The Accidental Engagement Read Online Free Page A

face with Daniel Gladwell, the ruthless business tycoon. His jaw clenched and his eyes hardened, holding her captive yet again in a disarmingly direct glare. He looked like a gladiator ready for battle. The look he gave her was so intense, she swallowed her clever retort—this was not a man to mess with.
    “Honestly, Mr. Gladwell, I’d really rather go back my job—”
    “Your job will not be waiting for you should you refuse my offer.” He stood up straight and moved to stand behind the desk. His tone was cool and collected, at odds with the harsh words.
    She tried to ignore the uncomfortable sting of unshed tears as his words sank in. She couldn’t go back to being unemployed. She’d worked so hard to get where she was. She couldn’t start over. And she couldn’t go home. Bad investments and a housing market collapse had left her parents teetering on the edge of bankruptcy at an age when they should be planning for retirement. If she lost her job they’d feel compelled to help her but they could barely help themselves.
    “That’s not fair, you can’t do that.” Ivy’s voice shook. She swallowed and tried again. “The hotel has no reason to dismiss me. I’ve been a great employee. Ask anyone, ask Mr. Webster.”
    “It’s not a matter of how well you’ve done your job, Miss Sinclair. The hotel can’t keep someone on who acts irresponsibly with the hotel guests. Not to mention, employees here are expected to be team players.”
    “I am responsible. And I am a team player.” She tried to keep the tremor out of her voice. She felt like she was on the wrong end of a steamroller. She had to regain control.
    She tilted her chin up and straightened her shoulders. Who did he think he was to come to her place of work and threaten her job? Maybe Franklin wasn’t in her corner, but there had to be people above him.
    Standing, she faced Daniel who had returned to his seat behind the desk. “You can’t fire me, Mr. Gladwell. I’m sure Mr. Webster doesn’t even have the final say and you have no say in the matter so—”
    Daniel cut off her tirade before she could even gain steam. “Actually I do have quite a bit of say. My company is the majority owner of this hotel.”
    His words were like a punch in the gut. Her mind struggled to make sense of this new information. It couldn’t be possible—could it? Maybe he was kidding. But even as she thought it, she dismissed it. The man before her clearly didn’t have a sense of humor. She stared at him with wide eyes, trying to think of something to say, but she was rendered speechless. She flopped back in her seat like a deflated balloon.
    With astonishing speed his cold businesslike demeanor was once again replaced by the charming smile that Ivy was beginning to know well. It was the smile of a predator before it ate its prey. “Listen, Ivy, it doesn’t have to be this way. I don’t want to lose you as an employee. But I also can’t allow yesterday’s incident to ruin a multi-billion dollar deal that I’ve been working on for the past two years. You can understand that, can’t you?”
    Ivy just stared back at him. Her mind was racing as she considered her options. She could try her luck in an unemployment office once again and pray that she’d find a new position before she lost everything. She could go back home and try to find a job there—but no, that wasn’t an option. The job market in her hometown was far worse than the city and she couldn’t allow her parents to help her.
    “How much?” she asked. “How much would you pay me if I go along with this?”
    For a moment she thought he was ignoring her. He picked up a pen and jotted something down on a piece of paper. He pushed it her way and when she picked it up, a series of zeros stared back at her. The six-figure number took her breath away. That was enough to pay her rent for the year and still have plenty left over to help her parents.
    “And of course you’ll get a promotion, which comes