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Mr. Buff: A Flaming Romance
Milly Taiden
Latin Goddess Press, Inc. (2018)
 MR. BUFF

A FLAMING ROMANCE
 MILLY TAIDEN

LATIN GODDESS PRESS, INC.

 CONTENTS

Mr. BUFF
Untitled
Untitled

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Epilogue

About the Author

Also by Milly Taiden
Also by Milly Taiden
Also by Milly Taiden
Also by Milly Taiden
Also by Milly Taiden
 MR. BUFF

A FLAMING ROMANCE
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
MILLY TAIDEN
 SIGN UP FOR MILLY TAIDEN’S NEWSLETTER FOR LATEST NEWS,
GIVEAWAYS, EXCERPTS, AND MORE!
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Every morning, Alexandra drinks in the sexy vision of Mr. Buff

through his office window across the alleyway. He takes his workouts
seriously, and Alexandra never misses the opportunity to see him
return half-naked, sweaty and pumped, to his office suite to shower.

But when Alexandra bumps into Mr. Buff, aka Andrew Carter, at a
club, things go from visual to physical. Turns out Andrew enjoys the
view from his office just as much as she does from hers and can’t
take his hands off the woman who makes his blood roar.

When Andrew is framed for the murder of his secretary, Alexandra

goes “undercover” to get the confession from the real killer. All the
while, someone else wants her dead for exposing a massive
embezzling scheme. With a laundry list of people who want
Alexandra dead, Andrew will have a hard time trying to keep her
alive long enough to ask her to marry him.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or
have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any
resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely
coincidental.

Published By
Latin Goddess Press, Inc.
Winter Springs, FL 32708
http://millytaiden.com
Mr. Buff
Copyright © 2012 by Milly Taiden
Cover by: Mina Carter
Edited by: Tina Winograd
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews.
Property of Milly Taiden
June 2018
First ebook publication 2012
Second ebook publication 2018

Created with Vellum

 UNTITLED

—For my readers. You rock!

