Glass Jaw - Falling for my Alpha Boss

Teagan I stare at the glimmering screen of my laptop in front of me. If there is a Google search history that should never see the light of day, it’s mine. Yep. It’s this one right here. ‘What to do when you fall for your boss?’ ‘Is there such a thing as alcohol-induced amnesia?’ ‘When are you officially ‘desperate’ for pining after a guy?’ ‘Max Cummings’ ‘Max Cummings shirtless.’ ‘Max Cummings shirtless tattoos’ "F*ck." My hand rubbing over my face doesn’t do much to help the situation. I HAVE, in fact, googled half-naked photos of my boss. The man I have been working with for more than five years. A snort leaves me. Goddess, something must be seriously wrong with me. For years, I have had no interest in my boss at all. I never understood what all those girls saw in him. Okay, I do have eyes. I get the general appeal of that dimply smile, the hair, and the rugged handsomeness… What I mean is that I get to see behind all this, and though sparkly, Max Cummings’s personality is not one I would want to deal with. Or so I thought. Apparently, six vodka Red Bulls are enough to change that. What the hell possessed me? I still cringe when I think of last New Year’s. And then I tell myself I shouldn’t since I seem to be the only one who remembers it. Max has been living his life like usual, and so have I.. until today. When work is s**t, I need Häagen-Dazs to get me through the night. Only I topped it off with half a bottle of whiskey (hey, I can handle my liquor! Don’t judge me!) Must have been enough to trigger a memory or something because I have been googling like I’m stuck in a haze, I’m just now waking up out of. And not a minute too early. Because the front door clicks. I close the tap I had open and stare blankly at the pie chart I have been taking a look at. Pat sent me his latest presentation for one of his AP classes, and I promised a detailed, brutal review. No idea what this is even about. Might want to at least read the Titel before going to bed. I will just tell him I need a little more time tomorrow at breakfast. Heels click on the entryway tiles, and the high-pitched laughter has me rolling my eyes. Of course, Max isn’t alone. And in three, two, one… “Oh my god! Your house is sooooooooo beautiful!” “Thanks, gorgeous. Mind taking off your shoes?” Just another Friday. It’s always this, or at least a variation of this. Coz god forbid someone scratches Mr. Cummings’ expensive tiles. A few seconds later, they appear in my field of vision. The blonde is rosy-cheeked and wide-eyed. Like they all are. She is wearing a beautiful dress, smiling up at Max in that ‘I can’t believe my luck’- way. Like they all do. My stomach twists. Because I feel bad for her. Don’t get me wrong. Max never mistreats any of the girls he brings home. Still, they leave heartbroken because they don’t get what they thought they would out of this. And neither will she… Like they all do. “Oh hey!” Her voice is cheery, but I hear the hint of a waver in it. The surprise that seeing me sitting in Max’s kitchen must have been to her. Not a lot of people know that I live with the boys. Just been easier. Especially in the beginning, I needed to be hands-on. Now, not so much anymore. “Hi.” I give the girl my most practiced publicist smile. Professional but distant. “Still up, Teags?” Max closes in on the kitchen island, tugging the girl along before he grabs an apple. Suddenly, a wide smile has his deep-set dimples appear. “Is Pat making you do his homework again?” “He asked me to take a look at it, not the same.” And his little chuckle makes me want to strangle him. “Oh, you’re so doing my brother’s homework for him.” I flip him the bird, all while the blonde is watching us. Her eyes jumping back and forth between us. “He asked me nicely. You should try that.” “I pay you. That should be incentive enough.” I snort. “Well, maybe I should renegotiate then. Been doing a lot of work that wasn’t in the original contract.” Max raises his hands in mock offense and turns to the girl. “Do you hear what I have to deal with every day? My own publicist, who has been with me for YEARS, wants to rip me off.” “Not ‘ripping off’ if it’s a deserved pay raise.” I hold his stare. He has been trying this on me since I started, and I never lost one of his little staring contests to him. Not a single one. _____________ Five years earlier The noise of the crowd almost has my ears bleed. It smells like sweat, polyethylene, and chalk. Most people must be on their third or fourth beer, judging by the look on their faces. And I definitely stick out like a sore thumb. My clothes are too clean and the jeans are definitely too long if I compare them to the short dresses most of the girls around me are wearing. Why the f*ck did I agree to meet him here? This ISN’T the right place for a first meeting. Especially not if this is supposed to be a professional relationship. Which is what I tell my best friend. Lyla just shrugs, the strap of her sequent dress slipping off her shoulder. She got the memo. Great. “He hired you to help him with his career.” She gestures