THE BOSS I SLAPPED IN THE DARK

I slapped a guy I met off an app. Hard. We met in the dark, start to finish, so neither of us ever saw the other's face.

But the next day, in the middle of my status report, my icecold boss looked up. Five finger marks, printed across his cheek. I froze where I stood.

He looked at me, flat and cold. "What are you staring at?" "Is the proposal fixed?" Chapter 1 "Boss, your face…" Emmett looked at me, smiling with everything but his eyes, spinning a pen through his fingers, never stopping. "It isn't my face you should be reading.

It's my mood." I ducked my head, flustered, opened the folder, and set it in front of him. "Right, right. Boss, it's fixed.

All of it's fixed." He gave me a look before he bent his head and started turning pages. "So you can do it properly when you try." I stretched my lips into something and rolled my eyes on the inside.

At the same time I squeezed out a fawning smile. "Well, that's all thanks to you. Three areas, six dimensions, seventysome notes." The fingers turning the page stopped short.

Emmett leaned back into his chair and narrowed his eyes. Then he raised a lazy hand and tugged at his tie. "You think I'm too much?" That was putting it mildly.

I thought he was a fussy little tyrant. But I didn't dare say it. "No, no.

I mean, thank God you're the one signing off." He gave a cold laugh and stood, one hand shoved casually in his pocket, the other braced on the corner of the desk, body tipped slightly toward me. "Do you have any idea—we're at a critical stage, I'm meeting investors every single week, and every day I look at you people and the pressure is about to blow the top of my head off—" Right.

Not just a fussy tyrant. A rage case, too. Credit where it's due, though: the man was built. Even the careless way he braced that arm had something going on.

He just had an ugly mouth on him. "You especially! God knows what goes through your head all day! I'm begging you. Bring your brain to work.

Can you do that?" I nodded and bobbed like the coward I was. "I can do that, boss." Emmett swept a look over me and pressed his fingers into his brow, irritated. "The proposal's approved.

Go." Thank God and everybody else. I picked up the folder and turned to leave. Opening my messages on the way.

That guy's messages were still sitting where he'd left them in the middle of the night. [You hit me and then you just left?] [You've got a strong hand.

Do you know that?] [It was my first time.] He'd sent a little puppy emoji, all trembling and reverent. [Nothing brings two people together like a slap.

Can I see you again?] On the other end was the local stranger who'd messaged me on that app the night before.

Emmett had tortured me into losing my mind online, and I'd actually lined up a guy for an inperson slapping session. We met in the dark. I came in full armor, covered head to toe.

He wore a dress shirt with his eyes covered. I couldn't see his face, but the body was outstanding. Promising. The second I finished getting off—no.

The second I finished hitting him, I regretted it. What if he shook me down for money? But a whole night had gone by, and this great villain had yet to be apprehended.

Apparently he was the type that pays up, not the type that attacks. I curved my lips and typed. [Puppy. You still want to see me?] What could I do?

Working under that old dog Ruffin, I could barely take the pressure. I'd decided to keep my stressrelief buddy in good repair.

Then, out of nowhere, a phone went off right behind me. I turned without thinking. Emmett had picked up his phone, and his eyes lit right up. This thing was in a relationship?

Chapter 2 He was typing a reply when he felt me looking. He raised his head, stared at me, voice back to ice. "What are you staring at? Out.

Close the door." I gave him an apologetic smile, hurried out, and shut the door like a good girl. I'd barely exhaled when my phone buzzed. [I do.] [Tonight.

Could we make it a little later?] A little later?

I am a deeply suspicious person. [You're not married, are you?] He answered almost instantly. [I am unmarried.] [I have to meet an important client tonight.

My people turned in a terrible proposal and I have to rewrite it myself.] He sent three stickers in a row, cats scrubbing their faces in despair. [So much pressure.] I sat there for a second.

There were bosses out there who wrote their own materials? I looked through the glass at Emmett. Head down over his phone, and in a very good mood by the look of it.

Man, the gap between one human being and another.

And how bad did it have to get, running a company, that a man needed to be slapped to decompress… I went soft on the spot. [Time and place.

