Coming home to find her fiancĂ© with her cousin should have broken her, but Blair refuses to fall apart. She’s strong, capable, and determined to move on. What she doesn’t plan on is drowning her sorrows in too much of her boss’s scotch… or waking up tangled in the chaos that is her ruthless, dangerously charming boss, Roman.
One night. That’s all it was supposed to be.
But in the cold light of day, walking away isn’t so easy. Roman isn’t a man who lets go-especially not when he’s decided he wants more. He doesn’t just want Blair for a moment. He wants her all. And he has no intention of letting her go.
Tangled With Her Arrogant Boss Chapter 1 The Beginning And The End
Blair was so grateful to be home. She just didn’t understand the demon that had possessed her boss during their recent business trip. He had driven everyone hard. They arrived home one day earlier than planned, but she was glad to be away from him.
She had expected to return to the office with him. To her surprise, he gave her the rest of the afternoon off. Maybe he’d decided they both needed a break. That was fine by her.
Lately, he’d been a real shithead. Short-tempered and demanding. When he dropped her off at her front door, she almost flipped him the bird. She paused, unsure whether he’d catch the gesture in the rear-view mirror.
Roman had this uncanny ability to sense everything. It was almost like he had eyes in the back of his head. You’d think being gorgeous would make him a bit easier to work with. But no. If anything, it made him more of an ass. He was hot, and he knew it. Almost everyone always fell at his feet trying to please the man.
She didn’t know what was going on. Roman had seemed more irritable in the past few months. He’d been rubbing her the wrong way. Of the two years she’d worked for him, these last two months had been the worst. If he didn’t pay her so well, or if she didn’t need the job so badly, maybe she would tell him where to go.
Blair shook her head. That wasn’t true. Despite his sometimes shitty attitude, Roman did look after his staff. The benefits at Kingston’s were great. People put up with more for the right perks.
The office offered excellent medical and dental coverage. There was also childcare within the building, and the company was cutting back on maternity leave taken. It was a win-win for Kingston.
Blair picked up her case and headed for the front door of the townhouse she shared with her fiancé, Dan, and her cousin Laura.
She checked her watch as she reached the front door. Dan wouldn’t be home for a few hours. She planned to surprise him with a romantic dinner.
Laura was rarely home at night, always out partying. Her cousin was a model…not a supermodel, but still gorgeous. She knew how to make the most of it. Blair, on the other hand, wasn’t interested in clothes or makeup. She was more into books.
They had both moved to the city for different reasons. Laura was to follow her modeling career, and for Blair, it had been a chance to work for a great company like Kingston Industries. Working normally under the great man himself, Roman Kingston. The company had their fingers in so many pies, Blair was never bored. Even when Roman was being his most demanding. She loved her job.
Fishing for her keys, she juggled her briefcase, handbag, and suitcase. Once the key was in the lock, it turned easily. Blair pushed the door open. Stepping inside, she put her handbag and suitcase down at the bottom of the stairs, before heading into the lounge room where she kept a desk. She set her briefcase on top.
Blair turned to make her way to the kitchen, pondering what to prepare for dinner. As she walked past the foot of the stairs, a sudden noise from upstairs caused her to halt in her tracks. Was there someone else in the house? Had she returned home to an intruder? Filled with panic, Blair took a step towards the front door, ready to flee.
However, at that moment, she realized something. Laura. Unlike Blair and Dan, Laura didn’t adhere to their typical working hours. She often slept late and stayed out until the early hours of the morning. It wasn’t the first time Blair had found her slumped on the front steps as she was leaving for work in the morning. Blair wasn’t sure if she should call out now. What if it wasn’t her cousin?
Her eyes scanned the room for something to defend herself with… just in case. Her gaze landed on her late father’s baseball bat, which she always kept near the front door when she was home alone at night. It made her feel safer.
She grabbed the bat, weighing it in her hand for a moment. Before she set foot on the stairs, she paused, wondering if any of them creaked. She couldn’t remember. Taking a deep breath to steady her racing heart, Blair ascended the stairs slowly, step by step.
