Playboy Boss Page 8

  “Who knows, clan. I may join you all from now on.” Not bloody likely. He’d no intention on setting foot in the Bowie Brew ever again. If he was so lucky to take Scottie for a drink, it would be at a place with white table cloths and crystal.

  Relief hit him once Scottie and Jeff returned, each holding multiple drinks. Upon sitting, she handed him a glass. He didn’t want to think what year the scotch was or how horrible it probably tasted. The only scotch he liked could not be bought in a place like the Bowie Brew.

  “I hope you like it,” she said apologetically, her tone smooth in his ear.

  “I’m sure it’s fine.” The glass nearly slipped between his fingers.

  “It was the best they had that your money could buy,” Jeff chimed in. Everyone laughed again.

  “I appreciate it, Jeff.”

  Scottie sat, bumping Konrad. Settled, she lifted her glass to him. “Well, cheers.”

  “Wait, wait…” Jeff interjected, ruining Konrad and Scottie’s moment. Everyone silenced, waiting for him to continue. He held up his glass, his eyes set on Konrad. “I want to make a toast. To the boss, Mr. Korr—”

  “Lord Korr.” Konrad winked at Scottie, who lifted her fingers to her plump lips, hiding a grin. A burst of laughter followed.

  “Right. Lord Korr.” Jeff continued. “What other boss would join his employees for a drink in a dive bar? To the most fair, talented, and ethical boss I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

  Ethical boss was the only thing Konrad heard. Jeff clearly had a position to state, and it wasn’t the compliment he’d offered.

  “Well, it’s not just me on this team. It’s all of you. It’s the whole Korr Corp—Solutions and Properties—that make us successful. All my fair, talented, and ethical employees. So, thank you.” Before Konrad could gauge Jeff’s reaction, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

  Everyone else clicked glasses, except Konrad, who turned his attention to his phone screen.

  Dallas Halman: 630, Korr. Where the hell are you?

  He’d never missed a guys’ dinner since he arrived in Houston not quite two years ago.

  Me: Having a drink with my employees. Catch you blokes next time!

  That did not go over well.

  Dallas Halman: You’re what?

  Another text vibrated his phone.

  Fabian P: Get your ass to L’Atelier.

  Then another.

  Ty Westmore: Explain yourself.

  Annoying wankers. He sent a group message.

  Me: Get off my back. I’m working on my employees’ morale for fuck’s sake.

  Dallas Halman: sure you are…

  Me: Goodnight, gentlemen.

  Konrad turned off the phone completely, and he hoped Dallas would keep his mouth shut about Scottie. A lot had happened since he’d talked about her, and he’d hate Dallas to cheapen the feelings Konrad now had. One thing was for sure, he would not talk about her again to any of his friends until there was something to talk about.

  “Scottie, have you been a temp for long?” Jeff’s question caught Konrad’s attention.

  She looked up from her sip of scotch. Embarrassed, or ambivalent, she hesitated. “Uhh … no, not long. I just graduated from college in May.” She glanced around the table, all eyes on her. “This actually is my first assignment as a temp.”

  Her first … assignment. He liked the notion of being a first to her.

  Another software engineer asked, “What do you do for fun? Besides drink with coworkers.”

  Scottie laughed nervously, clearly hating the attention that had been focused on her. “Oh, nothing exciting.” She took another sip, gaze down inside her glass.

  The group silenced, and when Scottie didn’t say any more, they resumed other conversations.

  In a voice low enough for her ears but not the others’, Konrad said, “Oh, come on, Scottine, you must live an exciting life.”

  Her gorgeous hazel eyes lifted to meet his. A small smile on her lips. “Just read the extracurricular activities section on my résumé.” Then she grew serious. “But I’m sure it’s not as exciting as your life. You have been everywhere, after all. And you have everything you want, it seems.”

  The comment wasn’t complimentary. It hurt. Were they back to that? He wasn’t sure. Konrad took her in, the straightened lips, the darkened eyes. The slight flush on her face to suggest she knew she went too far.

