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"Don't make me laugh, Shane." Liz said with a sneer. "You haven't got the authority to change anything around here. In fact, you're fired, as of now. Pack your stuff and I'll have security escort you off the premises."
Emma gasped, but Shane didn't react at all.
"No need, I'm out of here," he said.
Shane gave Liz a look of utter contempt, winked at Emma, and added, "We'll see who will be escorted off the premises, won't we?"
With those ominous words Shane stalked out of the office.
Chapter Two
After that tumultuous start to her day, the remainder dragged by agonizingly slowly, even though Emma was busier than ever, thanks to Liz delegating work to her. As much as she wanted to throw the files at the bleached blonde's face, she needed this job, dammit, so Emma kept her head down and ignored the gossipmongers. She also steadfastly refused to look across to Shane's desk, which remained empty. At least no nameless security guard had come to pack his belongings into a box, but where was he? And where was the new CEO?
Liz spent the day on the phone and flitting about the office in the self-absorbed ma
nner the woman had perfected and that seemed to always fool management. The one that made Emma want to stick her foot out and trip her up.
By the time 4.30 PM rolled around Emma was tired, miserable, and horny. She'd managed to rid herself of her chafing underwear in the Ladies at lunchtime, and while that had been better than sitting in damp panties, she'd underestimated the effect the fresh air would have on her newly discovered libido. All she had to do was look across at Shane's leather jacket, left on the back of his office chair, and her hormones woke up again kicking and screaming. She'd lost count how many times she had to go and freshen up. Emma switched her PC off with a wry grin at her predicament. Maybe it was just as well Shane wasn't here. She might have just jumped him in the stationery cupboard otherwise.
The shrill ring of her desk phone made her jump, and with a wistful look at the clock and the departing backs of half the office staff, Emma answered it.
"You're wanted in the conference room, like five minutes ago. Bring that report I wanted for tomorrow."
Liz Goven's voice sounded worried and Emma rolled her eyes.
"It's not finished yet. I can't work bloody miracles, Liz." She grumbled the words into the receiver, and mentally kissed her evening goodbye. Sure enough, Liz's reply was as predictable as it was annoying and downright unfair.
"You can explain that to the CEO. He wants that report, and I shall just have to point out your incompetency, won't I? If you hadn't made moon eyes at that Shane, then no doubt you'd have it ready."
"That is an outrageous thing to say, Liz. I won't—"
The dial tone in her ear cut her off, and Emma slammed the phone down, earning herself a worried look from Simone. The French intern smiled at her, and Emma pinched the bridge of her nose in an effort to calm herself down.
"'Ave you been summoned too?" Simone's lilting French accent never failed to make Emma smile. She shrugged her shoulders and grabbed the files and the flash drive containing her notes.
"Indeed, I have. I'd feel a damn sight better if I knew what happened to Shane. You haven't seen him, have you?"
"Non, I 'ave not. Though they say 'e 'as been in with the new boss all day."
"They do? Well, I guess that explains his absence."
An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Emma's stomach, and every step carrying her closer to the conference room made that ball heavier. Emma was a great believer in listening to her gut, and hers churned like nobody's business right now. Something didn't add up here.
She pushed open the heavy door to the conference room and took a deep breath. Shane was indeed there, sitting in one of the plush chairs designed to make the room seem less like an office. He seemed engaged in a rather animated discussion with a silver-haired man who Emma assumed to be the new CEO. Liz sat on the other side of the room, for all intents and purposes looking as though she was sucking on a lemon. There was no trace of their former boss Richard, and Emma thanked the Lord for small mercies at least. The man had always given her the creeps, and had been a major reason why she'd chosen to hide rather than flaunt her curves at work this past year.
Shane looked up when she walked in, and Emma was grateful for the cover of the files she clutched to her bosom. They would at least serve to hide her embarrassingly obvious response to the heated promise in his gaze, as her nipples did their usual “try and punch a hole through her bra and poke eyes out” act. There was nothing at all she could do about the moisture coating her pussy lips, other than clench her thighs and pray they didn't want her to sit down, or hang around. This close to Shane, her body just had one thing on its mind, and that was to jump the man's bones.
Why today of all days, all the pent-up desires she'd been hiding chose to break through the surface and make themselves known to all and sundry was beyond her right now.
Just get through the next half hour without embarrassing yourself in front of the new CEO, and you'll be fine.
The mantra in her head flew out of her brain when the new owner of Langton Enterprises turned around and smiled at her.
There was no mistaking the family resemblance and the bottom fell out of Emma's world. Shane's smile was duplicated on this older version of him, and Shane senior stuck out his hand.
"Miss Mullins, I'm so glad to finally meet you. Do you mind if I call you Emma?" At her shake of the head he continued, "I've heard lots of good things about you."
Liz snorted in the opposite corner, a sound not unlike that of a horse, and most unladylike at that.
