Laid and Leveraged

Chapter
1.

“
There's
nothing
to
worry
about,
Becky.
”
Michelle
hoped
her
voice
sounded
confident
as
she
spoke
to
her
personal
assistant.
Smoothing
her
business
jacket
over
her
slender
hips,
she
added.
“
I'm
sure
Roger
Hollins
isn't
quite
as
ruthless
as
his
reputation
would
lead
us
to
believe.
”
Fearing
the
worst,
Michelle
silently
prayed
she
was
right.
It
had
been
over
her
dead
body
that
Wall
Street
dynamo
Roger
Hollins
purchased
her
fledgling
company.
Michelle
had
poured
blood,
sweat,
and
tears
into
the
clean
energy
start
up
and
was
loath
to
give
control
to
a
man
known
for
his
mercenary
tactics.
But
Michelle
had
creditors
and
share
holders
breathing
down
her
neck
and
last
year's
venture
into
solar
panel
manufacturing
hadn't
proved
quite
as
profitable
as
everyone
hoped.
Michelle
still
believed
solar
panels
would
be
lucrative
if
just
given
enough
time
to
catch
on,
but
she'd
been
overruled
by
the
board.

“
I
sure
hope
so,
”
Becky
murmured,
handing
Michelle
the
portfolio
she
would
take
to
her
first
meeting
with
their
new
owner.

“
How
do
I
look?
”
Michelle
fidgeted
with
her
smart
skirt,
checking
the
blue
silk
for
wrinkles.
Why
was
she
so
nervous?
At
five
foot
ten,
Michelle
stood
taller
than
the
average
man
and
had
always
been
able
to
intimidate
when
necessary
in
this
business
world
dominated
mostly
by
men.
She'd
never
shown
fear
before,
so
why
was
she
doing
it
now?

Becky
took
her
in
from
head
to
toe.
“
I
think
you
should
let
your
hair
down.
”

“
What?
Why?
”
Michelle's
hand
automatically
went
up
to
touch
the
tight
bun
holding
back
her
blonde
hair.

“
Well,
”
Becky
seemed
thoughtful.
“
I
hate
to
say
it,
but
he
is
a
man,
isn't
he?
”

Michelle
scowled
at
her
assistant.
Just
what
was
Becky
up
to?
At
thirty
seven
years
old,
Michelle
Grant
took
her
job
seriously.
She
was
not
the
kind
of
floozy
that
needed
to
sleep
her
way
to
the
top
or
seduce
men
to
get
what
she
wanted.
She
worked
hard
to
prove
herself
and
this
current
state
of
her
business
was
just
a
small
setback.

“
I
really
don't
think
that's
necessary,
Becky,
”
she
sniffed,
gripping
the
portfolio
against
her
ample
chest.

“
No
it's
not
necessary
but
I
do
think
it
could
help.
”
Becky
grinned
at
her
employer.
Young
and
fresh
out
of
college,
Becky
had
always
been
shockingly
honest
with
Michelle
and
she
had
to
admit
that's
why
she'd
hired
the
girl
in
the
first
place.

Michelle
sighed.
They
were
all
worked
up
over
nothing.
Roger
Hollins
wasn't
going
to
change
anything
that
didn't
need
to
be
changed,
and
Michelle
would
be
right
there,
telling
him
what
did
and
didn't
need
to
be
cut
from
their
bloated
budget.
She
was
used
to
getting
her
way
and
felt
certain
her
pet
projects
were
safe
from
the
executioner's
block.
With
her
head
high,
she
brushed
past
Becky
on
her
way
to
the
conference
room.

Just
outside
the
room,
Michelle
took
a
quick
glance
through
the
small
window
embedded
in
the
door.
She
knew
right
away
which
man
was
the
dreaded
Roger
Hollins.
He
stood
with
his
feet
shoulder
width
apart
and
his
broad
back
to
her.
He
was
tall;
the
faintest
streaks
of
silver
combed
through
his
dark
hair.
The
enigmatic
businessman
wore
a
perfectly
fitted
pinstripe
suit.
Michelle's
breath
caught
in
her
throat
as
she
took
in
the
man's
narrow
waist
and
strong
legs.
As
though
he
knew
he
was
being
watched,
he
turned
around.
Michelle
flattened
herself
against
the
wall,
just
out
of
view.

Okay,
so
maybe
Becky
was
right.
Michelle
didn't
need
another
look
at
her
handsome
mercenary
to
know
that
she
would
need
to
do
whatever
it
took
to
level
the
playing
fields.
Michelle
fumbled
with
her
hair
pins.
Running
her
fingers
through
her
tresses,
she
didn't
need
a
mirror
to
tell
her
she
looked
stunning.
Throwing
back
her
shoulders,
Michelle
swung
open
the
door.