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“Nothing’s wrong. Sorry, I was thinking about the event so I kind of spaced out.”
Smiling, I stride over to her. She’s so flushed her face is bright red. I extend a hand, but she hesitates for a while before taking it. I give it a gentle squeeze, and she flinches.
“It’s a pleasure meeting you, Miss Quinn. ItisMiss, right? I don’t want to make assumptions on my first day.”
She stares at me for moments, not saying a word. Finally, she nods.
“S-Same here, Mr. T-Thatcher.” She looks away. “And it is ‘Miss’.”
“Mr. Thatcher,” Chris says behind me. “Noelle will be your assistant for the PR event.”
My gaze doesn’t leave her. “I… I see. Okay, then. I look forward to working with you.” I turn to Chris. “We should get talking, shouldn’t we?”
We move to the small conference table. I pull a chair for Noelle but she looks away. Her face is still red. I lean in closer and say, as quiet as I can, “Sit, Noelle.”
She complies in an instant.
“We have a lot to discuss.” Chris pulls out the chair next to hers and my brows crease for a moment.
“Indeed we do.” I settle in my chair, facing them both. “Let’s get started.”
As Chris scrolls through the detailed plans on his tablet, my eyes dart to Noelle. Chris’s suggestion and my approval means I’ll be working with her for the next four months.
Only a week ago, she was writhing and wiggling under me. Now, she’s under me again — except under very different circumstances. My chest knots.
How am I supposed to handle a work relationship with an employee I just had a one-night stand with?
Chapter Seven
Noelle
It’salreadyhappening.I’mface-to-face with my new boss, Maverick. It’s what I’ve been trying to avoid for the past four days. So much for that.
I struggle to swallow the lump in my throat. It’s a hard task trying not to fidget for the next two hours as Chris spreads out his plans for the event. At times, Chris asks me some questions, and I answer to the best of my ability. Most of the time, my insides are heating up because of the intense gaze from Maverick.
Chris can be overbearing, but he’s good at winning his bosses over. Except for the occasional glance he sends my way, Maverick pays attention to Chris’s layout of how the PR event will go, the awareness it should spread, and the value it’ll create for the company.
As we stand in front of Maverick, Chris doesn’t seem like the same man that’s constantly pestering me with his date requests. Countless times, I’ve rebuffed his proposals one way or the other. I can’t help but flinch at the thought that this project will tie me to him for the next couple of weeks. I’m sure this is why he chose me for this project. If forces us to work close together. How am I supposed to deal with him?
But the main source of concern – and attraction – for me is Maverick. Seated with fingers crossed, he looks exceptionally dashing in his gray suit, white turtleneck, and gray slacks. The magnetism he exudes draws me in with every passing second.
He glances at me again, leaving a pit in my stomach. How can he be so calm? Last Friday, we had the time of our lives. It’s been less than a week, and he’s acting as if nothing happened.
It's for the best, Noelle. You shouldn’t get attached.
“Well done, Chris,” Maverick says after Chris rounds up his speech. “I look forward to going over the plans in private. I’ll get back to you if there’s anything I feel we can change or improve upon. Also, I’ll set up a committee to handle the event. I’ll be the head of the committee, and you’ll be my mouthpiece. Noelle here will be my assistant. What do you think about the project, Noelle?”
Startled for a second, I blink. “Excuse me?”
I flinch at the intensity of his gaze. He keeps his eyes on me, with his long fingers drumming on the table. He strokes his hair, arresting my attention. I swallow.
What those fingers can do…
“What do you think about the project?” he asks again. “Which of Chris’s suggestions do you prefer?”
“I think they’re all great.”
His face is impassive. “You’re free to share your opinion. No one will think differently of you. In fact, we could use your input a lot these coming weeks.”
