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“Turn your iPad off until after take off.” When she looked up at me with those big brown eyes, I was done. I polished off that glass of ice water in one swallow and it didn’t seem like the air was working.
I was exhausted and planned to sleep, but when I saw her, that plan instantly went up in flames. I didn’t want to miss one moment being in her presence.
What is that parfum she’s wearing? It’s taken over the plane. When I wiped my mouth with my napkin, her scent was there. It’s like spicy vanilla and tobacco, unusual for a woman, but very seductive. I’ve never been around a woman as mesmerizing as she is.
“Were you able to reach your mother?” I asked. Maybe hearing her talk about her mother will kill the lustful thoughts I’m having.
“Yes. I promised I’d call when we land.”
No such luck. The sweet sound of her voice traveled into my ear and danced around my head before journeying to my core, awakening something I assumed had become immune to sweet talk. The funny thing is, she didn’t say anything seductive or enticing. It’s just something about her. I can’t quite put my hand on it, although I wouldn’t mind touching every inch of her.
After we reached cruising level, Gil served lunch. I was starving. I drank so much coffee in Seattle, I think if you cut me, I’ll bleed Sumatra roast coffee.
So far the only thing that matches up to the report Tony gave me, is that she’s very smart. Considering the amount of time she had to gather the information I requested, she did very well. I’m convinced she’ll be able to handle any task I assign her.
She caught me off guard with her question. She’s a lot more perceptive than I anticipated, which is what she’ll need working with clients and the other executives. However, I’ve got to be careful not to slip up and make her suspicious of me. I need to keep the truth about her job and my position a secret as long as I can. I want her to be fully trained and comfortable working with me and Tony, before telling her why I really hired her. The longer she believes she was hired to be the Assistant to the new President, the better. She needs to believe there’s someone I report to.
If Tony were awake, I could ask him about his report on Gabriella and the obvious missing facts. At the top of the list, why didn’t he disclose how beautiful she is. It’s as if he thought I wouldn’t want to hire her because I had other intentions for her. I’ve gotta say, he wouldn’t be too far off base.
When it comes to a receptionist, it had better be an older, married woman.
CHAPTER FOUR
Gabriella
WORKING WITH PHILLIPPE HAS BEEN way more than I expected. Turns out, the problem in Seattle was with the building. It had been sold and the new owner wasn’t renewing any of the leases. Instead, they bought out all the leases and gave the tenants one month to vacate. Because Morgan Grant housed half of the building, Phillippe managed to negotiate some extra time, until the temporary space is ready.
We went in and evaluated the current and future needs of Morgan Grant and the other tenants. Then we looked at other possible locations. My job was to compare the cost to buy the buildings in each of the cities we visited, and take over all the leases verses just relocating Morgan Grant to another property. I took all the data, compiled my report, and presented it to Phillippe.
This was how the first three weeks went.
We finally made it to Charlotte and all three of us were exhausted. Phillippe checked us into our hotel rooms with strict orders to eat and sleep.
The following morning we all met in Phillippe’s suite for breakfast. The moment Tony opened the door, the aroma of fresh brewed coffee greeted me.
“Good morning Miss Townsend.”
He still won’t smile, but at least he’s not giving me intimidating looks anymore. “Good morning Tony.”
I was beginning to relax in my job, in spite of the crush on my boss. Maybe it was his intelligence, or the way he took charge in meetings, or his sense of humor. Who am I kidding? It’s the whole package. If I were to tell God exactly what kind of man I want, it would be one like Phillippe. A man who knows how to handle his business. Who’s gentle and strong. Who makes me laugh, loves art and isn’t afraid to admit when he’s made a mistake. Let’s face it, if he looks like he just stepped off the cover of a romance novel, that’s even better.
I followed the aroma and found Phillippe standing at the window on the phone. He had his back to me and the sight of his broad shoulders and tight backside, did more for waking me up than the coffee.
“I understand you don’t like this, but…I see…I don’t think that’s a good idea…uh-huh…uh-huh…no…if we do that, it could set us back at least six months…I don’t agree…the whole thing could have been avoided if he’d told someone…exactly…a million three…about three million…exactly…I’m already on it…a couple of weeks, maybe longer…no…okay.”
I walked over to the buffet and started piling food on a plate while staring at Phillippe. My, my, my…God, You have incredible sculpting skills. I wonder what he looks like naked.
He started pacing, then looked up, saw me and smiled. I quickly turned my attention to my overloaded plate and put the serving spoon down.
“We’ll continue this when I get back…not yet…because it’s too soon…yes it is…I do, but not now…I’ll let you know…no…don’t you trust me?…thank you…bye.” He pressed the button ending the call and placed his phone on the table. He rubbed his head with his hands and exhaled. Clearly whoever he was speaking with, upset him. A few seconds later, he seemed calm. “Good morning Gabriella. How did you sleep?”
“Well. Thank you. And yourself?”
He hesitated with his answer. “I slept.” He walked over to the buffet and picked up a plate. “Tell me about your family.”
“My family?”
“Yes. Tony said he met your mother when he picked you up.”
