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CHAPTER1
HAILEY
Wow! Is he human? Surely not.
Oblivious of my surroundings and the people gaping at me, my eyes widen at the drop-dead gorgeous man seated behind an enormous mahogany desk. Is thistheGareth Payne of Payne Technologies? The picture of him in the tech magazine doesn’t do him justice at all.
Where is a time machine when you need one? I am sure that, somewhere in ancient Greece, they are searching for one of their missing gods. They don’t know he is seated a few paces from me, crammed in a dove-gray designer suit that shows off his powerfully built body.
How is this guy seventeen years older than me? He doesn’t look a day older than thirty.
I can’t stop staring at his angular face, glossy midnight-black hair, and bearded chin. His scorching green eyes remind me of emeralds and hold me mesmerized. An unfamiliar quiver spreads through my body, leaving my mouth dry.
“If you’re sure you’ve had enough of ogling me, perhaps you could join the meeting, Miss Graham.”
That fast, I fall back to reality like a plane falling from the sky. I feel my face flushing crimson when I realize the three men by the desk have turned around to stare at me with amusement in their eyes.
Oh my God. I can’t believe I messed up my first day in the most incredible tech company in the country. It’s silly to squander this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Don’t worry, Hailey. We all reacted the same way when we first saw him,” Susan Hayes, his P.A., whispers beside me, causing my flush to deepen. Everyone noticed how I made a fool of myself, like a sex-starved idiot.
What in the world is wrong with me? Yes, my boss looks good enough to eat, but that doesn’t mean I have to act like a teenager with raging hormones.
My teeth catch on my bottom lip, and I chew on it, something I do when I’m nervous. Trying to recover my composure, I lift my head and tilt my chin, even though I feel like vanishing in a Houdini disappearing act.
His green-eyed gaze makes me weak in the knees, and although he is devilishly handsome, he looks frightening. I fight the growing tension inside me, as sizzles shoot through my body while his eyes trail me from head to toe. Now I know the meaning of undressing someone with their eyes. Or is it just my wild imagination? Swiftly, I pull myself together.
“Good morning, Mr. Payne. I’m Hailey Graham, the new cyber security engineer.” Is that high-pitched voice mine?
He replies in an excessively bored tone, “We’ve already been introduced… while you were in your dream world.”
Utter humiliation floods me when the other men in the opulent office chuckle under their breaths. My shoulders slump, and I fight back the hot tears stinging my eyes. The paneled walls are closing in on me. The urge to drop down on the thick cream-colored carpet is enormous, but I crush it.
“Please take a seat, Miss Graham,” he orders in his rich masculine voice.
Is it my imagination, or has his voice softened? Maybe he has noticed my embarrassment and feels sorry for me. Pity is welcomed right now because I’m a mess.
Pushing aside my thoughts, I walk forward and sit on the only vacant upholstered chair—right next to him. I hold myself stiffly, struggling to concentrate. I wish I can reach into my purse for some sweets to calm my nerves. He will surely fire me after that. I hold back a giggle at how hilarious that would be. I imagine telling my mom and sister why I got fired on my first day.
“You know sweets help me to calm my nerves. I couldn’t help reaching for some during the meeting, and he fired me,” I would tell them with amusement.
“Care to share the joke?”
Oh, no! I’d giggled out loud without realizing it. Could this day get any worse? Raising my eyes to his angular face and struggling to control my embarrassment, I shake my head. His lips tighten before he shifts his gaze to the other men at the table.
Darn! Up close, he’s even more handsome.Stop, Hailey. Focus!
I force myself to listen as he introduces the men seated beside me. Only Brad Mortimer, the project manager, smiles at me after the introductions. I return the gesture, glad that not everyone in the office thinks I’m an idiot.
If I make it through this day without getting sacked, I’ll have to develop a defense mechanism against Payne’s good looks. After all, he isn’t the first handsome man I’ve ever seen.
He glances in my direction, and I go still. It’s difficult not to get lost in his mesmerizing eyes, and I struggle not to. Instead, I focus my attention on the floor-to-ceiling length window beside him, showing a lovely view of Union Square Park in the distance. The leaves on the trees are beginning to change color, giving them an orange glow. I watch as people walk by. I wish I could be having a picnic in the open space right now.
Oh, shit. My boss has been talking. Something about winning a contract from the government for elections. Right.
“The project we’re working on is a software that will make it harder for hackers to breach election machines and tamper with the election results.”
I beam with delight. “That’s my specialty.”