When she reached the landing, she stopped, straining to listen.
“Please be Laura. Please be Laura, and not some masked man waiting to jump out at me,” she muttered under her breath.
The hallway stretched ahead, with four doors. Three led to the bedrooms, and one opened to the shared bathroom. The only door ajar was the one to her and Dan’s bedroom. The others were shut. But to get to her bedroom, she’d have to pass the other doors.
That’s when she heard it, the unmistakable sound of a giggle from Laura, followed by a low, male groan. Relief flooded her chest. It wasn’t a burglar. Laura had brought someone home.
Just as Blair was about to turn away and leave, she heard the voice of the man Laura was with.
“God, yes,” the voice groaned.
Blair froze, her heart pounding. No. It couldn’t be.
“Laura, you’re so-” Dan’s voice.
Her eyes widened. Dan. In their bed. With Laura. Blair’s stomach lurched.
This couldn’t be happening. She moved quietly down the hall until she stood outside her bedroom door, praying this was all some kind of terrible misunderstanding.
With a trembling hand, she pushed the door open.
The sight that greeted her was like a punch to the gut. She staggered backward, her mind unable to process what she was seeing.
They were tangled together in her bed, unmistakably intimate, unmistakably unclothed, and unmistakably not stopping.
Blair lifted a hand to her mouth to stop herself from crying out. No, no, no, no.
Everything felt like slow motion, Laura straddling him, Dan’s hands gripping her, their voices low and breathy, their bodies moving with a familiarity that made Blair’s stomach twist.
She had never seen Laura unclothed before, not that it mattered when she was currently on top of Blair’s fiancĂ©.
How could she do this? They had both watched Laura’s father, Peter, cheat repeatedly on Laura’s mother, creating a toxic home life. Blair had lived with them after losing her parents in a plane crash ten years ago. She had thought if anyone would understand the devastation of betrayal, it would be Laura.
This had to be a nightmare. Blair pinched herself, hard, as the sting registered immediately. Not a nightmare.
Dan had always hated Laura. He’d called her a slut. Mocked her outfits. Said she was shallow, incapable of real conversation.
Was it all a lie? Had he been jealous of the men in her life? Was that why?
One thing was certain, Dan’s mother, Paula, would never accept Laura as a suitable wife for her son.
But none of that mattered now. What was she supposed to do? How did someone handle this? It was like a scene from a B-grade movie.
She couldn’t pretend she hadn’t seen it. She didn’t want Dan anymore… not now, not after this. Taking him back would be disgusting.
How long had this been going on?
They had been living together for five months. Dan had moved in with her and Laura to save money before the wedding. Had he been sneaking around with Laura the whole time?
Laura let out another breathy whimper. Dan muttered something low and intimate back to her.
Blair’s heart stopped. Did she know Blair was standing here? Had she said it on purpose?
Blair bit into her hand to keep from making a sound. She had given Dan her virginity. He had known what that meant to her. Knowing that he had done this.
She hadn’t even planned to be home today. She had wanted to surprise him.
The surprise had been on her.
She felt sick. A cold sweat broke over her skin.
Her other hand came up, gripping the door frame for balance. Something solid pressed against her palm. The bat.
For a fleeting second, she thought about using it. Smashing the bed, the nightstand, both of them. But she wasn’t that person. She rested the bat against the doorframe just in case she changed her mind and used it on them.
So instead, she straightened her spine. Let the rage steel her so when she finally spoke, her voice was calm. Icy, emotionless.
“While you two finish up, should I cook dinner?”
Tangled With Her Arrogant Boss Chapter 2 No Return
“Hell.” Dan’s head came up off the bed as he pushed Laura off his body. Blair could see the horror on his face when he saw her standing at the door. He’d been caught mid-act – very mid-act. Laura scrambled across the bed, pulling a blanket over herself. Her face was filled with shock, showing her cousin hadn’t known Blair was there. The expression she wore was incredibly real and impossible to fake.
