. Korr. Are you an employee?”

  “Yes … err … no. I’m his temporary assistant.”

  “I suppose Marisol
had her baby?”

  How often did Konrad use personal shopper services? “Yes, she did. I’m filling in for three months.”

  “Please let Mr. Korr know his surprise nursery set to Marisol was sent out and should be delivered in the morning.”

  “Nursey set?”

  “Yes. He bought her the whole catalog, practically.” She laughed. “He’s so generous.”

  That wasn’t expected. Scottie paused. Konrad had bought his assistant a whole nursery set? And he was generous?

  “I’ll tell him.” Each word was practically its own sentence.

  “And you are?”

  “I’m Scottie Roberts.”

  “Hello, Scottie. I’m Christine. I handle Mr. Korr’s account.” She paused again. “How can I help you?”

  Scottie was still stuck on the new information about Konrad. He also bought gifts for employees, not just the women in his life? Or was Marisol a woman in his life? Oh God… She’d have to stop her train of thought.

  “Yes. Of course. Mr. Korr would like to send a gift to a…” Scottie scrolled through the contacts in his email program. “… Ms. Anisette Bonnenfont.”

  “Ahh, yes, Anisette.” Christine chuckled. “Let me guess, something Chanel?”

  “Right, something Chanel.” Scottie bit down hard to keep a snarky comment from coming forth. Only the wealthy knew this kind of privilege. Like Scottie’s father, the man she never really knew.

  “I have the perfect item. Let me email you a picture of this gorgeous watercolor print scarf. Are you using Marisol’s email?”

  “No. You can send it to [email protected].”

  “Fantastic. Give me just one second.”

  The email popped up immediately, and the scarf was absolutely gorgeous. Screen-printed watercolor flowers on silk. And over four hundred dollars. Shit. Four hundred dollars might get Tara off Scottie’s back. At least for a day.

  “It’s perfect.” What else could Scottie say? If she was Anisette, she would cherish that Chanel scarf, but she imagined Anisette probably had a collection of Chanel scarves.

  “Wonderful!” Christine’s enthusiasm made Scottie smile, even though inside she was still perplexed.

  “Mr. Korr would like the scarf delivered as soon as possible. Can you deliver it by lunchtime?”

  “Not a problem. I’ll see to it myself.”

  Scottie heard clicking on a computer keyboard.

  “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  “No. That will be all.” Her mind swam.

  “Thank you for calling personal shopper services. If I can assist you in any other way, please let me know. Goodbye, Scottie.”

  The dial tone buzzed in Scottie’s ears, and she only had one question. Who the hell was Konrad Korr?

  Chapter Five

  Konrad met Dallas at Halman Hotel for lunch. The two men had been discussing a joint venture, an upscale boutique hotel. Konrad hadn’t embarked on that territory yet, and it had been a dream of his. As heir of the Halman Hotel chain, Dallas was the best man to go into business with.

  At the Mariposa bar attached to the Halman Hotel in the heart of the Museum District, Konrad drank a short glass of scotch, neat. With the way Scottie made him feel, he needed a drink to get himself straightened out. What was it about her that ruffled him so much? Besides the obvious, which was that she was stunning. He’d been with stunning women on most days of the week though. She was something else he couldn’t pinpoint.

  “Hey, man.” Dallas came up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder, startling him. “Sorry I’m late. Was crunching some numbers upstairs.”

  “As a JVP of Finance does.” Konrad shook Dallas’s hand. In all sincerity, Dallas was the one friend he trusted most. Though rough around the edges, considering he spent the majority of his childhood on a cattle ranch in East Texas, Dallas had a lot in common with Konrad. They both were dedicated to their work and to expanding their empires.

  Dallas sat, nodding at the cute bartender who apparently knew exactly what he wanted. In seconds, she placed a Jack and Coke in front of him. He winked in appreciation. Not two seconds passed before he’d taken a hefty gulp, nearly emptying the glass. Looked like he’d needed a drink too.

  Dallas knocked on the wooden bar with a heavy knuckle after he’d set his glass down. “I sure as hell needed that. So, what’s going on?”

  “What did you think about Fabian’s dinner party last night?” Konrad surprised himself with his question.

  Dallas shook his head. “Antonia has that son of a bitch by the balls.” He took another drink, the last of it. He chuckled, maybe feeling the same disbelief Konrad felt. “Lucky bastard.”

  Perhaps not.

  “I must admit, he does look ridiculously happy.” Konrad recalled the look on Fabian’s face when he’d announced his engagement to Antonia. He looked absolutely smitten. Antonia was his world, and there was no question about it.

  “She is a lovely woman,” Konrad added. Antonia was more than that. Had to be. Fabian had been more of a ladies’ man than Konrad. In fact, Konrad assumed he and Fabian would be bachelors for life. If Antonia could make him fall… Well, that meant it was possible to fall, which was a disconcerting thought.

