Page 5 of Spencer


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“Great, send the officers back.” Toni stood and smoothed a hand down the front of her blouse, a slight tremor running through her. Probably lingering shock, she supposed, and slipped on her suit jacket. Not nearly as warm as Spencer’s body, but it would have to do. After all, he was going to be in her life as her bodyguard, not her boyfriend.

3

The next morning, Toni was working on the PowerPoint slides for her Jubail presentation when Spencer arrived at the office.

She waved him in as he and Paige passed by her door on his new-employee tour. “Hey, can you take a look at these for me?” She’d roughed out the general idea but wanted a fresh perspective.

He halted and did a quick double check to make sure she was talking to him before entering her office. “Uh, okay. Sure, boss.”

She smiled and stepped to the side to allow him to see what she’d done. She’d graduated cum laude from Stanford with a degree in law, and she’d earned an online certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship from their prestigious Graduate School of Business. Her business training ensured she could make a mean pie chart or sell the heck out of a project for her foundation when needed.

Careful to keep an appropriate distance between them, Toni watched Spencer click through the slides, taking time to read the details. Today, she noticed, he’d gone for a more business casual look, losing the suit in favor of a crisp white button-down shirt, khakis, and a forest green tie that complemented his eyes. His poise and self-confidence made him seem mature, but she supposed the notoriously harsh SEAL training probably forced them to grow up fast. At twenty-five, according to his employment documents, he was just a year older than her and—like her, she supposed—he’d worked hard to get where he was and earn respect.

While she waited for his opinion on her presentation, her eyes were drawn to the way his shirt stretched across his muscled back and how the scent of sandalwood and vanilla from his aftershave made her want to eat him up like her favorite dessert.

She shook her head to clear it, but memories of the day before resurfaced anyway—the weight of his body, the warmth of his skin, the brush of his soft auburn hair against her cheek as they’d sprawled on the floor. All the details she hadn’t realized she’d recorded in the moment but that kept replaying in her head ever since. Heat flowed through her veins at the memories, sweet as raw honey.

Toni took a literal step away from temptation and crossed her arms, feeling oddly exposed despite her long-sleeved red sweater and black pants. “So, what do you think?”

“Honestly?” Spencer straightened and turned to face her, his expression unreadable.

“I always want the truth.” She’d learned that from her father. The truth, however painful, was best. “Give it to me.”

Admiration brightened his green eyes, the sight of it sending a rush of pleasure through her. “I’m impressed.”

Flushing at his compliment, she stepped closer to reach for her computer and realized too late he’d not moved an inch. Her arm brushed his, and her whole right side tingled. “Good. What did you like about it, specifically?”

“Well, first off, it’s well organized. You’ve got the data about the holes in the education system and all the people who aren’t being reached by traditional schooling in Jubail, but you’ve framed it in a way that focuses on opportunities rather than on blaming anyone for the shortcomings, which I imagine is important when you’re presenting to the people in charge. You show a lot of respect for the historic and cultural traditions of the country while still emphasizing the advantages of creating a more informed, cosmopolitan populace. And when you move past the facts and figures to make a direct, emotional appeal to help the children and give them a brighter future, I think you hit just the right note. Moving without being manipulative. I think it’s a pitch the leadership will find it very easy to agree on—and that’s no easy feat, given the tensions in the region.”

Now she was the one who was impressed. “That’s quite an analysis. Do you have a business background?”

“Nothing official,” he said with an easy smile. “But I like to read. Books on how to be persuasive, how to be a better speaker, how to organize your ideas to get people to take them seriously. It’s important to me that I present myself well.”

You present yourselfverywell,she thought. Smart, well-spoken, charming…not to mention powerfully built and incredibly handsome. She couldn’t imagine anyone failing to be impressed by him, whether they wanted to be or not.

“You’ll be meeting with Sheik Saaed, right?” Spencer continued. “From everything I’ve heard about him, backing an initiative like yours sounds right up his alley. And he’s incredibly popular throughout Jubail. Once you’ve got him on board, the doors will be wide open for you and your foundation.”

“You seem to know a lot about the area. How much time did you spend in Jubail?”

“Almost a year, when I was nineteen.” One side of his lips quirked into a small smile. “Fresh out of SEAL training and eager to save the world. Our team helped train their local militia forces.”

“Wow. That must’ve been a lot for someone so young.”

“It was a learning experience, that’s for sure.”

“I bet.” She took her seat at the desk, gesturing toward the overstuffed chairs across from her. “So you’re pretty familiar with their culture, then?”

“Yep.” Spencer stretched out his long legs, his feet accidentally brushing hers before he pulled them away and apologized. “Jubail’s a beautiful place, and the people are great. There was this one place I remember, a lake near the mountains in the south. Reminded me of this spot where my granddad and I used to go fishing when I was a kid.”

“Given your knowledge of the country and the citizens, I’d like your help on this presentation, Spencer.”

Looking genuinely shocked, he narrowed his gaze. “Really?”

“Yes. You have the insider expertise I need to ensure this trip is a success. No pressure or anything, but the future of my foundation hangs on this presentation—which means the fate of all those children who can learn to read and benefit from the stories on our e-readers.”

He sat back. “No pressure at all, then.”

“Nope.” She grinned.

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