Accepting His Terms (2 page)

Jill sternly told herself she was letting her imagination run away with her, almost to the point of driving herself into a frenzied state. And if she didn’t get a handle on her feelings for her boss, as well as her nerves, she knew she was headed for big trouble. Why should the scene in the elevator have any bearing on Jarrod’s feelings for her one way or the other? After all, she hadn’t done anything wrong and she was only his decorator. Decorators were a dime a dozen, new ones graduated from college every year.

Damn it, Jill, get a grip. Jarrod Baine is paying you to work for him. He couldn’t care less about anything else. Concentrate on your work, not the color of your boss’s eyes. This constant emotional state has got to stop, one way or the other.

Chapter Two

Jarrod Baine was livid. He seethed, but his controlled, quiet manner hid it well. Jill Lincoln was his, or at least he wanted her to be. He’d known the day he’d hired her - a sweet, saucy, redhead with blue eyes that flashed and an ass that begged to be admired and caressed. That thought brought a chuckle to his lips. Yes, he was an ass man, always had been, but Jill Lincoln had one so sweet that it nearly drove him wild every time he saw her sashaying down the hallway.

He’d held out, waiting, finding out all there was to know about her.  He knew she was efficient and good at her job. He knew that when she smiled, the corners of her sweet little mouth curled ever so seductively. What he hadn’t been able to figure out was if she was willing to date the boss. He had been waiting for the right time, the right setting - possibly a late night at the office - to set the stage and make his move. Oh, yes, he wanted Jill, he not only wanted her in his office, but he wanted her in his bed. But more than that: he wanted her at his side. He wanted a life with her, a future.

But when he’d stood outside that elevator this afternoon and seen her in what looked like the throes of passion with a mail clerk a few years her junior, he’d had to wonder if he’d pegged her wrong. At first glance, he’d thought he’d interrupted two lovers, but when he’d looked at her face, he had seen a frightened, angry young woman.

He’d wanted to throttle the mail clerk and take Jill in his arms to comfort her. But he couldn’t do that. As far as she was concerned, he was her employer. Had the time come to let her know he wanted to be more? He picked up the first thing he saw, the paperweight on his desk, and threw it across the room. Damn that arrogant young mail clerk! He should have beaten him to a pulp when he’d had the chance.

 Jarrod hadn’t been in a relationship for a few years now. The last one had ended badly and he’d sworn he’d never be that naïve again. The woman he’d been seeing only had eyes for his money. He had found out much too late into the relationship to save his heart from feeling the anguish when it had ended. When Jill Lincoln had walked into his office one day for a job interview, he’d sat up and taken notice. Standing right in front of him was a vision - a sweet, yet sexy woman, who had made his dick stand up and take notice, as well.

When he had ushered the mail clerk, Ronnie, into his office that afternoon, he had been harsh with him, admonishing him for his actions. When he’d questioned the boy as to whether or not Jill had been a willing party to the heated kiss he had witnessed, the boy almost said yes.

“You’d better tell me the truth, young man,” Jarrod had warned in a low, stern voice.

Ronnie fidgeted with his hands in his lap. Finally he spoke. “She was trying to fight me off when the door opened.”

“And what would have happened if that door hadn’t opened when it did? ” Jarrod had replied.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t happen again. At least not in my office, it won’t. You’re fired. Get your things and clear out. I’ll have payroll cut your last paycheck and you can pick it up in HR on your way. I’d advise you not to waste any time and someone will be checking to make sure you only take what is yours when you leave. Now get out of here. And if you ever come near Jill again, there will be hell to pay. Have I made myself clear?”

“Crystal. I’ll be gone in thirty minutes.”

As Jarrod sat back in his chair after receiving the phone call from security that Ronnie was off the premises, he pounded his desk with his fist in triumph. The thought that someone could have hurt his Jill had been almost more than he could bear. Maybe the time had come, he thought. Maybe it was time to let her know just where things stood. But after what she had been through, today was most certainly not the day… or was it?

