My mind was on my boss again as Karla and I walked to the nearby supermarket to do our weekly shopping. I’d stayed at King’s place for another hour the night before, drinking wine and finishing our game of chess. I really enjoyed talking to him. I mean, he was so unlike the usual sort of men I’d grown up with. King was sophisticated and urbane, and he represented a world I knew virtually nothing about. And, as expected, he was the one to kick my arse at chess. I had to hand it to him — he was an excellent player.

In order to preserve my job, I left before I got too drunk, and told him I’d see him on Monday. It was only Saturday, and already Monday felt too far off. There was something about being in his presence and talking to him that I craved.

“Oi oi,” I heard someone call as Karla and I were passing by a betting shop.

Talk about the sort of men I was used to. I turned my head to see Lee Cross, my ex Stu’s younger brother, standing in the doorway, wearing a cocky smile. Lee was a handsome little shit, and he knew it. He was about twenty-five, and was one of four brothers that made up the notorious Cross family. Despite being younger than Stu, Lee was the brains of the operation, and I was fairly sure the garage he ran was also a chop shop. He held a toothpick to his mouth, still grinning, as he took in me and Karla.

“Haven’t seen you around in a while, Clarky,” he said, stepping outside and walking toward us. “What happened?”

“Stu and I broke up,” I said, and remembrance lit in his eyes.

“Oh, yeah, I think I heard something about that,” he said, glancing over his shoulder and back inside the bookies. That glance told me all I needed to know. Stu was inside, and I had the sudden urge to flee. I definitely didn’t want a run-in with my ex right now, especially since the last time I’d seen him, he was being arrested for stealing cars. So yeah, their garage was most definitely of the dodgy variety. Lee’s attention wandered to Karla, his gaze skimming lazily over her body and then back up to her face. By the glint in his eyes, I thought he definitely liked what he saw.

“All right, Gingersnap,” he said, giving her a flirtatious wink.

Karla frowned and tried to hide a blush before looking at me. Although she’d met Stu a few times before, she’d never met Lee. And as I said, Lee was attractive in a bad boy sort of way. He had light brown hair, blue eyes, a muscled physique, and a perennially cheeky grin that promised pure naughtiness.

The supermarket was right next door to the bookies, and Karla sounded a little perplexed as she said, “I’m, uh, going to go inside and make a start. I’ll see you in a minute.”

And then she left, leaving me alone with the sexier, grown-up version of the Artful Dodger. Lee didn’t even try to hide the fact he was checking out her arse as she went. He also didn’t look away until she’d completely disappeared inside the supermarket, and that was when his attention returned to me.

“She single?”

I couldn’t help it; I sputtered a laugh. Lee’s eyebrows drew together as he chewed on the toothpick. “What’s so funny?”

“My friend’s name is Karla. My friend is also a cop.”

Now Lee’s eyebrows practically shot right up into his forehead. “For real? She’s Old Bill?”

“Uh-huh.”

He let out a low whistle. “Well, fuck me.”

“Yep. She’s also too old for you.”

He flashed me a dangerous smile. “All the better. I like a woman with experience.” Well, that statement was definitely wrong, because if what I’d heard on the grapevine was true, Lee had far more experience than Karla, even if she was three years his senior. He looked back inside the supermarket, and I could tell by his expression that his interest had been piqued. I clicked my fingers in his face.

“Hey, don’t go getting any ideas.”

He turned back to me, grinning again. “What? I didn’t say anything.”

“Your face said it all.”

The look he gave me next had mischief written all over it. He rummaged in his pocket, coming up empty. “Oh, would you look at that, I’m all out of smokes. Think I’ll just mosey on inside and buy a pack.”

I tried to grab his arm, my voice low and threatening as I hissed, “Don’t you dare,” but he was already gone. I was about to hurry after him when another voice drew my attention.

“Lex,” said Stu, stepping outside. He always called me Lex, and though it was nice to be given an affectionate nickname, it really just made me think of baldy old Lex Luther.

Drawing in a deep breath, I turned to face Stu. I could do this. Slowly bringing my gaze to his, I took in his appearance. Tall, built, with brown hair and hazel eyes, Stu’s looks had never been a problem in our relationship. In fact, his looks, combined with his finesse in the bedroom, were the foundation on which our relationship was built. He might not have had much going on upstairs, but that dirty mouth of his always managed to make me forget my senses. The night he got arrested was the kick up the arse I needed to finally end things.

“Stuart,” I said, giving him a nod. He smirked at my use of his full name and took a step toward me. Clenching one hand into a fist, I summoned my reserves of willpower. If the look he was giving me was anything to go by, he was about to lay the moves on thick and heavy, and I had no intention of succumbing to them.

