Cinderella's Boss

By Susan R. Horsnell

Bohemian.
Trapped in the last century.
No trust in men.
Some of the things people said about Kathrin.
Arrogant.
Intolerant.
No trust in women.
Some of the things people said about Brett.
Can they break through each other's barriers to become friends?
Anything more was unthinkable.
After all, they are Boss and Employee.
Will Brett realize his true feelings and take his very own Cinderella to the ball or will his best friend steal her out from under his nose??

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lipstick Publishing
• Release date: Sep 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223541974

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Copyright © 2021 by Susan R. Horsnell

pen name of Susan Horsnell

The right of Susan R. Horsnell to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000

All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical or mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

Written by Susan R. Horsnell

Edited by Redline Editing

Line Edit by Robyn Corcoran

Cover Design Eleanor from Shower of Schmidt Designs

https://www.facebook.com/groups/shower.of.schmidt.designs

Warning

This book contains sexual content and language suitable only for those 18+

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction.

Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental or historical.

The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.

Chapter One

Kathrin

Kate, where are those files I asked for an hour ago?

That’s my boss barking at me—Brett Arthur Campbell. Self-made, wealthy beyond my wildest imagination, and way… way out of my league. Hell, we aren’t even in the same universe, let alone on the same planet, and it isn’t only his wealth that’s a deal-breaker.

He’s thirty-one years old, tall—well over six feet, with the body of a god. The man has his own gym here in the building and often disappears to work out, so it isn’t a surprise he looks like he does. His hair is a dark shade of brown, his eyes—ice blue.

Me, you ask? I’m twenty-two years old, short— five feet one inch, to be precise. Skinny, so I’ve been told. My breasts belong on someone with at least forty pounds on me, they’re way too big for my frame. I’ve toyed with the idea of having a breast reduction but just can’t find the courage to organize the procedure. One day… maybe. I have blonde/brown/grey hair. Hell, it doesn’t know what color it wants to be and I certainly have no control over the crazy curls. I also have unimpressive, run-of-the-mill brown eyes. My best friend, Liz, told me that I dress like someone stuck in the last century. Bohemian, I think, is the word for my fashion style.

Kate, file! Brett snaps at me.

I look up from where I’m on my knees in front of the filing cabinet to find him standing with his arms folded over his chest, glaring down at me.

I can’t find the damn thing. I wish people would return things back to where they found them, I spit back. I’m sorry, Mr. Campbell, it isn’t here. "Don’t be sorry, just find…. as you so eloquently put it…. the damn thing. Ask around the office, I have a meeting in ten minutes and need the information."

I nod, but he doesn’t see my acknowledgment, he’s already turned and stomped from the office.

It’s a large, spacious office with an array of filing cabinets along two of the walls and a door that leads into Brett’s office. A third wall has the door leading in from where other staff members go about their daily duties, and the other comprises a bank of windows with views over the city and harbor. There is a huge wooden desk that holds two computers and each has a different operating system and apps. Warm chocolate-brown carpet is laid on the floor and there are a couple of abstract paintings on the walls. Two leather sofas are placed where clients can admire the view while they wait for their meeting with Brett to commence. I love it, and despite Brett’s grumpy demeanor, I really enjoy working at Campbell Enterprises. The largest, and by far the most successful, engineering company in the city.

The company has a plethora of innovative design awards to its name and has engineered some of the most iconic skyscrapers in the city. Brett Campbell is well respected. I guess that’s why he’s always in demand for charity functions and speaking engagements. Every single woman in the place wants to corral him. I don’t have to wonder why he’s still single, I’m sure his temperament is responsible.

I started work here as a personal assistant six months ago, accepting the job even though I’d been warned he was a difficult man to work around. His previous assistants hadn’t been able to deal with his mercurial mood changes. The warning hadn’t been wrong. Brett is demanding, impatient, intolerant, and I haven’t yet seen him smile. It has me wondering what it could be that could make a man with so much so unhappy. It isn’t my problem, but I can’t help but wonder.

I drop back to my knees for another rummage through the bottom drawer of the cabinet. Zeus Industries, owned by Brett’s best friend, Peter, has a joint venture with Brett’s company to build a thirty-two-story hotel on the harbor front and today are the final negotiations on the layout. Desperate, I pull every file from the drawer, there aren’t many as I keep the drawers in alphabetical order and not many businesses begin with x, y, or z. The file just isn’t here.

I stuff the files back in the drawer and hurry out to speak with Ed Roberts, one of the senior engineers. I find him going over some drawings in his office down the hall from mine. I rap my knuckles on the door frame and Ed glances up.

Ed is a man in his fifties with a sexy silver fox look going on. He’s tall and keeps himself fit. He’s been married since the beginning of time and has four grown-up kids. He’s the polar opposite of Brett—kind, patient, polite, and always smiling.

Kate, what can I do for you?

Ed, have you seen the Zeus file?

Nope, last time I saw it, Brett had it open on his desk and was doing some final calculations.

Damn. Okay, thanks.

Have you asked Brett?

He came to me looking for it, so I guess he must have put it back.

Good luck with finding it. Doesn’t he have a meeting with Pete in a few minutes?

Yes, and he’ll explode if it isn’t found.

Maybe you have an emergency and need to leave for the day? Ed Laughed.

"No, I can