“No thanks. Looks like Laura has taken care of that for you.” Blair was surprised by how calm she sounded. When all she truly wanted to do was scream and shout and throw things. But what would it accomplish? She would still have a broken relationship.
“Blair! What are you doing home today?” Dan’s voice cracked. He grabbed at the sheet, trying to cover himself, suddenly remembering modesty existed.
Blair lifted an eyebrow. “That’s what you’re worried about? Might be an idea to cover up.”
Blair watched him with narrowed eyes. She had loved him, but the person she saw now was ugly to her. It didn’t matter anymore that he was very attractive. To her, he was ugly. No one should cheat on someone they claimed to love. Even if someone had held a gun to her head, she would have refused. It was a shame Dan hadn’t felt the same. From the sounds she’d heard, Laura hadn’t needed to force him into anything.
Blair put the bat down, resting it against the wall near the door. Just in case. She told herself she wouldn’t use it, but who knew? Crimes of passion had to come from somewhere. Normal everyday people snapping in the heat of betrayal. So it was safer if she put it down. Blair then crossed her arms across her chest, looking back to see Dan had gotten off the bed and was pulling up his suit pants.
She flicked her eyes to Laura. The bitch now had a smug look on her face. It had replaced the shock. Why?
Blood roared in Blair’s ears as she came to terms with the total destruction of her personal life. She never wanted to see him again, but she and Dan both worked for Kingston. She had applied first. Dan hadn’t joined until a year later.
Blair decided then and there she would not be leaving her job. It was the only concrete thing she could hold on to, so she was keeping it. It wasn’t like they worked directly together.
Dan took a step toward her, reaching out his hand. “Baby…”
Blair stepped back. “Don’t you dare touch me.” She couldn’t stomach it. She didn’t even want his shadow near her.
The venom in her voice brought him up short. He turned to look at Laura before returning his eyes to Blair’s pale face. Who wouldn’t be pale?
“You have to believe me. This was a one-time thing. It will never happen again. It meant nothing.” Dan pleaded.
Blair saw the look on Laura’s face. Even before seeing it, she knew he was lying. Dan had a tell – his right eyebrow always went up. Before today, the lies had never been a big deal, just small stupid things. Had she noticed it when he’d talked about Laura? She wasn’t sure. Sometimes the mind protected you from what you didn’t want to see.
“You know what, Dan? It doesn’t matter.” Blair angled her chin up as her nails dug into her palms. “This one time was all it took.”
“What? No, Blair, baby please, I love you.” Dan tried to take her in his arms.
Blair moved quickly, picked up the bat, and pressed the end of it to his chest, pushing him back. “Don’t even think about it.”
Dan looked down at the bat, raising his hands in surrender. “Please, she lured me. You know what she’s like. I was missing you.”
They both heard the gasp from the bed. Laura snapped, “He’s lying, Blair. This has been going on for months. Soon after he moved in.”
“Shut up, Laura!” Dan barked at her before turning back to Blair. “She’s lying.”
Blair shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It only took the one time, Dan.” She nudged him with the bat. “And don’t call Laura names. I may never forgive her for this, but you were the one in a relationship, not her.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Laura sliding off the bed, scrambling for her clothes while still clutching the sheet. “If you think she’s everything you just said, what does that make you?”
Blair knew she wouldn’t feel clean even if she had ten showers. This was going to take time.
She couldn’t deal with any more right now. She needed to leave before they were both dressed. She needed to think. To breathe. To not fall apart in front of them.
Turning on her heel, she ran down the stairs. She grabbed her suitcase and handbag. Blair only just remembered the briefcase as she reached the front door.
“You stupid- why did you have to say anything?” Dan’s angry voice echoed from upstairs.
Blair rushed to her desk, scooped up the briefcase, and stood at the front door, ready to leave. Knowing that once she stepped through it, she wasn’t coming back. She had no idea where she was going, but anywhere was better than here.
