Page 11 of Coming for Her Grumpy Boss

“She will agree to all of it. Especially because she wants the contract for her sister, not herself. She’ll do it because it’s for someone else. Trust me.”

I shake my head. “I’ll just talk to Natasha. She’s not unreasonable.”

Thorne laughs. “It’s obviously been a while since you’ve spoken to my sister. I knew you would be difficult about this.”

“I’m not being difficult. You are being overly dramatic,” I say.

“As I was saying, I knew you would be difficult about this, so I told my mother and Natasha that you would be bringing your girlfriend to meet everyone.”

I stare at my oldest friend and debate whether or not kicking his ass would change anything. “For fuck’s sake. You are a pain in my ass.”

“You’re welcome,” Thorne says.

Just then my phone pings with an incoming message.

NATASHA: I hear I’ll be meeting your girlfriend.

NATASHA: I have to ask: is it serious?

Mia beeps through on my phone. “Your mother is waiting on line two.”

“I’m in a meeting,” I snap.

“With Thorne?” she quips. “I’ve already put her off three times this week. Either talk to her or I’ll tell her you’re sick.”

“You wouldn’t dare. Last time you told her that, she showed up with an aging Russian woman hell bent on making me enough Borscht to turn my skin pink.”

“I said what I said,” Mia says.

“Fuck me,” Thorne says through his laughter.

I growl and pick up the phone, pressing the button to connect the line.

“Mom, how nice of you to call. I’m quite⁠—”

“Don’t you tell me you’re too busy to talk to your only mother. I don’t care how fancy you are as a CEO of your own company, you still make time for your mother.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Now, what’s this I hear about your bringing a girlfriend to Christmas at the lake?” she asks.

I shoot Thorne the finger, which just makes him laugh even harder.

chapter

five

Mia

“Mia, can you come into my office, please?”

Ford’s voice comes from the intercom on my phone, and I stare at it. No “Ms. Morales” and he added a please. What is happening right now? Maybe his mother called with bad news.

I poke the button. “Is ‘please’ a code word? Blink twice if your mother is in the building.”

“Come in, Mia,” he says, all even voice, zero blinking. “Before I revoke the please.”

Thorne left his office about fifteen minutes ago while Ford was still on the phone.