Page 1 of Playboy Boss

Chapter One

“A-Plus Temporaries sent someone to fill in for Marisol while she’s on maternity leave. The girl is waiting in the lobby.” Susan, the receptionist, placed a résumé on his desk.

Fucking brilliant.

“Is she absolutely atrocious?” Konrad glanced at the bright white sheet of paper, noting only the education section. Bachelor’s in Business Administration. There was no real work experience listed. Fantastic.

Why did his assistant have to go into labor just when he was working on an important property sale? Konrad was married to his work. No question there. But he knew life happened, and not everyone felt the same way about employment. He pushed the résumé back to Susan, who didn’t take it.

With a nervous laugh, Susan said, “God, I hope not for her sake. And yours.”

Konrad grunted. Incompetence was not tolerated at Korr Corporation, or in any other aspect of his life. This temp had better be immaculate.

He waved his hand. “All right then. Send her back.”

Susan nodded and moved toward the door, and then closed it behind her. Konrad watched her hips sway from side to side through the glass wall. Not to check her out, because Susan was like a sweet aunt to him, but to count his heartbeats. He didn’t necessarily hate change. He simply hated losing something that worked for him. Obviously, he’d already deemed the temp a failure before she even stepped foot in his office. He also knew that wasn’t fair.

Breathing in deeply, he decided to chill out. What was three months? Barely ninety days. Just twelve weeks. Hell.

An email notification chimed through his laptop, taking his attention. He scanned the sender’s name. Tamsin. He sighed. For fuck’s sake. He’d cut her loose the night before. It would have gone smoothly if she hadn’t disagreed with his decision. Of course, he had to remind her they’d never been exclusive. The night they met, he’d told her point blank he only wanted a bit of fun. With an expiration date. He’d had two other women on rotation, not including the hookups he indulged in as he saw fit. With his work demands, Tamsin had become too much to handle.

Easy. Fun. Hot. Fleeting. That was how he liked his women. That was all he knew and felt comfortable with. Exclusivity and commitment weren’t his game. Never had been. Pilar, his date for that evening, knew how to be easy, fun, hot, and fleeting. Plus, he was on her rotation of men as well. So, all was fair between them.

Konrad opened Tamsin’s email, dread passing through him.

To: Konrad Korr ([emailprotected])

From: Tamsin White ([emailprotected])

Date: Monday, September 4

RE: Meeting at L’Atelier at 8:00 PM

Konrad— After last night’s discussion, I would like to meet to discuss the situation further. I’ve made us reservations at L’Atelier tonight at 8:00 PM. I expect you to be there.

Kind regards,

Tamsin White

Junior Attorney

Law offices of Hunter, Greene, and White

Situation? What fucking situation? Tamsin did not know how to get rejected. Konrad blamed himself, though. She was a lawyer, after all. Every attorney he’d ever dated couldn’t just let it go when their dalliance expired. Always an argument to be had. Always a headache he didn’t need. He sighed. Some flings just couldn’t leave as quietly as they arrived. Thank God there hadn’t been many of those. He’d have to blackball lawyers going forward. Unless they approached him with an arrangement…

Just as he set his fingertips on the keyboard to type a polite kiss-off response, his office door opened. Susan and a mousy petite woman stood under the doorjamb, peering at him. At first, he was disappointed the agency didn’t send over a bombshell. He wasn’t a monk, after all.But he was feeling much more jerkish than usual that morning.

“Well, don’t just stand in the doorway. Come in.” He waved them in, a bit annoyed at the way they cowered. If this was any indication of how the temp worked, he’d need a new temp for tomorrow.

Susan led the parade of two deeper into his vast office. “Konrad, this is Scottine Roberts from A-Plus Temporaries.” She practically shoved Scottine toward the desk.

Scottine? An unusual name he’d heard only once when he was in boarding school in the UK. She was a French teacher. And very hot. He glanced at the résumé again to verify the name. Scottine Roberts.

“Scottine, is it?” He lifted his eyebrows for emphasis.

She avoided his eyes. “I go by Scottie.” Her voice wasn’t as bland as he’d assumed it would be. At least there was that. She looked uncomfortable, her hands behind her back.

He considered her, taking in her face. On further inspection, he’d decided she was rather cute in a librarian sort of way. And a touch exotic. Hazel eyes, wavy, dark hair, smooth olive skin, full pink lips. All things he normally liked in a woman. Sadly, her loose black trousers and button-up blouse didn’t do much for her shape.