Teaching The Boss Read online

  Grace stiffened, torn between flattery and annoyance at his proposition. “I’m not here to hit on you,” she clarified.

  His lips drew together. “That’s a shame. Because you offering to go to bed with me is about the only thing you could say right now that I would say yes to.”

  She ripped her hand out of his. “Mr. West. I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but I promise you I’m not the type to hit on strangers in the street.”

  His dark eyes quickly moved up and down her body. The glance was quick enough that she didn’t have time to fidget, but slow enough to let her know he didn’t care whether she knew what he was doing.

  Grace mentally took stock of her outfit. Her jeans were dressed up with the high-heeled boots she’d normally never wear for walking through the city, but she’d wanted to make a good impression on Simon. Apparently all her efforts were for nothing.

  “Let me save you some time, Ms. Bell. I’m not taking on new clients. I’m attracted to you and would love nothing better than to get a chance to impress you, but I just don’t have the time or inclination to get pulled into the mess you’ve found yourself in.”

  Grace gritted her teeth as he slammed the metaphorical door in her face. “Mr. West, please hear me out. I never did a thing with Robert Bar. He’s setting me up, and I have no idea why. I just need someone to make sure my business survives until this all blows over.”

  He raised a brow. “From what I heard, you and the senator were already doing plenty of ‘blowing over.’”

  Her cheeks tingled as they filled with the blush that wouldn’t seem to go away for the past week since the scandal broke. Grace had no idea where it went wrong! One second, she was sharing an elevator with a senator in the swanky Hanson Hotel, and then she’d tripped on a heel and fell right into the arms of the silver fox Robert Bar. Normally she’d just giggle off the embarrassing incident, apologize and move on, but when the doors opened, she’d been blinded by camera flashes.

  “I never slept with Robert Bar,” she said between clenched teeth. At this point, she should just have those six words printed on the back of her business cards to hand out to the accusing public.

  Simon arched a red brow. “That’s not how the good senator tells it.”

  “That’s the problem! He’s running around every media outlet he can find, apologizing for cheating on his wife with me, and I only met the guy that one time in the elevator. I am an event planner for a very elite clientele, Mr. West. No one will hire me if they think I’m going to boink their husbands. I need to clear my name.”

  He carefully looked her up and down. “I’m no public relations expert.”

  Her confidence was bolstered when he didn’t immediately shoot her down again. She took a small step closer. “I know. But I’ve heard about you. You’re talked about in all circles and your instinct for reading people is practically legendary.”

  His mouth ticked up at the flattery. “Funny, I thought most people thought I was a prick.”

  “Oh, they totally do. But a prick they admire and respect. People, especially powerful ones, don’t want anyone to be able to see in their heads, but they need you. Mr. West—Simon—I need you. This man is destroying my reputation and my business. I’ve already been dropped by two clients this week. If I don’t move fast, I’m going to be closing doors within the month.” She held her breath as she waited for his features to soften even the slightest bit.

  “Ms. Bell, I admit you’ve found yourself in a tight situation, but unfortunately I’m not taking on new clients.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued. “And to be honest, you probably couldn’t afford my fee anyway. Good luck with your problem.” And just like that, any chance she had of putting her life back together turned his back on her and continued down the busy street.

  *End of sneak peek*