Wicked Billionaire: A Grumpy Sunshine Workplace Romance (The Wicked Series)

1. Hazel

Isank further into Gran’s old floral couch letting it wrap me in its warmth. My thoughts were whirling and I needed a second to pull them together before I could spill the details of what happened at the Christmas Party.

How could that have been both the best and worst night of my life?

I plucked at the pills on the maroon flower of the cushion next to me.

Each moment from last night strung together like a movie trailer racing through my mind.

The press of Jareth’s firm lips to mine, the heat of his hand on my breast, and the slight sting of pain as he tugged my hair within his grasp.

Even now, with only the memory of his touch, my body sparked with desire, and every nerve ending tingled.

The touch of his lips against mine easily replaced the horror that occurred just before it.

I released a sigh. It was our first and last kiss. My stomach twisted uncomfortably at that thought.

“Hazel Anne Finley.” My grandmother’s gasp yanked me to the present. “What happened to your arm?”

I groaned and shifted uncomfortably on the loveseat in Gran’s apartment at the assisted living facility. I’d forgotten all about my bruised bicep when I removed my forest green cardigan and draped it haphazardly over the arm of the couch.

“It’s—”

Her eyes narrowed as she pinned her Gran-glare at me. “Do not lie to me, young lady.”

I sighed again. Gran knew me better than anyone else and had an uncanny knack for knowing when something heavy was on my mind. It had been the two of us against the world since I was six, when the state took me away from my parents.

I should’ve known she’d guess I was about to minimize what happened.

“Gran.” I started, then stopped. I hated to worry her, and this bruise and how I got it would, undoubtedly, do just that.

Unable to hide the slight tremor in my hands, I grabbed the pillow next to me. Keeping it firmly against my stomach, I tucked my feet beneath me as I prepared myself to tell her what had happened. My fingers danced across the fabric, tracing the uneven letters spelling out ‘World’s Best Grandma’ that I’d stitched into it when I was nine.

“A guy at the party last night grabbed me.” I pushed a piece of my blonde hair behind my ear. “He tried to take advantage of me.”

A sharp inhale had my gaze snapping up to meet hers. Fire danced in her green eyes so like my own. Her jaw tightened, and her lips pressed flat together. I knew that look. It was the expression that told me she’d fight anyone who tried to hurt me.

“I’m okay. This bruise is all he did to me. Jareth took care of him.” I didn’t even want to say the name of the man who attacked me.

She harrumphed. “I would expect nothing less from Jareth.” The two had briefly met a few times. What she knew about my boss was gleaned from my daily stories about work, and the crush I couldn’t hide from her.

I bit my bottom lip.

Gran’s voice gentled. “Hazel, my sweet girl. Talk to me. Tell me what happened.”

I let out a shuddery breath. A chill swept over me, making me wish I hadn’t taken off my sweater. I grabbed the colorful afghan draped across the back of the couch and pulled it around my shoulders, taking comfort in the smell of roses, which always reminded me of my grandmother.

“Harold is… was, a board member at Jess Sulton’s company. He told me there was a sick guest in one of the back rooms.” My mouth twisted into a grimace. “I shouldn’t have believed him. He was clearly drunk, and I’d never liked him much, but how could I not go when someone needed my help?” Part of me hated that I hadn’t listened to my instincts. I rubbed my arms. They still felt cold.

“He’s a sick bastard to take advantage of your desire to care for others,” Grandma spat out. Like me, she rarely swore, so when she did, everyone knew she was furious. It was thanks to her that I’d become quite adept at creative ways to avoid cursing. “Anyone who spends even two minutes with you knows you’re a helper.”

I nodded. I’d had enough interactions with Harold that he must have figured out that the thought of someone in trouble would make me come running. That and my boss, Jareth Vizier, but Harold wasn’t stupid enough to use him as an excuse.

“I’m glad they fired him.” She rapidly tapped her fingers against the faded, matching floral armchair. I knew she’d be pacing right now if she had better use of her legs.

“Jareth told him he needed to resign.” When Jareth spoke, people listened. If they knew what was good for them. His ruthlessness preceded him with any interaction, business or otherwise.

