Lily carried her coffee cup to the factory. Opening the door, she was aware that she was ten minutes late when Georgia gave her a malicious smile as she placed a red mark on Lily’s time card. Ignoring her, Lily set her coffee cup on her worktable before going to the work board where she saw no orders posted. Everyone coming in had eagerly taken them with it being Monday. By Friday, the board would still be half-full. She went to the computer, pulling up the next order and making a copy.
With the order in hand, she began moving around the room, filling it. By midday, she had completed several orders. Lunch was spent with Shade on the phone most of the time, talking with a manufacturer.
She had been in an uncharacteristically bad mood this morning, and after lunch, it grew much worse. Since that night two weeks ago, Shade hadn’t touched her. She had begun wondering if he had cashed in his other IOUs, including Jewell’s, which was the only one she really cared about.
“Lily.” Shade came to the doorway of his office with a cell phone in his hand. “The coffee pot isn’t working; could you go to the house and get me a cup?”
“Get it yourself!” she snapped, slapping the tape dispenser down onto the worktable. The room went silent at her sharp remark.
“I’ll get it for you, boss,” Georgia offered with a fake, sweet smile.
“No, thanks, Georgia. I’ll take care of it. Lily, come here.” Lily started to refuse that request, too, but figured she had pushed her luck enough for the day.
She went into his office, closing the door behind her. Shade had resumed his seat behind the desk and swiveled his chair to face her in the doorway.
“Want to tell me what burr has crawled up your ass?”
“No, I don’t.”
Instead of him getting angry like any normal man, he gave her a grin that had a shiver running down her back. “Lock the door.”
“Fine.” Lily went to the door, about to make her escape.
“From the inside, Lily. And if you think to disobey me, have no doubt I will punish you in the other room in front of every man and woman busy working. We really don’t want to disturb their work even further, do we?”
“I don’t suppose so.” Lily reluctantly locked the door.
“When I asked you to close the door, you knew which side I wanted you on, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Lily slowly turned back to face him.
“I see. You were being cute. I like cute; you being a smartass is not cute. For future reference, it pisses me off.”
“I’m sorry, Sir.” Lily thought to head his anger off, however she had a bad feeling it was too late.
“Good try, but I appreciate the effort.”
Yep, it’s too late, Lily thought when his hand went to the ruler he kept on his desk.
“Come here.” Her feet carried her around the desk, standing next to his chair. “Lean over my desk.” Lily was going to refuse him then remembered his words that he could handle it in the privacy of his office or on the work floor.
Lily leaned over his desk, which was almost empty since Shade kept the top immaculate. When he would come in after another member had been in the office and had made a mess, he had made them clean it before they left.
“Now, if you answer my question, you’ll get a pass. If not, well, your bottom will tell you that answer, won’t it?” Lily nodded her head. “Why were you snippy with me?”
“Because I didn’t want to get your coffee?” Lily couldn’t help the sarcastic reply.
When she felt his hand behind her back, raising the back of her skirt, Lily threw a glare in his direction.
Shade stood up, looking at what he had uncovered. Nothing happened. Lily turned her head to see his expression. She shot straight up, her skirt falling back in place before going to the corner of the room.
Shade burst out laughing. “Smart move.”
He sat back down at the desk, leaning back casually, linking his hands together over his flat stomach. “You’re quite a surprise with your sexy, little panties. Those red ones of yours always drove me crazy imagining them on you. Now that I’ve seen you in that pair of purple lace, I have a new favorite color.”
Lily gritted her teeth. Everything he was doing and saying was grating on her strung nerves.
“So are you going to tell me what’s wrong or are you going to stand there the rest of the day?”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” Lily burst out. “Everything is bugging me; you, Georgia, Jewell, the church. Name it.”
Shade leaned back further in his chair, his smile widening. “How about we take one issue at a time. How am I bugging you?”
Her mouth opened and closed. “You’re getting on my nerves, bossing me around. You never do what I expect you to do.”
“Like what?”
“Like not cashing in my IOUs, not touching me, and when you come in a room you just set my nerves off,” she finished, trying to think of something he did that really made her angry and coming up with a blank. How could she expect him to understand what she was trying to say when she realized how stupid she sounded to her own self?
“Okay, we’ll tackle that problem last. What has Georgia done now?”
“She made a face at me this morning when I came in late. She’s not a nice person.”
Shade nodded. “I can agree with that. She isn’t, but she is a good worker. Were you late?”