Following Dan’s insult came Laura’s sharp reply. “I’m not what you just called me, Dan.”
“You and your big mouth. You wanted this to happen, didn’t you?” Dan accused.
Blair could hear the tears in Laura’s voice. “You didn’t mind my mouth before, Dan!”
“Shh!” Dan hissed, suddenly worried she was hearing everything. “You set me up, didn’t you? You knew she was coming home.”
“Dan, I didn’t know!” Laura cried.
If Blair stayed any longer, they would come downstairs, and she couldn’t handle another confrontation.
Taking a deep breath, Blair stepped through the front door, not looking back even as she heard Dan calling her name.
Tangled With Her Arrogant Boss Chapter 3 Escape
Blair waved down a taxi. She shoved open the taxi door and climbed into the backseat as quickly as she could, intent on getting out of here as fast as possible. She felt like getting drunk. But if she went to a bar alone during the day, that would be inviting trouble. She could feel the tears as they slid unchecked down her face. She had held herself together while she had confronted Dan and Laura.
“Where to?” the driver asked, his voice cutting through the fog in her brain.
Where to? Good question.
Home wasn’t an option. Sutton and Keira were at work, and she didn’t want to sit in their empty apartment, replaying the image of Dan with her cousin. She needed a drink. But sitting alone in a bar in the middle of the afternoon? That felt like waving a white flag.
She hesitated, then rattled off the address of her office. At least there, she could pretend to be productive. Maybe even figure out what the hell to do next.
The taxi pulled away from the curb and she exhaled, trying to steady herself.
The driver looked at her in the rearview mirror. “There are tissues in the center compartment if you need them, hon.”
The driver’s voice was gentle, like he’d seen enough women cry in his backseat to know when to speak and when to keep quiet.
Blair grabbed a handful. “Thanks.” She said before cleaning her face as best she could. It wasn’t like she wore a lot of makeup. So, she might as well clean her face.
Her phone began to ring. Dan?
She still pulled it out of her bag to check. Her stomach clenched as she stared at the screen, his name glowing in bright white letters.
She could just imagine the first words he would say.
“It’s not what it looks like, Blair.”
“I can explain.”
“Please, just let me talk to you.”
Lies. Excuses. The same bullshit men always spewed when they got caught.
She set the phone to silent and shoved it back into her bag.
By the time the taxi pulled up in front of Kingston Industries, her makeup was beyond saving. She reached into her purse, dug out a crumpled twenty, and handed it to the driver.
“Be honest,” she said, forcing a smile. “Do I look like a woman who just found out her fiancĂ© is screwing her cousin?”
The driver hesitated, giving her a careful once-over. “Your eyes are a little red, honey, but it’s hardly noticeable.” He paused. “Are you going to be okay?”
The unexpected kindness nearly undid her.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. “Yeah. Better to find out now, right? Just a little bump on the road of life.” She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince… the taxi driver or herself.
She climbed out of the taxi, hoisted her suitcase onto the curb and took a deep breath. Blair pulled out her phone only to see Dan had called her six times and left six messages on her voicemail. Uninterested in what he had to say for himself, she slid the phone away in her handbag again.
Blair turned toward the towering glass and steel structure of Kingston Industries. Roman had bought the building five years ago. The top eight floors belonged to Kingston, the lower three rented out to smaller businesses. With the way the company was expanding, she wouldn’t be surprised if they took over the whole thing eventually.
She walked inside, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.
“Miss Warner, can I help you?” Blair blinked. Maggie, one of the receptionists, had stepped out from behind the lobby front desk, her gaze flicking over Blair.
Maggie moved even closer, taking the suitcase from her. In Blair’s same hand, she was still holding the bat. Blair had completely forgotten she was even holding it.
She had walked into the office looking like she was about to commit a felony. She was glad she still had it, though. It was something she wouldn’t need to retrieve later.