 1

Before we start, have you signed up for my newsletter? There’s

always giveaways and tons of fun stuff going on. I promise not to
spam you.
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ALEXANDRA STARED AROUND THE RESTAURANT, waiting for her boyfriend, Jack
Masterson, to get off his cell phone. His disregard of her seemed to
be happening more and more.
When they first hooked up, he was nearly perfect for a
boyfriend. He wanted to settle down and have a family. He was
courteous and thoughtful. And not bad in the sack, when she could
get him in there. But now, the true colors where showing.
He called himself a highfalutin real estate developer—emphasis
on highfalutin. Oh please. High full pain in the ass was more
appropriate. Sometimes Alexandra wondered why the hell she was
dating him.
Jack looked around the immediate area at those seated nearby
then turned in his chair to face the window. His voice dipped lower,
but she still heard what he said.
“I don’t give a fuck. Slip in whatever you have to but bury it
deep in the contract so Carter doesn’t see it. He won’t sign it if he
does.” He paused. His face turned red as if his blood pressure was
about to pop his head off like a zit. “I want to take him for as much
as we can.”
That caught Alexandra by surprise. Who was Carter? What kind
of person purposefully meant to hurt others? Yes, Jack could be a
prick sometimes, but what man wasn’t? She couldn’t believe this.
She’d not see this side of him. How much more had he hidden from
her?
 After he finally hung up, she asked, “Who were you talking to?
You can’t mean to consciously inflict harm on someone. Jack—” At
his name, he snapped his head up, anger-filled eyes drilling into her.
“Eat your salad, Alexandra, and don’t worry about my business.”
And that was another thing. Why did she always have to eat
salad while he ordered steak? She was so sick of lettuce, she could
vomit. On his shoes, preferably. That image brought a smile to her
face.
“What are you smiling about?” he grumped.
“Oh, nothing. Just contemplating my dinner salad,” she replied.
He picked up the steak knife and sawed at the slab of meat on
his plate. “Stop contemplating the damn thing and eat it.” She gave
a silent sigh before he continued. “You’re going to lose weight if it’s
the last thing you do.”
The fork fell from her fingers, clanking onto the ceramic dish
piled with rabbit food. “What the hell are you talking about?” she
blurted in a whisper. “I don’t need to lose weight. The doctor says
I’m as healthy as any other thirty-something. I’m happy the way I
am.”
Jack glared at her. “Well, I’m not happy and I’m the one who
has to look at you. I want you into a size two by the end of the
year.” Returning his attention to his food, he tried to let his words be
the last.
She called bullshit.
Throwing her napkin on her plate, she launched to her feet.
“Well, I’m not happy with the size of your dick, and I’m the one who
has to fake it all the time,” she countered. Even for her, that was a
bit over the top for a comeback. Just proved to her more that she
needed to end this relationship.
When the neighbors at the other tables stared with wide eyes
and shock, her face heated. She grabbed her purse and headed for
the exit.
“Alexandra,” he called after her. She didn’t stop or look back.
“Alexandra—” his hand grabbed her arm, stopping her, “don’t make
a scene,” he growled.
 She snatched her arm from his painful grip and narrowed her
eyes at him. “Scene?” her voice raised, “I’ll show you a scene,
asshole.”
