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Lilly Richards. The program manager. Ben tells me she’s in charge of most of the day-to-day operations and that shadowing her will give me the best insight into the nonprofit’s workings.
I shove my phone into my pocket and trudge across the rainy pavement up to the front doors.
I step inside, glancing around the shabby lobby decorated with various artworks, obviously all done by children. Handprints with smiley faces, green trees, sunflowers.
“Hello,” a voice calls me out of my perusal.
I look forward to see a young woman seated at reception. She has brown hair, red glasses, and a nice smile. “Aiden King, right?” she asks.
I force a smile on my face. “Yes, that’s me,” I say, taking a step forward.
“Hi, I’m Monica. Lilly’s expecting you,” she says simply, standing from her seat. “Follow me.”
I follow her down a hallway to the right, the floor covered in an old, brown carpet. She stops at a door on her right, swinging it open and calling, “Lilly? Mr. King is here.”
She turns back to me, ushers me inside, and then leaves.
I walk into the small office. Various art prints line the walls, and behind a modest desk sits a woman who I presume is Lilly Richards. I stare at her in surprise, caught off guard. She’s young. Younger than I thought a program manager at a nonprofit would be. She can’t be much older than twenty-five.
And holy shit is she hot.
Her long blonde hair falls just below her breasts, and her soft brown eyes assess me from across the room.
“Mr. King,” she says, standing and holding out her hand across her desk. “I’m Lilly Richards.”
Mr. King. Those words coming from her mouth set a fire in my stomach. I step forward, taking her hand in mine and shaking it. It’s warm and soft. “Nice to meet you,” I say with a smile. She pulls her hand away first.
“Likewise.”
As she leans forward to take her seat, a hint of cleavage peaks out beneath her white button-up blouse. I bite my lip, averting my gaze just in time for her not to notice.
When her eyes meet mine, I simply smile.
Fuck. Stepping up my work might not be so bad after all.
Chapter 2
Lilly
Aiden King is surprisingly attractive. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting. Someone … nerdier, I guess? We all know about the King brothers around here. I mean, King Tech funds us. But when you think of three brothers starting a tech company, you don’t exactly imagine them as Abercrombie models.
I lock my jaw, resisting the urge to shake my head. Snap out of it, Lilly, I chide myself.
“Your assistant, Ben, filled me in on your goal here,” I continue. “You’re wanting to evaluate the Maria King Foundation for its worthiness.” The words come out a bit harsher than I intended, and with my blank expression, it probably packs a punch. But I can’t help it.
I think back to getting the email from Ben Holmes in my inbox a week ago. Aiden King would be shadowing the foundation for an indefinite amount of time to check up on operations. It was worded kindly, but I could read between the lines. They’re doubting whether the foundation is worth keeping up. It’s hard not to bristle when your job—and a good chunk of your personal identity—is threatened.
Aiden raises his eyebrows ever so slightly, the hint of a smirk fluttering across his face. It sends a spark of anger through me. He’s amused? He’s amused at the possibility of me losing my job? At the possibility of this foundation no longer helping the community?
“I wouldn’t put it in those terms exactly,” he says.
“Oh?” I fold my arms across my chest, leaning back in my chair. “What words would you ascribe to it then?”
He levels me with another amused gaze, which only makes me madder. I try my best to hide it.
“We’re simply checking in on a foundation that our company funds. That’s it.”
I grit my teeth, trying to wipe any unpleasant expression off my face. I don’t believe him for one minute, but a combative attitude on my part isn’t going to help the situation.
