In Bed with Her Boss. Brenda Jackson

If you don’t think you can—”

      “No, there won’t be a problem,” she said quickly. She would take the money out of her savings, but she would have to replace it quickly if she still intended to get a new car at the beginning of the year.

      “Good. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

      “Okay, Mr. Stone, I’ll see you then.”

      Opal had just returned from lunch when D’marcus buzzed her. “Yes, Mr. Armstrong?”

      “Ms. Lockhart, could you step into my office a moment please?”

      “Certainly.”

      She gathered her notepad. He hadn’t been out of his office since he’d shut himself in there this morning, nor had he called out for her assistance.

      She opened the door and walked into his office. He had removed his jacket, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows. A ton of files were spread out on his desk.

      He glanced up when she walked in. “We might be adding two other stores this week,” he said in a tone of voice that was all business.

      “Congratulations.”

      “Thank you. And, while it’s good news for me, it might not be for you, Ms. Lockhart.”

      She swallowed tightly. Maybe she had told Mr. Stone prematurely that she would be taking the apartment. There was no way she could afford it if she didn’t have a job. “Why would you say that?” she asked as she sat down in the chair across from his desk.

      “Because it will require you to work longer hours for the next two weeks. Of course I will pay you generously for any overtime.”

      Relief spread through Opal. Little did he know, she considered what he was saying as good news. The extra money would help replace what she was taking out of her savings to cover the security on her apartment. And she couldn’t discount the fact that, if she impressed him by doing a good job, it would be a way to move up in the company. She would have her degree in the spring and there were plenty of opportunities for advancement within this company.

      “Will you be able to work additional hours, Ms. Lockhart?”

      She met his gaze. “That won’t be a problem. When will they start?”

      “Tomorrow. Three extra hours every evening this week, except for Friday, should be sufficient. And let’s do the same for next week, although I want to throw Monday night into the mix.”

      “That’s no problem.”

      “Good. Now, I need to go over the stats for the Savannah store with you. I should have asked you to bring that file in here with you.”

      “I’ll go and get it.”

      Opal stood and quickly walked out of the office.

      As soon as Opal left, D’marcus leaned back in his office chair. Her scent was still in the room. More than once, he had noticed the fragrance and had yet to put a name to it, but he definitely liked it on her.

      No, he mustn’t think about how much he liked that particular perfume on her or how good she looked today in her business suit. Professional but still sexy. She never wore anything to call attention to herself but her clothes did it, anyway.

      He thought about all that he knew about her from her employment records. Both of her parents were deceased and she was the second oldest of four daughters. She lived in an apartment in a fairly decent area of town and she had turned twenty-seven her last birthday. He gathered she was close to her siblings and enjoyed staying in touch with her family. The family affair she had attended on Saturday attested to that. He also knew there were great cooks in her family, considering the food she had brought to him. What he’d told her was true. He had totally enjoyed every mouthful.

      He glanced up when she returned to his office. “All right, I’m ready, Mr. Armstrong.”

      Her words stirred something deep within him, something directly below the gut. That part of his body definitely needed help and he intended to get it this weekend.

      “Okay,” he said, straightening up in his chair. “Let’s get started.”

      “So you have to spend more time with The Hunk?” Pearl smiled at Opal as she sat down at the kitchen table. Ruby and Pearl had dropped by after work as they usually did most Monday afternoons. Amber would join them every once in a while but lately she’d been taking classes at the university on Monday nights. Opal had been excited to tell them the good news about the apartment. Then she told them about the additional money she’d make working extra hours the next two weeks.

      Opal rolled her eyes. “I’ll be working overtime but Mr. Armstrong wasn’t specific as to whether he would be staying late or not.”

      “Why would you fall for such a tyrant?” Ruby asked, grinning.

      Opal shook her head. “First of all, I haven’t fallen for anyone and, to be quite honest, D’marcus Armstrong isn’t a tyrant. He just happens to be a very demanding boss. There is a difference.”

      Ruby lifted an arched brow. “And do you have a crush on him?”

      “Of course not. Where did the two of you get such an idea from?”

      Before either of her sisters could answer her question, her cell phone rang. Standing, she pulled it from her purse and checked the caller ID. It was Colleen. “Yes, Colleen?”

      “Did you get the apartment?” her cousin asked excitedly.

      Opal smiled. “Yes, I put down the deposit today,” she said, deciding not to mention to anyone how much of a deposit it was. But she did tell Colleen about the overtime since they usually went to prayer meeting together at church on Wednesday nights.

      “Maybe you can get Mr. Armstrong to go to prayer meeting with you,” Colleen joked.

      “Sure, but don’t hold your breath,” Opal replied, wondering if D’marcus even went to church.

      A few minutes later, after ending the call with Colleen, she glanced across the table to find her two sisters staring at her with smug looks on their faces. “What?”

      “You do have a crush on him,” Pearl said.

      “I do not,” she persisted.

      “Yes, you do. You get this funny little smile on your face each time you mention his name. Just like you did just now, while talking to Colleen.”

      “You’re imagining things,” Opal said, taking a sip of her tea.

      Ruby smiled at her over the rim of her cup. “Okay, keep your secrets, but you can’t fool us. I agree with Pearl. You have a crush on your boss.”

      One thing Opal had discovered about her sisters while growing up with them was that, if they truly believed something, trying to convince them they were wrong was nearly impossible, a waste of good time. So she decided not even to try anymore. In time, they would discover their assumption was incorrect.

      Later that night, when Opal slipped between the sheets in her bed, she tried drowning out the sound of the loud music playing next door by thinking how nice her new apartment would be. She thought of the time she would spend decorating and how, since the new place was more spacious, she would no longer feel cramped.

      She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was ten o’clock. She wondered if D’marcus was still at the office or if he’d already gone. He had been on an important international conference call when she had left. She breathed in deeply as she recalled how she’d stuck her head in his office to let him know she was leaving, and found him sitting on the corner of his desk talking on the speaker phone.

      Once again, she had been struck by just what a good-looking man he was. Even while conducting business, he spoke in a deep, husky voice that actually had made her pulse race. And the way his trousers