“Alexandra, please calm down.” His tone sounded apologetic so
she backed down and continued her path to the door. Unfortunately,
he followed, whispering loudly, “Alexandra, I order you to stop right
now.”
And stop she did. She spun around and jabbed a finger into his
chest, breaking a damn nail in the process. Now she was more
pissed off. “You have no authority over me. Especially now that I’m
no longer your girlfriend.”
“W-what?” he stammered. “You’re dumping me?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. His insinuation wasn’t even dignified enough
for a response. She whirled around stepped through the door the
hostess held open for her. How arrogant could someone be? She
managed to find the cream of the crap.
Digging in her purse, she felt her keys and pulled out the fob,
clicking it to start her car. The echo of her feet stomping across the
parking lot was loud. Her eyes searched for anyone getting into or
out of a car. Nobody. Just her and Tiny Dick.
“You cannot just walk out on me,” Jack said behind her.
Her head turned over her shoulder. “Why’s that? Can Mr.
Masterson, real estate mogul, not think that a woman wouldn’t want
him?” She snorted. “All the money in the world is not a replacement
for no intimacy, Tiny Dick.”
He snorted. “No intimacy is what I got from you,” he said. “I
have to fuck someone else to get any satisfaction.”
Jerk-off Jack had been cheating? Questions that had never
existed before rose with his words: “You’re a control freak,
Alexandra. No man wants a woman telling him what to do in the
sack. Sometimes I want to be the one leading. You’re too
aggressive. You’re a good fuck, but not someone I could ever be
with long-term.” Oh yeah, Jerk-off Jack had definitely let loose.
As she reached her car door, Jack swung her around and
slapped her face, throwing her against the vehicle. She glanced at
the light pole next to her parking spot and pointed up. “Look up
there and say cheese.”
He twisted around and tilted his head back. “What the fuck you
talking about?”
“That’s good,” she continued. “The police can use the video just
recorded as evidence when I press charges for assault.” With that,
she kicked him in the crown jewels. He went down, hands covering
his cajones.
Through gritted teeth, he spit out, “I will kill you, bitch.”
Alexandra opened the driver’s side door. “I’ll make a deal with
you, Tiny Dick. You stay away from me and I won’t go to the media
with all I’ve discovered about you.” That was totally a bluff. She had
no idea he was doing immoral things. Only going off the phone call
she heard inside. The guess seemed to be right, if his reaction was
any indication.
His face blossomed red. Really red. She’d never seen that shade
on a person before. She feared he may have a heart attack or bust a
nut. Wait a second. After all he said to her inside the restaurant, why
should she care if he dropped dead? She repeated her warning.
“Stay away from me and I’ll stay away from the media.” With
that, she slammed her car door shut and sped out of the parking lot.
Anger surged through her, changing her foot into lead. By the
time she reached the on-ramp to the expressway she was doing
seventy. She had her life back and she’d be damned if she let
someone tell her she had to do this or obey that. If her next man so
much as stared at another woman, she would kick him to the curb.
Alex shook her head. She wasn’t that kind of person. The
paranoid, untrusting woman Jack had formed her into. Could she get
back to the person she was before Jack?
 2