As he made his way to her office to check on her and let her know Ronnie was gone, he thought of the ways he could let her know how he felt. He thought of taking her in his arms and kissing her perfect, pouty lips. But he knew he couldn’t do that. He also thought of the way it frustrated him that she put herself in such a precarious position. Of course, one should feel safe getting on an office elevator, but she really should be more in tune with her surroundings. The fact that Jill might be a little too trusting was almost too much for Jarrod to comprehend. True, she probably couldn’t have stopped Ronnie under the circumstances, but he needed to instill in her the importance of safety precautions. He might suggest she carry mace or pepper spray - anything to ward off a would-be attacker.

He knocked lightly on her door, and opened it just a crack as he stuck his head in and asked, “Okay if I come in?”

“Sure,” she said as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

How he wanted to go to her. Instead, he sat in the chair across from her desk and said, “I wanted to make sure you’re all right, and I wanted to let you know Ronnie is gone. I’ve let him go. His behavior was totally unacceptable.”

“Thank you for stopping by and telling me,” she replied.

“That being said, I feel I need to address the subject of safety. Although it isn’t something an employee should ever have to worry about, people like Ronnie do exist. And they’re everywhere. Please be cautious in the future, Jill. Learn to become aware of your surroundings and potential dangers. You probably couldn’t have avoided what happened today, I realize that. I’m sure it happened quickly. But give some thought to what I’ve said, please. Have you ever thought of carrying pepper spray with you, for example? Or have you ever considered taking a course in self-defense? A lot of women do that, you know. You might not be as lucky as you were today if this should happen again.”

“I will give that some thought, and thanks again for checking in on me.”

He grinned as he replied in a soft tone, “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

He was rewarded with the sight of her lips curling up in an attempted smile.

“If you’d like to take the rest of the day off, it’s fine. The budget can wait another day.”

“No, I need to stay busy, but thanks for the offer.”

“As you wish,” he answered as he left her office.

He buried himself in work for the rest of the afternoon, working long past quitting time. When he heard a knock on the door, he was surprised anyone was still in the office.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“Jill.”

“Come on in.” When she walked in, he immediately was on his feet. As he started toward her, he asked, “What on earth are you still doing here? Is anything wrong?”

“I thought you’d be gone and I was planning to put the budget in your box, but when I saw the light was on, I decided to hand it to you instead.”

“Thank you, but I didn’t expect you to stay late to finish it. Sit down, Jill,” he said quietly as he took the papers from her.

“I won’t keep you. You probably want to get home,” she said.

“What were you thinking, staying here this late? It’s dark outside.”

“I’ve stayed late before. Is that a problem?”

“It is after what happened today, yes. Did nothing I say soak into that gorgeous red head of yours? Don’t you realize the parking garage is dark and empty? Who’s to say our friend, the mail clerk, isn’t lying in wait for you to get his revenge or to finish what he started? Did you think of that? Muggers and rapists prey on unsuspecting females in dark parking garages late at night. I realize you sometimes work late to meet a deadline and that’s admirable, but from now on, I don’t want you working past six during the months it gets dark early. In the summer, not past seven, is that understood?”

“I… I’m sorry… I didn’t think,” she stammered.

His tone softened as he said, “I know you’re an adult who is capable of making your own decisions, but I don’t think you understand the seriousness of the situation. I’m looking out for you, whether you believe that or not. I’m not trying to use the hard-ass boss card with you.” He stood up and walked around to her, pulling her up from her chair.

As she looked at him in surprise, he said in a low voice, “You know, if you were my woman, you’d have been across my knee about five minutes ago.”

He could have bitten his tongue. He’d never spanked a woman in his life, had never wanted to. The fact that this woman could frustrate and infuriate him that much almost frightened him. But the fact that he may have frightened her with his statement frustrated him even more.

As he turned his attention to her face to gauge her reaction to his words, a thrill ran through his entire body. What he saw was not fear, shock, or disgust. What he saw was a sexy, beautiful woman, whose face held a look of anticipation, and whose body showed obvious signs of arousal. As his gaze dropped, he saw nipples erect and pert, and as he looked back up, he saw that she was biting her lower lip, and her deep blue eyes told him all he needed to know.

