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  “At least he’s an Ivy Leaguer.”

  “Yes. He graduated seven years ago.”

  My mouth dropped open in shock. “He hasn’t had any business experience in the last seven years?”

  “Not unless it was military related.”

  “Wait, so you’re telling me that not only did I lose out on my promotion because of nepotism, I lost out to someone far less qualified?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “This is bullshit.”

  “I would have to agree.”

  Dragging my bottom lip between my teeth, I once again fought the urge to cry. This time it was out of pure rage. “Why here? Why now?”

  Murray raked a hand over his face. “I’m not supposed to share this with anyone, but considering what has happened, I feel you deserve to know.”

  I leaned forward in my chair and gave him a pointed look. “You know I won’t say anything.”

  Once he had the assurance I wouldn’t go blabbing, Murray nodded his head. “Thorn was forced to leave his post and his men not of his own volition, but because of the security concerns that have arisen since his father became president. He has not been a happy camper. Since his return, his family and friends have worried he is floundering. They thought it best for his mental health to find him a job, and what better place than in the family business?”

  Wow. That so wasn’t the story I was expecting. I couldn’t imagine how hard it must’ve been for him to give up the only life he’d ever known. Part of me felt terrible for punching someone who had been defending my country and freedom over spilled coffee. Well, to be fair, there was also the unrestrained boob fondling.

  “Believe me when I say my heart goes out to Thorn for what has happened. I’m the granddaughter of a veteran, so I know what it means to live and die for your country, but wouldn’t it be easier on Thorn to put him into a more entry-level position? I mean, talk about from the frying pan into the fire.”

  Murray chuckled. “I’m not sure a man who’s led two tours in Afghanistan would feel the same about the corporate world as he does about combat, but I understand what you’re getting at.”

  “I didn’t mean any disrespect. I was merely looking out for Thorn’s best interest.”

  “Sure you were,” Murray replied with a wink.

  I popped out of my seat to hover over Murray’s desk. “What do you expect me to do? Bow out gracefully while throwing out the welcome mat for an under-qualified and undeserving colleague? You should know me too well for that. I’ve gone above and beyond for this company.” I jabbed the air in front of him. “I know it, and you know it. There is no one in this department more qualified than I am. I deserve this promotion.”

  Yeah, my current tirade was nothing like I had rehearsed the night before, not to mention my voice had risen into almost shrill territory.

  After taking a deep breath, I tried to get a hold on my runaway emotions and get my mouth in check. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled before sitting back down.

  “There will be other promotions.”

  With an immature roll of my eyes, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Sure there will be.”

  “Isabel, someone with your talents will see higher advancement in this company.”

  “Years from now when I have to choose between a career or a family. This is my time.”

  He sighed. “I am sorry. I’m sorry for both the promotion and what I’m about to ask of you next.”

  Eyeing him suspiciously, I questioned, “What?”

  “I need you to help Thorn transition.”

  “You’re joking.”

  Murray shook his head. “I wish I was, but Thorn is going to need some help at first.”

  “Unbelievable.”

  “Surely you believe in the adage that no good deed goes unrewarded.”

  “No. I was believing more in the idea that hard work and sacrifice actually pay off,” I snapped.

  Murray’s blue eyes narrowed on mine. “After all these years, would you want me to have to put a note in your file?”

  Just like back in high school when I’d feared any detentions or office referrals on my permanent record, I had the same feelings about a note in my file. Just when I thought Murray had become a complete pushover where I was concerned, he pulled out the big-gun threats. “No, sir, I wouldn’t,” I replied diplomatically.

  “Thank you. That’s the response I wanted to hear.” His expression softened. “I want you to be Thorn’s right-hand woman on his initial research and presentations. I’ll have Kyle and Marta pick up some of the slack from your load so you’ll be free to help.”

