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Shane senior ignored her and when Emma took his hand, it completely engulfed hers. He was just as tall if not slightly taller than Shane, and Emma marveled at the strong genes that produced such fine specimens of mankind. His handshake was as warm and friendly as his smile and immediately put her at ease.
"Sir," she said and his smile deepened.
"Call me Oliver. I don't stand too much on formalities, Emma, and something tells me I'll be seeing lots more of you, both in and out of the office." He nodded toward Shane and then turned his attention to Simone.
"And you must be Simone. Excellent work you've been doing with our French suppliers."
The petite, raven-haired beauty visibly relaxed when he lapsed into French, and Emma's ears pricked up when she heard her name being mentioned. Liz, too, stiffened and then she was there, yanking the files out of Emma's arms.
"You won't get away with this. I've spent too many years working my ass off to be replaced by the likes of you."
She hissed the words at Emma, but in the sudden stillness of the room they could be heard as clearly as if she'd been shouting them. Shane shot to his feet, but his father stopped him with a wave of his hand.
"Tell me what's in those files and how the results of the audit will benefit Langton Enterprises, Ms. Goven. After all, you were at pains to point out how Emma delayed your work, and that's why you didn't finish the audit, so I expect you to know them inside out."
Oliver Nevin winked at her, a mischievous move so like his son that Emma couldn't help but grin. Liz had just gone and hung herself. The woman wouldn't have the first clue about the contents of the report. Emma didn't doubt that she hadn't even looked at the summary page pinned to the top.
Sure enough Liz blanched, and Emma did a mental fist pump.
Gotcha, bitch.
"I … I … well, I—"
"—are done working from the horizontal position, Ms. Goven."
Shane's clipped tones focused everyone's attention on him, and Liz adopted her most haughty look. She bashed the files on the long, oval-shaped oak table dominating the room.
"How dare you. If anyone is sleeping their way to a job then it's precious little Emma here. I see it all now. Get chummy with the boss's son, so that she can take my place. I don't think so. I have rights, and I—"
"Forfeited them the day you stopped doing your work and abused your position as executive assistant. And for the record, Emma is not sleeping with the boss's son. She'd be sleeping with the boss, if she were sleeping with me, that is. Sadly, I haven't had that pleasure, yet."
The emphasis he put on yet did peculiar things to the rhythm of Emma's heart, even as her brain screamed at her to run. He'd lied to her, dammit. All this time, she'd thought he was a friend, and instead he'd been a spy in their midst.
Shane glanced at Emma and smiled. It didn't reach his eyes and Emma knew him well enough to see the tension in his face and shoulders. It deflated some of her own anger at his deception. Lord, the things she'd told him, the confidences she'd shared during their many lunches, and all this time he'd simply been staking out the place he'd already owned.
She was a goddamn fool, that's what she was. Thank heavens they hadn't actually done anything. She'd be as much of a fucking cliché as Liz had become.
Emma crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Shane, a move not lost on his father, who chuckled softly and said something to Simone that made her, too, laugh.
"Hah, so you say. Who is actually going to believe that? She's nothing but a hussy, and you will not get away with this."
Emma crunched her teeth together and balled her hands into fists to stop herself from swiping that infuriating grin off the other woman's face. Before she could say anything at all, however, the door opened and two burly security guards stepped up to Liz on either side.
"I told you this morning, we would see who would be escorted off the premises," Shane said. "It looks to me as though you're the one who's leaving. My father is not the CEO. I am, and as such it gives me great pleasure to tell you this. You're fired, Ms. Goven. Your desk has already been cleared and these two gentlemen will see you to your car."
He ignored her furious screech and handed her a plain paper envelope.
"This contains a check, payment of three months’ pay in lieu of your notice. Not that I need to pay you anything under the circumstances, but I'm not an ogre. I would remind you of the confidentiality clause you signed and which forms part of your employment contract. Should I find that you have not respected that clause, my lawyers will destroy what is left of your career. Do we understand each other, Liz?"
Emma swallowed nervously and licked her suddenly dry lips, as she watched Shane in action. This man was a stranger. A sexy as hell stranger, admittedly, but nonetheless he made her nervous in a way the old Shane had never done. She'd lusted after him, but she hadn't felt that intense pull that made every cell in her body yearn for this man.
"Yes, we do." Liz finally said the words needed and Shane's harsh expression softened slightly.
"Take her away, boys. Dad, Simone, would you give me some time alone with Emma, please? I fear I have some explaining to do."
Oliver laughed and took the files off the table.
"Good luck with that. Your girl here looks just like your mum
