Chapter 14

March 8th

So, today should be interesting at work. I'm sure Lenora has told Jack of my visit to The Red Door. Here's hoping Jeremy didn't tell her about my allergic reaction. But as a submissive, it's highly likely he told her. So, here's a second hope she doesn't think I'm too pathetic to work with.

Paige walked into Griffin Publishing holding her breath. Confident Paige was missing in action. In her place was very nervous Paige. It didn't help that when she reached her desk, Amanda cringed.

"I don't know what happened over the weekend, but Mr. Griffin has been asking when you're getting here every five minutes. He doesn't look happy."

As if sensing she'd arrived, Jack strode from his office. His gray eyes looked like storm clouds in his anger. "Paige, get your ass in here."

"Yes, sir," Paige squeaked in automatic response. She saw his eyes flare before the storm took back over.

Amanda tried to hide behind her computer as Paige took off her coat and took a deep breath. This was it. She was getting fired. Maybe she could get a job at The Red Door. They certainly would remember her.

Paige walked slowly to her execution. Her palms began to sweat as her heart raced. Inside Jack's office there was a bouquet of red roses that seemed out of place, but Paige didn't have time to contemplate it when Jack sat on the edge of his desk next to them. He crossed his arms and glared at her.

"Close the door," he snapped.

Paige turned and closed the door to her escape. She was stuck here now. "You wanted to see me, sir?" Paige asked hesitantly when she closed the door. His eyes flared again but then he frowned even further.

"Several interesting things happened this morning, Miss Turner." Oh, this couldn't be good if he were calling her by her last name. "Timothy West called."

Paige looked skyward and prayed for strength. She couldn't stand that prick.

Jack's frown twitched into a momentary smile before he frowned again. "He wants me to join you for lunch with Mimi Golden."

"Of course, he does. I'm sorry, sir. I know you don't have time for it. I'll take care of it."

"I do have time because my lunch date today with Lenora Hamilton was canceled."

Paige's whole body went rigid. She'd ruined the book deal just as she'd ruined her chance at losing her virginity.

"Do you know why my lunch date was canceled, Miss Turner?" Jack asked tauntingly.

Paige swallowed hard. "I might have an idea."

Jack pushed off the desk to stand closer to her, using his size to intimidate her. "See, I didn't have any idea. I got the message that lunch was no longer needed, attached to this." Jack turned around and grabbed something from his desk. He handed a large envelope to her and waited for her to open it.

Paige pulled the note out from Lenora. My dearest Jack. Sorry I missed you Saturday, but I had the delightful privilege of meeting my new editor, Miss Paige Turner. I can't wait to start working with her and Griffin Publishing. You'll notice I signed the contract with only one change—Miss Turner, and only Miss Turner is to be my editor.

Paige's breath caught as she read the note. She flipped to the back of the paperwork and there it was. Lenora's signature on the publishing contract dated this morning. That meant she had to know about the allergic reaction and yet she still signed with Paige.

Paige's head shot up to look at Jack and there was no containing the ecstatic smile on her face. She'd done it. She'd pulled in her first big contract, and if everything went well, her second would be in hand after lunch.

"I wondered when you might have met with Lenora, but then these arrived for you." Jack motioned to the deep red roses. He plucked the card from the vase and read it. "Sorry you couldn't fully enjoy your evening. I am glad you're feeling better, little one. Come back to see us soon." Then Jack turned the card for her to see. What Paige saw wasn't the note but the big red door on it.

"I can explain," Paige said, not really knowing how she could explain.

"Quiet!" Jack snapped and Paige instantly closed her mouth. Jack's lips turned into a slow grin. "What a good little one you are. Do you know that's the name the club uses for the submissives?"

Paige felt her eyes go wide. No, she didn't know that. But Jack did. And he knew she had been there. She knew he asked a question but didn't know if she should answer. And wait, was he being a dom to her right now? At work? That didn't seem very professional. Hot, yes. Professional, no.

"No, I didn't know that. Thank you for telling me." Paige looked him in the eye and crossed her arms over her chest in imitation of his stance.

"Why were you at The Red Door, Miss Turner? Especially since you declined my invitation." Jack stepped closer to her and glared down at her. "The truth or I'll spank you."

