Submitting to the Boss by Jasmine Haynes

units were on two floors
with an exterior entry. She didn’t notice any junkers, most of the
cars being of a newer vintage. That was good.
    When she pushed through the door, she found
the front office empty, but fresh coffee scented the air, and there
were papers scattered on the two desks. She heard running water,
then a door at the back opened, and a man stepped out. His suit was
dark, his short blond hair a nice contrast. Ruby noticed the
appreciative once-over he gave her and felt a tingle, just as she
always did around a handsome man. It was in her nature.
    “I understand you have a one-bedroom
apartment available.”
    “We have two, actually.” He smiled, revealing
whitened teeth. “I can show you both to see which location you’d
prefer. How did you hear about us?”
    “A friend gave me your website.”
    “Then I don’t need to go over the rent and
all that?” With a slight rise to his voice, he made it a question.
A nice voice, not too high, not too deep, it seemed to suit his
blond hair and blue eyes. She pegged him at early thirties.
    Oh, yes, she felt a tingle. “We can go over
everything after I’ve seen it.” She didn’t want to waste time if
she hated the place. Her major requirements were a large closet and
a fabulous bathroom with a big tub. The kitchen didn’t hold much
interest for her.
    The man was a bit of a chatterbox as she
followed him along a pathway to the furthest building, but he
certainly had a nice rear view. He said his name was James. She
preferred that to the shortened version.
    James led her to a second-floor apartment on
the far end of the building. The front door opened directly onto
the living room, with a small coat closet to the left. The light
blue carpet looked relatively new. Being on the second floor, the
ceiling was fairly high and had a skylight. Two sliding glass doors
flanked a fireplace. It was spacious and light. That’s what she
didn’t like about most apartments: they were so dark.
    It was an interesting layout, with the
kitchen on the left, separated from the living room by a long wall.
A passway in the kitchen led to a small dining room, which then
opened onto the living room through a large archway. The bedroom
and bathroom appeared to be in the back down a short hall. The
kitchen was actually quite large and came equipped with up-to-date
appliances and good counter space, which she would have appreciated
more if she actually cooked. Maybe she should try it more often,
just to please Holt.
    James flourished a hand. “The living room and
fireplace are perfect for cozy romantic evenings.”
    Ruby looked at him. There was certainly a
gleam in his gaze, and being a woman who read a man’s signals well,
she was sure there was a hint of flirtation in there. Good old
James was coming on to her.
    “Yes, I agree,” she said. “Champagne and
chocolate by firelight.” She smiled seductively, letting her lashes
swoop with invitation. Not that Ruby was inviting him to anything,
it was simply an automatic reaction. If an attractive man flirted,
she naturally flirted in kind. “Now let’s see the bedroom.”
    James smiled right back. “The most important
room in the house.” He winked before crooking his finger to lead
her to the back hallway. “Washer and dryer.” He pointed to a set of
louvered doors. Thank God. She did not like sharing her laundry
facilities.
    Now, what had Holt said? She was to call him
tonight with all the details while she was in the bathtub with her
glass of wine. Holt wanted details? About an apartment he’d already
seen?
    Or something else. Something that included
James.
    “Very spacious,” James said, opening the
bedroom door. The room, which was darkened by blinds, was on the
end of the building so it had two windows. “With a huge walk-in
closet,” James went on, beaming at her with a head-to-toe look.
“Perfect for a stylish woman like you.”
    She glanced inside.
    “The previous tenant had organizers
installed,” James