Arrogant Boss

Julian Hunt is a legend. A tech billionaire and a playboy philanthropist.

He’s not someone you meet, not without a six-month wait. Except I did-and not in that sweet, meet-cute kind of way. I wish.

No, I manage to run headfirst into Julian Hunt in a nightclub. It’s the spill-my-drink-over-his-suit kind of headfirst, the break-my-heel kind.

But the arrogant bastard doesn’t leave. No, he carries me to my car. He implies that I fell on purpose to catch his attention-how dare he!-and after I’ve chewed him out, he asks for my number.

I don’t expect to see him again. After all, lightning doesn’t strike twice. But when I walk into a business negotiation the next day, who’s sitting on the other side?

Julian Hunt.

He’s wearing a smirk and a perfectly tailored suit, and he’s not there to play. He dominates. I walk out of the negotiation having somehow been offered my dream job. It’s an offer far too sweet to refuse.

But if there’s one thing more intimidating than Julian Hunt at a nightclub, it’s Julian Hunt as a boss. A persistent, dominant, sexy-as-hell boss.

He might have decided that we’d be perfect together, but I won’t be tempted by his broad shoulders and wicked tongue.

Julian might be a hunter.

But I refuse to become his prey.

*****

Emily

“Relax.”

“I am relaxed!”

Denise raised an eyebrow. “As if. I can practically feel the tension radiating from you across the table. Tomorrow’s going to go great. Both you and Turner have prepared for this for weeks.”

“I know. But-”

“No, stop thinking about it. A night of fun will do you good.”

I took another sip of my fruity, wildly over-priced mocktail. “Okay, okay, I won’t think about it. You’re right.”

“I always am. It’ll go great, Em.”

“I don’t even know what you’re referring to.”

Denise grinned. “That’s the spirit. The only thing you should be concerned about tonight are drinks, dancing, and dudes.”

“Dudes? Since when do we refer to men as dudes?”

“It was an alliteration. I know how you like slogans and catchy titles. Oh! My co-workers are here.”Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Denise waved at a group of women making their way from the bar. They were dressed to the nines, in sky-high heels and matching clutches, and looked far more used to this scene than Denise and me.

We were in a packed club in the Financial District, a place with a massive waiting list, all to impress Denise’s new colleagues. She’d been made a full-time writer at the online platform Yas.

Yes, exactly like that-Yas. We both thought the name was a bit silly, and the platform vapid, but Denise was a brilliant writer and this was just a stepping stone to world domination.

As the supportive friend I was, I had come along to celebrate her promotion-even if that meant going to a too-expensive club, putting on a pair of uncomfortable heels, and breaking out a red lipstick I’ve worn too few times to justify the price.

The music was a pulsing beat and bodies were writhing out on the dance floor. The club was packed. Just finding a table for the two of us had been hard enough, and I had no idea how we’d fit three more people here.

Despite my promise to Denise, I wanted to glance at my watch. Tomorrow was a big day for my brother, and I had to be sharp…

“Emily.” Denise snapped her fingers in front of my face. “They’re approaching. Look alive.”

“Sorry!”

Denise stood. “Hi guys! I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Me too,” the blonde ring-leader said to Denise. “We were ecstatic to hear that you were joining Yas permanently.”

“Just ecstatic,” a brunette repeated from behind. I shook hands with all three of them and wished I could hear their names over the pounding beat. Their eyeliner was perfect, and I ran a hand through my loose hair self-consciously.

The blonde took a seat next to me. “What do you do at Yas?” I asked.

“I cover holistic beauty and experimental health.”

“Wow. What does that mean?”

“Trying a lot of funny-smelling products,” she said with an enviably raised eyebrow. “What do you work with?”

This was where I wished I had a better answer than the truth. “I work in press and marketing.”

“No way!”

“Yeah.”

“For what company?”

I cleared my throat. “For Pet and Co.”

She frowned. “I haven’t heard about that.”

“It’s a pet and grooming business. Not really too exciting. I think it’s-”

“Guys?” Elisa, the brunette, shot us all a secretive grin. “Have you seen who’s in the VIP section tonight?”

Blondie next to me leaned back. “Do you mean the launch of Viper?”

“Yes. Did you know?”

She looked superior. “Why do you think we suggested this place?”