Tied Up by the Boss (Office Kink #2)(2)

Trent stuck his hands in his pockets. “You have a tendency to be brusque.”

“I’m always civil,” I said defensively. How did this get turned on me?

“The staff find you cold and gruff.”

“Traitors, the lot of them,” I grumbled.

He eyed me. “Work with him. At the end of the Axion project, I’d like a full report detailing Parker’s progress. And yours.”

I rubbed my forehead as the headache set in. “Fine. But under my terms.”

Trent smiled. “That you’ll run by me first, of course.”

I huffed and nodded. “I’ll give him some time to stew before calling him up. He needs to feel a little fear.” I sighed. “Though I can’t say I’m thrilled about not getting the pleasure of firing him. I was really looking forward to it.”

“Harsh, Morgan.”

“If you’d been in this meeting with CyGen, you wouldn’t be so forgiving. Parker let every one of his teammates down. They worked just as hard, only to be waylaid by a temperamental arsehole.”

His dark eyes gave away his uncertainty. “I trust your judgment. I just want to be sure we’re doing everything we can to preserve the warm and welcoming culture here at NetSmash.”

“And yet I’m the one forced to mentor the git.”

“Morgan,” Trent warned. “This will be good for you. Don’t think of it as a punishment. You’ll be enriching the life of a colleague as well as your own.”

My god, I could gag.

“I can see you’re overjoyed,” he replied, patting me on the shoulder. “Look, if it doesn’t help, we can talk again about firing him.”

I smiled. Maybe a tad too big.

Trent chuckled. “Remind me to stay on your good side.”

His phone pinged, and he went back to his chair to check it. His lip twitched as if he held back a smile, then he looked up at me. “Good luck. Let me know if you need my help.”

“No luck needed.” I turned to go and waved.

I left his office and walked down the hall to the toilets. I should’ve been able to rid myself of one ginormous thorn in my side. I should’ve been able to celebrate tonight. Instead, I’d be drowning my sorrows. I wondered if Mum needed anything from the store. I could grab a bottle of wine on my way home.

As I walked into the loo, Alejandro Rios, VP of Brand Management and resident playboy, washed his hands.

“Dylan,” I said and nodded. The other execs had nicknamed him based on his uncanny resemblance to some American actor from the 90s on a show about Beverly Hills teens. It sounded absolutely dreadful.

“You look awful. I guess losing one of our most promising clients makes your grumpy face even more sour.” He smiled, showing every single one of his pearly white teeth.

“How the bloody hell did you hear that already?”

“Bad news travels fast, Morgan. Especially from the mouths of those who were there. Angry, miserable faces were all around??—not just yours this time.” He winked and dried his hands.

I unzipped in front of the urinal. “It wasn’t one of Parker’s finer moments. Has he said anything?”

“Haven’t heard a peep. Went straight to his office and locked himself in. We’ve stationed an admin nearby to make sure there’s movement in there. Just in case, you know.” He gave me a pointed glance.

I shook my head, suddenly disturbed by such a thought. “That’s morbid.”

“After a fiasco like that? Not sure even I’d be able to handle my shit.”

I exhaled. “Your generation needs to toughen up. Deal with your problems like adults. You bugger up, you take responsibility for it, and move on.”

“Can I get that on a poster?” Dylan said as the urinal flushed.

I fastened my zip and turned back to him. “Sure. Better than those Keep Calm bastardizations.”

Dylan cleared his throat. “Is Parker history then?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.” I ran my hands under the falling water at the sink.

“Oh, come now, hermano, this is like Christmas for you. We all know how much you loathe him.”

I knew what Dylan and the rest of the office thought. They weren’t wrong. Though I should’ve kept my feelings about Parker to myself. Sometimes I wondered if Parker purposely ticked me off, gaining enjoyment from the reaction he’d get. Because he truly excelled at it. Our heated standoffs were a source of guilt for me, more than I’d like to admit. I’d never been one to let my emotions get the better of me, especially in a professional setting. But Parker knew exactly which buttons to push to send me over the edge, and we usually ended up at each other’s throats. I just wished he’d learn to give me and my authority the same respect.

“I’m not discussing it with you. And I’m certainly not your brother, Dylan.”

“It’s a term of endearment.”

“I know.” I smiled.

“Dios, eres un pinchazo,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m fluent in Spanish.”

“I know.” He smiled and left. Prat.

I headed back to my office, hoping to get a few hours of work in before I called Parker to the deliver the news of our imposed partnership. An unexplainable itch of apprehension settled in the pit of my stomach.