“So? What’s he doing? Come on, come on. Stop holding out
already.” The soft, feminine voice on the other end of the line
whined like a child.
Alexandra rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. Why in the
world had she decided to tell Nina about Mr. Buff? Nina had gotten
Alexandra a temp job with the company. The woman who took care
of the payroll and independent contractors was on maternity leave
for several months. Since Alexandra specialized in accounting and
HR, which payroll was a part of, Nina knew Alex would be a great
fill-in
On Alex’s first day, she stumbled upon Mr. Buff and his daily
habits. And now, every morning, like clockwork, she’d get a call from
her coworker, best friend, and cousin, requesting updates.
Wound up and ready to pant, Alexandra looked into the office
across the alley.
The large, sparkling glass windows on both buildings allowed
her to view the man walking around. She drank in the sight of the
large, buff body, hence the name Mr. Buff. The man definitely took
his workouts to heart.
“Alex! What’s Mr. Buff doing now, chica? Tell me please, please,
pretty pleeease?” Her fiery cousin, Nina, was a pain in the neck
when she thought she was missing out on something good—
especially information about one sexy, half-naked man, a man
currently running long fingers through his impeccably cut hair.
Alex watched a few locks fall across his forehead. “Not much.
He’s about to put his shirt on.”
“Crap. Listen, I have to go, but you have to record this stuff on
your phone and e-mail it to me. Stop being so selfish and share. You
know I don’t have a man right now. I can use all the visual
stimulation I can get.”
She hung up on her cousin’s laughter and continued watching
the top contestant to fulfill all her fantasies dress. Under an idyllic
trance, she visualized the rest of him when he was in the shower.
Excitement hurled through her at the thought of getting a peek at
Mr. Buff in the wet room. A streak of unbidden desire whisked
through her veins and raced down to her core.
Her brain, better than any digital calendar, had recorded his
schedule down to the minute. Each morning, he walked into his
office wearing his workout gear. In running shorts and tank top, his
body glistened with perspiration. Every time she got a glimpse of all
that sweat-covered brawn, her nipples pebbled.
In wide-eyed enthrallment, she watched him head into the
bathroom attached to his office to shower. Every single day it was
the same. He walked out in his suit pants but never the shirt. She
wondered if he had some kind of conspiracy against her hormones.
The display of contracting muscle made her breath hitch.
His powerful back and amazing, tight ass were sending out
Morse code signals, beguiling and inciting her interest.
His white, tailored dress shirt cut the visual feast short. She had
to bite back the urge to scream. Not that he would hear her, but her
coworkers sure would.
Why not just go over there and ask the man out? Typically, she
would have done that already. Found out his name, instead of just
calling the poor, sexy, strapping creature Mr. Buff, at the very least.
“Go after what you want” was her motto in every aspect of her life;
she was a self-assured woman. Until recently, she didn’t lack self-
confidence. Thanks to her ex, her confidence had taken a whipping.
Would she be able to find a man who would want her, deal with
her for who she was and not try to change her? At thirty-three, she
was tired of the dating scene. Was it so wrong that she wanted to
meet someone and maybe settle down?
Alexandria refocused her mind, her vision still glued to Mr. Buff.
Oh shit. He was watching her. Heat crawled across her skin and
settled over her cheeks.
 Embarrassed, she gave him the usual small smile and
microsecond wave.
His wicked grin turned the man from handsome to outright
gorgeous when he waved back. Balling and holding papers in a
death grip, she dropped her gaze. All she needed was for the man to
think she had some kind of sick fetish for watching him.

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING had run late. Appeased by the quiet, she was sure
the floor was empty as she walked back to her office. The soft rustle
of her skirt was the only noise she heard. She needed to send some
emails and update files before she went home.
She was worn out but wanted to take care of these tasks while
they were fresh in her head; tomorrow she had other things to do.
Darkness enveloped Mr. Buff’s office, and a small tug of gloom pulled
at her. Foolishly, not having seen him all afternoon, she missed the
sexy giant.
Peaceful and silent, the starlit sky summoned her. She headed
to the large glass window to stare out at the night for a few
moments. Irritation flared at a bothersome tear in her pantyhose.
Whoever created hose was surely into cruel and unusual
punishment. Without a second’s hesitation, she lifted her pencil skirt,
turned her back to the glass, and attempted to pull down the
stretchy nylon.
Toeing off the high heels, she twisted a foot. Her nails caught
on the material, and she tripped and lost her balance. The room
spun, and she careened backward. Plastered all over the glass, her
bikini-clad ass was on display.
She pulled and huffed in frustration. Angry, aggravated, and
exhausted, she soon lost her composure. She pinched her own skin
and growled when she tugged.
 She finally was able to rip off the torn hose. Exasperated, she
fixed her skirt and straightened. Stupid material—no way she was
wearing a pair again. She was going back to thigh highs. Making a
face that matched her disdain, she balled the hose and hurled them
at the trash. She peered into the darkened office across the street
and gave thanks no one had witnessed her embarrassing moment.
Out of breath, she sat down to work and placed the annoying
experience in the back of her mind.
 3

“What do you want, Leslie?”

