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“Thank you.”
She couldn’t decipher the enigmatic gaze he slanted at her and instead chose to ignore it. “What do we have on the agenda today?”
“The two case studies I requested are back. We need to review them for accuracy, ensure the circumstances of the projects align with Royal Air’s expectations and, if they’re up to standard, incorporate them into the final bid document.” He glanced down at his watch. “I have meetings at eight thirty, ten, one and four. You’ll need to continue to review them while I’m away.”
“Yes, sir.”
He shot her another look. “You’re doing that to annoy me.”
Yes.It gave her a perverse pleasure to see something rattle that calm exterior and creep under his skin, especially something as innocuous as refusing to use his name. Only fair given that he’d left her tied up in knots for the past two weeks.
“What?”
He regarded her with a stare that at first amused her. But the longer he looked, the more she had to resist the urge to squirm as little tendrils of arousal wound their way over her skin. It wouldn’t be so bad, she assured herself, if he wasn’t so handsome, dark eyes set in that sharp, angular face that promised danger and charm.
“Are you happy here, Evolet?”
Surprised, she blinked and broke the seductive spell he’d woven with a single glance. “Happy?”
“Yes. Happy.”
She tilted her head. “As happy as a temporary employee can be, I suppose.”
“The staff speak very highly of you.”
Pleasure warmed her before she squelched it. She liked Audrey, Julie, the people who had welcomed her with open arms.
But it shouldn’t matter. Couldn’t matter.
“You have a great team.”
“Do you actually have an audition, or were you just deflecting Audrey’s invitation?”
It took a moment for the full impact of his question to hit her. When it did, anger made her jaw clench and her fingers tighten on her tablet.
“Yes,” she replied through gritted teeth. “I have an audition.” She pulled out her phone and with a few taps forwarded her audition notice to his email. “I don’t lie, Mr. Bradford.”
His computer pinged, but he didn’t even glance at it, keeping her pinned with that emerald gaze that saw far too much.
“You don’t owe me any explanations, Evolet. However,” he continued as she started to speak, “I am curious as to why you hold yourself back when the team here at Bradford Global is not only willing but wanting to socialize with you.”
She felt her mask slip, knew he saw that there was more to her antisocial attitude than mere shyness or introversion.
“It’s eight twenty, Mr. Bradford. You should head up to your meeting.”
His fingers tapped on his desk once, twice. And then he stood without another word, gathered his laptop and walked out the door.
She silently cursed. They’d made it two weeks keeping things professional. He didn’t ask about her music. She didn’t ask how he spent his evenings. That she spent any time imagining him dining at luxurious restaurants with beautiful dates dripping in diamonds or hosting elegant parties in a penthouse suite annoyed her immensely.
Focus.
If she hadn’t experienced the hottest kiss of her life with her temporary boss, she would be thoroughly enjoying her job. Not only did she like the people, her office and the environment, but working on the bid for Royal Air was proving to be an enjoyable challenge. The bonus Bradford Global had added to her usual fee would allow her to take a couple months off after if she wanted. She could fill her days with music, creating content for the social media channels she maintained for her playing, and booking private events.
Her fingers drummed an impatient rhythm on the desk. It would be heaven at first. But, assuming she didn’t get the position with St. John’s, the Apprentice Symphony would be starting its summer break about the time her contract with Bradford Global was up. She didn’t have anyone else in her life except Constanza and the occasional family outing with Constanza’s son, Samuel. For so long, that had been enough.
When had she started wanting more?
Irritated, she stood up and walked down the hallway toward what was affectionately called the War Room, the massive open office space she’d passed on her first day that included the coffee bar exclusively for the use of Bradford Global’s employees. A little coffee, a minute out on the outdoor balcony to take some deep breaths and center herself and then she’d get to work.