“Missed ya,” he said, now standing directly before me and looking down. His breath hit my cheeks, smelling of cigarettes and beer, which just said it all, given it was only eleven-thirty in the morning.

“Hmm, steal any cars lately?” I asked, my voice coming out clipped.

He laughed before his mouth formed a hard line. “That was all a big misunderstanding. I told you. My mate forgot he let me borrow his car.”

I folded my arms and rolled my eyes. Did he think I was born yesterday? A moment of quiet passed, then a low, seductive murmur, “You look good.”

I stepped backward to put some space between us, but he only advanced on me. My back hit the wall, and Stu crowded me in. Leaning down, his lips brushed my ear. “Fuck, but I’ve been dreaming about your pussy. Come back to me, Lex.”

Okay, so I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little flushed right then. Sex with Stu had been spectacular, and life in my bedroom was decidedly dull since I’d handed him his marching orders. Still, giving in to him wouldn’t be a good idea. Rekindling a relationship with a criminal was not something smart women did. And rekindling a relationship with a dumb criminal was definitely not something smart women did. I liked to think I was a smart woman. My vagina, on the other hand, was the equivalent of a dumb blonde. And that blonde wanted what she wanted.

“Piss off,” I said, placing my hands on his chest and pushing him back. He didn’t fight me, and instead chuckled, giving me a lascivious grin as I walked away.

He mimicked holding a phone to his ear. “I’m always available for booty calls, babe. Don’t forget.”

I flipped him off, which only solicited more chuckling, and stepped inside the supermarket. I searched through the aisles for Karla and finally found her idling by the breakfast cereals. There was a trolley in front of her containing a couple of items.

There was also a Lee Cross in front of her, and he looked determined. I caught the tail end of what he was saying.

“…fucking love this hair. You’re gorgeous. Let me take you out.”

“No, thank you,” Karla replied stiffly before her eyes rose to mine and relief etched itself over her features.

“Hey, time to skedaddle,” I said, and gave Lee a cheeky slap on the arse. His posture grew still, and I immediately wondered if that had been a good idea. Me and my trigger-happy arse-slapping hand. When he glanced at me, he wasn’t wearing his cheeky grin anymore, and he was clearly pissed I was interrupting his attempt to woo my best friend…also, the arse slapping. Yeah, I already knew that despite his carefree, piss-taker attitude, beneath the surface lay a man not to be messed with. It was worrying that he’d set his sights on Karla. Nothing about that would lead anywhere good, and that was before you even factored in her profession.

He held up a finger to me, then turned back to the object of his affections. “One date. Come on. What’s the worst that could happen?”

I resisted the urge to snort. Then Karla let out a small laugh. “I’m sorry, but no. Now, could you please move? I have groceries to shop for.”

Lee stared at her for several seconds before leaning in and whispering something in her ear. I couldn’t hear what he said from where I was standing, but I did see Karla swallow nervously. Giving her one final heated smile, he strode off with that confident swagger.

I let out a long breath. “Sorry about that.”

She shrugged me off. “It’s no problem. Was Stu out there?”

“Uh-huh.” I let my eyes wander to the shelves as I scanned the items.

“How’d that go?”

“As aggravating as expected. What did Lee whisper to you?”

Karla looked away, embarrassed, before replying quietly, “Something a little too risqué for this time of the morning.”

I finally decided on a box of cereal and picked it up before tossing it in the trolley. “Yep. Those Cross boys have some dirty mouths on them.”

“Hmm,” said Karla, and I didn’t like the contemplative look on her face.

“Don’t even think about it,” I warned, wagging a finger at her. “Lee might be a hot little slice, but believe me, he’s not worth it.” I didn’t mention that I was ninety-nine-percent positive he was involved in some pretty dodgy dealings. I didn’t need to. Karla had been in her line of work long enough to recognise a criminal when she saw one. Don’t get me wrong, Lee had a heart of gold. In fact, alongside Stu, he’d cared for his younger brothers from the time he was fourteen and his parents died. So yeah, he had a good head on his shoulders. Unfortunately, his circumstances in life had pushed him to channel his brains in the wrong direction.

Karla scoffed, but I could tell by the brief expression that crossed her face that she had been tempted, even if she’d never allow herself to admit it. “I’m not stupid, Lexie. I wouldn’t touch that boy with a ten-foot bargepole. And I shudder to think what my dad would say if I did.”

I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Karla’s father was a superintendent and had raised her hard. It was where she got her tough side from. In any case, she was right when she said he’d disapprove. In fact, he’d see right through Lee the second he met him. Not that it was ever going to happen. Unless, of course he was arresting him for something.