“Please tell me you called the police.” Her eyes softened with concern. She hated moving out of the house we shared, especially because it meant I now lived alone. Our home wasn’t wheelchair accessible, and now that she was in her eighties, having medical staff available nearby was necessary.

“I did. Jareth had security call them. I gave my statement last night, and the police officer said they’d call if they needed anything else.”

“Will you press charges?” She tucked a too long strand of her white hair behind her ear. I made a mental note to contact the hairdresser that frequented the assisted living facility. To save money, Gran often waited longer than she should to trim her adorable pixie cut.

“Yes.” I wanted it to be over, but I’d been lucky the incident didn’t go any further than Harold manhandling me. Others might not be so lucky. I couldn’t imagine this was the first time he’d tried to force himself on an unsuspecting woman. Hopefully, by pressing charges, I’d be the last.

She patted my knee. “Good. I’m surprised the fear of Jareth’s wrath hadn’t made him reconsider picking you.”

That had been my first thought too. As his assistant, it didn’t escape my notice that Jareth despised Harold. It wasn’t anything overt. I recognized the subtle cues after working for him for three years. The tenseness of his jaw. The slight tap of his middle finger against his thigh. The tightly controlled tone of his deep voice. This was normal Jareth behavior to anyone else, but I noticed his various nuances.

“I thought he was going to rip Harold apart,” I whispered.

I’d never forget the image of Jareth’s narrowed gaze laser-focused on Harold, and his muscular body barrelling across the room like a defensive lineman. His strikingly handsome face was stark, jaw clenched tight, and lips pressed flat together. My heart rate had sped up even as relief washed over me at his appearance.

The quick taps of his shoes across the wooden floor and the unbridled anger etched into every line of Jareth’s body told me Harold wouldn’t get off easy. At that moment, I knew whatever vengeance he dished out, Harold deserved it. I’d been very clear that I wasn’t receptive to his advances. He ignored my pleas to get his hands off me and the two servers that had tried to help.

Jareth’s booming voice echoed in the space, demanding Harold to release me, and when he didn’t immediately comply, Jareth punched him. The thud of my boss’s fist smashing into Harold’s face was forever ingrained in my mind. It wasn’t until I’d been released that I realized how sore my arm was where he’d grabbed me.

“And you think he doesn’t care for you?” Gran asked with a wicked grin twitching at the corner of her lips.

Heat blasted my cheeks as I held her gaze. My fair complexion, like hers, had never been good at hiding my feelings.

Her cackle of unrestrained laughter filled the small living room. “Sometimes situations like this rip the wool off some people’s eyes to their true feelings.”

“The wool didn’t stay off for long,” I grumbled.

“Oh?”

I shook my head. “We kissed.”

Gran leaned forward, her rapt attention fixated on me like I was her favorite soap opera.

“We got interrupted. He told me we’d made a mistake.” Tears blurred my vision.

“Do you think the two of you made a mistake?” she asked, her gentle voice washing over me, soothing some of the sting at the memory of Jareth shutting himself off from me. From us.

I swiped at my eyes. “No. I don’t. That kiss only reinforced what he won’t let himself see. We belong together. I know we do.”

Jareth didn’t think he was good enough for me. I knew how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted. He had flaws. I was well aware of that, but it didn’t define him. Jareth was fiercely loyal and had isolated himself for so long that he thought it was what he wanted. How his life needed to be.

I saw the color surrounding his gray world. The color he didn’t let in because he didn’t think he deserved anything good in life.

“Then what are you going to do about it?”

I sighed. “I don’t know yet.” I was still hurt by his rejection.

Gran reached over and clasped my hand between her own. “You’ll figure it out. I know you will. And if you need help knocking some sense into that boy, let me know.”

I smiled. “I will.”

A rhythmic tap-tap-tap sounded at the front door. Gran’s gaze flicked between the door and me. “I’ll tell Franny to go on without me.”

It was time for their weekly Bingo game. “No, you go. I told Jess I’d meet her for brunch this morning.”

“If you’re sure. I hate to leave you when you’re upset.”

I stood, shrugged on my cardigan, and grabbed my purse before kissing her cheek. “I’ll be okay. I love you.”

She reached out and pulled me in tight. Her breath feathered across my cheek. “I love you too, sweet girl.”

