Chapter Five
Lilly
It’s stilldark outside when my alarm goes off. It takes me a few moments to remember where I am. I’m not in my old apartment, nor am I in the new apartment I was supposed to share with Barrett. It’s not the cheap hotel.
And then it hits me.
The night before and the awkward confrontation with Luke Morgan. The way I pushed myself into his house, his office, and his life.
Not like I had another choice. But…
I still couldn’t believe I’d had the courage to do it.
Or that it had worked.
After I found the file he’d been lookingfor, which felt like a miracle by itself, and he’d suggested a one-month trial, I had to work hard to keep from embarrassing myself with the relief that hit me.
The last thing I needed was to lose the job only minutes after getting it because I was an emotional wreck.
Instead, I managed to hold it together while Luke showed me to a room and helped me bring in my things. He’d hardly said more than a handful of words to me before the last load of things was brought in, and he disappeared.
He clearly wasn’t going to be much of a conversationalist. Fine by me. I needed a job. Not a boyfriend.
Even if he was the sexiest man I’d ever seen.
When he wasn’t glowering at me, that is.
Again, I didn’t have any business thinking any kind of way about my boss. Not unless it involved how I planned to organize his life and make myself indispensable to him.
At least long enough for me to find a new job.
And a place to live.
I throw the quilt back and slip from the large timber-framed bed. It’s clearlyhandcrafted, and one of the finest pieces of furniture I’ve ever seen. The bed was comfortable and warm, and despite the circumstances surrounding the evening, I’d fallen asleep quickly and slept deeply.
In the attached bathroom, I shower quickly before getting dressed. I choose a blue blouse and my black skirt. My workplace might be in a log cabin in the middle of the woods, but it doesn’t mean I should dress any differently than I would for any other job.
Luke’s not awake yet, and the cabin is still dark as I pad my way down the hall to his office. I’m not sure if he’s an early riser or not, but I’d taken a chance on him sleeping in past five so I can get a head start on getting his office in order.
From the little I’d seen the night before, I definitely have my work cut out for me.
He isn’t just disorganized. He’s drowning.
Tessa said he’s at the top of his game. A highly sought-after and successful investor. He’s made himself and many others millions of dollars.
I have no ideahow.Not when the man can’t even find a client profile.
I pause on the threshold of his office, notsure if entering without permission crosses a line. But the memory of his words the night before runs through my head.
You have one month to prove you’re worth the disruption to my life.
Hard to do that from the guest room.
I blow out a breath and step inside.
The room looks exactly the way it had the night before. I wasn’t imagining how bad it was. It’s actually worse.
I pull the chair back and get to work.