"And I'll go to HR and sue your ass off if you touch me."

Jack's lips twitched in amusement. "Maybe you aren't a little one after all. Are you a secret domme?"

"It doesn't matter what I am or why I was there. The fact remains I closed a deal you wanted very badly. I want to be promoted to editorial director of the new Griffin Romance line." Paige held her breath waiting for an answer.

Jack's lips twitched in amusement. "Let's see how lunch goes. The deal was if you close the Mimi Golden contract. But good job on the Lenora Hamilton contract. I'll see you at noon, little one."

"That's Miss Turner," Paige said with a tilt of her chin. "And thank you."

Paige marched out of the office and dropped into her chair, suddenly weak with relief. Amanda turned and gave a worried smile. "Are you okay?"

"Not with Timothy West in my life. Mr. Griffin is joining us for lunch at his invitation."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Men."

Exactly. Especially the brooding billionaire who may or may not have been hitting on her.

"Girl, he was definitely hitting on you," Leah said an hour later as Paige hid in the bathroom on a conference call with her friends.

"Totally. He threatened to spank you," Eli added.

"In books that's always hot. And it always means he's into you," Amelia told her. She would know. She read more dominant/submissive erotica than any of them.

"Oh my, what do I do now?" Paige was having trouble breathing. She couldn't deal with an alpha billionaire boss trope. She was about to make her career dreams come true. She didn't want to mess it up by sleeping with her boss.

"I know what I'd do," Leah said, and Paige could hear the smirk over the phone.

"It would take care of the virginity thing and he probably knows what he's doing since he's a dom. Plus, it does cross off the whole billionaire boss trope," Eli said, stating exactly what Paige had been thinking.

"Except this messes with her job. You don't want to mess with that. In books it's hot, but in real life it can be a big issue," Amelia, always the voice of reason.

"That is a good point," Leah said. "Noah asked me to head up a project with him. He knew we went to The Red Door, but didn't see me even though I saw him. And he looked incredibly hot. But I'm not going near that until I get promoted and I'm on more of an equal footing with him. If I go near that at all. He's so not my type."

"I guess I'm a slut because I would say, spank me, Daddy!"

Paige burst out laughing at Eli's outburst but that was the talk she needed.

"Okay. Business first. Get my promotion, and then I can feel things out. But only after I see what HR rules are on office affairs and review my contract." Paige felt better with a plan in place and thanked her friends before hanging up the phone. She had a pitch to make to Mimi Golden and a dream to capture.

Jack strode from his office promptly on time and didn't bother stopping at her desk. "Let's go, Miss Turner."

Paige grabbed her coat and checked that both her contract file and the manuscript were in her tote bag before she rushed after Jack. He ignored her as they rode the elevator and Paige was determined not to give in to temptation. She wasn't a flustered damsel dying to bed her boss. Sure, he was hot, but that didn't discount that he'd been an asshole to her and to the books she loved so much. Yeah, he was being less of an asshole now. But she didn't want to sprawl across his desk and say take me now. The alpha-hole trope was a lot hotter in books. You could always just skim over the most annoying aspects of his personality. In person, it just ticked her off and made her even more determined to prove herself professionally.

Paige followed a step behind Jack as they walked out of the building. A chauffeur opened the door to a town car and Jack slid in first. Paige tried to be graceful, but while the tight pencil skirt looked great and showed off her curves, it did not help her get into a car. Paige bent down and shoved her tote bag with all her files in it at Jack. "Hold this, please." Then she turned around and backed herself up into the seat. She sat down and then swung her leg into the car.

"HR policies? Interesting reading for a contracts meeting."

Paige snatched the tote back. "Maybe Mimi wants to have a torrid affair with me and I want to be prepared."

"Sure, little one. I can tell you what you want to know. It's not against company policy to have a consensual relationship with a co-worker."

Paige gave Jack a big smile. "Oh good. Louis in the mailroom can deliver his package to me at any time then."

Jack frowned and Paige felt victorious. She had wanted to look into that, but she had some goals to reach first and banging her billionaire boss wasn't one of them. Yet.