Maureen Child - Scorned by the Boss / The Texan's Secret Past - Scorned by the Boss

“You can’t stop me, Jefferson,” she said, and then left before she could stop herself from walking away from him.

A few hours later, Jefferson stormed around the perimeter of the huge room in his father’s Seattle house. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows in the old man’s study, the sky was gray and spitting rain on the city as if it held a personal grudge. Trees bent in the wind coming off the Sound, and the patter of rain slashing against the windows sounded harsh in the stillness.

“If you’ll sit down, we can sign these papers and finish this,” his father said, following Jefferson’s progress around the room. “I’ve got a golf game in an hour.”

“Golf?” Jefferson said, stopping to wave a hand at the weather. “In this?”

Harry Lyon shrugged in his oatmeal-colored sweater. “I’m meeting friends at the club. Your mother’s gone to New York for the week and—” He stopped talking, watched his son for a long moment, then said, “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”

“Caitlyn quit this morning.”

“Your secretary?”

“Assistant.”

Harry waved a hand at the distinction. “Why would she quit? She’s very good at her job.”

“I know,” Jefferson said, shoving both hands into his pockets and turning to the window to glare at the rain.

He’d been thinking about nothing else for the last few hours. On the short flight to Seattle he’d gone over and over their argument and he still didn’t understand why she’d suddenly quit. It just wasn’t like her.

But then, he’d seen a whole new side to Caitlyn that morning. She’d never lost her temper with him. She’d always been the soul of professionalism. Seeing indignation and fury sparking in her eyes had caught him by surprise—something that wasn’t easy to do.

“What’re you going to do about it?” his father asked.

Jefferson turned his head to look at the older man. Since retiring, his father had never looked happier. Despite—or maybe because of—the heart attack he’d experienced a few months ago, Harry Lyon was determined to enjoy his life.

Which, it turns out, is why the old man had wanted Jefferson to fly up for the day. Harry was turning over the reins to the family company. Stepping out completely. Ordinarily Jefferson would have been pleased as hell about it. He’d worked hard for this moment for years. Now, though, his mind was too full of Caitlyn’s abrupt treachery to really take it all in.

“Well?” Harry prompted from his seat on an oversize leather armchair.

What was he going to do about it? There was only one answer. He was going to get her back. Jefferson Lyon didn’t lose. The word wasn’t even in his vocabulary. Nobody walked out on him. Not until he was damn good and ready. And he wasn’t nearly ready to lose Caitlyn. The woman was too integral to his work. She knew everything. Had her pulse on the entire company.

And who would he talk to in the morning?

She was just too important to let go.

“I’ll get her back,” Jefferson said, his mind already sifting through scenarios, searching for just the right way to tempt her back to work. A raise? Possibly. More vacation time? He frowned. Too much of a hot button with her at the moment. A promotion to executive level? Not bad. But it was going to take more than improving her working conditions to convince Caitlyn to come back. It was going to take… A slow, sure smile curved his mouth as he realized what he was going to do about Caitlyn.

“That’s what I like to hear.” Harry folded his hands at his middle. “What’s the plan?”

Jefferson turned his smile on his father, but he had no intention of filling the man in on this. He wouldn’t approve. Wouldn’t understand that the only sure way to get Caitlyn back was to seduce her into thinking it was her own idea.

If there was one thing Jefferson Lyon knew, it was women. He’d romance her, seduce her, ply her with jewelry, then act like a jerk and let her break up with him. She’d feel so bad she’d be bound to come back to work.

“Don’t worry about it, Dad,” he said, smiling now at the rain-washed window. “I’ve got it covered.”

Now that she was—gulp—unemployed, Caitlyn had absolutely no reason to stick around home. Instead, she called the resort and was lucky enough to snatch up a room freed by a sudden cancellation. Another sign from the universe that she was doing the right thing. And she appreciated it.

It had felt completely liberating to stand up to Jefferson and quit her job, but now that it was done, she was having a few doubts. She’d saved plenty of her salary, so she was fine for several months moneywise, but she’d never been unemployed. Not since she’d left college. A weird sensation passed through her to know that she didn’t have to be somewhere at an appointed time. Even weirder to realize she had zero obligations to worry about.

When her stomach hitched nervously as she climbed out of the cab and stood outside Fantasies, she reminded herself that she’d done the right thing. She only hoped that soon she’d believe it. Meanwhile, she’d closed up her condo and flown to the island almost a full two weeks ahead of her friends.

Janine and Debbie were completely supportive, of course, which is why they were such good friends. They’d applauded her resignation and promised to keep in touch until they were able to join her at Fantasies.

“Until then,” Caitlyn whispered, getting a good grip on the handle of her suitcase as a tropical breeze kissed her skin, “you’re here to relax. So get started already.”

A soft island breeze danced over her skin and carried the scents of both the sea and the banks of flowers surrounding the exclusive resort. She inhaled deeply, tasting freedom and settling the jitters in her stomach at the same time.

“May I take your bag for you?”

She jolted a little and turned around to find a tall, gorgeous man in the Fantasies uniform of deep red shirt over white slacks smiling at her. “Hi.”

“Hello, and welcome to Fantasies,” he said, brown eyes twinkling. “Let me just take your bag inside for you.”

“Thanks.” She handed her suitcase off to him and followed him into the lobby, turning her head from side to side, admiring the lush flower beds on either side of the wide coral walkway. Their combined scents flavored the air with spice and the splash of a small waterfall from somewhere nearby soothed away the last of Caitlyn’s nerves.

When she stepped into the wide-open lobby, she came to an abrupt stop and simply stared.

Amazing was the only word for it.

The floor was cool blue tile, giving you the feeling you were walking on water. White wicker chairs with plush red cushions were staggered around the immense, open lobby in clusters of conversation zones. There were several squat glass tables boasting clear crystal vases with brilliantly colored flowers spearing out of them.

The long, serpentine registration desk wound through the lobby in lazy curves of shining glass, behind which were tropical fish swimming through sparkling aqua water. Caitlyn smiled as she caught flashes of gold, red and deep green fish darting through the sea grasses and anemones waving in the swirling water.

Computers and telephones rested on the glass top of the desk and the people manning their stations looked as beautiful and perfect as the rest of this resort. Each of them wore red shirts, white slacks and brilliant smiles that would have made any orthodontist proud.

While she waited to register, Caitlyn accepted a crystal flute of champagne from a passing waiter and felt the last of her doubts slip away on a contented sigh. There would be time enough to worry about leaving Lyon Shipping. More than time enough to worry about finding a new job.