Andrew gritted his teeth as he weaved his way along the busy
morning sidewalk crowd. He listened to the woman on the other end
of the line complain about his lack of interest in returning her calls.
For fuck’s sake, when would she get the picture? He’d stopped
calling, didn’t answer her messages, and had stated in his nicest
possible tone, “I don’t think this is going to work out,” but she still
continued to reach out to him.
“I already told you; it’s over. I’m not interested in going to the
opera or any other function with you. No. That’s it. Stop calling. I
won’t change my mind.”
Screw being nice. With the press of a button, he cut her off
midsentence. Biting back a curse to keep from offending the elderly
lady walking beside him, he made his way to the twenty-four-hour
gym at the base of his building.
Under normal circumstances, no one would dare call him this
early. Everyone knew he was intense and took his workouts
seriously. It was the only way he had to deal with the amount of
stress he was thrown each day. Not Leslie. Cool and distant at every
call, he couldn’t figure out why she kept trying. Being a pampered
heiress, she was used to getting whatever she wanted, but this time
she was shit out of luck. Bitchy models and needy daddy’s girls
exhausted him. A woman who knew her own mind, that’s what he
wanted.
After a grueling session of weights, cardio, and boxing at the
gym, Andrew walked into his office as he did every morning, ready
for coffee and a cold shower. His eyes strayed to gaze at the office
across the alley for his daily temptation, only to find she wasn’t
there.
When he’d first seen Alexandra, or Alex, as everyone called her,
he’d been run over by instant lust. To call a woman so feminine by a
man’s name seemed wrong. In his mind, she was always Alexandra.
Her beauty only inflamed his infatuation. With hair that hung in
thick, jet-black, glossy waves past her shoulders enhancing her sexy
golden skin, she was gorgeous. The aura of self-assurance
surrounding her fascinated him.
Dropping his gym bag on the ground, he walked over to his
laptop to take a quick glance at his email. He had mistakenly left his
webcam recording. Fast forwarding through the media file, he
stopped and played it at regular speed when he saw the image of
Alexandra Berte fill his screen. He lowered his face for a closer view.
His breath caught when the woman walked toward the large glass
window in her office.
Bent at the waist, she hoisted her skirt up, her face creased in
disgust. Excitement rushed through him when he took in her half-
naked lower body. He knew that even over her clothing she was a
sexy little package, but shit, this was his own private strip show.
Fuck, the woman had perfect legs.
Slack-jawed, he watched her struggle to remove the sheer
material of her nylons. In the process, she exposed every sensual
curve for his viewing pleasure. He continued watching her limp and
wiggle. He gulped, and her sexy, round ass jiggled in her
panties...her teeny, tiny panties.
Chest heaving and almost falling out of her purple top, she bent
forward, giving him a clear bird’s-eye view of her creamy breasts.
Caught on something, she tumbled backward. Her body turned until
her mouthwatering ass kissed the glass, leaving an imprint of two
perfect globes. Face red with frustration, she tried to stand without
falling over.
His throat was dry, and his hands were in fists. He wanted to
reach out and help her balance. At long last, she got the offensive
material off. Tossing the torn nylons on the floor, she stomped on
them. He chuckled at the glare she threw the fabric as she threw it
in the trash.
She turned her still-pink face and flashing eyes to glance at his
office. Oblivious to his webcam recording, she sat down, fixed her
drooping ponytail, and went to work. He fast-forwarded until he saw
her stand, grab her bag, and walk out.
Still dazed and with his heart racing, he went to clean himself
up. One of the perks of his position was a large, private bathroom
with shower included.
Replaying the scene he’d just watched, he looped the part
where her ass and breasts jiggled for him.
Stripped of his sweaty workout gear, he threw the clothing in
the laundry pile, walked into the tiled cubicle, and shut the glass
door behind him. Erection throbbing, he soaped his body.
He fisted his dick in a chokehold and thought of sexy Alexandra.
Looking for some relief over the lust that surged at thoughts of her,
he squeezed, groaning. Images of her sexy mouth, luscious tight
nipples, and legs spread open for him to fuck took over his mind.
Eyes closed, he fisted tightly and grunted. He thrust his full length
into his hand. He pictured her sucking him deeply in her mouth.
In the best erotic scene he had ever conjured, she pinched at
her taut nipples, blew him, and whimpered in the back of her throat.
Her skin was flushed with arousal, and he pictured her growing
bolder. She’d pull him out and suck him in, her cheeks hollowed to a
suction grip on his dick.
In his mind, she ran her tongue on the underside of his cock,
and his balls drew tight. He worked himself faster in his fist. She
opened her throat and took him so far, he was unable to see any of
himself outside her lips. Inside his head, he fisted her hair and thrust
into her lips. The imagined Alexandra hummed in approval at his
aggression. He groaned and intensified the pumping of his hand.
“Fuck!”
The tingle of his climax approached in record time. He formed
images of her hand jerking him at the same time she blew him.
Tension coiled in his gut, and he watched her suck him deep and
swallow when he came in her mouth. His movements became short
and jerky, and he groaned and shot his semen all over the tiled wall.
He leaned against the cool surface and panted.
Her image alone had given him one of the most intense
orgasms of his life. His mind wondered what it would be like to
finally have one with her. His shallow pants and the low tinkle of the
spray were the only sounds in the bathroom. A renewed sense of
control filled him while he cleaned himself and the wall. If only it had
been her soft body he’d been able to come inside of. He dressed and
got to work.
 4

