Page 9 of Just a Little Tempted

I nodded along, absorbing not just his words but everything about Simon—the tension in his shoulders, the tightness around his jaw, the way he seemed so controlled, like he was holding back something he didn’t want me to see.

This man wasn’t happy. I just couldn’t tell if that was his baseline state or if my presence specifically was the problem. How hard had Kurt pushed to get Simon to agree to this?

He continued outlining expectations—record keeping, expense management, networking support. Most of it was familiar territory from my years at the advertising firm, but every job had its own learning curve, its own particular rhythms and demands.

And something told me Simon Powers wasn’t going to be patient while I found my footing. I needed to master this job fast. Faster than I’d ever learned anything before.

Which meant I needed to forget about this inconvenient attraction. The flutter in my chest when he looked at me. The heat that had sparked when our hands touched. None of that mattered. It couldn’t matter.

This job was my chance to get my life back on track, and I refused to let anything—especially not a pair of gorgeous green eyes and a set of distracting forearms—blow it for me.

CHAPTER FIVE

Simon

“Everything with theproduct launch is on track,” Liam said as I signed the receipt for our lunch.

With Liam stationed at GalvaTech most days, we’d fallen into a rhythm of meeting for lunch a couple of times a week to catch each other up on business matters. GalvaTech was developing a portable electric vehicle charger, and we’d invested heavily to provide the capital they needed to bring it to market. Liam had been on-site for months now, advising the management team and working closely with every department to ensure a smooth launch.

“Mass production is well underway,” he continued as we pushed through the restaurant doors and stepped into the midday sun. “The sales team has split their focus between email campaigns and press kits. Social media is developing a strategy to build awareness before release.”

“Good.” I slipped my wallet into my jacket pocket. “I’m glad everything’s finally coming together.”

There was a time, just a couple of months ago, when GalvaTech had looked like a disaster waiting to happen. The company’s Chief Technology Officer, the man who’d developed the original prototype, had been embezzling funds to feed a hidden drug problem. That kind of scandal could have voided our contract entirely, but Liam insisted on sticking with them. He’d pushed to invest evenmoremoney to cover the losses. Partly because he believed in the company and the product. But mostly because of Morgan. She was head of marketing atGalvaTech, which her father owned. And that CTO who’d nearly torpedoed everything? Her stepbrother.

Liam had broken a cardinal rule of business: he’d fallen in love with a client. So naturally, he wanted to help her family. I wasn’t attached to GalvaTech in the same way, but I wasn’t heartless, despite what some of my former assistants might claim. I’d agreed to the additional investment, betting that the new EV charger would generate enough return to justify the risk.

Based on Liam’s reports, that bet was looking solid. Which meant I could redirect my attention elsewhere.

“So,” Liam said as we crossed the parking lot toward our cars, a knowing glint entering his eyes, “how’s the new assistant working out?”

I kept my expression neutral. “She only just started this morning.”

“I know. Kurt’s sister, right?” He studied me with the kind of scrutiny only a sibling could manage. “I’m surprised you agreed to it. Hiring a friend’s family member seems like a recipe for complications, especially with your track record with assistants.”

I shot my brother a look, even though he wasn’t wrong. “It’s a ninety-day trial. We’ll see how she does.”

“That’s not an answer to my question.”

“It’s the only one you’re getting,” I said.

Liam laughed, shaking his head. “Come on. First impressions? Is she competent? Is she going to last longer than the parade of assistants you’ve burned through this year?”

Competentwasn’t the first word that came to mind when I thought about Raina Seager.Distractingwas a closer descriptor. And very unexpected. The way she’d walked into my office this morning with that bright smile and those ridiculous cookies, talking a mile a minute while I tried not to notice the way her blue eyes sparkled when she was nervous.

Yeah, I’d noticed anyway.

“She seems capable,” I said, keeping my tone even. “Time will tell if she can actually handle the workload.”

“High praise, coming from you.” Liam’s tone was dry. “Try not to scare this one off in the first week, yeah?”

“I don’tscarepeople off.”

The look he gave me suggested he disagreed, but he let it drop. “I’ll be at GalvaTech for the rest of the week, but I’ll stop by the office on Friday. Maybe I’ll actually get to meet her before you find a reason to fire her.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re hilarious.”

We parted ways at our cars, and I drove back to the office with Liam’s words rattling around in my head.Try not to scare this one off.