Protect me and more

Ming Zhao is giving the others the hardest **** glare I've ever seen. It even makes me feel scared. Her hands are on her hips in a threatening pose, completely ignoring her own nudity. It's both frightening and intensely sexy.

"Miss Ming Zhao?" Milly asks. "Why are you here? And why are you naked?"

"Why are you humiliating Ahab here?" Ming Zhao asks. "What has he done to deserve something this horrendous? Are you that jealous of his success?"

"I'm not - !" Milly wisely shuts up. She knows Ming Zhao can destroy her career.

"Delete those photos," Ming Zhao orders.

"But—"

"NOW!"

Milly and her goons hesitantly do as she says.

"Good girls," Ming Zhao mocks. "Now clean out your desks. The three of you are fired."

"What?" Rose asks. "You can't do that!"

"I can, and I am," Ming Zhao says. "And unless the rest of you want to lose your jobs, you will delete those pictures!"

The rest of the team does as she says.

"Now, I am going to go to my office, get dressed, and leave early," Ming Zhao says. "Everyone better have their projects done by tomorrow, or there will be Hell to pay. If anyone talks about this moment after today, I will have their heads."

With that, she grabs my arm and drags me to her office, pushing past the stunned onlookers and wannabe journalists. She slams the door shut as we enter her office. Ming Zhao falls back into her chair, turning beet red and clearly mortified.

"Why did you do that?" I ask. "You didn't have to humiliate yourself for me."

"Yes, I did," Ming Zhao says. "I couldn't let them do that to you. You're the best worker I have here."

"Thank you."

She leans forward and grasps my hand. "No, I mean it. You're sweet, a hard worker, and you put up with all this shit from those girls. And you remain professional, in spite of the crush you have on me."

I froze. How did she know?

As if reading my mind, she says, "You think I'm an idiot? I see the way you look at me. You can't honestly tell me you were disappointed when my dress tore off in the elevator. Even then, you treated me with respect and dignity. You're better than most of the men around here."

I stammer and try to find my voice. "Um...I-I-I...thank you, Miss Ming Zhao."

I notice that her grip on my hand is tightening, and her smile is bordering on lustful.

"I told you to drop the 'miss.'"