Blair exhaled, relieved. “Thanks, Maggie. Can I leave everything here while I freshen up?” She was surprised her voice sounded so… normal.
“Of course, Miss Warner.” Maggie’s eyes darted to the bat again.
“Blair, please. How many times do I have to tell you?” Roman preferred first names, but some staff, especially the newer ones, seemed to struggle with that.
More with Roman than with her.
Maggie smiled, taking the suitcase, briefcase, and bat.
Blair headed across the foyer to the restroom.
Inside, she went straight to the mirrors. The cab driver hadn’t just been kind. She really didn’t look that bad. She pulled a makeup wipe from her bag and cleaned off the last remnants of mascara. A quick dusting of powder, some lip gloss, a little eyeliner.
She pinched her cheeks. People always said that added color, but she didn’t see a difference.
Her blue eyes were still a little red, but there wasn’t much she could do about that. She pulled out a brush, freed her long, wavy blonde hair from its bun, and redid it neatly. Good enough.
She left the restroom, retrieved her belongings from Maggie, and headed to the elevators. As she waited, she tried to recall Roman’s schedule. Did he have any meetings this afternoon?
Then it hit her. He shouldn’t have been home today. So no meetings were scheduled in his calendar.
She sighed. Her brain was fried. But walking in on your fiancé with your cousin would do that to anyone.
The thought made her frown.
How often had they been doing this? Dan had been at home during a workday. She traveled occasionally for work, but not that often. If things had been going on for months, they had to have been meeting up on company time.
The elevator arrived. A woman she didn’t recognize stepped in with her.
Blair offered a polite, strained smile. When the woman got off at the second floor, Blair leaned back against the wall, staring at nothing.
Should she tell Roman about Dan? It would feel like sour grapes… tattling just because he cheated. But he was also ripping off the company. No way could he get home, have sex, and get back to the office during a lunch break.
The elevator dinged open. Blair inhaled deeply before stepping onto the executive floor.
Kara, the receptionist on the executive floor, looked up. “Hey, Blair. I didn’t think you’d be in today.”
Blair smiled. “Wasn’t planning to be, but I figured I’d get a jump on the meeting notes for Roman. Is he in?”
Kara shook her head. “No, he left a little while ago, told me to take messages and everything can wait until tomorrow.”
Blair almost sagged in relief. She wouldn’t have to face him just yet.
“Thanks, Kara.”
She went to her office, shut the door, and sank into her chair.
Blair rested her head on the desk. Shit. She felt like a wrecking ball had just split her world in two.
How could he? But even worse than that, how could Laura?
The childish problems they had all had as kids, Blair had thought they’d grown out of. Laura had always been a spoiled brat. Taking what wasn’t hers.
The problem was her parents, Blair’s aunt and uncle, doted on her and gave her everything she wanted. But when they had moved to the city two years ago, Laura hadn’t been that bad or by now Blair would have moved in with her sisters. She hadn’t when Sutton had come back from Europe because her sister Keira had just finished university and started a new job. Sutton had moved in with Keira. Blair would have felt guilty leaving Laura on her own. And what was the point? She and Dan had planned on getting a place of their own once they were married.
Lifting her head, Blair looked down at the ring on her finger.
It wasn’t big. She hadn’t wanted big. She’d make sure he got it back. He could sell it. Laura would want something flashy anyway. She’d always made fun of Blair’s ring.
Taking it off, Blair was about to throw it across the room. No – just in case it went missing. Opening the top drawer of her desk, she dropped it in and slammed it shut.
She needed a drink.
Standing, Blair went into Roman’s office, where she knew he kept a bottle of scotch. She wasn’t much of a spirit drinker, but anything would do.
Roman’s office was a statement of the man himself. Everything was big, strong, and masculine. “Don’t forget intimidating,” Blair said to the empty room.
Going to his desk, she opened the bottom drawer and pulled out the bottle of scotch he kept there. Taking it, she sat down on his Chesterfield lounge near the window. She opened the bottle and took a drink. Almost coughed it back up. “Holy shit, this burns.” She knew it was expensive. Roman only liked the best.
