My Arrogant Boss by Kylie King
Chapter Three
RACHEL
I tried to play it cool when Finn walked through those doors, but everything in me screamed with aggravation. I had the instant urge to slap him. Mock him. Punch him. Kiss him. Ugh. I hated when the kiss part reared its ugly head.
Yes, I hated his guts, but he was hot as sin, and, yes, he got under my skin like no other man could, but there were parts of me that loved the back and forth bickering, picking fights, and winning them whenever he was around. I knew deep down he liked it too. Neither of us was ever going to act on it, though. Screw that. There wasn’t enough patience in the world for me to give myself over to Finn Weston.
Finn was all reckless swagger, cocky comments, and pompous smirks, and he appeared to radiate an irritatingly dangerous air that I was drawn to, despite how much I wanted to hate him. He was gorgeous, with wavy dark brown hair, green eyes like emeralds, and the most chiseled jaw that seemed to be sculpted by the gods. If only he weren't the spawn of Satan.
All the guests were here, doors were closed now, and the engagement party had commenced. My eyes swung from Katie and Aaron, who were chatting with a few guests, to Finn, who was standing near the bar talking to a blonde. I had no idea who the blonde was, but she was most likely a co-worker or friend of Aaron’s. I’d never seen her around my best friend, Katie.
“Are you okay?” Katie came to my side after I grabbed a drink from one of the bars.
“Yeah, of course. I’m great.”
“Finn,” she said, blinking at me, and that was the only name she needed to say to cause me a frown.
“What about him?” I couldn’t meet her eyes, so I sipped my drink. Here I was again, unnerved beyond words by the presence of a man who despised me just as much as I did him.
Katie didn't fall for my cover-up. “Let’s get out of here and talk about it. I know you and Finn are not the best of friends.” She locked arms with me and lead the way through the room, ignoring my cries of protest.
“What about the guests?” I asked.
"Jessica can take over, " Katie insisted. Jessica was Katie’s assistant. "That’s what I hired her for.”
When we were in the hallway, away from the music and chatter, Katie said, “I need to talk to you about Finn. You guys have to get along, or this will never work—for any of us.”
"Impossible," I grumbled beneath my breath. “I can’t stand him, Katie. Seriously. I’m trying to be cordial, but…ugh. There’s just something about his stupid face that makes me want to slap it.”
Katie laughed and shook her head. “Such strong urges, Rach.”
“Well, it’s true!” I sipped my drink.
I was never going to get along with Finn after the way he’d treated me. My first impression of him was horrible and, in my eyes, unforgivable. Here’s what happened: Aaron and Katie had decided to host a party together. I'd arrived for the party before the couple, jetlagged from my long flight from New York, and spent the evening running errands for her that she’d asked me to do before retiring to the bed in my hotel suite, completely exhausted. But as I got comfortable and was starting to drift off to sleep, I was rudely awakened in the night by a noise from the next room.
I sat up in the bed groggily as the noise got louder, and then I heard words like:
“Oh, yeah.”
“Oh, God.”
“Damn, that’s so good!”
“Mmmm…yeah, baby! Right there! Just like that…don’t stop, don’t stop!”
People were having sex next door, and not quietly, mind you.
I plopped back into the bed and threw a pillow over my head, but it seemed they only got louder, so I banged on the wall, hoping it would shut them up. That didn’t help either. I kid you not, they became even louder.
I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night, even after the thumping stopped (and it didn’t completely stop. The thumping resumed at least three more times, each when I tried dozing off), so I made some coffee and read over one of my client’s portfolios to occupy myself instead.
It wasn’t long before I heard voices in the hallway. I ran to the door and pressed my eye to the peephole, watching as they said their goodbyes. There was a man in an unbuttoned shirt, his hair dark and disheveled, a strong jawline, and a brunette with a short, tight red dress on.
I silently cursed the previous night’s antics next door and badly wanted to open the door and embarrass them—ask them if they’d had a great time fucking the shit out of each other and not letting people sleep, but I didn’t. And I was glad I didn’t because when Aaron introduced Finn to me at the party, I was shocked to see he was the man in the suite next door to mine.
I had to tell Katie all about it, so I sent a text to her that said: Aaron’s shithead best friend was next door to me last night banging some girl like there was no tomorrow. You can thank him for the bags under my eyes. Men are such jackasses.
But what I didn’t realize in my haste to tell Katie was that I’d sent the text to the group chat I had going with Katie and Aaron, and while the party happened, Finn happened to be holding onto Aaron’s phone, and he saw my text.
I had no idea Finn had seen it at the time, not until he came up to me while I was at the bar, introduced himself, and then said, “I think you’re just upset and a little jealous because no one was fucking you last night.”
I was so shocked by his rude comment and so overcome with rage that I threw my champagne right at his face. Didn’t think twice, just tossed it at him. Served him right for being such an arrogant jackass. He had no right to say that to me, whether it was a joke or not. Then again, I was the one who’d technically started it by calling him a shithead in the text, but he was never supposed to see said text, and if he were wise and mature enough, he would have ignored my text altogether and pretended it never happened. But he didn’t. He decided to be an actual dickhead to me after reading it. I’d embarrassed him and he’d embarrassed me, and we were two embarrassed, angry people at a party who had silently declared our hate for each other at that very moment. And that’s the story.
I looked from Katie and down the hallway, spotting Finn standing by the window with Aaron. He was looking right at me. I rolled my eyes as he narrowed his. For someone who hated me so much, he sure did stare a lot.
Katie looked over her shoulder at me and sighed. “Just ignore him, Rachel.”
“Do you mean the fire-breathing dragon who looks like he wants to bite my head off? You want me to ignore that? Sure, Katie. It’s not like I don’t try to ignore him every time he shows his arrogant face, and it’s not like he doesn’t despise every fiber in my body.”
She took my hand in hers and squeezed it. “Come on. He doesn't despise you. You're far too good for someone to dislike. You two just had a rocky start, but I’m sure it can get better if you at least try.”
“It’ll never get better. He’s an ass. End of discussion.”
“Ugh, Rach.” Katie sighed.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be on my best behavior tonight and for the rest of your wedding events. I promise, Katie.”
“Okay. I’m holding you to that promise. I told Aaron to talk to Finn too, so you both have made promises, and you have to keep them.”
We walked slowly toward Finn and Aaron, and a discomfort settled in my belly. Finn fixed his eyes on me and I looked away, trying my hardest not to roll mine or make a disgusted face. While Aaron and Katie spoke, I looked up to meet his gaze that held so many feelings.
Aggravation.
Disdain.
Desire.
I ignored the last part and forced a smile at him. For as long as I was to be around him, I would never cave. He fucked anything with legs, and I was sure he’d shove his hate for me aside to take a nip at me, but there was no way in hell I was giving myself to him. He was undeserving, and not only that, but none of us needed those lines blurred. Katie and Aaron were getting married, and they were our best friends. Even if Finn were to drop to his knees and beg my forgiveness or show even an ounce of humility, we could never be.