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He wore a satisfied smirk—he knew. He was enjoying her discomfort. She felt a trace of anger and grasped at it. Better than being a babbling idiot, gaga over her hot boss.
“Actually, Mr. Gherring, I do find it to be quite cold in here. But I seriously doubt there’s anything you could ever do to warm me up.”
She pressed the send button on the email and marched out of the room to retrieve her bag, determined to regain what was left of her shredded dignity. When she headed for the door, she found Gherring barring her exit.
“Ms. Best.” He stepped sideways to intercept her as she tried to go around him, eyes firmly fixed on the floor. She refused to answer and attempted to pass him on the other side, until he finally leaned against the door handle and crossed his arms. “Please, will you look at me?”
“No, I won’t. If you want to fire me now, go ahead.” She glared at him and lifted her chin in defiance.
“Please, Ms. Best, I didn’t mean to offend you. You’re different from my other acquaintances—more sensitive.” He lifted his hand before she could retort. “Wait, I didn’t mean sensitive in a bad way. I simply mean I’m used to dealing with insensitive people. I can be sensitive. I used to be sensitive…”
His words died off and, for a moment, he looked sad, distant, and lonely.
Every trace of drummed-up anger melted away. How could she be upset with this poor man? He had everything money could buy, but seemed to lack happiness and joy. She thought of her family, her friends, all the people who loved her. He surely must not have this type of love in his life, or she wouldn’t have glimpsed that lost look in his eyes.
“Mr. Gherring, I’m fine. No worries. I know I can be very difficult to deal with—or so my daughters tell me.” His quick smile sent warmth into her chest. She decided to probe for a bit of information. “So, your current girlfriend isn’t very sensitive?”
“No, Ms. Best. There’s currently not anyone who falls into the category of girlfriend. I can’t say I’ve had much time or need for dating. Or the patience to deal with the consequences. To be honest, no one has really seemed worth the effort.” He looked surprised at his own candidness.
“Yes, of course. You’re a very busy and important man. And I should be getting out of your way so you can be about your business. I’ll see you Monday morning, Mr. Gherring.” Anne slipped around him and out the door.
She escaped to the elevator, glad to be free of Gherring’s forceful presence. Why did she have such a difficult time controlling herself around him? One minute she felt drawn to him, and the next she was furious. He was so arrogant. But then he’d accidentally revealed a part of himself he tried so hard to hide. He was lonely.
She knew what she had to do. Steven Gherring needed a mate—a life-long companion, true love, a match. And she, Anne Best, was just the woman to find that perfect match for him.
Working Order
“Hey Anne. Ready for your first day at work? Are you nervous?” Rayna came out from behind her desk to greet Anne as she emerged from the elevator.
Rayna had taken Anne up on her offer to be a listening ear. Turned out Rayna’s previous boyfriend had been emotionally abusive. By the time she’d escaped him, he’d driven away her other friends.
“Yes, extremely nervous. I feel like I’m fixin’ to pass out. But not as bad as I would’ve been since I realized Mr. Gherring will be out of town for three days.” Anne leaned in to whisper. “You look very chipper today. How was your date with Antonio last night?”
Rayna blushed crimson and glanced carefully over to the door where Antonio stood, apparently attempting to pretend he was not watching Rayna. Unabashed, Anne waved his direction. “Good morning, Antonio. How are you?”
Rayna positioned herself with her back to Antonio and spoke in a low voice. “It was so much fun. He was a real gentleman and opened the doors for me. We went to this fun pizza place, and we talked for hours. He’s a really good listener. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think I may be falling for him. I just want to take it slow so I don’t get hurt again.”
“Good for you. You deserve someone great after dealing with that Eddie. After you told me your story on Saturday, I was ready to punch that guy. He’d better hope I never meet him.”
Rayna laughed. “You’re so fierce. What would you do? Beat him up with your purse?”
“I just might. I’ve recently used my bag for just such a purpose.” Anne checked the clock on the wall. “I need to hurry, or I’ll be late. But I’m glad things are going well with Antonio. I just knew he’d be good for you.”
“Don’t be making wedding plans just yet.” Rayna chuckled as she peered over her shoulder at Antonio. “Although, I must admit, he would look great in a tux.”
On her way out the door, Antonio stopped Anne. “Good morning. I hope you have a great first day at work.”
“How did you know?”
“Rayna and I talked about you last night, among a lot of other subjects. I know you’re the one who told her about me. She never even knew I was alive before.”
“She would’ve noticed eventually. I just helped her focus more quickly.”
“I was right about you.” His eyes twinkled. “I told you on Friday it would be great having you here, and my prediction was spot-on. But I don’t understand how you knew. How did you know I liked Rayna? I didn’t say anything.”
“I just have a sixth sense about relationships.”
“Really? So you’ve done this before? Maybe you should charge a big fat fee. Are you working on anyone else right now?”
