Read Secrets that Simmer for Free Online

Especially now that she had gone ahead and stuck her hand inside the hornets’ nest. Not only had she stuck her hand inside, she had basically knocked it around and kicked it across the room. She would be responsible for cleaning up the mess that resulted. She had a feeling that if Tony decided to go over her head and go to Jack, there was a good chance that she would get fired. She wasn’t keen on the idea of being fired, so she hoped that the report gave her leverage and a negotiation point.
    She had already decided that she wasn’t going to let Tony intimidate her, not at all. She was the one holding the cards, even though she didn’t know quite what the cards were or what they meant. She wasn’t even quite sure what card game they were playing at, but there was one thing that was for certain. She was in the game, and if she was in the game, she was in the game to win it.
    Maggie stood up just a little bit straighter, and it wasn’t just to pop her chest a little bit further in his direction, she told herself. She might not be terribly experienced in the way of men, but she had known that Tony was attracted to her too. That was going to make the whole thing a lot more interesting. She had many questions for him, and it was time that he stopped ignoring her. She wasn’t quite sure she got his attention the way that she wanted, especially now that he was continuing to stare at her in a way that was making her feel wholly unsettled. She caught the glances of several other women around her who had noticed as well. She shifted from side to side and then decided to get a drink.
    Even as she walked to the bar, she could feel his eyes on the back of her neck. He was definitely staring at her. Since the bar was empty because everybody was paying attention to Tony’s speech, she got another a glass of whiskey fairly quickly. She turned back around and leaned back against the bar to watch him. She carefully ensured that her face looked like one of complete boredom. She could see that he tensed slightly at her expression. This was also interesting. She would have never thought that little Maggie O’Hara from the wrong side of the tracks would have any kind of ability to impact or shake a man like Tony Atwood.
    Even though she pretended to be bored, Maggie couldn’t help but actually listen to his speech, and it was exactly what she expected. While he went on and on about being flattered and honored to be there, and the fact that the Urban Dwellers had a responsibility to Copper City in order to keep and maintain the peace for everyone both humans and shifters alike, she felt herself slowly being drawn into his speech. He was an energizing and engaging speaker. Of course, that came from years of practice both in front of audiences and on the witness stand. That was slightly grating. Maggie wasn’t comfortable talking in front of groups, even though she had chosen a profession that required her to argue in front of them all the time.
    The few times that she had been required to be on TV, where impromptu comments were required, had been some of the most uncomfortable of her entire life. After the debacle of an interview the week before, Jack had decided that Maggie should keep to the sidelines for the time being. She wasn’t that upset about it.
    “And so in closing, I want to again thank the members of the Kolbon Society for their generous support and contribution to the new wing of the Urban Dwellers Medical Research Facility.”
    For a crowd of people in tuxedos and ball gowns, they went wild. Maggie did the obligatory golf clap as well. Then she stood there and waited. As she anticipated, she didn’t have to wait for long.
    “So my speech was boring for you?”
    “You hear one speech, you hear them all,” Maggie said. She looked off to the side and shifted again. She was having the time of her life appearing to be bored out of her gourd. She could tell it was driving Tony crazy, and there was a part of her that wanted