  “I appreciate that,” I lied. Part of my annoying perfectionist side meant I was ridiculously territorial when it came to my work. I didn’t want any other fingers in my pies, especially fingers that were less qualified and less deserving.

  Leaning back in his chair, Murray pressed the tips of his fingers together. “Look at it this way, Isabel: because of who he is, Thorn will be promoted quickly. By helping him, you will have gleaned everything you need to know about your future job.”

  If there was any consolation to be had in the current hell I found myself in, I supposed that was it. “Yes, sir.”

  Murray’s phone buzzed, and then Bonnie’s voice came over the intercom. “Mr. Moskowitz, there’s a Thorn Callahan to see you.”

  As my stomach twisted into a few more knots, Murray raised his brows at me. “Are you ready to formally meet Mr. Callahan?”

  Formally? No, not really. Formally meeting Mr. Callahan meant accepting that my position as vice president had been obliterated. Everything I’ve worked for… I tried not to seethe, as I knew I was better than that. I also tried not to feel incredibly mortified by what all had transpired between Mr. Callahan and me that morning. I doubted Murray needed to know just how informally Mr. Callahan and I had been introduced to each other in the last fifteen minutes. Lord, how on earth is this going to work?

  I exhaled a ragged breath. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Murray bobbed his head. “Send him in.”

  Chapter Four: Thorn

  When I’d imagined what my first day of work would look like, I never in a million years pictured a fabulous set of tits even remotely being involved. If I had, I probably wouldn’t have been such a tight-ass about coming into work. For those of you keeping tabs, the guy who hadn’t been laid in nine months had just felt up and seen an amazing rack, and that was all before nine o’clock in the morning.

  “Holy fucking shit,” I muttered as Ms. Flannery stormed past us and out into the hallway.

  “My sentiments exactly.”

  Turning to Ty, I shook my head. “Did that seriously just happen?”

  Ty snorted. “Yeah, man, it did.”

  We both just stared at each other for a moment. You would think two men as seasoned as we were wouldn’t have been so shell-shocked by boobs, yet there we were. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the woman who had just flashed me was also the woman I had accidentally felt up not five minutes before. Crazy coincidences like that didn’t happen in real life, instead they were regulated to TV shows and movies. In this case, it would have been more of a raunchy R-rated movie than something on the Lifetime network.

  Breaking the silence, Ty said, “I gotta know something.”

  “Yes, they’re better than any I remember in a long, long time.”

  With a wince, Ty replied, “I was afraid of that.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because Ms. Tantalizing Tits is your employee.”

  Fuck me. Ty was right. In these modern times, nothing good could come from pursuing a relationship with my subordinate. After the morning’s events, I was already at a deficit with Ms. Flannery. Add one lingering glance at her boobs or a suggestive comment and I could be strung up by the balls for harassment. Not only could I not afford a lawsuit, the last thing my father’s administration needed was for me to become the poster child for skeezy bosses who take advantage o
f their position and power.

  Staggering back, I questioned, “Jesus, how can I possibly work with her?”

  “You just have to mentally castrate yourself in her presence. You don’t have a dick, and she doesn’t have the vagina you want to put your dick in.”

  I groaned. “Yeah, the visual on that is so not helping.”

  “Sorry. I was just trying to help.”

  “Trust me, mentioning anything about Ms. Flannery’s vagina is just downright painful.”

  Ty chuckled. “Well, look at it this way: when she blew out of here, she seemed pretty fucking pissed about the notion that you were the new vice president. If you’re lucky, she already has a strong hate for you, so you don’t have to worry about any potential relationship.”

  Right. That was something I hadn’t previously stopped to factor in. Upon further reflection, Ms. Flannery had seemed pretty furious when I told her I was the new vice president. I couldn’t imagine she would have stormed out to talk to our superior just because she didn’t want the man who had seen her tits to be the new boss. No, it was deeper than that.

  When I sucked in a harsh breath, Ty asked, “What?”

