What was it with women today? Chase just reprimanded a female intern for slacking off after personally catching her at a club when she was supposed to be working, and now this Bailey Gallup was in his office wanting a free pass on a five-year contract.
Did she really think that pity party of a story about growing up an orphan would affect him? It also wasn't his fault she didn't know how to say no to her sister.
Bailey didn't have any problem standing up to him or any other man as far as Chase could tell, and he'd been called a hateful demon in a suit more than once. If anyone would intimidate her, it should be him, not that fluffy sister who wouldn't even look him in the eye.
Ren Wei said she was a finance major in college. She'd done well, too, so she had to realize how much of an investment they had in The Happy Homemaker. And it wasn't all cut and dry like dollars and cents. They had contracts with advertisers, special guests, venues, promo opportunities. And then there was the crap he had to put up with from Reyes this morning. That alone was worth more than this woman could earn in five years.
Chase bellowed, "Ren, bring in the accounts for The Happy Homemaker."
A couple of minutes later, Ren entered with an electronic tablet and a stack of file folders. "Yes, sir? How can I help you?"
"Ms. Gallup doesn't seem to understand the cost of doing business. Can you enlighten her on the costs to date?"
"Including the canceled contracts during her suspension? Wages paid to her crew? PR costs for covering the worst of the bad publicity from the charity?"
"All of it."
For the next ten minutes, Ren rattled off dollars and hours expenditures versus the income generated. "And that doesn't include the fine we had to pay to the matchmaking service for failing to broadcast the farce of an interview with me. I'm still in negotiations over that one."
Bailey held up a hand to stop him. "Okay, I get it. I owe my soul to MGM, my heartfelt apology to you, and my firstborn to Mr. Meadows. Just pile that onto the list behind what I owe Judy. I didn't plan to have a life until I was fifty anyway."
While Chase knew she was joking, the idea of raising Bailey's firstborn didn't sound totally unappealing, especially if the child came without the mother. Bailey was acceptably attractive, in good health, and he imagined of a good childbearing age, not that he knew what age was best for bearing children. Only she may be pregnant already with someone else's child. Or perhaps she didn't plan on telling the father.
"Ren, bring me a pregnancy kit."
"Wait! What?" Bailey's mouth hung open.
"Yes, sir," Ren answered as if he were asked to bring his boss a pregnancy kit as often has he brought him coffee.
"I'm not peeing on a stick for you."
"Didn't you promise me your firstborn? That makes it my business if you're pregnant now."
"Oh, for Pete's sake, I was joking."
"I'm not. You're my employee and a company celebrity. Not only that, you sell yourself as some super homemaker and a mentor to young women everywhere. I'd think your out-of-wedlock pregnancy would have a direct bearing on your worth to the company."
"You're crazy." Bailey jumped up and grabbed her bag. "I won't sit here and wait for you to humiliate me further."
Chase grabbed her hand and pulled her onto a nearby couch. "You'll do what I say."
"Like hell I will." Bailey twisted out of his grip but didn't make it to her feet before he could control her again.
He was surprised at how strong she was, but more so, he was surprised that she fought him. Most women submitted to his demands, whether in the bedroom or the boardroom. Those who didn't, he removed from his life. He didn't have time to squabble over the little things, or perhaps, he had yet to meet a woman who interested him enough to waste the energy.
Whatever the reason, Bailey was getting on his last nerve. She was argumentative, unreasonable, and generally just not very likable. How she persuaded millions of fans to follow her was beyond him. She wasn't even that good of an actress.
"Sit here. I'm not done with you."
As she struggled, he fought to get a better grip on her, finally wrapping his arms around her and pinning her in his embrace. His face was inches from hers. Her eyes were green. He could have sworn they were hazel before.
"I'm going to sue you and this company. I won't need to complete the contract by the time I'm done. I'll own it outright."
"You'd sue me for putting an arm around you, but you'll let Reyes get away with trying to rip your dress off? I don't think so. You're so full of hot air that you don't even know your own truth.
"Tell me, I'm curious. How did a single woman who couldn't have been much more than a teenager when you started your social media climb to fame convince an entire generation that you had the experience to teach them anything about being wives?"
"I'm just that good. Now, let me go, or I'll scream."
"You try to scream, and I'll silence you. You might not like how I do it." Chase had no idea why he said that other than her lips were right there and looked so ripe in the red lipstick. He found himself praying that she would try to scream so he would have an excuse to taste them.
Bailey must have followed his train of thought. "You wouldn't dare."
"It's my office in my company. The people out there work for me. You have no witnesses, and your reputation has already taken a hard shot in the press this week. If it becomes a your-word-against-mine scenario, I'm confident I'd win."
"I hate you."
"Back at you, Ms. Gallup."
She struggled again, and he held her tighter, not hating the feel of her in his arms. However, this was the office, and she was an employee. What he was doing could definitely fall under the heading of sexual harassment, but she had a way of winding him up to the point he didn't care. He was beginning to understand why Ren was still upset with her.
"You can't make me pee on a stick even if you hold me here all day."
"If I hold you here all day, oh, you'll pee. All I have to do is wait."
Bailey froze, and the fight went out of her. "Suppose I admit the pregnancy is fake. I didn't plant the story, for the record. I'd never willingly discredit Lori Laker or hurt your precious company."
Chase believed her, but that didn't mean she'd get off that easily. "Too late. I now doubt the validity of anything you say."
"Please! I've never lied to you. Just let me go, okay? I can't think like this."
"Like what?"
"All pressed up against you, with your breath in my face, and you know, no bubble of personal space."
Out of spite, he tightened his grip on her until she winced. Momentary guilt had him loosening his hold. "If I let you go, will you sit there and behave?"
She refused to answer.
The standoff lasted until Eddy returned with the coffee and cleared his throat.
Chase let her go and sat back on the couch with a sigh. When Bailey caught her breath, she went to stand. "Don't even try it, Ms. Gallup. I've got a million ways at my disposal to make you regret moving off this sofa until I give you permission."
Like an impudent child, she stood but not fast enough to keep Chase from grabbing her again. He had the overwhelming desire to turn her over his knee and give her an old-fashioned spanking. Instead, he plopped her on his lap and held her there, congratulating himself for not giving into the urge to spank her.
Glaring at Eddy, Chase demanded, "Get out! And shut the door behind you. I don't want to see anyone but Ren come through that door until further notice."
Bailey fought him, her bottom rubbing against his lap until his pants were uncomfortably tight. This woman was beyond infuriating.
"Stop it long enough to think about what you are doing, Bailey. What happens when you squirm on a healthy man's lap?"
In an instant, she stilled and slid as far toward his knees as she could within his grasp. "I-I didn't mean to—"
Chase shifted and took a minute to control hormones that hadn't raged since he was a kid. He never expected something so innocuous as a spitfire fighting him would excite him. It had to be a physical reaction that would have happened had any woman slid across his lap. But he knew it wasn't. He didn't want to know it, but he did.