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“Had a late date and decided not to travel home but rather catch a few hours of sleep. Her office is ready. I think we should have done it ages ago.” He yawns, rubbing his face and raking his hair in place with his fingers.
“Well, we’re doing it now.” I bump into a few people taking out packaging leftovers and cleaning the new space. “I must admit it turned out better than I expected. What do you think?”
He nods at me with that thoughtful expression that seems way too troubled.
“What is it?”
“You sure it’s a clever idea?”
I motion for him to come into my office, and he strides after me.
“You both basically lit up the office during the interview. What if you get too close? We don’t need that kind of trouble, Mark. We worked too hard to ruin it.”
I power up my computer and get ready for the call.
“There’ll be none. I don’t plan to sleep with her.” As I speak, my body reacts, thinking about her in my arms and her luscious lips raw from my kisses parted for more. Her naked body writhing with need, begging for release. Shit!
My friend’s forehead crinkles as he draws his eyebrows together in disbelief.
“Cassandra is a gorgeous woman. Add her intelligence to the mix, and you have a disaster about to happen.” Rob rubs his face and slumps into a seat on the leather sofa. “We don’t need this.”
My stomach drops, imagining him or any other man flirting with her, making her smile. I don’t know what I’ll do if he tries to charm her. It wouldn’t be the first time he romantically got involved with an employee.
“Keep your paws off her. She’s coming here to work, not to date.” I sink as much authority into the words as I can to make the point.
Rob chortles, throwing his head to the ceiling, and then he snaps his serious gaze to me.
“You have no fucking idea how possessive you sound, my friend. I don’t think you know what you’re doing. Be careful, you’re already throwing a claim on her, and she can’t be yours. You aren’t her keeper, and the Cades won’t take this well. You owe your life to them. Don’t forget that.”
His words dig into my chest like the debt of life I don’t want to owe. A wave of anger and pain claws through me. But I curb it, knowing that whatever the future holds for me will be hell to deal with, but it might be worth it.
Instead of worrying about the unknown, I concentrate on the arranged video conference. After the chat, Rob leaves me, and I throw myself at work, needing to forget Rob's warning, family debts, and my revenge.
“Mr. Lawson, Mrs. Cade’s here.” The receptionist’s voice booms through the intercom and my heart gallops, excited to see her again.
“Let her in.” I stand up, straightening my suit jacket as she walks through the door in a burgundy figure-hugging dress and nude heels. Her pale gaze locks on me, those luscious lips stretching into a warm smile.
“Good morning, Mark.” Her eyes sparkle with excitement as I envelop her hand into mine. Electric charges zap me at the contact, and she flinches as if she felt it too.
“Ready to start?” I ask, barely recognizing my voice coated with so much desire. Cassandra beams at me, and my heart skips a beat. “Let me show you to your office, and then I’ll tell you more about your job.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I motion her to the door and place my palm on the small of her back to guide her. A sweet scent of peaches drifts to my nose from her wavy hair that’s clipped in a unique hairstyle. Dammit, she smells and looks like a dessert, and her pulse hammers at her neck, reacting to me like she’s begging for my lips. I shut my eyes, shaking off my inappropriate thoughts.
“Wow, this is perfect.” Cassan
dra steps away from me to look around, and I instantly feel empty.
The tall shelving and the view from her desk make this tight space quite remarkable. I lean my shoulder next to the entrance, watching her reaction fill up with happiness as she acquaints herself with her small workspace.
I grab a folder from the desk, offer it to her, and take a seat as she takes it from me.
“What is this?” Her melodious voice drifts through the empty room as she flips through the pages.
“Passwords to your computer and access to intranet, also other instructions, like how to navigate through the company network, contact information, and email settings for you. I also prepared a list of your tasks and assignments you should be working on.”
“This is great. I can start familiarizing with all the info straight away. Does my position involve the secretary work your receptionist already does?”
