Page 48 of Boss from Hell

Whistles and cheers brought me back to earth and I pulled away, but I was unembarrassed. I took my phone back and thanked the stranger. She had unknowingly given me more memories to remember the weekend by.

We followed the walking trail, and it took us behind the waterfalls to a series of caves, where I took more photos. As we watched the water cascade down from inside the caves, Max snaked his hand around my waist.

“I’m a convert,” Max said. “Waterfalls are amazing.”

I gave a low bow. “My work here is done.”

Max’s rumbling laugh warmed me inside. I liked making him laugh.

“What do you like doing in your free time?” I asked curiously.

“Work,” Max said without missing a beat. “I love my work and it’s what I do for fun.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“Yes. I gave everything up to build what I have and no one is going to take it away from me.” His tone was suddenly tight and a little muscle in his jaw pulsed angrily with some emotion.

It was a bizarre answer to a light and teasing question, but I decided to let it drop. Perhaps he had competitors who were trying to steal his business.

Afterwards, he bought us bottles of water, and we sat on the benches that faced the waterfalls.

“How come you didn’t insist on glass bottles?” I teased.

He shrugged. “I only behave like a diva when I am in New York.”

I laughed. “Why are you so horrible to your PAs?”

He didn’t take his eyes off the waterfall. “I’ve never had one good PA before you.”

I smiled at him, glad he thought I was good at my job, and glad that he had enjoyed the morning. We were leaving in the next two hours and soon it was time to drive back to the hotel.

“I’ll never forget this weekend,” I said, a little smile playing on my lips.

“Me too,” he agreed, but his voice was strangely and inexplicably sad.

Chapter 27

Max

Ispoke to Chris last night and by early this morning he’d already arranged an exhaustive sweep of the entire building for bugs and surveillance devices. They found two bugs in my office, one under the table where the cleaners never got to, and another inside the phone. There were none in Lillian’s office area.

Chris had also spoken with the Security staff who remained steadfast in their assertion that no one, other than the cleaners who had been with the company for almost five years, had been allowed into my office while Lillian or I were not around.

Combined with the timing of Lillian’s arrival, the evidence pointed to her being the mole.

But despite the damning findings, I found it almost impossible to believe she could be that good an actress. There was just nothing about her that raised any red flags for me, and I was good, brilliant actually, at spotting liars and scammers.

Maybe I was fooled because I didn’t want to believe she was treacherous. Blinded by her sex appeal, I let my dick do the thinking for me. Even now I was refusing to believe it because I didn’t want to give her up.

It was a shock to suddenly realize she was the first woman I’d ever wanted to keep.

“When is the bachelor party?” Lillian asked, intruding into my dark introspection.

I turned my gaze away from the airplane window and looked at her. Her face was completely innocent of any kind of guilt. If this was an act, she was wasted working as a PA. She should find her way to Hollywood. She was certainly good enough to win an Oscar.

“Bachelor party?” I echoed.

“For Chris’s wedding.”