I chug the bottle of water, crushing it in my hand before throwing it into the metal barrel. It’s hot as fuck and the sun is barely up. Dex is next to me with the five other men on my crew, shooting the shit like we always do during water breaks, but my mind is elsewhere. I wish my body was elsewhere; namely against the curvy redhead strutting across the site. Miss McPherson, or Boss Lady as we all call her, owns the multimillion-dollar company we are currently employed by. Not that my company is anything to sneeze at. We’ve built half the damn city, including two apartment complexes under Boss Lady’s watchful eye. She has money, class, and a quality about her that only comes from being born into wealth. I, on the other hand, have worked my ass off to get where I am. Being the kid of a couple of worthless druggies landed me in foster care early in life, and I fought my way up from nothing. Boss Lady and I live in two very different worlds. But fuck if I don’t want those worlds to collide.

Paul, one of my new guys, lets out a long whistle when Boss Lady stoops to retrieve a dropped pen from the clay dirt, and is met with my hand to the back of his head as my other men step back. I step into his space, ready to rip the bastard’s head off. It’s an unspoken truth that no one looks at what’s mine. While she might not know, the woman belongs to me, and my crew knows it. On top of that, Paul is a rude motherfucker, and my crew is expected to act like gentlemen. Paul mumbles an apology and Miss McPherson stands, tucking the pen into her hair. I’ve seen her hair down once, when she and her father were first hiring my company, but not since. It’s always pulled back into a tight knot, but I want so badly to feel it spill into my hands. I want it brushing my chest while she rides my cock and to use it to jerk her head back and lick up her slender throat.

Her eyes catch mine and that beautiful pink hits her cheeks. “My apologies, Boss. It won’t happen again.” Her ice-blue eyes look me over and she nods once. I know I’m a sight. Red clay is on every surface of my jeans and white shirt, but I’m not the kind of boss that makes everyone else do the dirty work. I get my hands filthy with the rest of them. That is exactly why I have no business even looking at someone like Morgan McPherson—although, making her as filthy as I am is a nice thought. I wouldn’t mind letting her clean me up, either.

The day I first laid eyes on her I knew I had to have her as mine, but I’ve kept myself in check. It was about eight months back when she stood behind her father and made the deal to hire my company to renovate and add on to three small apartment complexes. Mr. McPherson made it clear that Boss Lady was in charge and that we were to respect her wishes. It was her first project as the newest member of The McPherson Corporation, and her father was letting her call the shots.

Boss Lady walks up the steps into the trailer serving as her office, glancing back at us, and catching my eyes one more time before the door slams behind her. I shove Paul, hard, so his back hits the trash barrel. “Don’t be disrespectful, asshole, or you’ll be looking for another job.” I glare at him, making sure he understands, and whistle for the men to get back to work.

The day is hot as hell and there is a lot to get done, but water breaks are how you keep your crew from passing out. No matter how tough a man is, Southern summer heat is a killer. Once the day is done, my men load up their tools, locking the big stuff in the shed, and I make my way to the trailer. Picturing her there alone makes me hard instantly. I can see her sitting at the desk through the blinds, so I walk in.

“Yes, I am very aware, but—” Miss McPherson gets cut off and rubs the heel of her hand into her forehead. “It’s not an oversight, it’s three million dollars!” I start to back out, but she holds a single finger up, halting me. “Fine, you know I hate that area, but wherever you want to go is fine. Thanks for meeting with me, Dad.” Morgan hangs the phone up, tossing it roughly on the desk, and groans.

“I’m sorry I interrupted. Just telling you that we’re out of here for the night.” Her head jerks up at my voice, and she gives me a tight smile.

“Of course, thank you, Mr. Jennings.” We stare for a moment longer, each of us appraising the other while she slowly stands.

“It’s not my place, but is everything all right?” I’ve watched the fire in her eyes dim over the last eight months. The vibrant, driven young woman is slowly fading, and it’s breaking my heart. She wants nothing to do with Daddy’s company, and that’s clear to anyone who pays attention, but I’m hoping I’m the only one noticing. I may kill another man for watching her that closely.

“Just an accounting error; I’ll get it worked out. Have a good night, Mr. Jennings.” My gaze trails down to the parted collar of her blouse then to the curve of her waist and back up. Everything about her is built for a man. Built for me. I shift, hoping my boss doesn’t notice the hard-on I’m sporting on her behalf.

“You too, Boss.” I wink at her just to watch her blush and leave her alone in the trailer. Maybe not truly alone. I’ll sit across the lot, waiting for her to leave before meeting the crew at O’Malley’s for drinks. Something about leaving her alone late in the evening doesn’t sit right with me. Some might view me as creepy, but from what I have seen of her father, I may be the only one with her best interest in mind.