You pick.] I went back to my desk and goofed off, and the goofing off ate the entire afternoon.

Quitting time came and went, the floor mostly emptied out, and only then did I snap to and start throwing my things together. "Uh… Marguerite, right?" Emmett had pushed his door open and was looking around the floor.

Only then did his eyes land on me. "Come here a minute." My face fell. It was after hours, for God's sake. What now.

I walked in with my bag still on my shoulder, on purpose, hoping he'd notice what time it was. "Boss.

You're still here?" Emmett looked me over, made a small sound of agreement, and kept staring straight at me. Goosebumps came up all over me.

He wasn't trying to sleep with me, was he? Was the relentless grinding just to push me down the crooked path?

Then he was about to get a good look at the dark side of human nature. "Could you… lend me… your foundation?" "No! Whatever you're about to say—" I stopped dead. "Uh.

Did you say foundation?" Emmett's mouth twitched. "What else?" He set the small of his back against the desk, folded his arms, and offered his face to me like it was nothing. "This face has to be seen in public.

Cover it for me." The man had a certain amount of looks on him, and with him suddenly that close, I got a little nervous. "Um… would a cushion compact work?" He looked down at me. "However you want to do it." A grown man.

However I wanted. My mind went somewhere it shouldn't and my ears went warm, so I dropped my head, dug out the compact, and patted it gently over his face.

His skin was pale and the red marks covered easily. Somehow the air had gone charged. I had to break it. "Boss, how'd you get this? It looks like somebody hit you.

Want me to call the police for you?" Something went awkward in his face, and he pushed my hand away. "That's enough.

Mind your own business." "Then I'm off the clock!" Objective achieved. Preparing to withdraw.

I got in the elevator, and I'd just pressed the button when Emmett stepped in and we came face to face. I retreated to the corner and looked at my phone.

The elevator was extremely quiet. Then, without warning, a short message tone went off.

Emmett unlocked his phone immediately, paused a beat, and looked back at me. "That was yours." I smiled, embarrassed. It was him, sending the time and the address. [The Ashmont.

Room 1608. Ten o'clock.] A fivestar hotel. Puppy had money. I turned my face away and typed back on the sly. [Good baby.] Chapter 3 Then a message tone went off and made me jump.

This one was his. Emmett looked at his screen, seemed about to smile, then remembered I was there and pressed his lips flat. There was something going on there.

I couldn't be bothered with his business. The elevator arrived. Emmett turned around all at once to face me. "Are you free tonight? I'm meeting an investor.

I need you to drive my car." I waved a hand. "Boss, I don't know how to drive." He looked at me, a laugh escaping the corner of his mouth, and pointed past the doors. "Then what are you doing down in the parking garage?" "…" The night was ink.

The black sedan merged into traffic, red taillights packed thick ahead of us. I sat in the passenger seat and couldn't help asking. "Boss, I've got something at home.

About what time will this be over?" I was worried about making my appointment. "Nine thirty." Ends at nine thirty, meeting at ten.

That was tight. "Boss, where are we going, exactly?" Emmett seemed to be out of patience.

He turned his face toward me. "The Quillon Building." He must have been slightly nearsighted; he wore rimless glasses.

Light came and went over the side of his face like running water, throwing up the straight line of his nose, the deep red of his mouth. It made him look frankly indecent.

Waste of a man, putting him in charge of people. He frowned. "Are you done looking?" I came back to myself and shook my head. The Quillon Building was close to The Ashmont.

I'd make it either way. The second we got there, Emmett went off to see his investor. With nothing to do, I went and bought hand cream.

Took a picture and sent it to him. [The scent of a slap lingers on the hand that gives it.] [This smell. Do you like it?] [By the way, I'm nearby.

Message me when you get there.] Whatever he was busy with, he didn't answer a single one. So I waited around for Emmett, bored. Nine thirty. Right on time.

He came out. "Take me to The Ashmont." I froze. What were the odds? Emmett came over and tossed me the keys, unsteady on his feet. I caught him, and got a noseful of liquor.