  She had, but maybe he deserved it. “Don’t be so sure about that.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Too many thoughts ran through Scottie’s head, none coherent. None gave her clarity. Konrad had definitely been rivaling with Jeff. The whole table knew it. Was the fight for her?

  After their kiss, she wasn’t sure what to expect from Konrad. Even though she’d started the kiss, she’d ended it. It was a mistake, and she still felt that it was. But the more she looked at him and felt his dynamism take her, she wasn’t as sure anymore. Scottie needed to stop presuming to know him. Was his life exciting? Did he have everything he wanted? She didn’t have a clue. His expression said it all. She was the asshole this time.

  Go home, Scottie.

  Scottie glanced at her watch. Sorting out her money situation with Tara should be her only concern, anyway, not trying to figure out her boss.

  “I’ll be back,” Scottie said to the group, who had been leaving one by one. Only five remained.

  “Where you off to?” Jeff’s eyes gleamed at her.

  “The ladies room, nosey.” Scottie quipped.

  He lifted his hands in surrender. “Just making sure you’re not bailing on me. Us, I mean.”

  “My God, Jeff. Do you want to join her in the loo?” Konrad didn’t hide his annoyance.

  “I’ll be back.” She’d be back to say goodbye.

  In the bathroom, she gazed in the mirror, getting her thoughts together. The pear ale and the scotch may have been a bad mix. She felt a slight lightness, a tingly feeling of intoxication, though not enough to impair her judgement.

  When she reemerged from the bathroom and went to the table, only two coworkers remained, Jeff and Konrad.

  Not sitting, she gripped the back of an empty chair. “Where is everyone?”

  “They left.” Jeff glanced at his watch. “It’s nine.”

  “Already?” It was past her bedtime.

  “Time flies when you’re having fun,” Konrad said, standing to his full, glorious height. He towered over her, as he did everyone.

  “I guess so.” She pointed to her purse on the table. “Can you please hand me my purse?”

  Jeff snatched it before Konrad could. “You’re leaving?”

  She reached for her purse, tugging harder when he held on playfully. His eyes sparkled, and when he released it, she tucked the purse under her arm. “Yeah. It’s getting late.”

  “Come on. I’ll walk you.” Konrad moved closer to her. “Close out the tab, Jeff.”

  Jeff was speechless, and so was Scottie. But, she didn’t refuse Konrad. She nodded and said goodbye to a yearning Jeff. His eyes said he wanted to be alone with her, though he dared not defy Lord Korr.

  Humidity enveloped Scottie the moment she stepped out of the Bowie Brew. Once they’d exited the bar, she steadily looked down at her pumps with each step and her stomach fluttered all the while. She was alone with Konrad again. He wasn’t even a foot from her, and it made her feel anxious. What would he say to her? What would she say to him? Together, they walked, outside of work hours, outside of any formalities. Like they had been at the EaDo property. What would happen at the end of their walk?

  For half a block, neither said a word. Each step echoed in her ears, emphasizing the silence between them, though the street had been busy with cars and pedestrians.

  “What did you really think of the scotch?” he finally asked, distracting her from counting her steps.

  She turned to meet his perfect profile, her lips fighting a smile. “It was awful.”

  Still looking straight ahead, his lips pulled
back, and she swore this man grew even more attractive. “It was atrocious.”

  She laughed in unison with him and then said, “I guess the Bowie Brew isn’t a place to get a good glass of scotch.”

  He shook his head, wrapping his fingers around her wrist, stopping her from crossing the street. The no walk sign had lit up. “That is a correct assessment, Schatzi.” He looked at her, his mouth still parted from his smile.

  Schatzi. The term of endearment he’d called her before.

  He had such beautiful lips. She could practically feel them against her mouth.

  “What exactly does Schatzi mean?” Her voice was husky.

  He didn’t stall like the last time she’d asked him. “It means sweetheart in German.”

  She halted her breath until his hand fell from hers. She swallowed. “Oh. That is endearing.”

  The silence was thick between them again. She didn’t know what to say, or how to feel. She was grateful he picked up the conversation where they’d left off.