Arriving later in the morning since last night’s overtime, Alexandra

didn’t see Mr. Buff in his office. She thought she’d miss him since he
usually had meetings this time of the morning. Might as well get to
work.
She sat behind her desk and pulled out the tax forms from the
past few years and brought up the accounting software. When
reconciling last quarter’s payroll and tax filings, her totals weren’t
adding up.
Late yesterday afternoon, she went to the accounting
department to request copies of state and federal tax forms. The
manager was out, but the ladies in the office were glad to help. She
understood why Nina enjoyed working at this company.
A lot of times, office politics ruled businesses and ruined any
comradery that would be possible. That was why Alex did only temp
work and short-term projects.
She’d put up with enough crap in her life and saved up enough
money so she could work when she wanted. Surprisingly, her temp
agency kept her quite busy so she didn’t sit at home alone throwing
pity parties for her lack of love life.
Opening the spreadsheet she created yesterday, she ran
through the rows and columns again to make sure she hadn’t
entered incorrect numbers. Her ten-key data entry speed was
among the fastest and most accurate—just from repeated use for
over ten-plus years.
Everything added up until she calculated in the independent
contractor amounts. The tax forms submitted to the IRS were one
hundred thousand dollars fewer than what the system showed.
 Painstakingly going through each contractor, she added
quarterly totals to compare the system to amounts paid in. She had
a few more accounts to go through. If she didn’t find the difference
here, she would be at a loss as to where to look next.
As her luck would have it, the second to last vendor held the
discrepancy, down to the penny. Skimming the vendor file, she found
it setup incorrectly, sending totals to the wrong chart of accounts
number. Digging farther, she discovered this had been happening for
years. That totaled to almost a half million dollars a year. Someone
was getting a huge tax break.
This error would cost thousands in penalties and interest. Good
god, thank goodness this wasn’t her fault. If it were, she’d be puking
for screwing up so big time.
After printing several screen shots and gathering the forms, she
headed to the company’s president’s office. This was too important
to go to accounting and let someone set it aside. Or worse yet,
shredded the evidence to cover it up.
She knocked on the top executive’s door, waiting for permission
to enter. She heard a voice but wasn’t sure what it said. Assuming it
was her cue to come in, she opened the door. At the desk sat the
head of accounting talking with the president.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Alex said as she pulled the door to her.
“Alexandra,” the big man behind the desk called, “please, come
in.” She peeked around the door and saw the wide, relaxed smile of
Mr. Sholes. She didn’t remember the accounting manager’s name.
He didn’t come across as the welcoming type when she was
introduced on her first day there. She avoided him for the most part.
“Thank you, sir,” she said, walking in and taking the other seat
in front of the desk.
“What can I do for you?” the president asked. He sat back in his
chair, arms open and accepting. His round, happy face gave him the
look of the Marshmallow Dough Boy. Her anxiety lessened.
“Mr. Sholes, when I was reconciling taxes and payroll, I came
across a discrepancy that is alarmingly big.”
The man glanced at the accounting manager. “You know
anything about this, Robert?”
 “No, sir. I don’t.” Robert glared at her. “Let’s see your proof.”
Alexandra laid out the sheets and pointed out the conflicting
numbers.
“My god,” Mr. Sholes said. “That’s a million dollars every two
years. This is serious enough to get prison time. This needs to stay
between us. If the culprit gets wind and runs, I’ll kill them. May do
that anyway. A million dollars!”
Robert’s face was red, and he sputtered. “I-I don’t know how
this could be. When we run reports, everything balances.”
“Robert,” Mr. Sholes said as he gathered the papers to himself,
“I want to look at this on my own over the weekend. Don’t change
or do anything until I tell you to. Understand?” Sholes frowned
heavily, making her uneasy again.
“Yes, sir.” The accounting manager’s narrowed eyes rolled to her
without moving his head. Shit, was he the perpetrator? Did she just
bust a fraud scam he had going?
“Robert, would you give Alexandra and myself a moment?”
The manager jumped up from his chair. “Yes, sir,” was all he
said on his way out. When he took hold of the door, he looked over
his shoulder at her. Chills ran down her back from his hate-filled
eyes. Damn, he was not happy. The door closed quickly.
The president leaned forward and laid his glasses on the desk.
“Thank you very much, Alexandra, for coming directly to me,” he
said, rubbing his eyes. “Robert is correct about the reports
balancing. I look at them every quarter and annually.”
From her past experience, she had an explanation. “Sir, it’s
possible that after reports are run and everything is filed, the
numbers are changed and finagled after the fact.”
Mr. Sholes sat quietly, staring at the papers on the desk in front
of him. Should she leave now? Should she say something?
“Sir,” she mumbled, “should I go?”
“No, no. Please stay a moment.” He looked up and smiled. “How
do you like it here, Alexandra?”
“I enjoy it, sir. The people are friendly and the view is great.”
Her cheeks warmed a bit at the admission. She prayed he didn’t ask
what she meant.
 “Good. I’ve heard good things from others about you and your
work. Nina told me you do temp work only. Would you consider
working full-time here?”
That surprised her. She wasn’t expecting to be offered a job
after outing the company. She smiled. “I’ll think about it, sir. But I’ll
let you know it’s promising.”
“Wonderful. That’s what I like to hear about my business,” he
continued. “My wife and I have sacrificed a lot over the years to get
where we are today. A lot of time and heartache, too. I will do
whatever necessary to make sure no one brings this company
down.” He nodded toward the papers. “I can’t thank you enough,
Alexandra.”
She was starting to feel a bit embarrassed at the praise laid on
her. After all, she was only doing her job. “Thank you, sir,” she said.
“I should be getting back. Payroll is due today.”
“Yes, yes,” Mr. Sholes said. “Good work.”
Alexandra hurried down the hall and into her office, so happy
that Robert in Accounting wasn’t walking around. He was the logical
choice for the crime. She read somewhere that it’s the long-term
employees most likely to commit fraud with an employer. They’d
been there long enough to know how everything worked and how to
get around things, too. Robert fit that description.
He had access to the system, was smart enough, and had the
opportunity. A tiny voice in her head said just because he looked
guilty, don’t count out others.
 5