I leaned back so she could get into her nearby wheelchair. Once she was situated, I walked ahead of her to the door. Franny continued to pound on the thick wood and yelled at Gran to hurry up.

“Hold your horses, Franny. I’ll get there when I get there,” she yelled out.

“I don’t want to be late, Amie. If you don’t hurry up, all the good spots will be gone.”

I snickered as Gran rolled her eyes. “She just wants to be able to save a seat for her new beau, George.”

I opened the door. “Hi, Franny.”

“Hazel. Nice to see you. Are you coming to Bingo with us?” Franny asked and stepped back so Gran could get out into the hallway.

I grabbed my grandmother’s keyfob and slipped it around her neck as I shut and locked the door. “Not today. Maybe next time. I’ll walk down with you both, though.” I placed myself behind the wheelchair and pushed it toward the elevators.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Once we’d settled inside and pressed the button for the lobby level, Franny spoke again.

“Nolan said he’d be at Bingo.”

“Franny, that’s our thing. We don’t need a guy getting in the middle of it all.” Gran grumbled.

“Who’s Nolan?” I asked. How had my grandmother not told me about him?

“No one,” Gran answered at the same time as Franny did.

“He’s sweet on your grandmother.” Franny grinned at us.

The elevator stopped, and Franny quickly got out before us, saying loudly, “Well, hello, Nolan. Fancy seeing you here.”

I laughed as Gran groaned. It was a good thing I was pushing her, otherwise, she’d likely refuse to leave the elevator and return upstairs. Besides, I was curious about this guy.

I pushed her forward despite her protests and got my first look at Nolan. He had short white hair and kind brown eyes that lit up when they rested on Gran. When he approached us, I noticed Gran’s favorite flower, a single daisy, in his grasp. His eyes lit up when they set on her. “You’re looking lovely, Amie.”

Gran said nothing.

“I think you should give him a chance, Gran,” I whispered in her ear. Nolan seemed sweet.

She mumbled a response too low for me to hear.

I moved around to the front of her wheelchair and held out my hand to Nolan. “Hi, Nolan, I’m Hazel.”

He reached out and gave me a firm handshake. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

I let go and winked at Gran. “All good, I hope.”

“The best. Amie’s very proud of you.” His kind smile made my next decision easy.

“She’s the best person I know. I hope to see you again,” I responded, turning to Gran. I gave her my wide-eyed look for, “Why didn’t you tell me about him?” before I gave her a hug and a peck on her cheek. “I’m going to get going.”

“Traitor,” she whispered loudly, but if the shy grin she gave meant what I thought it did, she didn’t mind.

“I’ll call you later,” I said to Gran. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” She knew we’d have a long conversation about her new boyfriend later. I needed to know Nolan was good enough for my grandmother.

I waved again before I headed down the hall to the exit. Pulling out my cell phone from my purse, I texted Jess.

Hazel

On my way.

Jess

See you soon. {kissy face emoji}

I waited for Jess at a bistro table inside my favorite little bakery just outside downtown Providence, Red’s Sweet Salvation. Our friend, Ruby, owned the place and was in the back baking.

The bell above the door chimed as Jess Sulton swept into the room. A former plus-size fashion influencer, she entered the space in such a way that everyone noticed her. It was hard not to. Jess had a bigger-than-life presence and didn’t care about others’ opinions. At first, I’d been amazed that she even wanted to befriend me. We were so different. However, I quickly realized that despite what she projected to the world, she was a loyal friend and had a kindness to her that she rarely showed.

She beamed a bright smile at me and waved as she made her way to the counter to place her order. Her high dark brown ponytail draped down her back and she rocked the off the shoulder cream sweater and slacks. Her gold jewelry was bold and likely one-of-a-kind. Once her order was ready, she picked up her coffee and pastry and headed to my table.

“Hazel.” Her expression grew serious as she sat down. “I’m so sorry about last night.”

I reached across the table to take her hand. “It’s not your fault. I’m okay.”

Jess squeezed my hand back. Her eyes sparked with fury. “He’s on my Board. It is my fault. You never should have been in that situation with someone from my company. I should’ve found a way to get rid of him when Jareth suggested it.”

My back stiffened at the mention of my boss. “You’re doing something now. That’s what matters.”

Her lips thinned. “I am.”