  “I was thinking about what you just said about her reaction. It was a little too extreme for it to just be about me seeing her boobs and feeling her up.”

  Ty’s brows furrowed. “So what is it then?”

  “I’m thinking she must’ve been up for the job.”

  “Really?”

  I nodded. “It would make sense that they would look to promote someone from within instead of an outside hire.”

  Shaking his head, Ty said, “Man, if that’s the case, it’s pretty brutal losing out on a promotion to the guy who saw you topless.”

  “Once she learns who I am, she’s going to think it was nothing but nepotism that got me this job.” When Ty gave me a knowing look, I rolled my eyes. “While that is not entirely untrue, I had to have the necessary degrees and skills or they would have placed me somewhere else.”

  I sounded a lot surer of myself than I felt considering my previous state of anxiety about the whole thing.

  I sighed. “In the end, it’s probably in my favor that she was up for this job. It just makes it easier for her to hate me and for me to be an asshole. When I’m being an asshole, I’m not being a pervert who is trying to seduce her.”

  Ty’s brows popped. “Let me get this straight: your method for distracting yourself from your attraction to Ms. Flannery is to act like a total asshole?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Jesus, you’ve been in the field too long.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  “Here’s the thing—there’s a fatal flaw in your master plan.”

  “I’m really a nice guy, so it’ll be hard pulling off the asshole part?” I suggested with a smile.

  Ty chuckled. “That’s not what I was going to say.”

  “Fine. What is it?”

  “I think you’re forgetting about the vast number of women who are extremely attracted to assholes.” He glanced around before lowering his voice. “Like, it makes them wet.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “Sadly, I’m not. There’s even a genre of romance novels devoted to men who are assholes.”

  I shook my head. “That’s insane.” While I wasn’t the Casanova Barrett was, I still considered myself somewhat knowledgeable when it came to women. I’d dated my fair share of them, not to mention I had lived with my mother and younger sister. How was it possible that I’d missed that very important tidbit? “Is it the same thing as chicks wanting to fuck a bad boy?”

  Ty nodded. “Pretty much.”

  “Fabulous,” I muttered as I swept my hand over my face. As I processed the information, I peered at Ty. “And just how do you know all this? For the life of me, I can’t imagine you acting like an asshole in real life. You’re far too much of a Brit not to be a gentleman.”

  “I don’t set out to be an asshole, but I’m sure I have my moments.” He winked. “I’d bet my exes might have something to say about me in that department.”

  “I’m pretty sure even the least asshole of all would get a negative review or two from an ex.”

  “As far as me knowing about the asshole factor, I guess I’ve just been observant. Also, while you were expounding on the classics, I was reading a few down-and-dirty romance novels.”

  I grinned at Ty. “Damn, I’m amazed you will admit that.”

  “There’s no shame in it. At the time, I considered it research. Every chick I was going out with had an e-reader, so I figured I might as well know my competition.” He shook his head. “Besides learning about the asshole factor, I also realized I was never going to be able to compete with those romance wankers who never fart or leave the toilet seat up, not to mention having ten-inch dicks.”

  “Wait, your dick isn’t ten inches?” I teased.

  “Of course not.” He then waggled his brows. “It’s twelve.”

  With a shake of my head, I replied, “Dream on, dude.”

  Ty grinned. “How did we even get onto this topic?”

  “I have no fucking clue. What I do know is that my initial attitude toward this job has changed, but that is life both in and out of the military—plans change, and you have to adapt with them. Like Burns said, ‘All the best laid schemes of mice and men.’”

  Ty blinked at me. “Did you just quote poetry to me?”

  I grinned. “Yes, it would seem so.”

  “I had no idea you were so deep.”

  “One has a lot of time to read during deployments—as you should well know.”

  “I didn’t do any deep reading while I was on tour, unless you count some Stephen King novels.”

  “I don’t think those fall under the category of the classics.”

  “Yeah, yeah, be a literary snob.”

