At The Boss's Command. Darcy Maguire

she didn’t want to know, and especially didn’t want to be tempted to check for what Sagittarians were up to today—as if she cared. Did it matter what Case’s was? It did not.

      Sure, she’d emailed him under the influence some time in the wee hours of Friday night, taking up the offer to be his assistant, but it didn’t have to be the disaster she’d first thought it was when she’d realised what she’d done.

      Sure, she’d let herself get talked into it by Emma and Keely, but after two days analysing the pros and cons she had to say it was the right thing to do.

      There were too many question marks around Darrington. It was time to resolve some of them, once and for all, and spending time in close proximity seemed a perfect opportunity to do just that.

      He was up to something, she was sure of it.

      She was a professional, after all. What could it hurt to take the opportunity to see just what he was up to and harden her heart to feeling anything for the man?

      So he had probably sent her the flowers. It didn’t mean anything, except that he was looking for more distractions from doing the job.

      Marketing Executives weren’t usually so obsessed with the staff right down to the copy kids temping while in uni, let alone the mail clerks.

      She had to find out what Case Darrington was about, then expose his failings to Raquel and get the job that should have been hers in the first place.

      Her fantasies would be squashed, thankfully—they were taking too much of her time, torturing her with memories of imagined glances, warm smiles and soft words that couldn’t possibly exist anywhere except in her addled brain. And in unexplainable flower deliveries.

      She punched the lift button.

      ‘Good morning, Tahlia.’ A familiar nasal bark.

      Tahlia turned to look Raquel Wilson in the eye. She was the same height as Tahlia but solid, wearing crimson trousers with hot red stilettos and a black cotton top that clung to her like a second skin.

      ‘I’m sorry you had to find out about the position of Marketing Executive the way you did.’

      Sure she was. Tahlia forced herself to keep a straight face, to keep the raging heat churning up inside from bursting from her mouth. The Rottie’s cool regard for Tahlia when she was just another employee had turned to chilling after she’d become Director of Sales.

      Raquel waved her Rolex-clad arm, her diamond rings glinting. ‘I know how much you wanted the job.’

      ‘Yes,’ she said and shrugged. Best to pretend it didn’t matter than admit weakness in the face of power personified. Raquel could rip her throat out professionally, if given half a chance and even less of an excuse.

      Raquel forced a laugh as fake as her nose. ‘Just wanted to clear the air between us so there’s no hard feelings.’

      Tahlia nodded. ‘Right. Sure.’ As if. The woman was paranoid about Tahlia’s slow and steady climb up the corporate ladder.

      ‘I’d hate for you to take being overlooked for the promotion personally.’ Raquel tossed her jet-black dyed hair back from her shoulder. ‘And I really don’t have much time spare to write you out a reference, but if you insist…’

      ‘No. I’m not taking it personally at all.’ She forced a smile. If only Raquel knew just how personal the whole thing was getting, the scent of the roses coming back to her, with a pair of sapphire-blue eyes that turned her world upside down.

      She took a slow breath. ‘I’m sure your decision was taken with the utmost care and Mr Darrington is far more qualified for the position than me.’ At least as far as Raquel had been concerned at the time, but showing her how wrong she was would be incredibly satisfying. ‘Where on earth did you find him?’

      Raquel’s grin faded. ‘Oh, around.’

      Tahlia raised her eyebrows—the Rottie had to guess she’d put the wrong person in the job. ‘And around would be?’

      Raquel’s eyes narrowed. ‘Well…look, sometimes the best people come through unexpected channels.’ She stepped towards the doors. ‘You understand?’

      ‘I think I do,’ Tahlia said slowly, her mind churning.

      The doors opened and Raquel alighted. ‘You will be nice to the man, won’t you?’ she tossed back at her. ‘He is new and isn’t familiar with the job and its requirements and will need all the guidance and assistance that you can offer him.’

      Tahlia gave a light shrug. ‘Of course,’ she said strongly, gritting her teeth. She couldn’t wait to help him do the job he had been hired for.

      The doors started to close.

      ‘I’d expect nothing less from you,’ the Rottie shot back.

      Tahlia stared after the big boss, every part of her wanting to scream, yell and cry at the injustice. She took a deep breath, willing her blood to cool.

      She was in control. So the man had got her promotion on the sly. She’d damned well be his assistant and give him the helping hand he needed, right out the door.

      Chapter Ten

      Keep your friends close and your enemy— Case Taker Darrington closer still—as close as I can handle… and more. I’m going to know more about his skeletons than my own and then I’m going to bury him.

      TAHLIA dropped into the desk outside Case’s office. Getting romanced out of a job sucked, Case expecting her to be romanced into being his secretary was a joke, and she was all for making hers the last laugh.

      She was so going to prove her point, no matter what small furry animals the guy had at home.

      Tahlia stabbed the keyboard.

      TO: [email protected]

      CC: [email protected]

      FROM: [email protected]

      RE: Men

      You two were wrong. Looks like Case Treacherous Darrington is a jerk. Just spoke to Raquel, who expects me to babysit the guy into being a competent Exec in lieu of me. Sounds like no experience and potential leech. Crap.

      Life sucks.

      Keely, sure, Liam is cute and shy and looks at Chrystal a lot but could it be possible that she could be interested in a real relationship?

      No, Case is not married. No girlfriend, but I’d say he’s had quite a few. Not that I care.

      And no, don’t you two start on this stupid attraction thing again—it absolutely does not exist.

      Have to go through being his PA thanks to two particular sugar-inebriated friends and emailing under the influence.

      I tell you this interaction with this sub-human job-stealer is for the good of the company and all aspiring employees everywhere, nothing personal.

      T

      Tahlia stared at his office door. She’d yet to knock and tell the guy just how personal this wasn’t.

      She stood up slowly. He was trouble to her and the company and it was her duty to sort him out before he caused any damage to the already-hampered WWW.

      She needed to find out more about him, and straight from the source. She had to get the guy to lighten up, to open up, to reveal his secrets.

      Tahlia had got some advice, in a roundabout way so as not to highlight her goal. Keely had suggested beer to get a guy to open up. Em, being Em, had suggested seduction.

      Against her better judgement but for the good of the company, she’d decided to act nice and flirt the guy into dropping his guard.

      If he could use his connections to procure her promotion, she could use her God-given