The rest of the weekend passed, and before I knew it, I was waking up on Monday morning for work. I’d just slipped into a black pencil skirt and a purple blouse when my phone began ringing. Seeing it was Eleanor, I picked it up.

“Alexis, I’m glad I caught you before you left for the office. I won’t be around today. Keith and I are seeing our estate agent about the house we’re buying in France. You know Mr King’s morning schedule well enough by now, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding even though she couldn’t see me. “I’ve got this. Don’t worry about me.” I had to use a little of my confidence-faking skills for that one. Sure, I knew King’s routine, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to mess it up.

Eleanor let out a relieved breath. “Great. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“See you tomorrow,” I said, and hung up.

Rubbing my suddenly sweaty palms on my skirt, I began quickly throwing everything I needed into my bag. My hair looked a bit wild, so I twisted it into a bun and off I went. I managed to make it to the office a half-hour early, grabbed the credit card Eleanor used for office expenses, and then dashed out to the nearest newsagents. And okay, I might have gotten a little distracted chatting with the portly old fellow who was working the counter. It’s a problem. When people start talking to me, I tend to get sucked in. This was why I took longer than planned to get the papers. I had ten of them tucked under my arm as I dashed into the elevator, only to be met with the icy blue gaze of Oliver King.

“Alexis, good morning,” he said, nodding to me in greeting and grinning a little at my efforts to keep hold of all the papers. Then he gestured for me to hand him some. “Here, let me help.”

I silently allowed him to relieve me of half the load, our fingers grazing as I explained, “Eleanor’s not coming in today. Also, I have to confess, I haven’t had a chance to read any of these.”

King’s lips twitched. “Well, given that you’re new, I’ll go easy on you. And don’t worry, I’ve already been informed of Eleanor’s absence.”

“I’m sorry. I would have made a start earlier if I’d known, but I’m going to try my best not to screw up your day.” Oh, God, if my hands were free, I would have face palmed at that. Way to show him I was a nervous wreck.

King’s expression warmed. “I have every faith that you won’t.”

A few seconds of silence ticked by before the doors pinged open. As I walked alongside him, he commented, “You know, I hardly recognised you today without the leopard print.”

I shot him an amused scowl, but strangely enough, his friendly teasing managed to ease some of my nerves. “Very funny, Mr. King.”

It was nice to know that just because he was my boss, it didn’t mean he was a slave driver. I was sure if I made a mistake today, he wouldn’t berate me for it. And God, speak of a mistake and watch it appear. We walked into the office, and Gillian shot up from her seat.

“Good morning, Mr King,” she greeted her boss brightly before her gaze came to me and her eyes flared meaningfully. King continued into his office. “Alexis,” she whispered, “you forgot his breakfast.” I swear, by the look in her eyes you’d think she was about to have a coronary at the horror of a breakfastless Oliver King.

“Crap, sorry! I’ll take care of it right away.”

“It’s supposed to be waiting for him when he arrives.”

“I know. It’s my mistake. I’ll go in now and apologise.”

I left before she could stress me out further and slipped inside King’s office. I held my hands up. “Mea culpa — I forgot your brekkie, but I’m remedying the matter right now. What ya got a hankering for?”

Brekkie, Alexis, really? For some reason my brain thought being funny about the mixup would make it less of a big deal.

King cocked a brow as he looked up at me from the newspaper he was scanning. “Te absolvo. Eggs Benedict and a double espresso. You speak Latin?”

I tried not to snicker. “Nah, I’m just clever like that. And that’s one eggs Benedict and a double espresso coming right up. I’ll be back quicker than John Travolta in a leather jacket.”

King shot me a confused glance but just shook his head. He clearly didn’t get my “Greased Lightning” joke, but whatever. I headed for the nearest café and got his breakfast. When I returned, he was in the middle of what sounded like a serious phone call, so I quietly set his food down on his desk. He gave my wrist a quick touch and mouthed a thank you before he was knee deep in his phone call again.

I returned to my desk and set to work, trying not to let my thoughts linger on the casual way he’d touched me. It was a touch of familiarity, and we weren’t familiar. Well, not really. Perhaps the way I joked around made him think we were, but that was just my way. I was incapable of putting on airs and graces, and tended to act the same whether I was talking to my grandma or the Queen of England. Not that I’ve ever met the Queen, but you know what I mean.

Mid-morning came and went, and then there was a handsome dark-skinned guy in a suit arriving at the office to see King. His exotic looks, however, didn’t match his public schoolboy accent. In fact, he sounded a lot like my boss.