  As I chuckled, I shot a glance at the clock above Ms. Flannery’s desk. It was almost nine o’clock. Since it was apparent she wasn’t coming back any time soon, it was time I went to check in with Mr. Moskowitz. Motioning to Ty, I said, “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?” Ty asked as he fell in step behind me.

  “I need to see my point of contact. He’s the one who will give me the keys to my office. I can’t wait any longer to get this show on the road.”

  Ty didn’t question me any further. Instead, he instantly transitioned back into protection mode. After glancing at my phone for directions to Murray’s office, I took the elevator upstairs. Once I arrived on his floor, I began making my way through the maze of cubicles and offices. Just like Ty had done a few minutes before, I got myself back in the zone. After everything that had happened that morning, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

  When I arrived, I announced myself to Murray’s secretary. Although I was sure Ty still entertained the idea of Ms. Flannery inflicting bodily harm on me, I entered the office alone. When I stepped toward the desk, I saw we were not alone. Ms. Flannery’s skin was ashen, and after nodding her head at me, she tucked her chin to her chest.

  I threw out my hand. “Mr. Moskowitz, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Likewise, Mr. Callahan. Please call me Murray.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  After shaking my hand, Murray furrowed his brows at me as his gaze zeroed in on my nose. “Are you all right?”

  “It’s nothing, just a little tango with a door,” I lied.

  Murray didn’t seem too convinced, but he then turned to motion to Ms. Flannery. “This is Isabel Flannery.”

  “Yes, we met earlier.”

  When Isabel’s frantic eyes met mine, I instantly regretted my choice of words, but there weren’t a lot of ways I could’ve responded that couldn’t have been construed as potentially perverted. Since I refused to show any fear, I steeled my shoulders. “I stopped by her office to introduce myself before I came up here.” I chose to leave out the part about seeing her topless and almost mowing her down.

&n
bsp; When it seemed clear I wasn’t going to mention anything embarrassing, the tension visibly melted from Isabel’s face. While I wanted to put her at ease, I also didn’t want her to get comfortable with me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it was time to put on my asshole armor.

  Narrowing my eyes at Isabel, I said, “From Ms. Flannery’s over-the-top antics bordering on a lack of professionalism, I can assume my presence is a bit of a surprise.”

  With a strangled gasp, her gaze spun from me over to Murray. I could tell she was both infuriated and mortified by my statement. Truth be told, I was more than a little surprised at it myself, not to mention my somewhat icy tone. You would have thought I was dressing down a new recruit rather than speaking about the liaison for my new job.

  When I looked at Murray, he tightened his jaw. “Yes, I’m afraid your inception into the company was unexpected not only to Ms. Flannery, but also myself. I only found out at the end of last week,” Murray replied tersely.

  “Even though it was somewhat last minute overall, I’m sorry you were not properly notified. I’m looking forward to following in my family’s footsteps and making my mark here at the Callahan Corporation.”

  “We’re happy to have you on board. No one is more qualified for helping you with your transition than Ms. Flannery.”

  “While I’m sure she is, I’m not sure how much help I’ll be needing. I spent last week in working lunches with Ted. He did a great job of preparing me.”

  Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Isabel fighting hard to hide her outrage while Murray appeared extremely pissed. Normally, I wouldn’t have mentioned consulting with another team to my current team. Notoriously bad for morale, it also had the potential to be dangerous. Considering their reactions, it worked well with my current campaign to be a full-out asshole to Isabel, thus lessening any potential for sexual harassment claims.

  “How fortunate for you,” Murray replied while Isabel coughed. I could have sworn there was a “bullshit” muttered within it, but I wasn’t completely sure. If Murray heard it, he didn’t react. Instead, he gave me a tight smile. “I’m sure that was very beneficial. Ted’s knowledge is legendary here. However, at the same time, I cannot discredit the invaluable knowledge Ms. Flannery brings.”