Tempting The Boss Read online

  Contents

  Tempting The Boss

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Tempting The Boss

  by

  Mallory Crowe

  Tempting The Boss

  by

  Mallory Crowe

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Fonts used with permission from Microsoft.

  Copyright © 2015 by Mallory Crowe

  Mallory Crowe (2015-03-28). Tempting The Boss (Billionaires in the City Book Three) Kindle Edition.

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  CHAPTER ONE

  Dean cursed under his breath as the screw dropped from his hands and clattered onto the tile twenty feet below him. What kind of idiot designed a light that needed screws to change a damn bulb?

  He hoped the small ping of the metal hitting the ground wouldn’t attract much attention, but Victoria Green’s head whipped around to stare disdainfully at where the screw rolled to a stop.

  “Shit,” he muttered as he descended the ladder, two steps at a time. Even so, he had no chance of beating the CEO to the offending piece of metal.

  She narrowed her gaze at him as she picked it up off the floor, and he stopped in his tracks.

  “What is this?” She held the screw in front of her.

  Dean glanced over his shoulder, hoping Grace would pop in to save him from whatever hell was about to be unleashed. “It slipped out of my hands.” He squared his shoulders as he stared her down. “I would’ve picked it up.”

  Victoria tilted her head and stared him down. Even in her three-inch heels, Dean towered over her, but she didn’t seem the slightest bit fazed. “This is an employee appreciation dinner. I don’t think my employees will feel very appreciated if they have to dodge nuts and bolts on the dance floor, do you?”

  He gritted his teeth. “It’s not a nut or a bolt, it’s a—”

  She rolled her eyes. “I can’t take this. Where’s Grace?”

  Dean took a deep, calming breath. Shit. He really didn’t want Grace pissed at him. The work she gave him wasn’t too steady, but she paid well and he normally got some pretty amazing food out of it. “Last I saw, she was going into the kitchen with the caterer.”

  “Thank you,” she said with obviously false sincerity, before she sauntered away.

  Don’t look at her ass. Don’t you dare look… Dean couldn’’t help his gaze from following the sway of her hips as she crossed the large hall.

  Not exactly what he pictured when he thought of the CEO of a nationwide hardware retail store. Especially not one named Green & Sons. Rumor had it that her brother was so incompetent when it came to running the company that he was forced out by his sister, Victoria. It wasn’t really surprising that the tabloids were a fan of hers. She was smokin’ hot and surrounded by family drama.

