Bad Behavior Read Free Page A

replied his words were without the emotion that made the phrasing special, but lacked none of the ceremony.
    “Bethany Marcus,” he began, nodding his thanks to the waiter as the man set down his plate. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
    Taking a sip from her own glass of water she smiled, eyes sparkling with triumph.
    “Nothing would make me happier.”
     
     

Chapter 2: Monday Night
     
     
    He drank more than he should have that night. Justin had never been a big fan of alcohol. It dulled the senses and made rational men lose their way. But he’d already lost his, so there wasn’t much else that could go wrong. He’d done it. Sold out as it were, and there didn’t seem to be an alternative as to how to make it all right again.
    Bethany Marcus was going to be his wife. He’d be stuck with her until death parted them, and that thought was enough to send any sane man to the bottom of a bottle. He made his stumbling way back to Reese Enterprises, not because he wanted to be there, but because he had nowhere else to go. It was around 10:00 pm, and most of the staff had already gone home. The only ones there to see him make his broken way to the 12 th floor were those who had nothing to go home to.
    They were just like him, and they turned away rather than speculate about what could have brought him so low. When he finally reached his office door he was surprised to see light streaming from beneath the heavy oak. At this time of night it should have been dark, especially since he’d called to send Stan home hours ago when he realized that he wouldn’t be coming back in that day.
    Too busy making wedding preparations and finalizing the details of his contract with Bethany and her father. As of 3:00 that afternoon, with just the flourish of his pen and a handshake, his company had been saved. He’d gotten the information he’d needed to keep everything from going all to hell and in just three months he’d be a married man.
    The reminder was enough to make him wince.
    Opening the door, he stepped into his office, half expecting to find it empty. He was pleasantly surprised when he realized that she was there. Sitting behind his desk as if she owned it and reading through a stack of papers.
    “Rei Donovan.” Her name was like candy in his mouth, round and sweet. “What are you doing here so late?” He grinned at her and watched in amusement as she scrambled to her feet, the papers clutched to her breasts.
    “Mr. – Sir – Justin.” She stumbled over the words and her face flushed dark in embarrassment. “Hello.” She said finally, clearly determined to behave normally. “I was just going over some of your old files. Trying to get a feel for how things worked.”
    His brows rose, and leaning against the doorframe he nodded his head in mock solemnity.
    “Admirable.”
    She blushed again and not for the first time, he found his gaze roaming over the lithe figure. She wasn’t a tall woman, but she boasted a sensual grace that caught the eye. Her eyes were a deep, dark brown framed by a thick fringe of lashes. There was a small beauty mark on the side of her face, right below her eye that gave her an old school glamour that he liked. He was as fascinated by that mark as he was by the plump curve of her bottom lip and the flawlessly rich caramel color of her skin. Her hair was a mass of curls, lustrous and dark, that fell to her shoulders and his hands curled into fists at his sides. Hungry for the feel of them. He wanted to sink his fingers into her hair, jerk her head back, and explore that mouth. It had been the only clear thought he’d had since the moment he’d met her, and now he couldn’t help but think that she was even further out of his reach now than she’d been before.
    Or…was she?
    This morning he never would have touched her. She was his secretary, a subordinate, and therefore off limits according to pretty much every sexual harassment class he’d ever taken. But now…now