  “You know where to get amazing scotch?” he asked.

  “Where?”

  “Hugo’s.”

  “I’ve never been there, but Tara has told me great things about it.” She focused on the do not walk light. “You know, Tara, my roommate, the caterer?”

  Why am I talking about this? She wanted him to bring up the kiss again.

  “Of course. I remember.” When the light turned, allowing them to walk, he touched her elbow. She was getting used to him touching her, and it was dangerous.

  When they arrived at the parking garage elevator, he pulled her to a halt at the entrance. “What floor are you on?”

  “You don’t have to walk me all that way to my car.” She didn’t want him to see her car for some reason she couldn’t reconcile. Her car had never been a source of contention for her. It was hers alone, and she was proud of it. But, maybe against Konrad, she felt inadequate. They were from different worlds, though her father’s family was wealthy. In fact, it was the money her grandmother had given her for college that allowed her to buy the used car.

  He ran a large hand through his dark-gold hair, and her eyes were steady on his fingers—large, strong fingers. “I’m not going to let you walk to your car alone at this time. So I’ll ask you again. What floor are you on?”

  A thick gulp slid down her throat. “T-the eighth.”

  He nodded, slipping his hand over her to push a button to summon the elevator. Harder and harder, her heart thumped. Her whole body surged, and she wanted that finger on her. All over her.

  The ding of the elevator bell shook her. As the chrome doors slid open, he blocked the track so she could step into the elevator. She didn’t know if it was the scotch or him that made her feel woozy, but as she passed inside, she tripped into him, her face smashing against his hard, solid chest. That man was like a brick wall. And he smelled so good.

  He moved his palms down her back to stabilize her, though he’d made her feel more wobbly. When she regained her footing, she peered at him, her gaze catching his parted lips. Oh God… The apex of her thighs pulsed with all the things he could do to her with those lips. And tongue.

  “Watch out. It’s a tricky step.” His voice was gruff. She was certain he could read her thoughts.

  Scottie inhaled, feeling his hard body against her. Straightening, she removed her hands from him, and he dropped his hands from her. Something was going on. Something that started at the EaDo property and hadn’t let up.

  The bell of the elevator sounded. They’d been blocking the doors too long. Securely inside, he leaned over her and pushed the eighth-floor button.

  “I’ll tell Susan to give you a VIP parking pass. You’ll park on the first floor going forward.” It was not a question. It was a command.

  “You really don’t have to do that.” Her voice was so low and lusty she hardly recognized it.

  He waved his hand. “It’s done.”

  Both feet on the elevator floor, she knew he would have his way, and she would let him. “Thank you.”

  The elevator doors opened again, saving her from his magnetism. From his voice. From his body. She needed to get off that elevator or else she’d explode from the emotions bubbling up inside her. She stepped across onto solid ground, though still feeling unsteady. The air in the garage tickled her nose, reminding her where they were.

  His steps sounded behind her, and she indulged in wondering if he watched her walk. Watched her hips sway. Could he see how she wanted him? The notion thrilled her. They approached her car quickly, the sedan parked all by its lonesome, popping into plain view at the far end of the empty parking level.

  One. Two. Three. She counted to calm herself and fetched her keys. She unlocked the driver’s side door and turned to face him. “Thank you for walking me.”

  In the dim parking garage, his eyes gleamed at her. What was he thinking? The same thing as she had been? He leaned in close, not even three inches from her. She froze. The prospect of him kissing her was real. She braced herself, her whole body sparking with electricity, ready for his lips to take hers again. Please kiss me.

  He didn’t kiss her. Reaching over her, he pulled up the door handle and opened the door. “You’re welcome.” His voice was gentle, like it had been at the EaDo property.

  The tension between them weakened her. Her knees would buckle any moment if she didn’t get in her car, but she didn’t want to get in just yet. “You know, I think taking this temp job has been the most exciting thing I’ve done.” And kissing you.

  A curl lifted the side of his lips into a decadent smile, catapulting her desire to new depths. “You’ve got three more months with me. I hope you can handle all the excitement you have yet to experience.”

