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She walked up the steps and through the foreboding dark wooden front doors into Thomas’s office. She made a brave attempt at pasting a confident smile on her face. And then that was it. She was in the office, and there was no turning back.
Thomas’s eyes instantly met hers across the room. His smile appeared genuine and warm, and the guilt rose like bile in her throat.
“Hi, Lorena,” he said, beckoning her over. “Let me show you around.”
His office was light and airy, a total contrast to the austere exterior of the building. If it wasn’t for the business with Sonny looming over her head, she might actually have liked working there.
“This will be your desk,” said Thomas, smiling pleasantly. “The password for the computer is ‘Foxtrot-Uniform2.’”
She instantly got the pun and laughed. “FU2?” she said.
Thomas’s smile widened, and Lorena warmed to him a little more. He was intelligent and with a sense of humor. Not bad. She pulled herself up abruptly.Do not get attached!she reminded herself.
“The desk on the other side of the room is my beta’s. His name is Daryl, but he’s not in the office too much. I like to have him out in the field, keeping an eye on things,” Thomas told her.
As he showed her around, she kept stealing glances at him. He was definitely easy on the eyes in a rugged kind of way. He had a strong jaw, and the scar that ran across it only accentuated his appeal. His amber eyes twinkled when he smiled, making it hard to concentrate on what he was telling her. He didn’t seem to mind explaining things twice, though.
“Come through to my office,” he said once the tour of the main office was complete. “This is where all the action happens.”
He led her through another door into a spacious office with a large mahogany desk in the center. Behind the desk was a modern art painting. The artist obviously had an obsession with red paint. The body in the painting was covered in red paint … blood.
“I find it keeps people’s minds focused on possible outcomes when they’re sitting across from me,” he said with an easy laugh.
Lorena’s stomach tightened once more when she considered the possible outcome for herself.
“So, will I be working in here much?” she asked with a brightness she didn’t feel. She needed access to his personal files.
“Yes, only you and Daryl have access to this room. I will provide you with a key and trust you to keep it safe.” He looked into her eyes as he said this.
It took her breath away.
His eyes were a beautiful light brown framed by long, dark lashes. It was like falling into two pools of liquid amber. She couldn’t believe the depth of emotion hidden in them. Her knees turned into noodles, and she tried not to melt under his gaze, which lasted just a little too long.
Flustered, she looked away, trying to remind herself to keep it professional. But the frantic beating of her heart warned her there was more than simple retribution to worry about here.
Thomas coughed and turned away. “The picture holds another secret,” he said, running his hands along the frame. The picture swung aside, revealing a large safe door.
“Wow,” said Lorena. “Will I get a key to that, too?” she asked with a bright laugh.
Thomas guffawed. “Not quite yet,” he said. “It’s a combination, anyway, and only I have the code.”
Lorena wondered why he’d shown her the safe at all. Was he trying to impress her? She certainly felt impressed, not by his rather large safe but by Thomas, the man. He was not what she had been expecting. She’d known him for many years, but only from a distance. He’d always seemed a little intimidating and aloof. The kind of shifter you admire from afar and never got too close to.
Standing in his office, however, he was warm and friendly. And the perfect gentleman, holding open doors and pulling out chairs. She was warming to him despite herself.
By the time he’d finished showing her the basics, it was dinner time. Thomas insisted on taking her out to eat since he’d kept her so long. She thought they would head for the small café around the corner. But instead, he drove her across town to The Eagles Roost, the famed shifter restaurant.
She’d never been there before. Not only because it was deep in shifter territory, but it was also way above her pay grade.
Thomas got out of the car and opened the door for her, even offering her his arm as he escorted her through the big glass doors. The restaurant was perfect, situated in a 1920s building. It still sported the original large marble counters and gold filigree. To say it oozed class was an understatement.
The waiter came to the table and offered them menus. But Thomas waved them away. “Let me guess,” he said. “The lady will have hunter's chicken and a bottle of sauvignon blanc,” he said confidently. “And your famous blue steak for me.”
Lorena was amazed. “How did you know that was my favorite?” she demanded.
“Merely a lucky guess,” he replied with a wink.
Lorena wasn’t sure what to make of it. Thomas had obviously done some research on her. She felt a little uncomfortable about it but, at the same time, overwhelmingly flattered.