  At least, that was what Grace had told him in the quick debrief before the job. He didn’t need to read tabloids. He had enough family drama of his own back home. After he pulled another screw out of the toolbox sitting next to the ladder, he climbed back up. He just needed to get this job done and go the rest of the night without pissing off the richest person in the room.

  ~~~~~

  “Your handyman is trying to kill my guests.” Victoria pushed through the swaying kitchen doors.

  Grace’s jaw dropped open while the man in the white chef’s jacket awkwardly stepped back. “We can finish this later,” he mumbled before he made a quick exit.

  By the time he was gone, Grace had regained her composure. “I’m reasonably certain Dean isn’t trying to murder anyone.””

  Victoria held up the tiny piece of metal in her hand. “I saw him drop this. Who knows how many other deathtraps are littered around this floor waiting for someone to trip and crack their head open?” She knew she sounded way too anal retentive, but she desperately wanted this night to go perfectly. It was more important than ever that the company was on her side, and she hoped this spontaneous employee appreciation dinner would do the trick.

  Grace sighed and gave Victoria a comforting smile. “I don’t want you to worry about a thing. Dean is completely trustworthy. He’s been doing this for years, and, except for Andre, he’s my right-hand guy. Unfortunately, when setting up events of this caliber, things are bound to get missed.” Grace held up her clipboard and pointed to number twenty-three on the checklist.

  Victoria leaned forward to read the small print on the massive list. 23. Final sweep of floors.

  “I always make sure that after everything is set up, the floors are swept. Between flowers, table covers, centerpieces, drinks, and the number of people walking around, there’s always stuff that needs to get picked up. But I can assure you that I’’ve dealt with this all before, and it’s not new to me. I can promise you that there won’t be any debris around to trip your employees.”

  Heat crept up Victoria’s cheeks. Great. She’d made a fool out of herself in front of the damn handyman for no reason. “You seem to have a handle on things.”

  “I do. I promise. By five p.m., this place is going to look amazing and will impress the hell out of everyone, Ms. Green. All you need to do is follow the agenda I gave you. I’m taking care of everyone else.”

  Victoria nodded. “That’s probably best.” Sometimes delegation was the most productive way to lead, and Grace was the best of the best when it came to event coordination. And Victoria prided herself on surrounding herself with the best people. Speaking of… “Is Simon still around?”

  Now it was Grace’s turn to blush. Victoria narrowed her eyes but didn’t say anything. Instead, she filed the little tidbit away in her mind. So her business consultant and the event coordinator were a thing? Interesting.

  “There was a conference room on the forty-eighth floor that he’s set up on. I think he was getting some work done. Do you want me to call him down?”

  Victoria’s gaze slid over to the window in the kitchen doors, and her focus immediately fell on the handyman, who was working on installing another one of the green lights. “I should probably go to him. If he’s working on my company, I don’t want to interrupt him.” She glanced back to Grace with a smile.

  “I’ll be around if you need anything else, Ms. Green. If you can’t find me, feel free to call.”

  Victoria nodded and strode back into the large hall. As she crossed the room to the elevator bay, she once again found herself looking at Dean, and she frowned at herself. Not that Dean wasn’t attractive. His jeans fit him far too well, and he had the chiseled jaw of a movie star. But he was so far from her type, she couldn’t imagine why she couldn’t drag her eyes away.


  Though she definitely wasn’t leaving behind a trail of exes, she had an established pattern. Her high school boyfriend was one step away from valedictorian (behind her, which was part of the reason their relationship never made it to college), her late college boyfriend was an intern at the governor’s office, and her latest failed attempt at balancing her professional life with her personal one was with the CFO of Green & Sons.

  When she had the chance to step up and lead the company out of the hole Terry dug it into, she’d had to choose between dating John and becoming the CEO of the family company. It was, sadly, an easy decision.

  Dean didn’t look like a CFO or politician. He looked as if his hands were rough and callused and as if he didn’t get his muscles from any gym. They were the product of hard labor, and every inch of him was probably ripped.

  The elevator doors opened and Victoria forced herself to stop imagining the handyman’s muscles.

  What the hell was she doing? The entire world was falling apart around her and she was throwing a damn party. And an expensive one at that. The elevator door opened and she strode out and into the hallway. She didn’t know which room Simon was set up in, but she turned right and eyed the open doors until she found her favorite consultant.

  “Are those the Miller plant projections?” She walked into the room, deciding to announce her presence before she surprised him.

  Simon West turned around, not seeming surprised to see her at all. “I didn’t think you’d still be here.”

  “Nowhere else I’d rather be,” she lied. “Why are you still hanging around? Wouldn’t have anything to do with the pretty party planner, would it?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Grace is an event coordinator, not a party planner. Trust me, she’s had to remind me over a dozen times.” Simon glanced to the clock on his computer. ““There’s still time to stop at the hospital, you know.”

  And just like that, her headache was back. “What’s the point?” She pulled out a chair.

  Simon leaned back and was silent for a moment. “It will make you feel better,” he said softly.

  She stared him down as an unexpected wave of grief washed over her. “Seeing my father unconscious on a hospital bed won’t make me feel better. I promise. Stick to what you’re good at and tell me how the Miller plants are looking.”

  In a heartbeat, he was back to the professional she was used to. “It looks risky. The price is amazing, but that’s only because they’re not bringing in any profit.””

  “What about the scrapping project? Have you looked over the projected revenue increase if we install it into all the plants?”

  He ran his fingers through his short red hair. “I wish I had a definitive answer for you, but I’m still researching. I don’t want to tell you anything when I’’m not sure myself.”

  “Fine,” she said, not bothering to hide her annoyance. Her consultant wasn’t consulting, the handyman had completely showed her up downstairs, and she had no idea what Terry was up to. “Can you at least tell me if you’ve heard anything about my brother?”

