*****

Amy was so seething mad she had to count silently to ten before she could speak again. “I told you I didn’t want a ride!” she finally spat.

“Whether you wanted the ride or not, you got it, so it would be really helpful if you’d just tell me where you live. Of course, if you’d rather come back to my place and finish what we started on the street, I’m okay with that, too,” he offered.

Once again, she had to count in her head. She felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. The last thing she wanted was for her extravagant boss to see where she lived. She planned on getting out of her current living situation as soon as she had enough money saved. She thought for a few moments before giving him the address of a nearby apartment complex.

She knew if he really wanted to find her place, he was perfectly capable, but on the other hand, she didn’t see him ever having a reason to go looking for her.

They pulled up to the building, and she saw a car turn on its backup lights. She knew she’d have to move quickly, or he’d insist on walking her to the door. He stopped to wait for the car and she took her chance. She jumped out before he could stop her and then dashed around the side of the building.

She said nothing to him, didn’t even glance back to see his expression. She’d assume he was furious with her for getting the upper hand. Once in a while the man surely had to lose a battle, even if she was sure he always won the war.

Amy wasn’t taking any chances and, as soon as he was out of her sight, she went into a full-blown sprint and hid behind some shrubs. She stayed there for much longer than was probably necessary. Finally, when she figured he was gone, she crept out and snuck to the front of the building, peeking around and looking for his car.

The coast was clear. She sighed. She had about a two-mile walk to her place, and the shoes she was wearing weren’t made for it. Oh, well, she thought, I may as well get started.

She said a silent prayer she wouldn’t get mugged on the way. The neighborhood wasn’t exactly family friendly, and she was usually not out so late alone.

An hour passed before Amy reached the rundown, hundred-year-old dump where she rented a room. She sighed in disgust. She’d scrubbed her room from top to bottom for two days straight before ever sleeping there.

She’d just needed to stay long enough to finish her college degree. She worked full-time while going to school but had barely made enough to cover tuition, let alone living expenses. She’d always been willing to do whatever it took to make a better future for herself. She wasn’t afraid of hard work and had proven it to herself, and others, throughout the years.

Her single mother had dragged her from one crack house to the next. Amy had always been hungry, dirty, and had to fight off her mom’s many “friends” on a daily basis.

Amy was grateful she’d discovered the local libraries as her sanctuaries at a young age and fallen in love with reading. She’d spent hours going through every book imaginable, from opening until closing.

The library had been warm and safe, and it was there she’d figured out she’d go to college and never again live in the dangerous world her mother had forced her into. Amy’s mother died when she was fourteen years old, and she’d been one of the lucky few to be placed in a good foster home. It was there she’d received her first real break in life. Amy had mourned her mother, even though she hadn’t deserved to be mourned. She’d felt guilty at her happiness in finally getting to sleep on a full stomach in a warm bed each night.

She’d gone from a drug-infested apartment to a family-friendly neighborhood with a great school, and she’d even managed to earn a few scholarships. She already knew how to survive on nothing, and once she graduated and then landed the great job with the Anderson Corporation, her dreams were finally coming closer to reality. In one more month, she’d have a real home of her own.

Amy snapped back to reality as she let herself into her shared rental and looked around her dilapidated bedroom. She lifted her head high, though, because she was soon going to be out of the horrible place, and she’d never once look back.

She crawled into her bed, lying in the dark as she thought back over the past month. So much had changed in her life. She’d graduated, landed the dream job, and developed a strong friendship with a great guy.

Lucas.

She couldn’t go a single hour without thinking his name. Even her dreams were filled with her boss. Why did he have to be so stunning? Why did he have to attract her so much? If she were the only one feeling the attraction, it wouldn’t be so bad, but obviously after tonight, she couldn’t even pretend that he wasn’t feeling the same desire.

She wished he didn’t want her. It would make it so much easier to keep her distance. With a new resolve, she vowed to keep it professional, no matter how much her body burned. She had to keep her job; she couldn’t live in crack neighborhoods anymore. She wanted out.

After tossing and turning for hours, Amy finally fell asleep around the time the sun started to rise. She was thankful it was the weekend.