The Rebound Guy Read Free

wearily.
    The hint of a victorious smirk played on Julie’s lips. ‘One...no more flirting with the temps—that’s how the whole mess begins.’
    Jason tried not to smile. Okay, so he’d calm down a little. That didn’t mean he couldn’t be receptive if an attractive woman flirted with him, now, did it? However, Julie spotted the microscopic twitch of his lips and her eyes narrowed.
    â€˜Two...’ she said slowly ‘...no encouraging anyone employed by Aspire to flirt with you.’
    You’re a statue, he told himself. Don’t react.
    â€˜Or letting them flirt with you unprovoked.’
    Dammit.
    â€˜And definitely no physical contact with your employees.’
    He raised his eyebrows and tried to look wounded. ‘What? Not even a friendly clap on the shoulder between buddies, a handshake at the beginning or end of a meeting...?’
    Julie’s scowl intensified. ‘Don’t push it, Jason! You know exactly what I mean. I’m talking about female employees—unless you’ve worked your way through the whole office and are thinking of going a different direction?’
    He grinned and shook his head. Nope. Definitely not tired of women yet. ‘So are handshakes allowed?’ he asked innocently.
    Julie peered at him a little more closely, as if she was trying to work out what was going on in his head. ‘Handshakes are allowed,’ she finally said.
    Jason nodded. A concession. No, a victory. It was always important to win something in negotiations; he just didn’t know how he was going to use this to his advantage. Yet.
    Julie uncrossed her arms and let out a breath. ‘Good.’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t know why you can’t just find one woman you like enough to stick with for more than a weekend.’
    Jason stood, then went and retrieved the minibasketball from where it was still resting against the window. ‘It’s not liking them enough that’s the problem,’ he said as he rolled it into his palm and turned to face her. ‘It’s liking them too much. There are so many amazing women out there—’
    She made a face. ‘Spare me.’
    â€˜There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun while I’m still young.’ Then, just to make her feel better, he added, ‘But maybe I will settle down...one day.’
    â€˜My Jonathan is three years younger than you and he’s already got a toddler and another one on the way. Now, if that’s all,’ she said, swiping her letter off his desk and heading for the door, ‘I’ve got one soggy temp to deal with and another who’s asked for an appointment. She sounded spitting mad...’
    She stopped at the doorway and peered over the top of her glasses at him. ‘That hasn’t got anything to do with you, has it? Two in one day is a record, even for you.’
    Jason just chuckled as she turned and marched out of the office. Oh, Julie. If only you knew...
    * * *
    â€˜She did what?’ the HR manager stuttered as her underling repeated the story Kelly had just told her. She swung round to face Kelly. Julie was wearing the look of a woman who was not having a good day. ‘You did what ?’
    Kelly folded her hands in her lap and looked the woman straight in the eye. ‘I stapled his tie to the desk.’
    Julie’s mouth moved but no sound came out.
    â€˜It was the only way I could make him stay where he was supposed to,’ Kelly added helpfully. ‘I’m sorry about the desk, but Mr Payne wouldn’t take no for an answer. So I made him.’
    That would teach him to not take her seriously.
    The underling had to turn away and stifle her giggles behind a hand. Julie blinked a few times then seemed to recover herself. ‘Well, of course we’ll investigate your complaint, Ms Bradford, but there are ways to go about this kind of thing. Ways that don’t involve office