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I eyed her heels. “Well, perhaps next time it’ll be easier to maneuver in flatter shoes. Don’t go for impressive around here, go for functional.” Who the fuck is saying this? I’ve always been a stiletto man before. “Are you okay, Miss?”
“Miss Kilshimer. My name is Iris Kilshimer. I’m so sorry. This is my first day as an intern, and maybe I had too much coffee. It makes me jittery.”
The last name was like a sharp knife to the gut. I knew that name, had for years. Seth Kilshimer was my best friend and the first one I’d made at graduate school in the United States. Shit. I’d promised his daughter that internship months ago, and now she was here. I’d thought she was pretty—okay, gorgeous—from her picture with her photo ID and resume, but it paled to
her looks in person. But she might as well be made out of damn Kryptonite.
No one was more off limits than my best mate’s daughter.
It took far too much effort to force my hand from her cheek. “Don’t worry. I just want to make sure you’re okay. We hardly want a safety complaint or a workers’ comp, do we? There’s a medical office on-site just for small things, maybe you should go get that checked out,” I said as I pointed to the small trail of red on her knee. “Looks like you got quite the bit of rug burn there, lass.”
She blushed. “It’s okay. I’m fine. I just…oh, your carpet’s white! Did I ruin it?”
I hated myself right then. Normally, I would be the type of pompous, self-obsessed jerk to make an injured person feel like shite for bleeding. Today wasn’t that day, definitely not with Iris. I reached for the tissues on my desk and pulled a few out. Kneeling down, I sponged at her leg.
“Nonsense. I’ll walk you to the medical office myself, if you like.”
She shook her head. “I’m sure the CEO has more to do today than worry about the newest and clumsiest intern.”
I stood and handed her extra tissues. “Have Frances…Mrs. McCabe take you directly to the elevator and the med facilities. Don’t want an infection.”
“Dreaded carpet burn,” she said, tossing her long, curly dark hair over her shoulder.
I desperately wanted to wrap my fingers up in the black waves and feel their silkiness for myself. Then again, if I even tried that, good ole Seth would rip my dick off, and he’d be right to do it.
“Yeah, luv,” I said, offering her a polite smile. “Now away with you, and make sure you get all the betadine you need. Can’t get blamed for an infection, hurting a pretty lass like you.”
She swallowed hard. “You think I’m pretty.”
I frowned, not even realizing what I’d said. “I…you clean up well for your first professional job, Miss Kilshimer.”
Her smile faded a little even as she dabbed at her knee. She had to make do with that much. If I let her know how I really felt, I’d bend her over the desk and give her a much better memory. Then Seth would murder me and dismember the body.
Terrible ideas, Callum.
“Get along now, Miss Kilshimer, and take a long lunch on me. Whatever you like from the commissary is from yours truly. Make sure that Frances sees to that too.”
“I’m still the one who messed up your medicine.”
“And I’m the one whose carpet messed you up. Don’t worry. Tomorrow you can try again.”
“And I’m not fired?”
“I think your father would have me in an Altoids box if I tried that.”
“True, but if I really deserved it, well, I don’t want to be abusing nepotism. I mean, more than I already have.”
“Duly noted. If you truly muck up, it’ll be off with your head,” I said, winking back at her. “Now, you’re right, Miss Kilshimer, I have work to do.”
In the executive en suite shower.
She nodded, cheeks flushing red, and scurried out of the room. Damn, but her arse was a lovely sight to watch as she hurried away.
***
I managed to keep cool for the rest of the work day, although I was intensely bothered. Instead, I plastered a fake smile on my face through meetings and tried to ignore the hard-on to end all hard-ons plaguing me. I’d felt my dick throbbing all day. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her soft hair falling down her shoulders. Every time I took a deep breath, I smelled the hint of lavender from her perfume. And every time I even breathed, I felt my cock straining against the fabric of my pants. It was a good thing I didn’t have any strenuous meetings scheduled that day. I’d have signed bloody anything as distracted as I was.
It was a blessing when I was able to call it an early day at three-thirty and rush to my penthouse.