Lifting her eyes from the blurred figures, she blinked to find Nina
stepping through her door and heading straight toward her window.
She looked out with the avid attention of a bird of prey hunting for
meaty quarry. But Mr. Buff had left for the day, so there was nothing
for her to see.
“Sorry, you missed him. He left a while ago, and I don’t think
he’s coming back.”
She finished assembling the employee payroll accounts she had
been working on and placed them in a drawer. Alex locked the
drawer and then shut off her computer. She grabbed her small bag
and stood.
“Oh, did I tell you, there’s this place I’m taking you tonight?”
Nina bombarded her with excitement as she went through the
reasons why the lounge would be fun.
“I don’t know, Nina. I’m not in the mood today.” She sighed.
The drive to go out after work was gone. She wanted to go home
and mope. Life sucked, men sucked...well, not all men. Mr. Buff
seemed to be staring into her office much more often. Every time—
“Alex?”
—she looked up from her work, he would be watching her. The
two were smiling and waving more than they had ever done before.
Or was it just her imagination in overdrive, creating something out
of nothing?
“No. No me vengas con mierda. Don’t give me no shit. You
know Friday night is our time to relax and unwind. We’re going to
this lounge for a little bit. It’s great; Jen and I love the super comfy
sofas in these dark cubicle areas so you can have privacy and man
watch. I am dying for you to see it! And you are not backing out.”
Nina turned her smile loose. “Come on, Alex baby.”
“All right, all right. I’m coming.” She joined Nina at the window
to stare out at the evening sky.
Nina gave a quick shake of her head. “We’re going to get you
someone good, you’ll see. Don’t worry, I’m on the case. I’m going to
go through all the clients I know who are nice. Before you know it,
you’re going to be barefoot and pregnant in somebody’s kitchen.”
Alex smacked her in the arm while they walked toward the
office door. “I’m not looking to be barefoot and pregnant, you nut. I
just want to meet a guy I can feel comfortable with for longer than
the blink of eye. For a relationship that’s more than a booty call.”
She threw a glance over her shoulder at Mr. Buff’s dark office,
sighed, and walked out the door.

COME AGAIN WAS PACKED. Most of the patrons consisted of middle-aged

executives and hot twenty-one-year-olds looking to hook up.
As she and Nina walked in, it seemed all men in the area turned
to check them out. Or it could’ve been her imagination, worried that
what Jack had said about her was true for all men. She hadn’t been
out since their breakup. Not that she was missing him, but more like
she felt down on herself. Jerk.
Nina bumped her on the arm. “Jen’s here. Come on.” Nina
dragged her across the barroom.
Alex asked, “Is this the Jen Ortiz you always talk about?” After
Alex had started working for the same company as her cousin, she
and Nina had done more social things than all the years past. She
and Nina were friends by family, and at gatherings, Nina mentioned
Jen several times.
Nina gave Alex a sly look. “Did I mention that Jen Ortiz was Mr.
Buff’s secretary?”
 Alex froze in her tracks. “You know him?” she asked, referring to
Mr. Buff.
“No. I know of him,” Nina replied. “Never met the man, and Jen
doesn’t talk about work when she’s out.”
Alex wasn’t sure about this all of a sudden. She’d be socializing
with the woman who worked with the man she’d been lusting over.
What if she let something slip?
Nina pulled on her to get her going. “Oh, don’t mention
anything about husbands or men, really. She just went through a
divorce after ten years of marriage.”
When Jen saw Nina, the secretary jumped up from her chair to
give her a hug. “It’s been forever,” Jen said.
“I know,” Nina said. “I’m sorry. Since Alexandra started working,
we’ve been doing things.”
Jen’s slightly worn face showed laugh lines around her mouth
telling Alex the woman was probably really nice. Jen said, “Alex,
your cousin?” Jen gave Alex a hug then. “Nina talks about you a lot.”
“All bad stuff,” Nina added. “All the trouble we got into growing
up.”
Alex rolled her eyes. Got into trouble they did. Two young girls
ready to take on the world and letting nothing get in their way.
“Come on,” Jen said, “I have a table where we can sit and eat.
Have you guys had supper?”
“No,” Nina said, “and I’m starving. I want the steak.”
“Steak?” Alex blurted. “What kind of bar serves steak?”
Nina snorted. “I said this was a ‘lounge,’ not a bar. That’s why
it’s so cool.”
Alex had to agree and slid into a chair at the table. They
ordered a round of drinks and the night’s dinner special. When the
drinks came, they sipped their hard alcohol. Alex got her usual apple
martini, and people-watched.
“Oh god,” Jen said, her eyes following someone in the crowd.
“Leslie Lynch is here. Again.”
“Is she still bothering your boss?” Nina asked.
“The woman won’t give up,” Jen growled. “I have no idea why
he went out with her the few times he did. The only way to keep her
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