Beale Street Blues Read Online Free PDF

envelope."
    Barbara glared at the thick envelope beneath his hand. She crumpled the paper she held into a ball and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. At the door, she turned and glared at them both.
    The singe of her stare filled Darling with guilt. Darling hated managing the call center. This new job would be perfect. She had the experience and knew what to do. But, she didn't want it if it meant she had to sleep with her boss to keep it. Darling glanced behind her to make sure Barbara was gone before she spoke, "Jaxon, does this have anything to do with us?" The words fell from her mouth before she could stop them. She wanted the answer to be no, but how could it be when he didn't know anything about her.
    How could he make such a decision, just from my reports?
    He walked to the door and closed it before he spoke. "No."
    Alone in a room with a man she'd avoided for months, Darling knew she needed to keep her focus on her question, not her memories of how he looked naked. Or, the feel of his arms wrapped around her. Or, the faraway look in his eyes when he had an orgasm. All of it made her body ache to see and feel it again.
    She stood to leave.
    "This time you don't get to walk away."
    His drawl was like warm molasses. She shivered. "Can you swear to me that this change has nothing to do with…that night?"
    From where he sat, his eyes rolled over her entire body. Briefly, they paused on her breasts.
    Her nipples perked in anticipation. She folded her arms across her chest in a weak attempt to conceal their betrayal.
    His eyes met her gaze. "Yes. I can. This is my family's business. I'm not going to jeopardize it for anyone." He motioned for her to return to her seat and he moved to sit beside her. "Rodney's inappropriate relationship with Barbara has tied my hands a bit. But, he's wanted to replace her for a while. I thought this might be a good way to take care of everything without raising questions."
    "And what if—"
    "What if what?" You left me with nothing but questions…then I find out that you work for me." He leaned forward resting his forearms on the conference table.
    "Nothing. Everything that happened was a mistake." Just as she'd known it would be.
    "Mistake?" He frowned.
    "I just moved back to Memphis a few months ago, and I'm not trying to lose my job. But, I don't need to keep it by sleeping with the boss. That's not the kind of woman I am." There was no way she was about to find herself dating a wealthy man who would get his kicks, and then when he was tired… toss her to the side and find someone else to take her place.
    He leaned back and to the left—away—resting his forearm on the armrest of the chair where he sat. It took him a moment to speak. "What have I done to make you think that's the kind of person I am?"
    "You just gave me a promotion for no reason," she pointed out.
    "I gave you a promotion because Rodney and I wanted to reorganize the structure of his group without creating a problem with Barbara. And because you deserved it based on your track record and experience."
    "That's all?" she asked.
    "That's all."
    "What now?" she asked.
    "I don't know." He paused. "I admit…I've thought of you a lot since that night."
    "Me or my body?" She knew the answer to that question. The only thing he knew about her was her body.
    "That's not fair. I gave you my number, but you never used it. You didn't give us…me a chance to know anything else."
    There was really no reason for her to continue to sit and have this stupid conversation. He would say anything to cover his butt and get what he wanted. No matter what happened, it would end the same way. He was her boss, and now he was off limits. She stood again to leave. "I should get back to my desk."
    "You're good at walking away." There was a noticeable edge to his voice.
    "There's no reason for me to stay," she insisted.
     
     
    The heels of Barbara's shoes cut through the thin carpet beneath them. She grabbed her purse from the cabinet above her