Her Sexiest Mistake

moved on. So she didn't want to talk about her humble beginnings. So what? No reason to feel that twinge of guilt- no reason at all-just because Tess gave everything of herself, no holding back, whatever Mia needed at all times, including cookies.

Damn it, Ted Stokes was in her office, lounging in her chair as a matter of annoying fact, leaning back, feet up as if he owned the place. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, he'd been blessed with a face that women everywhere thought of as California beautiful. He was strong and tan, and when he smiled he flashed baby blue eyes and a dimple, melting hearts and dampening panties everywhere.

But Mia wasn't fooled by him. Beneath that fun-loving exterior beat a cold, purposeful heart. She set down the plant and gathered her bitchiness around her like a Gucci coat.

He smiled at her, that I'm-an-asshole smile, which really bit into her superiority over getting the Anderson account.

'Ah, a new plant to kill,' he noted.

She smiled through her teeth. She was going to keep the damn plant alive if it was the last thing she did. 'I hope you brought coffee to this unexpected party.'

Ted lifted a steaming mug. His own, of course.

'What do you want, Ted?'

'Interesting question.' He smiled again, batting those long lashes over his baby blues.

She did not smile back.

'You're a tough nut, Mia. I'm trying to flirt with you, in case you didn't notice. And don't say you don't flirt, because-'

'I don't flirt in the office. With coworkers.'

“We could be more than coworkers. What do you say?'

“How about never? Does never work for you?'

Some of the wattage went out of his smile at that, but she didn't care. Last week in the employee break room he'd made a move on her. He'd cornered her between the sink and the refrigerator and tried to kiss her. She'd shoved him back, maybe a little harder than the situation warranted, but really, he was just lucky she'd let him keep his balls.

At the shove, he'd fallen backward into a table, spilling a glass of water, which in turn soaked into the seat of his pants. He'd made a joke of it then, apparently thinking that laughing it off would be the easiest way for his ego to handle the rejection, but she knew he'd been pissed.

'You're still upset about the kiss,' he said in an annoyingly patronizing tone. 'Honestly, Mia, the way you leaned into me, I thought you wanted me to kiss you.'

“You've been fantasizing again.' She liked kissing, very much. But as the queen of compartmentalizing, she’d long ago divided her needs into little groups. First and most important, job. Second, men.

Never the two shall meet.

The men in her office, and there were many, had correctly read her back-off signs. She knew they called her Ice Queen among other less flattering things, and she didn't care, because what Ted hadn't anticipated when he'd made the move on her was how he'd unwittingly put her into the position of power, a situation he greatly regretted. His eyes were no longer friendly.

“I'll get to the point of me being here,' he said.

“Why don't you.'

'You got the Anderson account.'

The two of them might be equals on the scale when it came to the ladder of success within this company, but that was only because he'd been here longer. Mia was better at the job. She knew it, everyone in the office knew it, and Ted knew it, too.

He just didn't like it, or her aggression in getting other-and winning-accounts. Bottom line, he was lazy. She was not.

'Yes, I got the Anderson account,' she said.

'You stole it out from beneath me.'

Ah. The victim angle. She should have guessed he'd go that route. She'd won the account fairly, with blood and sweat and tears. Okay, maybe not with blood or tears, but certainly with long, hard hours over the past several months. She'd put her heart and soul into it, and she wanted to hear him say it, even knowing he'd never give her that satisfaction. 'I don't know what your problem is,' she said quietly. 'But I bet it's hard to pronounce.'

His jaw ticced. 'I should have gotten that account.' He pushed a file across her gorgeous Baker desk. 'My ideas were better.'

'Now, that's just plain not nice.'

'It's true.'

'You're insulting my entire creative team.'

'Just stating fact.'

The man was impossible. She picked up his work and dropped it in the trash.

His eyes filled with anger. 'Bitch.'

'Oooh, ouch. You got me, Ted. Now get out.'

'That account should have been mine.'

'You know what? I can stand your arrogance, and maybe even stand your smugness-though it'd be easier if you weren't wearing such a tacky suit-but I won't stand being accused of stealing. Get out.'

'You should have to share that account with me.'

'When hell freezes over.' Planting her hands flat on her desk, she leaned over and looked him right in the cold eyes. 'Read my lips, Ted. I don't share.' She shoved his loafers off her desk and stood her ground while he slowly, insolently rose to his feet. Never had she resented her average height more as he towered over her, leanly muscled and ticked off.

“I want that account, Mia.'

“Get out. Now.'

For one long beat he stood his ground, staring her down, no longer even attempting to hold the facade of friendliness.

She stared back, bitterly resenting that she had to tip her head up to do so. Tomorrow she'd wear her other Manolos, the five-inch stilettos, if it meant looking this prick right in the eyes.

Finally he slowly backed off and walked out, shutting her door too hard, rustling her new gorgeous plant. Not sure how many more people she was going to piss off today, she shifted the pot away from the door, then stood there, her heart beating just a little too hard for comfort. God, she really hated a bully, but she especially hated that he'd gotten to her and made her uneasy.

And just a tad nervous.

Refusing to let him ruin one more second of her time, she got busy, burying herself in the groundwork for her next conquest, a major athletic shoe account. She and Dick had nicknamed the file “Runner' to keep it quiet from other firms. That very secrecy and care was what had garnered her such an Ice Queen rep, but she worked hard, so what? Others could do the same; she'd only respect that.

She'd already been briefed by the Runner company on what they expected and wanted, and now it was up to her to create a campaign from scratch. Her favorite part. Most times, this involved her creative team. She loved those late-night meetings, where ideas flew freely and the creative muse took control.

But for now, with this account, she was on her own, and she worked on the research until noon.

By then she'd forgotten all about Ted, and she sat with Tess in the employee lunchroom.

'He was smiling when he left your office,' Tess reported over her moo shoo. Others were around, including Margot, so she leaned in for privacy. 'Smiling like a snake, too. He left for a meeting on fourth, the rat-fink bastard. I hope the layoff rumors have him worried and he's looking for a job elsewhere.'

'Not likely. Don't worry, I can handle him.' Mia sank her teeth into a pot sticker. She could handle anything, she thought. Suddenly the smoke alarms went off. Everyone ran into the hallway.

The thick smoke cut off Mia's air. Janice and Tami from her creative team had their laptops hugged to their