“Ah, Mr Batage, it’s good to see you again,” said Gillian. “Is that a new suit?”

Mr Batage smiled at her and glanced down at what he was wearing. “Good to see you, too, Gill. And yes, it is new. Glad you noticed.”

Gillian preened at him shortening her name to “Gill” and gave him a demure, “Well, it looks really good on you, and I love the way you’re cutting your hair these days. Follow me — Mr King is just inside his office.”

Mr Batage gave me a nod hello before following Gillian. I continued working until she returned and shut the door behind her. She made sure it was closed tight before sidling up to my desk and giving me the lowdown.

“That’s Dilvan Batage. He’s a good friend of Mr King’s. They went to school together. Dilvan is a trader over at The Ring, but he comes from really old money. His family are wealthy tea exporters from Sri Lanka.”

I glanced up at her. “Huh. What’s The Ring?”

She looked at me like I was slow. “It’s the London metal exchange. Busy place. Mr King took me along on a visit once. It’s the only market that still trades solely in cash.”

“Ah. Got ya. So he’s some sort of hotshot, then?”

“Pretty much. He’s really successful.” I wasn’t mistaken when I saw the dreamy look flash across her face.

“And easy on the eyes, too,” I added, giving her a wink.

Gillian firmed her lips and straightened up. “That’s neither here nor there.”

“But you wouldn’t mind his heres having a go on your theres, would you?”

Her pinched expression grew even more so, and I had to laugh. “I’m messing with you, Gill. Relax.”

Without another word she returned to her workstation, and I thought I might have embarrassed her. Though I found it hard to believe a woman who flirted as much she did could be embarrassed by a bit of friendly teasing, but hey, what did I know. I’d have to watch my mouth with Gillian in future so as not to cause offence.

I answered the phone then and scribbled down a message to pass along to King. The woman sounded adamant that I pass it on ASAP, so I rose and went to knock on his door.

“Come in,” I heard him call before I turned the knob and stepped inside. King sat in his usual chair, while Dilvan perched on the edge of his desk. Both men were sharing what appeared to be a glass of whiskey. I swear, it was a scene straight out of Mad Men. I had to resist the urge to crack a joke about old broads and crazy dames.

“Ah, Dilvan, let me introduce you to Eleanor’s replacement,” said King as I walked into the room and passed him the note. “This is Alexis.”

I turned and gave the man a polite smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alexis,” said Dilvan.

“You, too.”

Dilvan shot King a smirk. “I think your other assistant has a sweet spot for me.”

King grinned. “Oh, really? Gillian?”

“That’s the one.”

When King’s attention slid to me and I saw the playfulness in his eyes, I got a feeling I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say.

“Alexis has a something of a theory about Gillian, isn’t that right?”

“Oh?” Dilvan put in. Now both of their attentions were levelled on me, and I felt a bit hot under my blouse.

“I think you’re getting me mixed up with someone else, Mr King,” I said, quiet but firm, about to leave when he continued,

“No, I’m not. If I remember correctly, you said Gillian would marry a cup if — ”

Before I knew it, I was taking a step back so that I could fit my hand over his mouth to shut him up. I’d left the door ajar, and there was a small chance Gillian would hear. I was so panicked for a moment that I hardly realised what I’d just done. My palm was fitted against King’s sculpted lips, which, as it happened, felt really nice. He stared up at me, his bright eyes going unfathomably dark, before I snatched my hand away like I’d just been burned. Silence filled the room.

“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have….”

And then both he and Dilvan started laughing.

“You know, I do feel sorry for you, working with this beast,” Dilvan told me.

“I just didn’t want Gillian to hear,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean to….”

King waved my explanations away. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” he said.

I swallowed and nodded, turning and leaving even though I hadn’t been dismissed. I needed to get out of there before I began stripping and giving him a lap dance. I swear, I did the stupidest things sometimes. I wouldn’t be surprised if that somehow happened.

When lunchtime came, I wasn’t sure if King’s invitation for me to use his bathroom was still open. He was out of the office, though, and Gillian was dining out as usual, so I decided to chance it. I’d brought a packed lunch, because I needed to watch the pennies until I got my first month’s pay.

Opening the door to the office and then to the bathroom, I furrowed my brow in confusion. The bathroom looked exactly how it normally did, only now there was a table and two chairs set up in the middle of the room, and on the table sat a chessboard. But it wasn’t just any chessboard, it was King’s. The one we’d played on at his apartment.

I didn’t get the chance to ponder it further, because the next thing I knew someone was entering the room from behind me.

“Ah, you’re here. Perfect. Fancy a game?” King asked, passing me by and pulling out a seat.