“Things are going to be fine. I’m pressing charges, and hopefully, by not letting him get away with it, he won’t be able to hurt anyone else.”

She nodded. “I tried to find you after you gave your statement to the police. Where did you go?”

I pulled my hand back and stared at my mini apple bundt cake as though it was the most interesting thing in the world.

“I went home.” I forced myself to pull a piece off and take a bite.

“You shouldn’t have been alone last night. You could’ve stayed with James and me.”

I finished chewing and swallowed the delicious apple goodness, still not quite meeting Jess’s gaze. I was a terrible liar and didn’t even try. “I wasn’t alone.”

When Jess didn’t answer, I finally forced myself to look up.

Her shrewd gaze never left me. I realized she saw right through me when a slight smile crossed her face. “Tell me more.”

I toyed with my fork and forced my gaze to stay steady on hers. “Jareth stayed at my house with me.”

Jess’s expression immediately shifted from the stern all-business, take no shit woman she can be to something closer to a giddy school girl. The smile that covered her face lit up the room.

“Did he… are you two… ” In her apparent excitement, she couldn’t finish her sentence.

I shook my head. “There’s nothing to tell.”

Jess’s happy look quickly fell, and she let out a long-suffering sigh. “What did he do?”

She knew about my crush. During a girls’ night out and a few drinks, I’d spilled about my unrequited love for Jareth to her, Ruby, and our friends, Lily, Harper, and Ashlyn.

“We kissed,” I admitted. My body hummed at the mention of the hottest kiss of my life.

“But?” She frowned.

“He said he made a mistake.” I forced the words past my tight throat. Just giving them a voice made me want to cry.

“I call bullshit.” Jess’s red-painted nails tapped furiously against the tabletop.

A weak chuckle escaped my mouth. “I know. He doesn’t think he deserves me.”

“He doesn’t deserve you, Hazel.”

I opened my mouth to protest and quickly snapped it shut when she waved a hand at me.

“Jareth and I have a complicated history.” She paused.

I almost snorted in laughter. Complicated was a mild way of putting it. Her parents had been insistent in their desire to arrange a marriage between Jareth and Jess. After Jess learned how corrupt her parents were, she teamed up with Jareth to take them down. Now, he was helping her rebuild the company her parents had just about ruined. One he’d initially sworn to destroy as revenge for his father’s death, which he attributed to the elder Sultons.

“He’s really not the total prick he tries and usually succeeds in being.” She tapped her finger against her chin.

“No, he’s not.” I’d figured this out a long time ago. Beneath the hardened exterior was someone who deserved to have the love he denied himself. I just didn’t know how to make him believe it.

“I don’t know why he has to be such an ass. Listen, between the two of us, we can make him see the error of his ways.”

I waved my hands around as though that could stop Jess. “No, please don’t. I just need a little time.”

“Are you giving up?”

“I’m not giving up, but he broke my heart last night.” I rubbed at my aching chest. “I know I have to see him tomorrow at work, but I’m not mentally ready for that yet.”

“Hazel, about that… ” A guilty look stole across Jess’s face.

My hand dropped from my chest to clutch the edge of the table. “What did you do?”

Her eyes darted to the door as it opened and the bells jangled.

“I need you to know I was only trying to help.”

I faintly heard her words as my vision tunneled.

Jareth.

His muscled arm held the door open. He didn’t have to announce his presence. The air around us shifted. A sense of power permeated the space. I had to force myself to swallow past my dry throat. Nerves flip-flopped in my stomach and my bruised heart clenched painfully in my chest.

He hadn’t noticed me yet.

His classically chiseled face and jaw tightened as his gaze swept across the small space. It was only a matter of time before he saw me. I drank in not just the beauty of this man because he was stupidly beautiful, but also the figurative armor he always kept in place out in public. I wanted to run my hand through his perfectly cut and styled dark hair, down his broad shoulders that filled the doorway, and soothe the darkness that he thought would taint me.

Jareth’s jaw rippled, and his dark brown, almost black eyes narrowed as they fixated on me. My breath caught in my throat as I struggled to find words to say to him. He froze, and in a move completely uncharacteristic of him, spun on his heel and exited the bakery.

My jaw dropped.

Jareth didn’t run from anything.

But he was clearly running now… from me.

.