toward the cadge in the middle of the room, surrounded by the raging crowd. “This is what he does.” “He hired me to set things straight now that he took over the position as Alpha from his estranged father.” I wrinkle my nose as someone bumps into me, spilling their cup over my light blue shirt. “Sorry.” The guy reeks of alcohol, and I take a measured step back. “All good.” When I turn to Lyla with a grave expression, she just laughs it off. “Try to have some fun.” She grabs my hand. “Just this once.” “I have fun all the time!” Maybe that sounded a little too defensive. “No, you don’t. You don’t even know what the word means.” “Lyla!” “What? Proof me wrong.” Her eyebrows raise in a challenge. “I can already see by your face you’re planning on turning him down.” Sh*t. She knows me too well. “I wasn’t- “Don’t even think about lying to me.” Lyla laughs. “I know you too well for that, T. Way too well.” And she’s right. We have been best friends since we met on our first day of college. And she’s the one that pushed me to take this opportunity when it showed up. Because she knows that going back home to live with my parents is not an option. Not even for a little bit. So, this job right out of college is what I need. I really do need this. So I better overlook the crowd, the beer stain, or that my shirt is basically see-through now. I roll back my shoulders and straighten—time to stop whining and get what I came here for. Peanuts crunch under my feet as I strut over to the closest one of the huge goons that seem to be responsible for security tonight. He turns around at my firm tap on his shoulder. “Excuse me, sir. My name is Teagan Hurst, and I have an appointment with Max Cummings.” The man’s eyes rake over me and stop at the wet stain on my shirt, revealing my bra. “Sure you do.” I get ready to give him a piece of my mind for that, but swallow it down when he waves for Lyla and me to follow him. The crowd split in front of him like he’s Moses parting the Red Sea, and it’s nice not to have to push and take the elbows to the ribs. Once we reach the other side of the ring, we stop. “Wait here. I’ll get him.” With that, he’s gone, and I ball my hands into fists. You can do it, Teagan. You need this job. Just take a deep breath and—- A hand slaps my a** so hard I jolt forward a little. “What the- Whirling around, I get ready to punch a guy. My eyes meet dark brown ones, and the smirk in them has bile rise in my throat. Jerk “What the f*ck is wrong with you?” “A lot of things, gorgeous. But luckily, my aim ain’t one of them.” His smile widens. “Damn that a**!” And this time, I actually do punch him. Right in the face. Blood spills from his lip and my insides freeze. Oh, hell no! F*ck. What did I just do? “F*ck.” Is also the first thing out of Max Cummings mouth. Max Cummings, who I just punched square in the face. The man next to him grabs my arm, and I wince when he twists it. I see Lyla shoot me a ‘what the f*ck?’- look over his shoulder before she tries to get the second guy’s attention. That’s it. I ruined my one chance at a normal life. Away from my parents… away from a shrine, a past I couldn’t run from until now. I- “Woa. Wait!” I crane my head to look at him past the huge man dragging me off. He stops in his tracks, and I can just about suppress the scoff. Goddess, he really is your typical alpha male. Everyone fawning over him, doing his bidding. “You’re packing a punch.” He levels me a look. Like he’s not expecting me to be able to hold his gaze. Waiting for me to look down, shyly look away. I raise an eyebrow at him. “Comes in handy when people momentarily lose control over their limbs.” The broad smile that spreads on his face has deep-seated dimples on both cheeks. “How could they?” I shrug as I watch him cross his arms over his chest. “What’s your name?” “Teagan Hurst, nice to meet you.” For a moment, he looks confused, one of his thick black brows going up. “Oh yeah, I was supposed to meet you about the position as your publicist. Guess that’s not going to happen.” Turning around, I get ready for the security guard to start dragging me again. But a throat clearing behind me has me stop for a second and look up. Max Cummings is smirking at me, and somehow, it scares me a little. That look in his eyes. “What makes you say that?” _________________ After another 30 seconds, he smiles again and nods. “Alright Teags.” I can’t stop the satisfied grin from spreading on my face. Then it’s quiet for a little. “So… you guys… work together?” Oh, she is so confused. Poor thing. Time to put her out of her misery. “Yeah. And he’s a real menace, so I better get my beauty sleep before he has me slave away again tomorrow.” I wink at her, closing my laptop before I pick it up from the island. “We have the meeting with Blood Moon and the Alpha from Gray Vale at ten. If you’re late, I’ll rip you a new one.” Max salutes, pulling the blond closer. “Good.” Nodding, I pass by them and make my way over to the stairs. “You guys have a good night.” I wave at them over my shoulder before my foot hits the first wooden step that creaks under my weight.