Free ROMANCE: BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The CEO's Game (CEO Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance) (New Adult Romance Short Stories) by Kristina King Page A

until he almost brushed his lips against hers and then stepped back, leaving Sadie feeling disappointed he didn't kiss her.
    Breathing hard, her heart pounding in her chest Sadie quickly walked away refusing to look back at his office, her stomach in knots.
    Despite her misgivings about everything, the shiver that went up her spine when he promised her he wasn't done chasing after her left her secretly thrilled. She knew it wasn't something she should allow to happen, but her feelings for him left her making stupid, risky, irrational decisions.

 
    Chapter 7
     
    A few weeks later, Sadie had gotten the list approved and was slowly starting to bring each woman back into her own personal office that Cedric had finally assigned to her. She had already fired five of the eleven girls she was going to let go. Keeping three for PR type jobs, the rest had to go.
    "You stupid bitch, you have no right to fire me." Valerie glared at her, looking like she wanted to reach out and slap Sadie in the face.
    "I'm sorry, but this is your official letter of dismissal, with Cedric's signature. You will get three months pay, and a continuation of medical coverage for up to six months to give you time to get a new job and benefits." Sadie told her, ignoring the name calling. So far, almost all of them had insulted her, raged, cried, or called her names. They didn't take kindly to being fired after their cushy job disappeared from underneath their feet.
    "I hope you get sick and die." The girl said, snatching the letter from her hand and left the office in a rush. The rest of the women knew what was coming, and they had no idea who would stay and who would get fired. They'd already told one of the three women they were keeping their job was changing, but they still had one. They were trying to keep it on the down low, but the women talked and there wasn't much Sadie could do about it.
    Sadie got up and intended to call the next girl in when she felt sick to her stomach, she opened her mouth and realized she was going to hurl. She rushed to the bathroom and reached the toilet just in time to puke.
    After a few minutes of dry heaving, she felt better and got up and splashed her face with some water and took some deep breaths.
    She went back out and called in the next person. It took all day but she'd managed to get through all of the women they were firing, and then explained to the other two why they were getting to keep their job.
    Sadie went to tell Cedric the job was finished, and that she'd start going through resumes and setting up job interviews.
    She walked into his office and smelled his take out that he had on his desk for lunch and felt the urge to throw up again. She ran over and dropped to her knees by his waste basket and started dry heaving again.
    "Sadie, are you okay?" Cedric said, seeming concerned for her health.
    He'd been dropping hints, asking her out, and flirting with her since their conversation a few weeks ago. Sadie kept saying no, but he wasn't giving up. Sadie was flattered, but she was trying to stick to her guns and keep their relationship professional.
    "I'm fine, I think. The smell of your lunch made me feel a little sick to my stomach." She told him and then handed him the tablet with all the updated information and resumes she'd picked up to show him.
    "What is this?" Cedric asked.
    "These are the resumes I've selected from what looks best to worst for the initial interviews for the positions we need to fill. I also will do a review and go interview the employees of the company we are taking over to see who's worth keeping and who we should let go when we complete the merger, and the real estate agent we hired has found a bigger building in a central location for a good price for you to go look at later today." Sadie informed him.
    "Sadie, you've become absolutely invaluable to me after such a short time, I don't know what I would do without you." Cedric told her honestly. He stared at her with an expression on his