The Boss, the Baby and Me

“As far as work goes, let’s live in the moment. Answer the question.”

She wanted to say something sassy and insubordinate but she realized it was going to seem very childish if she did that. But she was having a very hard time bending to his will too easily.

Their gazes locked and held. Jodie felt a surge of anger, but she managed to keep it reined in for the moment. Still, he could tell she was unhappy. To her surprise, that brought the amusement back into his expression.

“Do all your apologies mean nothing?” he asked her softly.

The nerve!

“And I guess you casting aside all my apologies means even less?”

He laughed softly. “Jodie, calm down. This is the way I want it. You’re going to have to comply.”

“Or what? You’ll fire me?”

“Fire you from your father’s company? Never.” His grin was lopsided in a particularly infuriating way. “I could, however, begin giving the better assignments to Paula in order to leave you time for document-copying and coffee-brewing duties.”

She turned away from him, furious, and tempted to head for the door. His tone said it all. Look at this, Jodie. You laid me low, but I’m still in control. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of saying she would do as he wished, though she knew she was probably going to have to. But at the same time, a small part of her glowed with satisfaction. She only wished her brothers had been there to see Kurt get autocratic with her.

You see? He is underhanded. He is out to sabotage us in some way. You just wait! I’m not wrong about that.

Come to think of it, maybe it was just as well that she would be hanging around wherever Kurt was working. After all, she was the only one who was clued in to what he was up to. Someone had to keep an eye on him.

She turned back and looked at him. “All right,” she said grudgingly. “I’ll be here.”