So there'd been drinking involved, and he hadn't dragged me along for backup. He had some conscience after all. I conscientiously delivered him to the hotel lobby.

Liquor had made Emmett almost human. He told me to take the car and get home early. I agreed like a good employee, then parked the car and went to find my slapping buddy. Room 1608.

I took a breath and knocked lightly. A moment later the door opened a crack, and I was yanked inside. [Baby?] No lights on, curtains drawn all the way, not a scrap of light.

Black enough that I couldn't see my own hand.

I could feel someone standing not far in front of me, and I smelled that same liquor. "You've been drinking?" What was it with everyone tonight?

He nodded hard, and a blurred sound of assent came out of his throat.

I let go of him and turned away with a cold laugh. "Let's do this when you're sober." He hesitated, then came after me and caught me around the waist from behind. "Don't go.

I didn't want to drink. I had no choice, I needed to secure—" He really was drunk. The words came out softedged. But I understood. "Somebody put pressure on you?

They poured drinks into you, didn't they?" He was quiet for a while, then let go all at once and set his back against the entry console. "Sorry. I can't do anything right.

I made plans with you and I still—" He lifted his head. In the dark I could make out an outline, nothing more. "Hit me." I went still for a second.

Chapter 4 This man was under so much pressure that hating himself wasn't cutting it anymore.

I thought about it, leaned in, and took his face in my hands. "Sounds like puppy had a rough day." He seemed to freeze. The sound went out of him. Puzzled, I let go.

My wrist was caught hard and I was hauled forward, right up against him. It startled a sound out of me. In the pitch dark it came through very clearly. "Don't do that.

You only get to hit me." Absolute freak. It made me laugh, I was so annoyed. "Excuse me?

I was being nice to you—" His grip tightened, and the voice stayed vicious. "I only want to get hit.

I don't want to get slept with." I was quiet a moment, then coughed softly. "I see. You're overthinking it.

Nothing's going to happen between us." Thank God the room was dark enough that a red face didn't show. He paused, then released me. "I'm sorry.

I misunderstood." I rubbed my wrist and elected not to hold it against a dog. We both sat down on the edge of the bed.

From somewhere he produced a black ribbon and tied it over his eyes again. "Why didn't you answer my messages?" I asked.

His fingers gathered at the bedspread. "I didn't see them." I curved my mouth, brought my hand up high, and put it across his face. Clean, no hesitation. His head turned with it.

He sat there, dazed, at a loss.

I put a finger under his chin and lifted it. "Does it smell good?" His lips pressed together lightly. "Yes." I laughed. "Do you know what I'm talking about?" "Your hand cream." No hesitation at all.

I blinked. "You saw it?" He dipped his head, like a puppy nosing after something, and came slowly forward until he got what he wanted and laid his face in my palm. "Mm.

I like it." I went rigid.

Something ran through me like current, prickling and soft, and my heart came down hard, once, and again… "Good, then." I took my hand back a little too fast.

He didn't move. "What's your name?" I broke first. "Sorry. I don't want to give out any real personal information." "Fine." It stopped being fun. I got up to leave.

He caught a handful of my clothes from behind. "Are you leaving?" I stopped. "You want more?" He didn't say anything, which was a yes. I turned and looked down at him.

From that angle I could just make out his open collar, and something mean woke up in me. "Feels like you work your chest." When I'd landed on him earlier, it had been solid.

He paused. "Not on purpose. I work out to burn off stress." I bent forward and put my mouth near his ear, all coaxing. "Then take your shirt off.

Understand?" He stalled for a beat, let go of me slowly, and brought his fingers to his collar. A moment later the white shirt was on the floor. Under my foot.

He didn't much like being handled that way, so he held the sound in, but his breathing fell apart, quick then heavy, which honestly sounded worse.

I pinched him, just to be awful. "If you ask me, you're getting slept with sooner or later." That got a hiss out of him.

He hooked an arm around my waist and took us both down onto the bed. "Okay.

That's enough." He pushed himself up and sat on the edge of the bed with his back to me, head down, and pulled the blindfold off.