  With me. Yes, everything was clouded by the scotch. She was convinced because she was bolder and more receptive. “I think I can manage.”

  He licked the corner of his mouth, and God did she want that tongue licking the side of her mouth. She glanced down, her arousal taking her hostage. Still, in that lust-fueled moment, she thought of her wallet. And when she plunged her hand inside her purse, she didn’t find it. Damn. She’d left it on her desk. What a buzz kill. What they had in the garage would have to end.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I left my wallet on my desk.” Her hand fell from her purse, dangling at her side.

  He’d stepped back by then. Yes, their moment was over.

  “Come,” he said.

  In silence, they walked to the office. The tension was palpable. The things unsaid still hung between them. Once they arrived to the suite, Konrad unlocked the door. Scottie glanced at the clock on the wall in the empty reception area. Nine-thirty. Had it only been thirty minutes since they’d left the Bowie Brew?

  Konrad emerged from her cube, her wallet in hand. “I found it.”

  She reached for it, her fingers touching his. The wallet slipped through her fingers, crashing to the floor. Both went for it, their hands touching again. Not just their hands, though. Their faces touched, his lips grazing hers. Shocked, she pulled back, both of them standing and neither grabbing the wallet. Their gazes fused in liquid heat. The air was so dense she could hardly breathe. With equal intensity, they lunged for each other, their lips colliding in a hungry kiss she’d been imagining all day.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Konrad slipped his tongue in Scottie’s mouth. He steam-rolled ahead, taking cues from her body. Nothing could stop him. Not even the prospect of someone lingering in the office after hours could keep him from doing what he’d desired since the moment he saw her.

  Cupping her ass, he pulled her hard against his instant erection. Moaning, she ran her palms up his sides to his shoulders. Her lips moved over his, surrendering to him and then taking some control. The woman could kiss, and he savored the mix of scotch and pear on her tongue. God, he wanted to lick every part of her.

  Lifting her off the floor, Konrad walked with her into his office, setting her down on his
desk. Immediately, she parted her legs, giving him a space to stand over her as they continued their kiss. His hands rode up her smooth thighs. He thanked the gods she decided to wear a skirt that day.

  “Konrad?” she asked in a broken whisper.

  “Yes?” His lips trailed over her chin and down her throat to her collarbone.

  “Should we be doing this?” She slipped her fingers in his trousers’ waistband and pulled up his shirt. His stomach rippled at the touch of her fingers on his skin.

  “Probably not,” he said, unbuttoning her blouse until her white lace bra emerged. He groaned at the perfection of her perky breasts. With little finesse, he pulled a cup to the side and took her nipple in his mouth.

  Scottie cried out, her thighs tightening around him. “Maybe we should stop.”

  He halted all action, his eyes opening. “Do you want me to stop?”

  They stared at each other, both of them drawing in sharp breaths. No way did she want him to stop. He could practically smell the need wafting off her body. She bit her bottom lip and tugged his belt loose. No stopping. They would take this to the end.

  Scottie pulled Konrad to her, their lips touching again. She licked his lips, coaxing him to open his mouth, which didn’t take much. Once he’d opened up, he took control of the kiss. His tongue delved far inside her mouth, exploring every part of her. It was just a precursor to the other places he wanted to put his tongue. He’d show her he was more than capable of giving her the best pleasure she’d ever known.

  That was what she had already done for him.

  With haste, she slipped off his belt, dropping it to the tiles with a crash. Next came her blouse. She practically ripped it off, tossing it over his chair. She was fiery. Wanton. She knew what she wanted. And it turned him on even more.

  As he kissed her, he took off his own shirt and tossed it to the floor. Before he knew it, his trousers were around his ankles, and her skirt was hiked up enough for him to see her panties matched her bra.

  “Fuck, Scottie,” he groaned, his hands riding up her thighs to touch her. “You’re so wet.”

  She leaned back on her hands, her legs opening wider. “I’ve wanted you since I kissed you.”