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“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to introduce you to my daughter. Maddie has her own journalism website. She’s had a couple of high-profile stories already.”
“I’d hardly call them high profile,” she mutters.
Maddie, notMichaela. What the hell? Why the fake name?
Maybe it’s because Michaela—Maddie—knows I couldn’t date the daughter of one of my employees. It’s bad enough, from a PR standpoint, that she’s half my age, but that would mean Maddie guessed I wanted her the second I saw her.
I’ve never been the type to live with my heart on my sleeve. If you ask some people, I don’t even have a heart to parade around. I’m certain I didn’t let my desire show last night when talking with Maddie. Or if I did, she couldn’t have guessed the depth.
“Don’t you want to tell him about your stories?” Veronica says, smiling at her daughter.
Despite the awkwardness, I’m relieved Maddie has a mom who cares so much, a mom who wants to push her into the world and help develop her talents.
“Maybe another time,” Maddie says.
Veronica shrugs. “Well, I shouldn’t be much longer. It’s so nice of you to come and meet me. Are you sure you don’t mind waiting around?”
“You can tell me about these stories in the meantime,” I say, looking at Maddie.
I’m making my woman—damn, this is hard… I’m makingMaddiesquirm. She fidgets on the spot, looking at the floor because she knows thatIalready know about her story. We’re playing a strange game here. Once Veronica has gone, I take a step closer to Maddie.
“Do you want to see the meditation room?”
She must sense the tone in my voice. There’s need in there, but also a gruff command.
“Sure,” she murmurs.
I glance over my shoulder, watching as Veronica climbs into the elevator. Already, Maddie and I are sneaking around. I’m conscious of not letting my real feelings out just in case the security guards or my other employees milling around the marble lobby are watching me.
Headlines jeer from the future.
Scandal! CEO Bags Woman Half His Age… And She’s His Assistant’s Daughter!
Once Veronica is gone, I lead Maddie through the turnstile and past the elevator. She walks just behind me, her head bowed.
“Do you think you’re in trouble?” I say.
She flashes a look at me. It’s from the same breed the employees aim at me, with that hint of fear. I’ve never enjoyed it, and I like it even less now.
“You don’t work for me. You didn’t break any laws by lying. I’d be asking myself if you were trying to steal trade secrets, but clearly, you’ve got a connection to the company. Or maybe you’re just a very clever spy.”
She laughs quietly. “Oh yeah, that’s me. Super spy. It’s just… when a very, very,veryserious man leads you down a quiet hallway, you start to wonder.”
She’s right. It’s quiet here. We’ve turned the corner from the main lobby. The meditation room was purposefully situated to reduce foot traffic, noise, and any disturbances.
I should stop, but I don’t. Instead, I stand over her, then even closer, staring down into her eyes. She gazes up at me with her mouth slightly open. It’s like she’s expecting a kiss, which is madness now, which alwayswasmadness.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Duh. But am I going to walk in to find a team of lawyers waiting for me? Are you going to threaten my website? And my interviewee is still waiting for me.”
“Cancel the interview. You need to rearrange.”
When she gasps, I can feel her breath on me, a preview of the heat we’ll share. I didn’t realize I’d leaned down that close, but there’s an undeniable pull. It’s the pull I imagine men feeling thousands of years ago, a voice roaring in their head to hunt, to provide for their women and their children, and then to claim them as the fire flickers.
“Why would I do that?”
“The setup is suspicious. You have no idea if the owner of this dog-theft operation will be there.”