The problem was, it was straight. Why did he like this straight? She tried a smaller sip. Still awful. But less awful than the first. So she had another. Laying her head back against the lounge, she tried to think. What was her next move?
It was 3:15 pm. She couldn’t call Sutton or Keira. Not yet. Let them get home from work. Blair planned to ask them to help her get her stuff from the apartment. Although she didn’t want to put too much pressure on Sutton – six months with a baby and already struggling.
Men. Why were they assholes? First, her boss for being arrogant and intimidating. Then Dan, who had been cheating with her cousin. Then Luca, the father of Sutton’s baby, who had left her, too.
She’d call her sisters later. Not now.
Then she’d see about crashing at their place until she found somewhere new. It wasn’t big enough for three adults and a baby, but it would be nice to spend time with them. Eat ice cream and talk shit about men.
Although Sutton didn’t even talk about the man who made her have a baby. She refused. Even when Aunt Viv and Uncle Peter demanded answers. Only she and Keira knew his first name.
The phone started ringing on Roman’s desk. Blair tried to ignore it, but as soon as it stopped, it started again. Blair dragged herself upright. The room tilted. “Oops.”
After steadying herself, she lifted the receiver.
“Hello?” Not very professional.
“Roman, please.” Blair knew the voice. Claire Robertson. Roman’s little piece of fluff. The best way to describe her. That girly voice set Blair’s teeth on edge.
“Roman isn’t here.” Blair put a hand on the desk to stop the room swaying.
“Where is he?” Claire asked.
“How the hell should I know?” The words just fell out. “You are his secretary.”
“Yes, but I’m not his keeper,” Blair said. “And I don’t own a crystal ball. Call or message his mobile.”
“He isn’t answering his mobile, hasn’t for days,” Claire whined.
Oh.
That was Roman’s move. No arguments. No drama. He just started avoiding someone before ending it. If Claire hadn’t heard from him in days, it was over. She just didn’t know it yet.
The little devil on Blair’s shoulder leaned in. “Well, one of two things has happened. Either you’re about to get dumped, or he’s dead. Either way, flowers will be involved.”
Claire gasped. Blair sighed, the scotch warming her blood. “Look, Claire, let’s be honest. He’s not marriage material. Find someone new.” She hung up before she could respond.
She collapsed back onto the Chesterfield, lifting the bottle again.
Her own problems resurfaced. How was she so blind? How did she not pick up on the signs? She wasn’t an idiot. But Dan was a salesman. He had sold her the dream of happily-ever-after. She had just been blind to the cracks.
And God… what she’d seen earlier – was that what it was supposed to be like? She enjoyed sex well enough, but never like that. Was she supposed to be louder? More dramatic? Dan had been her only partner. Teaching her should have been his responsibility. She had no idea anymore.
She lost track of how long she stayed there, drinking and damning the entire male gender. She honestly couldn’t give a damn.
After a while, Blair sighed, lifting the bottle again… only to pause when she noticed two tall, blurry figures standing in front of her.
Wait. No. Not two. One.
“Hi,” she slurred.
She tried to sit up, raising the bottle, but before she could take a sip, it was plucked from her hand.
“Hey,” she protested. “That’s mine. If you want one, go find your own.”
She blinked hard.
The man holding the bottle finally came into focus.
“Roman?”
“Blair,” he said, voice unreadable. “What have you done to yourself?”
“Well,” she said, slurring slightly, “I think that’s… pretty obvious. As you can see, I’m getting shit-faced.” She reached for the bottle. “Now give it back so I can finish the job.”
Roman stepped away, placing the bottle on his desk. “I think you’ve had enough.”
Blair frowned. “You know… sometimes you can be an arrogant man. No – most of the time.”
“I do believe you’re going to regret this tomorrow.”
Then, instead of yelling, instead of lecturing, he sat down beside her.