  She didn’t know how it was possible, but somehow Simon’s face became even more somber. “The guy I have tailing him says he splits his time between the hospital, his lawyer’’s office, and with his girlfriend.”

  Even though she wasn’t surprised, the news still felt like a blow to her gut. “His lawyer? He’s not getting the company, Simon. I won’’t let it happen.”

  “I’m on your side,” he pointed out. “I know firsthand what happened to Green’s when Terry was in charge. But you’re going to have to fight for it. If your father did change his will before his heart attack last week, there’s a good chance that the court will honor that, even if he does take you to court. But if your father hasn’t changed it since Terry was CEO…” He trailed off, not needing to say what they both knew.

  As her face fell, he continued. “Keep doing what you’re doing. As long as the profits stay up and the employees stay happy, you have a leg to stand on. If you show any sign of weakness, Terry will jump on it. You can’t give him any advantages in this fight.”

  Simon and she really thought alike sometimes. He knew she couldn’t sit back, so having a goal was exactly what she needed. And right now, her goal was to make damned sure her employees would defend her if Terry did try to take over. “I’’m on it.” She stood. “Keep me updated on the scrapping project numbers, all right?”

  “Of course,” he assured her.

  She walked out, thinking over Simon’s advice. Stay strong. Don’t show weakness. Easy peasy. She’d been doing that for years.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Dean rolled his shoulders. He loved working gigs with Grace, but he sure as hell hated wearing a suit. He never understood how people wore them day in and day out. He’d never be able to get any work done if he felt as if he were trapped in a fabric prison all day.

  But everyone else seemed to be comfortable enough. Of course, considering how busy the open bar was, that might be the alcohol working its magic. He wouldn’t mind a glass for himself, but he had a lengthy night ahead of him. Long after everyone cleared out, he’d be overseeing the teardown. But he could make more working one night with Grace than an entire week of house calls back home.

  It didn’t used to be this hard to make a living. When he worked with Bill Heder, the jobs were steady enough and pay was reasonable. But when the economy went south, so did Bill. In the years since, Dean had scrambled to make a name for himself: working nights, weekends, holidays and any job that would give him some advantage in a crowded market.

  A flash of dark hair caught his eye and his gaze landed on Victoria Green. She definitely looked different than when he’d managed to piss her off earlier. For one, she was smiling. Instead of the tense, uptight woman he’d met hours ago, she seemed happy and relaxed. No one changed moods that quickly.

  No. This was an act. He’d been to so many of these fancy parties, he could recognize the fake joy from a mile away: rubbing shoulders with the high and mighty, pretending to be best friends with everyone.

  “Please stop looking at the client like you want to strangle her.” Grace came up to his side.

  Dean ripped his gaze away, trying not to let his embarrassment show. He owed it to Grace to at least be professional. “Sorry. I was lost in thought.”

  “Umm hmm,” she muttered. “What’s going on with you? I know she pressed a few buttons, but—”

  “It’s not her,” he bit out even as his eyes once again found Victoria and lingered a few seconds too long on the little black dress that hugged her curves just as well as her pencil skirt from earlier that day. “I’m stressed, that’s all.”

  Her brow drew together. “Is everything okay with Katy?”

  Instinctively, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check for any missed messages. Not that there’d been any ten minutes ago, but he never felt comfortable when he was out of town. “It’s her first time alone.” He put the phone back in his pocket.

  “Wow. That’s a big step.”

  “I’m trying my best not to think about it.”

  “How’s that working out for you?” asked Grace with a subtle grin.

  “Like shit. I never should’ve left her alone. When she was begging and pleading in front of me, it made so much damn sense, but somehow all of her magical powers seem to slip away once she’s gone.”

  Grace let out a laugh and he glared at her. It wasn’t fucking funny.

  “She’s a good kid, Dean. I don’t think she’s ever broken a rule in her life.”

  “That makes it worse! It’s always the good ones that fall hardest, Grace. I’m telling you, I should’ve never left her.”

  “Dean, I’m sure—” Grace abruptly stopped talking and a big smile filled her face. “Victoria, are you enjoying yourself?”

  Dean jerked as he realized she’d walked up right behind him and he’d hardly noticed. He forced a tight smile, but Victoria was more focused on Grace.

&nb
sp; “Everyone seems to be having a great time.” Victoria’s previously fake grin was replaced with a more hesitant smile.

  This was a woman who’d obviously prefer to be anywhere else, thought Dean.

  “If you hear any complaints at all, let Dean or I know. Andre is also around here somewhere too.”

  Finally, Victoria looked at him. Her lips tightened. “What do you specialize in, Dean?”

  He shrugged, but Grace answered for him. “Dean does everything. Hard labor, electrical, plumbing, even security on a few occasions. He’s great to have around when a fuse blows or an outlet decides it doesn’t want to work.”

  “If I don’t know how to do it, I’ll figure it out.” It sounded like bragging, but that should really be his life’s motto: figuring out how to do jobs he never wanted in the first place.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re here.” Victoria held her hand out to him.

  He stared at her manicured hand; the matte white nails caught his eye. He’d crawled in some of the hotel’s dirtiest and nastiest corners before he’d cleaned up and slipped into the suit. It almost seemed wrong to touch her.

  But it seemed as though she was doing her best to apologize, and he respected that she wasn’t one to hold grudges. Especially over a damn screw. He met her handshake, surprised at her firm grip. As quickly as possible, he pulled away, not wanting her to feel the rough calluses on his palms or notice how beat to shit his own nails were. He might be dressed the part, but he sure as hell didn’’t fit in here.

  “I need to keep making the rounds, but I’ll make sure to let one of you know if anything comes up.”

  Dean stepped back and allowed her room to move past. “We’ll be around,” he assured her as she strode to a well-dressed couple who sat at a table behind him.

  “Hey Dean,” said Grace.

  He raised his brows. “Hmm?” he asked, still looking at Victoria.