“Shh—” I held up a finger to her mouth. Her lips were dark pink, full, soft. How amazing they had felt wrapped around my—

Goddamn it. I took a step back. “I want that box of files organized, indexed and out of this office with a full description of every slip of paper in them before you leave today. Got it?”

She blinked. “Uh, yeah. Yes. Sure.”

“Then do it. Now.”

With a jump, she turned back to the box, about to bend over again.

“Get a damn cart to wheel it out of here. Christ.”

She walked out of the office on shaky legs without even looking at me.

I rubbed the back of my neck, determined to be gone when she got back. She was too quick for me though and re-entered a minute later, pushing the cart dejectedly across the office to the box.

I growled again. “You need to meet me in Research and Development at four. Other than that, you are working on this until it’s done and you don’t go home until then.”

Without missing a beat, she nodded. “Yes. Yes, sir. I’m—”

“Save it. Just get it done.” I turned and stormed out, heading for the cafeteria to grab some shitty food to eat while she cleared out of my office.

Chapter 3

April

Oh shit. Shit. Goddamn. Fuck. I was screwed, so very screwed. More screwed than I was that hot night at Comic-Con. Shit. Goddamn. Fuck. The sex had been the best I’d ever had, but it had not been worth this.

The best sex in the world was not worth it if it ended up ruining your life. Now Jordan knew I was the one in that video and he could reveal that at any time. And who knew? He might do it if I screwed up badly or if he decided it was in his best interest to do so.

How had this workday degraded so quickly? This morning I’d been so eager to put the viral video craziness behind me and start my new job. I was excited and raring to go, eager to please my new boss—my very hot, young, new boss.

I’d had to remind myself several times not to stare at him when I’d first brought him his coffee. It would not do to develop a crush. In fact, it could be downright detrimental.

He’d looked up at me, kind of bleary-eyed from an obvious hangover. But he was so gorgeous even with glassy eyes and a slightly greenish complexion. With his light brown hair and hazel eyes that sometimes looked green, sometimes brown, sometimes gray. I wondered if they changed color based on his mood or the clothes he wore. I spent at least an hour contemplating his eyes after I’d left him alone.

That was before all Hell had broken loose. Then he’d spoken to me like he wanted me gone yesterday.

Hours later, when I was elbow-deep in the files, I determined that I should resign on the spot while I still had my dignity. There was nothing they could do to me after the fact…right? I’d be safe if I resigned.

But if I quit this internship early, my counselor at the university wouldn’t be able to find me a new placement because I’d already graduated. I’d been placed here before finishing my studies and stayed on for the opportunity to get the coveted recommendation.

So I couldn’t quit and kiss that goodbye.

My hands trembled and I’d all but given up before I murmured my old adage to myself. WWSD? What would Scarlett O’Hara do? She’d never give up. She’d fight with her last breath. She had. Over and over.

But I wasn’t like Scarlett. I didn’t have courage. I gave in repeatedly. Because it was easier. I blinked back tears of frustration and kept at my work until Charles called over to me from his desk. “Hey, April. You’re wanted in R&D.”

Oh, shit. I glanced up at the clock. It was quarter after four. Damn it! Jordan had said to be there at four o’clock and now I was late. He’d surely fire me now. He already hated my ass. Why, really, was I even still here?

I contemplated that as I walked the route from my desk to Research and Development, which was on the other side of the complex. Somewhere along the line, Cari and Ingrid, another intern, fell into step alongside me.

“Hey, superstar,” Cari said with an obnoxious wink. “How’s your first day in the big leagues going?”

I shrugged. “Okay.” I stepped up my pace, glancing at my watch. Damn. I was so late.

“Where’re you off to in such a hurry?” Cari asked, speeding to keep up.

“I’m supposed to be at R&D right now. Jordan is meeting with other officers about some new equipment that just arrived—”

“Other officers?” Cari perked up. “You mean like Adam? Is Adam going to be there?”

I suppressed a sigh. While I agreed with her that the company’s CEO was ridiculously good-looking, I was starting to get weirded out by her constant fixation on him. It used to be all in fun. We’d make comments about what clothes he was wearing or how great his ass looked in jeans on casual Friday, but it started feeling wrong when I found out he had a girlfriend—and that that girlfriend was someone we had all worked with for months, Mia Strong.