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I saw him just as he introduced himself, and my smile faded as my jaw dropped.
Holy… shit.
3
SUMMER
“Please, take a seat.” Mr. Hayworth—Jax—cast one arm towards the half-moon black leather chair in front of his glass desk. I sank into it with my mind utterly quiet. I couldn’t think of anything to say, I was completely distracted by howgorgeousthis man was.
Dressed in gray slacks, a white open-collared shirt with the sleeves rolled showing off muscular, tanned forearms, and a black vest, Jax looked simultaneously professional and like he belonged between the pages of a fashion magazine. Black curls sat loosely on top of his head with a few stray strands of hair curling around the frame of his forehead. When he took his own seat behind the desk, the moment he fixed those vibrant green eyes on me, I couldn’t breathe.
The air was warm, and soft Christmas music hummed quietly from a hidden speaker. Jax’s office was decorated much like the rest of the building, with fake snow on the windows, twinkling lights on the ceiling, and tinsel draped over several cupboards and cabinets. It was much more festive than I had expected for an office.
And Jax himself?
He wasstunning. I was immediately relieved I hadn’t turned up here in my dowdy black dress.
Thick, plush lips pulled into a wide smile, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth, and my heart skipped a painful beat in my chest. I was screwed. This man was gorgeous, carved right out of a dream. I knew the second he asked meanything,I would cave and confess my darkest secrets just to get him to flash me one of those dazzling smiles again.
It was only when his dark brows pulled down that I realized he was talking to me, and I hadn’t heard a single word of it. I was too distracted from admiring every inch of his tall stature and muscles that strained against his shirt with every subtle movement.
“I’m so sorry,” I gasped, pressing a hand to my breastbone. “I was just… it’s hot, y’know? So I was um…” Words failed me.
Suddenly Jax was on his feet again. Apprehension lanced through me, and my mind flooded with a hundred scenarios of him throwing me out for being so unprofessional and not listening to him during an interview.
To my surprise, he busied himself at the oak cabinet that sat against one wall, then he approached me with a glass filled with ice and water that he offered to me the moment he was close enough.
“I’m so sorry,” Jax apologized softly, “the heating might be turned up too high, and coming in from the cold like that can always throw things off a bit. Please, drink.”
I took the glass and glimpsed various small scars scattered over his forearm. Rather than returning to his chair, Jax leaned back against the desk and crossed his thick arms over his chest. My mouth ran dry. I sipped the water desperately and could not take my eyes off of him. Even when I tried to look away, I was drawn back to his handsome face, square jaw, and those gemstones for eyes.
“As I was saying,” Jax began again, and I forced myself to listen. “I’m Jax Hayworth. I’m the head of security here at Helix, so I’ve taken on the interview process for this particular job as it involves children, my own, and the children of the President and the CEO. I had asked if you were familiar with Helix?”
“Oh yes,” I gasped quickly around my glass, having to wipe the corner of my mouth to catch a few chilled droplets. “Helix was the main provider at my last job so I’m familiar with some of your systems.”
“You worked at the Belancio Hotel, correct?” Jax asked, his gaze unwavering. I sat rooted to the spot, certain that he could see beneath all my protective layers without me saying a word.
“Yes,” I said shakily. “For three and a half years.”
“Are you still employed there?”
“Oh… no, not anymore.”
“Why?”
“Well… with the holidays coming and howintensework can be there, I was desperate for a change,” I lied as smoothly as possible. “Have you ever felt… so completely restless that doing something crazy is the only way to make yourself not feel so impossibly restricted?”
To my surprise, Jax laughed, and it was a warm sound like the first brush of sun on a hot summer’s day.
“Yes,” he smiled, “I know exactly what you mean. Well, I looked at your resume, and it seems you’re quite the job butterfly. Never staying in the same position for too long.”
“Like I said, restless.” Warmth flushed through my cheeks so I tore my gaze away from his intense eyes, looking down at my glass. Condensation rolled down the edge, chilling my fingertips as the rest of my body seemed to ramp up in temperature. I shifted my legs, watching the dress ripple as I crossed my ankles together.
“Do you have much childcare experience?” Jax asked.
“Yes, of course!” Another lie. “As you know, the Belancio is a high-end establishment, and guests often require in-house childcare. I was in charge of that, mostly.” It wasn’t acompletelie, I had been asked by a guest or two a few times over the years, so I had stretched it out on my resume to the best of my ability.
“Excellent.”