“Have dinner with me?” he asked suddenly.

“Dinner?” she asked in a surprised tone.

“You know, the evening meal, dinner,” he teased.

“Uh… I… I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. I mean after what happened…  earlier… and you lecturing me and all,” she stammered.

He cocked his handsome head to the side and smiled as he answered softly, “Ronnie no longer works here. You don’t have to worry about him ever bothering you again. I know the truth, Jill. You weren’t engaging in a quickie in the elevator. You could have found yourself in a heap of trouble if I hadn’t come along when I did. You do realize that, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“I’ve cautioned you to be more careful from now on. And I’ve told you what I would have done if… our situation were different. But given the fact, you aren’t my woman, I’d like to take you to dinner instead. So you can relax after the day you’ve had. That little hair-twisting thing you do is a dead giveaway. And yes, I’ve noticed you do that quite often. You’re stressed and you need to get a handle on your emotions. And I’d like to get to know Jill Lincoln a little better. So what do you say?”

Gazing into his beautiful eyes, she said, “I guess I should thank you.”

He grinned. “Well, then, how about that dinner?” he asked again.

“Sure, I’d like that. Thank you, Mr. Baine… for everything.”

“Call me Jarrod and don’t think this discussion is over. You need to tell me how you’ll protect yourself in the future. I may not always be on the other side of the door or still here to walk you to your car when you think you need to stay late.”

“Okay,” she replied as she waited for him to grab his briefcase and walk out with her.

As they walked to the parking garage, he placed his hand on her back possessively. Seated in his luxury car, he turned to her and asked if she had a preference as to where they had their dinner.

“You choose,” she replied softly as she buckled her seatbelt and attempted to smile.

“I know just the place.”

****

At one of the better restaurants in town, they sat drinking wine and relaxing in a secluded corner table. He began to ask questions. “Jill, tell me more about what you like to do for fun,” he asked in an attempt to ease into the conversation they needed to have.

She blushed as she answered, “I like movies, going to the beach whenever I get the chance for a vacation, reading. How about you, what do you do for fun?”

“So, you like the beach,” he replied with a smile.

“Yes, I do, but I’ve only been a few times.”

“I have a beach house. I like to go there to unwind when I can get away. I also  like to work out at the gym, like to visit wineries.”

“Wineries, that sounds intriguing,” she replied.

“I’ll take you sometime, if you’re interested,” he replied cautiously.

“I’d like that. Where’s your beach house?”

“Naples, Florida,” he replied as he took a sip of wine.

“Oh, I’ve been to Myrtle Beach once and Daytona Beach once.”

“Living in Tennessee, it’s not that far away. Sometimes I drive to Florida if I have the time, and other times I fly,” he told her as their salads arrived.

“I drove both times, with a couple of friends.”

“Maybe you’ll agree to go with me sometime,” he said with a smile as he buttered a roll.

“Uh… I don’t know…” she said.

“Jill… I don’t know what else to say about this afternoon, other than I’m sorry you had to put up with that kind of behavior. I don’t condone it. I know there are rumors of a few office affairs, but I’ve never seen proof of it, and as long as the work gets done and the ones involved keep it private, I can’t say anything. But what took place in that elevator today was uncalled for and you should never have been put in that position. If I sounded harsh when I told you to be more careful, I’m sorry.”

Taking a sip of her water, she replied in a low voice, “You said something about my needing to be more aware of my surroundings. Do you really think I could have prevented it from happening?”

“I think you need to make sure it never happens again. If someone else were to try something like that, tell me what you would do to protect yourself.”

“I could think of one thing,” she said with a giggle.

“Kick him where it counts?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Well, yes, for one thing. I was attempting to do just that when the door opened.”

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” he said with a low laugh. “Seriously, though, just make sure if you are ever alone in an enclosed place again, you’re able to defend yourself. I don’t want anything to happen to you or to any of my employees. You need to feel safe in the office.”