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Fifteen minutes earlier…
“Fuck.”
I pore over yet another spreadsheet. We’re still no closer to zeroing in on the culprit of this disaster and it’s starting to seriously piss me off.
And I’m distracted.
I refuse to admit I’m still obsessed with a certain virgin-turned-sex-goddess who refuses to budge from my dreams and my thoughts. It’s like she’s lodged herself there, all sultry and gorgeous, torturing me, just like she did that night in Hawaii when I couldn’t get enough of how fucking perfect she was.
Right before she vanished into thin air.
The intercom on my desk buzzes. I almost ignore it.
It’s Hayley, letting me know that my next appointment is here. A new employee, Penelope mentioned. It’s my policy to meet every new arrival. I like to be able to match names to faces and let people know up front what we expect from them.
“Dusty Rose is here to see you,” Hayley says through the small intercom.
Dusty Rose.
Something about the name gets my attention.
I’m really not in the mood to meet a new recruit this morning. I’m up to my eyeballs in irate phone calls and paperwork from hell. I consider telling Hayley I’m too busy.
I vaguely remember Noah telling me about a recent interview. He was impressed by some new junior analyst who’d applied. He thought she’d be a good fit. We’d discussed whether it was the right time to be hiring, considering what we’re dealing with, but I wasn’t about to admit defeat and put our plans on hold because some fucking moron is trying to make a quick buck.
Still, the thought of meeting this woman who may not have a job by the end of the month if everything turns to shit puts me on edge. If she hasn’t already heard about the leak, she will soon enough, and then she’ll have questions. Which at this stage I’m not sure I’ll be able to answer.
I could leave it to Penelope to fill her in on all the details she’ll need.
But it’s important to at least keep up appearances. Avoidance might do me more damage than good. People might talk. Or speculate. Whoever this new hire is doesn’t need to know that we’re on the verge of hemorrhaging some serious money. Those particular concerns are way above her pay grade. And I intend to get a handle on things so it stays that way.
Dusty Rose.
Is it me or does the name sound almost…Texan?
I click the button that unlocks my door.
It opens.
A young woman walks into the room and…holy fuck.
Am I so stressed out I’m hallucinating?
The door closes behind her.
Tex.
My Tex.
She’s here.
Have I fantasized about her so much that my brain is playing tricks on me?
She was gorgeous in Hawaii but now, standing here in the middle of reality, she looks a thousand times more beautiful. Her long hair is pulled up, revealing her stunning face. Her eyes are bright, that light dusting of freckles across her nose faded now. Flags of pink warm her cheeks. She’s wearing a little black dress that shows off her mind-numbing curves. Gold earrings catch the sunlight. Her full lips branded me in a way I still haven’t recovered from. Now, they’re painted a shade of lipstick that’s somewhere between pink and red. My cock thickens.
“It’s you,” she says.
I stand up from my desk, still half in shock. I’m wild with relief but also rage. This girl has put me through hell, thinking I might have lost her for good. “You said you were from Dallas.”
