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She turned her attention back to the other suppliers who crowded around the table. Tanya, the interior designer and fabric expert, seemed a bit snobby but extremely tal-ented. Her short red bob, bright makeup, and tendency to wear all black told Julietta she had a keen sense of style and how to put things together. ricardo, head chef of Purity restaurants, exhibited an even temperament key to the hotel industry, and he fleshed out his ideas in businesslike fash-ion. evelyn, the spa expert, was extremely new agey, with blond hip-length hair and dressed completely in organic, breathable earth-tone fabrics. Her voice was low and me-lodic, with glowing, fresh skin and a lean body she trained with hours of yoga. each brought something new to the table, and thank goodness she felt as if they could all work well as a team, yet own their individual flair.
She watched Sawyer from under half-lidded eyes.
He was magnificent in action. Completely in charge, but with a relaxed ease that invited opinions and discussion.
ruthlessly organized and well spoken. He reminded her of Michael, but he vibrated on a lower key, as if skimming the surface but always retaining tight control. His slate gray suit molded to his muscled length in loving attention, and when he turned toward the PowerPoint presentation, her gaze fixed on the hard, tight ass her fingers longed to explore.
Amazing how badly she craved his touch from a distance.
Already her panties were damp, and that burning need throbbed between her legs. Too bad she froze once contact was initiated.
He turned and shot her a knowing look. She tried not to flinch and concentrated on not letting her face grow hot.
How embarrassing. Staring at his rear like a silly teenager crushing on her teacher.
The door opened and a young man walked in. He whispered something to Sawyer, nodded, and pulled up a chair to join the conference.
everyone stared in shocked silence.
Dressed in a tame navy blue suit and tie, he seemed the typical employee from the neck down. That’s where it ended. His hair was half shaved on the right side, re-vealing the gold loop and various piercings in his ear and brow. The left side of his hair was jet black, arranged in an array of spikes that stuck straight out like a hairstyle gone horribly wrong. Surly blue eyes stared back at each of the suppliers, as if challenging them to say a word about his appearance. A tattoo of some snake/serpent thing was etched around his neck like a permanent collar. Julietta pegged him as nineteen or twenty at the most. What was he doing here?
Sawyer cleared his throat and spoke up. “I’d like to in-troduce you to my assistant, Wolfe. He’s been interning with me, and I’m assigning him to helping you with whatever you need. I know you already have a full staff, but he will be your main contact person for daily issues that crop up.”
No one spoke.
A sneer twisted Wolfe’s lips. “Don’t all jump at once,”
he shot out. The warning look Sawyer cut him elicited a shrug; then the kid leaned back in his chair like he couldn’t give a damn.
Tanya spoke. “Sawyer, I don’t think a young boy still finding himself will work for me. My associates are well trained. I’ll take care of things on my end, but if there’s an issue, I’m going straight to you.”
ricardo nodded in agreement. evelyn looked at Wolfe with a curious stare, as if studying him for a project.
“Fascinating,” she whispered. “But I agree with Tanya; we only deal directly with the head of the project. If you disagree, I’m afraid we’ll have a problem.”
Wolfe shook his head. “I told you,” he said. “This wasn’t going to work. They only want you.”
“I assure you Wolfe is completely capable of helping and knows everything we need to achieve with Purity. I’ve been training him for months; don’t let his appearance throw you.”
“yeah, I can count without using my fingers,” Wolfe added.
Julietta bit her lip to tamp down a laugh. Damn, he was full of angst. She remembered Carina at that age; even with her sweetness, she was surly, miserable, and hated life. Why would Sawyer ever hire someone like him? The mystery fascinated her.
Tanya gave a brittle laugh. “No offense, Mr. Wolfe, but we refuse a middleman. Too many mistakes are made that way. Take it or leave it, Sawyer.”
“Agreed,” ricardo spoke up.
“I’ll work with him.” The three shut up and stared at Julietta with astonishment. The kid narrowed his eyes with suspicion. “That is, if Mr. Wolfe would like to work with me. I’d love someone on this end I can pass information through. Sawyer will be busy implementing all the puzzle pieces, so I appreciate the help.”
“It’s Wolfe. Not Mr. Wolfe.”
Julietta smiled. “Mi dispiace. Wolfe, I mean. Thank you for your assistance.”
He gave a nod, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and stared at the table. Pleasure and relief carved out the features of Sawyer’s face. Her heart lifted. How odd. He seemed to care about this boy more than a normal employee. She needed to dig and get the story.
They finished their meeting and broke for lunch. Julietta made her way over and stood beside Wolfe. “Thank you again for offering your services.” She stuck out her hand.
He hesitated, as if anticipating she’d jerk her hand away at the last minute and start laughing. Then he shook her hand with a firm grip, letting go so quick she wondered if her palm was sweaty.
“Welcome.”
“How long have you worked for Sawyer?”
He shifted his feet. “Why?”
She shrugged. “Just wondering. Purity means everything to him. If he trusts you to have a hand in it, he must believe you’re good.”
Wolfe looked over his shoulder at Sawyer speaking with Tanya. “I have a photographic memory,” he grudgingly admitted. “And a weird thing for figures. We met in New york and he asked me to come work for him.”
His jaw unclenched and blue eyes softened a shade.
Interesting. They cared about each other. Saving the rest of her questions for later, she nodded. “I’d love for you to come to La Dolce Famiglia and meet some of my team. I have a specified list of things to get moving, and someone who can add without his fingers would be a huge asset.”
His lip quirked. “Cool.”
“See you later.” She turned on her heel and headed toward the door when her name rang through the room. Her feet stuck to the carpet at the commanding tone, and her belly flipped and sank low. She turned her head. “yes?”