  “Fabian better not fuck it up is all I’m saying.”

  Konrad looked Dallas square in the eyes. “Could you allow yourself to fall like that?”

  Dallas didn’t answer straightaway. He mulled over the question, looking in his empty glass like a psychic looks at a crystal ball. “Let’s just say I did fall for someone, but out of my own stupidity, I lost her. Seems like a lifetime ago now.”

  Konrad was shocked. He’d never heard Dallas mention this before. From that revelation, Konrad concluded that falling in love appeared to be either the best thing or the worst thing that could happen to a person. “Well, mate, we don’t have to worry about running out of women. We’ll always attract them. Even when we’re fat, disgusting bastards.”

  Dallas grunted. “How do you figure?”

  “We have accents. Women love accents.”

  “Mine is nothing exotic like yours.”

  Konrad laughed. “If only they knew who I really am, they’d stay far away from me.”

  “Oh, come on. You’re being hard on yourself.” Dallas punched his friend in the shoulder.

  Perhaps. Emotions rose up in him again as he thought of everything that had happened the last couple of days. A change of subject would fare him well. “Where the hell is the lunch menu? What kind of two-bit operation are you running here, Halman?”

  Dallas punched Konrad again, that time not as light. He waved over the bartender. “Bea, what do you recommend for lunch?”

  “Filet mignon and sautéed spinach?” Bea set her slim hand on the bar. Konrad noticed the shiny cherry-red varnish on her petite nail beds. She was coquettish indeed, and she might be Konrad’s one-night-stand type if she didn’t work for one of his best friends. Which brought him to another thing. Scottie…

  “Works for me,” said Dallas, answering Bea. “You good with that, Kon?”

  Konrad nodded.

  With a thumbs-up, Dallas turned to Bea. “Two.”

  Once Bea had left to fulfill their orders, Konrad took a sip of his drink, nearly draining it, his thoughts on Scottie again and the secret they shared. He still didn’t understand why she’d opted out of acknowledging him as her boss. And why it bothered him so deeply.

  Dallas nudged Konrad. “What’s wrong, man? I can see the wheels turning in your head.”

  “I’m a bit out of sorts today.” Konrad glanced out past the bar to the fountain off Main Street, the crystalline water streams gleaming in the sun.

  “Is it about business? Don’t worry about those hotel locations. My guys are researching. I got that handled. I’ll have some lots to show you by next week.”

  He shook his head. “No… I’m confident about that, mate.” Konrad knew if he told Dallas about Scottie, he’d have to admit some feelings to himself
, which seemed small compared to the unburdening of it. “It’s the oddest thing…”

  “What is?”

  Konrad drew in a breath. “You remember that girl from last night? The server?”

  “Dark-haired girl? Brown eyes?”

  “I think they’re hazel.” Not think, knew. He knew they were hazel. Gold and olive, her irises were completely mesmerizing.

  Dallas’s eyebrows lifted. “Yeah, I remember her. Why?”

  “She’s my temporary assistant while Marisol is out on maternity leave.” Konrad wanted to be casual and factual about who she was, but his voice betrayed him. He was bothered.

  Dallas’s eyes grew wide. “She’s what?”

  “Crazy, right?” Immediately, he regretted his decision to tell Dallas. In three months, Scottie would be a non-issue.

  “That’s more than crazy.” Dallas pressed on, though Konrad waved off the conversation. He was done with it. Dallas was not. “You didn’t mention it.”

  “No.” Konrad quickly became aware at the absurdity of the conversation and his feelings.

  You looked at my legs. Konrad conjured up that moment between them, a smile threatening on his face. He was so inappropriate, but he wanted to look at her legs, her toned, seductive legs. Had Scottie any idea how seductive she was? He guessed not, since she’d worn another bland outfit that morning.

  “And she didn’t mention it, either…”

  Konrad looked back at his friend. “No, she did not.”

  “And why?” Dallas wasn’t going to let up.

  “She thought it would be better to not acknowledge each other.” Konrad dropped his gaze to his glass again. He couldn’t look Dallas in the eyes with a lie on his lips. “It’s fine. It’s not a big deal or anything.”

  “Except it is a big deal. I’ve known you for a while. Since Harvard. You wouldn’t mention it if it wasn’t. Right?” Dallas waited for an answer Konrad didn’t want to admit to. He knew him so well. And because Dallas knew him so well, a grin parted his lips after a realization on his part. “Wait … no fucking way!”

  “What?” Game over. Konrad tugged on his tie, feeling choked by his own silent admission. He must be losing his edge. He slapped the bar. “Who do I need to shag to get another drink around here?”