Chapter 5 Then he stood, picked up the shirt, and put it back on. "Thank you." I lay on my side, propped on one hand, smiling. "You're very welcome." What a night.

I was somewhere else all the next morning. I ran into Emmett in the elevator again. He glanced at me. "Morning." Then he put out his hand.

I highfived him. "Morning, boss!" He lost it. "Do I look like I'm playing with you? The keys. My car!" I made a noise and handed them over.

Emmett looked at me, sighed, shook his head, and walked out. Nine thirty: the meeting nothing could move, scheduled for an hour.

Each team presented in turn and got torn apart in turn. "This is your optimization strategy?" Emmett sat at the head of the table, face dark, rapping his pen hard on the wood. "I gave you—I gave you all that time to prepare!

And this is what you bring me?" His voice carried so well the projector light shook three times. "Does anyone want to explain?" Every head stayed down. Nobody spoke.

Luckily I was a nobody, in the corner of the second row, well clear of the eye of the storm.

I hid my phone under the table and texted. [Does your chest still hurt?] Across the room Emmett leaned back in his chair, threw his pen down, and let out a laugh with a blade in it. "I genuinely do not understand what you people do all—" A phone went off, out of nowhere.

Everyone panicked, eyes darting. Who was it, who had a death wish, who came into this meeting off silent? I checked mine immediately. Not me, thank God.

Emmett looked around the room, picked up his own phone in a lazy sort of way, and glanced at it.

Then he sat up straight, pressed his lips together, typed something with his head down, and laid the phone facedown on the table. "Keep going." I let out a breath.

My screen lit up. [It's fine.

I'm at work.] I thought about the night before and got itchy about it. [Did you put a BandAid on it?] The woman next to me leaned in. "Maisie, look, look.

I think the boss is seeing someone!" I killed my screen. Following her eyes: Emmett was openly on his phone while the presentation ran.

No expression to speak of, but the look in his eyes had changed completely.

Like he was quietly waiting for something. "They say online that these angry alpha types have really high thresholds.

That they get up to all kinds of things in private." Her voice was tiny and could not contain itself. "I mean, our boss, in here yelling at people all day in a suit.

Who knows what somebody's trained him into after hours?" I looked at the man across the room and snorted quietly. "Who's got time to train him?" My screen lit up again. "Who's that?

Why do you have him saved under a slap emoji?" She'd seen it. "A friend." I brushed her off and looked at the message.

All that waiting, and he'd sent two words. [I did.] I turned my upper body away, shielded the screen with my hand, and typed fast. [Send a picture.] Then I turned the phone over on my lap.

Steadied myself. Waited. Of course that was when a chair shrieked across the floor and made me jump.

Emmett had stood up, cutting off the presentation, something not quite right in his face. "We're pausing. Wait for me." He went out with a face like thunder. Everybody exhaled.

People talked, people drank water. In under five minutes he was back. Chapter 6 "Continue." Emmett sat back down, expressionless. The room went tight again.

I'd gotten the picture I wanted before he even walked in, and I was enjoying it. The angle was flat. Clearly he had no practice at this.

A man in front of a bathroom mirror, one hand dragging his shirt up over his chin, the other holding the phone, abs cut clean.

Above that, chest in sharp shadow, and stuck at the important spot, a cartoon BandAid. A pink bunny. Not an inch of face, and it was still doing plenty. I swallowed.

My coworker turned, saw it, and elbowed me repeatedly. "Oh my God. That's insane.

Where do you get quality like that, send it to me!" She caught me off guard, and the phone slipped out of my fingers and hit the floor hard.

Crack— The noise cut the presentation off. Everyone looked at me. Emmett's mouth went flat.

He stood, and walked over to me one step at a time. "Everyone else is in a meeting, and you're playing on your phone.

Is that it?" "Boss, boss, I'm sorry, I was completely in the wrong—" I dove under the table and got on my knees to grab the phone.

My fingers had just touched it when it wasn't there anymore. He'd crouched down, face cold, and gotten to it first. "Let's see what has you so excited." He turned the phone over.

His face locked up and his eyes went wide. "This is…" He went white, like every drop of blood had left him. Heads craned everywhere