Free Surrender to Temptation Part VI: Tempted to Possess by Lauren Jameson Page B

that love was a gift, even when it wasn’t returned.
    His anger went far beyond what I thought was reasonable for what had happened between us. His reaction hurt me beyond compare. Add to that the stress of almost being run over, and the never-ending ride home with Zach, who tensed every time another car came anywhere close to us, and my nerves were about to snap.
    “Devon.” The unexpected kindness in the older woman’s voice snapped the frayed thread of my control. Tears began to well up in my eyes, and I stared at Mrs. Gallagher, openmouthed and mortified to be losing my composure in front of her.
    “Oh, honey.” Picking up a remote, she pressed the button that frosted the windows to her office, then handed me a box of Kleenex. I accepted one gratefully and used it to blot my eyes. I had no idea how to respond to the woman our entire department feared. She was acting so out of character.
    It was tempting to spill the entire story, just to share the burden with someone. I bit my tongue because I knew how much trouble I could get into. Even if there wasn’t an official rule about it, I knew that confirmation of how far my affair with Zach had gone would make my life here at Phyrefly miserable.
    Despite Tony’s kind gesture that morning, I hadn’t yet decided if I wanted to stay here. I did, however, know that I wanted the choice to be my own.
    “I understand what you’re going through better than you think.” Leaning back in her chair, Mrs. Gallagher took off her glasses and rubbed her temples before leveling me with her stare. I was struck again by what an attractive woman she was, once she dropped the stern demeanor.
    “I also understand why you don’t want to talk about it. So let me lay out what I think has happened.” That penetrating gaze pinned me in my seat, and I squirmed uncomfortably.
    “You and Mr. St. Brenton became involved before you became employed here. He secured the job for you.”
    Shame welled up in me once more, and I bit my lip, the tears threatening to fall over.
    I sounded like a harlot.
    “I—it’s not what you—” She shushed me, and I stared at the floor.
    “Now before you go getting all upset again, know that he would never have given you a position here if you weren’t fully capable of benefitting his company. He didn’t become a billionaire by being stupid.” I looked up at the sound of a desk drawer opening. To my utter shock, Mrs. Gallagher set a bottle of amber-colored liquid and two plastic cups on her desk.
    It was early afternoon. At the office. This was Mrs. Gallagher, the woman who disapproved of everything.
    “Drink this.” She poured two fingers of scotch into the cheap tumbler and pushed it across the desk toward me. Stunned, I picked up the cup, sniffed, then coughed over the fumes.
    Since she seemed to be expecting it, I sipped. The liquor burned a scorching path down my throat and into my gut, heating me where I had been chilled since the night before.
    “Now. I don’t know the man beyond the monthly department-head meeting. But I know from my own experiences, that a man with as much power as he has can play some wicked games with a woman’s heart.” Slamming back the rest of my scotch in a great gulp, I found my interest piqued.
    “Your experiences?” I didn’t feel bad about asking, because the woman had opened herself up by calling me into her office for this discussion.
    Mrs. Gallagher nodded, and her eyes went flat and cold. “I used to work for another big company. I had—well, the owner was nearly as enigmatic as Mr. St. Brenton. Rich, worldly, handsome, and he paid attention to me. I was young. It didn’t end well.”
    I felt a surge of pity at the bitterness in the other woman’s voice, and at the same time my heart sank.
    If her affair hadn’t ended well, why would mine?
    “So. You’ve gotten involved with one of the most eligible bachelors in the world.” I nodded miserably.
    She pinned me with her gaze. “Not the brightest