Boardroom, Bedroom: Bad With the Boss, #1

By Gemma Snow

All Geneva Sterling wants is for Trenton and Sons Investment to sign the contract that could make her career. She's been after them for nearly a year, and would have been successful too – if it weren't for Dylan freaking Trenton. He's hell bent on sinking this deal, and he'll stop at nothing to get her to back off. But Geneva's not going down without a fight, even if her opponent in this boardroom boxing match makes her hotter than anyone else ever has.

Dylan Trenton just wants to get his mind off work, and the powerful, infuriating and oh-so-beautiful Geneva Sterling. So when an associate takes him to Club Underground to check out his most recent investment, Dylan decides to go with the flow. After all, there's a goddess in a slinky silver dress just calling his name. But when he finds out exactly who he's dancing – and more – with, Dylan learns that hate and desire run a close parallel, and tonight he might just step over the line.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gemma Snow
• Release date: Aug 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393754466

Gemma Snow

Gemma Snow loves high heat, high adventures and high expectations for her heroes! Her stories are set in the past and present, from the glittering streets of Paris to cowboy-rich Triple Diamond Ranch in Wolf Creek, Montana. In her free time, she loves to travel, and spent several months living in a fourteenth-century castle in the Netherlands. When not exploring the world, she likes dreaming up stories, eating spicy food, driving fast cars and talking to strangers. She recently moved to Nashville with a cute redheaded cat and a cute redheaded boy.

Book preview

Chapter One

Those are our terms and we won't budge. Geneva ticked her fingers against the table, keeping eye contact with the man across from her, Andrew Trenton of Trenton and Sons Investment. The older man had a solid face, but his expression was welcoming, and Geneva knew from six years in the cutthroat industry that he was close to cracking. So. Damn. Close. They had been working toward this real estate deal for the better part of a year, and if she didn't close it soon, there wasn't a chance in hell she ever would.

Trenton's pursed his lips and Geneva sent a mental prayer up to whichever deity listening that he said the magic words.

And then, in true fucking form, Dylan cut in.

Dylan Trenton, heir apparent and son of Trenton and Sons, had blocked her at every turn through nearly the whole time she had been after the Delante Apartments deal. He was confident bordering on arrogant, smart—too smart—and a thorn in her side from the moment she’d met him.

Startling blue eyes caught her gaze, but they held none of the gentleness in his father's. He had been trying to sway the direction of the investment since it had landed on his table, and that had included going out of his way to make Geneva’s job that much harder. Convinced his father was being swindled, Dylan had been more than discerning; he'd been downright obstructionist.

You know our terms, he said, his eyes trained on her like a lion's in the open plains. The stock options are patronizing, Ms. Sterling, and you haven't even touched our minimum requirements for equity.

Geneva resisted the urge to let out an earth-shattering sigh. None of this was new territory, and she felt the weight of this deal like a noose around her damn neck. It almost didn’t matter that it had the potential to make or break her career. She just wanted it to be over, for God’s sake.

With all due respect, Dylan, she said, emphasizing his first name with the slightest twitch of her head, "I am doing a deal with your father, the owner of the company. While we appreciate your input, it is not a necessary factor in our negotiation." The hostility was a combination of base defensiveness—the male-dominated business industry had made her hard these past years—and frustration with the progress they hadn't made. Because of him.

It would serve you well to remember your manners, Ms. Sterling, he replied.

To anyone else, Dylan Trenton would have seemed in control. But the two of them had been sparring across a boardroom table for nearly a full year, and Geneva recognized the telltale throbbing at the base of his jaw that told her just how close he was to snapping. The man really did have a remarkable jaw. Strong and sharp, it gave his face a classical and refined look. Shame the personality didn’t match the package. Still, she was allowed to look. It was the least he could do for her.

Andrew Trenton clapped his hands, drawing Geneva’s attention away from Dylan and his strong jaw. Ugh, if there’s anyone in the world I shouldn’t find attractive...But she smiled at Andrew, hoping it didn’t come across like the grimace she felt on her face.

We’re all a little testy right now, Andrew began, a small, perhaps a little knowing, smile forming on his lips. He’d been privy to many of the spats between Geneva and his son over the past months. Why don’t we take the weekend, and we’ll have an answer for you Monday, settle this once and for all.

At that, her smile shifted into something real, and Geneva nodded.

"That’s a good