Severance Package

Severance Package Dorsey Brothers Carmen Bishop Contents 1. Nova 2. Everett 3. Nova 4. Everett 5. Nova 6. Nova 7. Everett 8. Nova 9. Nova 10. Everett 11. Nova 12. Nova 13. Everett 14. Nova 15. Nova 16. Everett 17. Nova 18. Nova 19. Nova 20. Nova 21. Everett 22. Nova 23. Everett 24. Nova 25. Nova 26. Nova 27. Nova 28. Everett 29. Nova 30. Everett About the Author Also by Carmen Bishop By Carmen Bishop Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, businesses, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or actual events is entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the author, except for use of brief quotations in a book review. Edited by Dawn Proofread by McKenna Lay Photo Credit: Wander Cover Design: Lori Jackson To my husband. A man who watches Christmas romance movies with me in July. Blurb Fired by my billionaire boss after puking on his hundred-dollar shoes. Fortunately, I somehow manage to get a second chance. Unfortunately, that only leads to more problems. Everett Dorsey is everything I don't want. He's too handsome for his—or my—own good. And the only thing more aggravating than watching women fall at his feet is the fact that I dream of being the one on my knees. Begging for a kiss. A simple touch. It starts off small. A little contact here. Undoing a button there. But when Everett finally turns his gaze on me, I discover a side to him I never knew. A side that might just be my undoing. Chapter 1 Nova Pain shoots up my leg as my knees slam to the ground, but thankfully, both hands keep me from fully face-planting. “Bastard son of an ass face!” I would bruise the shit out of my knees today. That’s my luck. “Not before I have coffee, Nova!” my friend calls out from the kitchen. I groan and pick myself up from the floor then rush into the bathroom to run a brush through my tangled brown hair. Thanks to late-night chats with a friend I haven’t seen since she moved from Texas seven years ago, I have maybe thirty minutes to make it to my first day. Thirty minutes or I may not have the job anymore. And wouldn’t it be something to get fired before I even manage to unpack my computer? After dressing quickly and brushing my teeth, I all but sprint down the short hallway and into the kitchen. “You look stressed,” Rose says with a smile as she holds out a breakfast burrito and a travel mug full of coffee. I take the coffee but eye the burrito. “Tell me that isn’t what’s left over from last night.” She looks at it again then back to me and grins. “Okay, I won’t.” “Rose, we got those at two this morning from a damn food truck. And, I’m pretty sure we didn’t put it in the fridge.” “College rules, Nova. If it’s less than twenty-four hours, it’s fine. Besides, it’s not like you have time to stop.” My stomach chooses this exact moment to growl—loud enough that Rose shoves the burrito into my hand. “Trust me, I’m a chef. Now go, don’t be late. I hear your boss is a massive douche.” She winks, knowing all too well that the rumors dictate that he absolutely is, then slaps me on the ass as I rush out into the hall. The carpet below makes my steps near silent, but as I reach the end, all that changes. “Hold the elevator!” I all but screech when I see the doors start to close. A hand goes to the crease, and I stumble inside, nearly tackling the only other occupant like I’m a linebacker for the Cowboys. “Shit! Sorry!” I right myself and meet gorgeous almond eyes. He smiles at me, a wide grin that brings color to my cheeks. “No problem at all, Miss—” “Nova.” “Nova,” he repeats. “I tend to enjoy starting my days with beautiful women crashing into me.” “Oh, happen often?” I ask as I take a bite of the burrito. And then have to choke down said bite because it tastes like absolute ass. Not that I know much about what ass tastes like. But a girl can imagine. Trust me, I’m a chef. Psht. Love her or not, Rose is now on my shit list for the day. “Not as often as I’d like,” he replies. “First floor?” “Yes, thanks.” I cover the burrito again and shove it into my purse, stomach already rolling. It’s then I make my third poor decision of the day and take a massive swig of burning hot coffee. I sputter, coughing as coffee pours from my nose and mouth. “Shit, you okay?” Stranger’s hand goes to my back. He pats gently, and I struggle to regain even a shred of dignity as coffee burns my throat and nose. “Hot,” I choke out. “I can see that. Here.” He reaches into his pocket and offers me a handkerchief. “It’s clean.” Who the hell carries handkerchiefs anymore? Still, can’t exactly complain when I’m literally bent over at the waist so the coffee spewing from two of my orifices doesn’t get onto the one and only work shirt I have unpacked. “Thanks.” I finish wiping my chin as soon as the elevator reaches the bottom floor. It dings, and the doors slide open, so I make a mad dash for the lobby, hoping to avoid further embarrassment. “You sure you’re okay?” Stopping, I turn toward Stranger. “Totally. It’s my first day, so I’m frazzled.” He grins. “You did just move in, then. I knew I would have recognized you.” “Not moved in,