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“Wild-eyed?” I’ll take it.
“He’s so intimidating, isn’t he?”
“Oh…yeah. Totally.”
“But a total smoke show, am I right? I mean, all the brothers are. Personally, Colton’s more my type. I like the fun bad boys, not the grumpy power players.” She studies me more closely and I can only hope and pray there aren’t tell-tale signs of what just happened written all over my face. “I take you more as a CEO type of girl.”
“No way,” I laugh. Help.
She looks up as someone approaches. “Oh, hey, Rylee.”
“Hi, Lacey.” A model-thin woman in sky-high heels is standing there, assessing me with something that’s one level closer to disdain than curiosity. She looks exactly like her online photos. Long platinum hair. Red lipstick. A cold, severe expression. “This must be the new intern.”
“Not quite,” corrects Lacey. “This is Dusty Rose, our newest junior analyst. Lacey, meet Rylee Winters.”
So this is Ace’s ex.
“Oh, hi,” she says, dismissively. “Is Evan around?”
“He’s in a meeting with Noah but they should be finished any minute.”
“Thanks.” To me, she gives an off-hand, “Nice to meet you,” but she’s already walking toward the open area where several glass-walled meeting rooms are located.
It’s interesting to see the differences between us. There are a lot more of them than any similarities we might have. She’s willowy and blond, with a steely expression and an haute-couture-meets-Wall-Street style. As I watch her, I can see why it didn’t work out between her and Ace. She glides through the office like a shark, swimming slowly, looking for someone to bite.
Or maybe it’s just jealousy rearing its ugly head. “She’s beautiful,” I comment. Stunning, in fact.
“On the outside, maybe,” says Lacey.
Evan returns a short time later and we go through some of my work assignments. He’s professional and extremely smart but also laid-back and easy to work with. I spend the rest of the day going through the spreadsheets he’s given me, and the tasks are a welcome distraction from the constant movie-replay of my morning double whammy of hot sex on the executive floor.
I’m determined to make sure Evan sees me as an asset and doesn’t question my capabilities. This office is buzzing with good ideas and brilliant minds. It’s fun and challenging and everything I could ever have hoped for in a work environment.
I did it. I’m in New York and I have a job that can take me all the way into the stratosphere. This is what I need to concentrate on.
I know I’m good at what I do, now I just need to prove it.
And not give anyone in this company any—or at least another—reason to fire me.
I want to make sure my success has everything to do with how good I am at my job…and absolutely nothing to do with who I’m sleeping with.
Slept with.
I feel the resolve that Ace obliterated this morning settling back into place. It’s imperative that I draw a line. What happened between me and Ace really, really can’t happen again. I look around at the scene of my dream job and I renew my decision. This is the way it has to be.
I don’t care how hot he is or how good he feels. This is a close-knit, extremely savvy group of people, including two of Ace’s brothers. It would be naïve of me to think that Ace and I can sneak around and not have someone find out about it.
I can just imagine Lacey figuring out that I met Ace on a work trip, had a one-night stand with him, then somehow conveniently got hired by Invested Enterprises. I’d never be taken seriously in my job again.
Yes, I relapsed. But I’m determined to keep things between myself and the CEO strictly professional from now on. Even tonight, when I’m alone with him in his apartment.
I’ll have one drink and one drink only, we’ll talk about what we need to talk about, we’ll dissect this whole mess and we’ll come to an agreement.
Then I’ll politely be on my way.
There will be no touching, no lingering looks, nothing.
We will absolutely not be having sex again.
