In Bed with Her Boss. Brenda Jackson

actually used words like please and thank you a lot more often than ever before, and a couple of times he had actually smiled while talking to her. But, then, he had reason to smile. They had gotten word yesterday that two additional stores would be opening in California.

      That meant they’d been extremely busy with various conference calls and contracts that had to be readied and faxed out. She and D’marcus spent most of the time either together or with his lawyers. She enjoyed watching how he handled business. He was a self-made millionaire and his sports franchise was growing by leaps and bounds, making him even richer.

      “Ms. Lockhart, could you step into my office, please?”

      Opal smiled. The courtesy words were beginning to come more naturally for him. At first they’d sounded clipped and forced. “Yes, sir, I’m on my way,” she said, grabbing her notepad.

      She walked into his office to find files spread out on his desk, which was becoming a norm. Thank God for her organizational skills or he would never be able to find anything. In fact, a few days ago, he had complimented her on them when he’d looked for a file while she’d been at lunch. Her unique filing system made things a lot easier to find, especially for him.

      “Yes, Mr. Armstrong?”

      He glanced up and met her gaze, and, as always, she felt a tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. She wished for once he would come to the office looking any way but desirable. Let his hair grow longer, go unshaven, ac-quire a scar or two, get a broken nose. But she had a feeling, even with those imperfections, he would still be handsome.

      “I have to be in San Francisco next week,” he was saying. “With four stores opening in the next couple of months I need to be closer to the action.”

      She nodded, understanding completely since all four new stores would be opening in California. She also knew he had satellite offices in several states. “So you won’t need me working overtime for you next week,” she said, stating the obvious and thinking that was the reason he had summoned her to his office.

      “Yes, that’s right. However, I will need you to go to California with me.”

      She blinked, certain she hadn’t heard him correctly. “You want me to go to California with you?” she asked.

      “Yes, San Francisco, California.”

      She tried to keep the nervous sigh from escaping her lips. She knew of administrative assistants who traveled with their bosses all the time and loved it and considered it as one of the perks of the job. Even Ruby traveled with her boss occasionally and considered it an opportunity to shine. But Opal had never given any consideration to the thought that Mr. Armstrong would want to take her anyplace with him.

      “Will there be a problem, Ms. Lockhart?”

      He recaptured her attention and she met his gaze. She’d never tell him the “problem.” “No, there won’t be a problem, sir.”

      He nodded. “Good. I plan to fly out first thing Monday morning. You can probably return on Friday. I might stay for a few more days visiting relatives.”

      “I’ll be ready to fly out Monday morning.” She told herself it wouldn’t be that bad. They’d be on a crowded plane, then in busy meetings.

      He turned back to his files, then looked up as she was about to exit. “Oh, Ms. Lockhart, I forgot to tell you. We’ll be taking my private jet.”

      What was wrong?

      When he had mentioned her accompanying him on that business trip, although she hadn’t protested or declined, Opal had seemed surprised and even nervous. In fact, when she’d left his office, she had appeared downright rattled. He smiled. And here he’d thought that nothing could ruffle Opal Lockhart…except his tyrannical, demanding behavior.

      He chuckled when he remembered what she’d said to him. She had been deadly serious in explaining her feelings. He had seen it in her eyes, the depth of her honesty. That had been one of the rare times he’d conversed with her and hadn’t been studying her lips. There was just something about the shape of her mouth that always tempted him.

      She had a way of putting every male hormone he possessed on full alert whenever she entered his office. God knows he had tried to ignore it, avoid it, find ways to become immune to it, but so far nothing worked. Even without trying, she had a sensuality about her that he found totally irresistible. And what he found so astounding was that she was unaware of the depth of her appeal.

      The other day, while sipping his soup at lunch, he had found himself glancing across the desk at her, and a part of him had imagined sipping on her instead. He definitely had one hell of a sexual ache and he hoped his date this weekend was what he needed to cure him.

      He tossed aside the paper he’d been trying to read. Taking Opal to San Francisco with him wasn’t a smart idea given his attraction to her—an attraction he just couldn’t kick. But he did need her there. In this stage of his business negotiations, he needed someone he could depend on and he’d discovered since she had come to work for him that he could definitely depend on her. Not only was she well versed in the handling of business affairs, she had a good grasp of marketing and advertising, customer service and public relations, as well. She was a natural when it came to people skills. She got along with everyone at the office, and, more than once, he’d received compliments on her behalf from clients and business associates whom she had treated well.