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We step inside the elevator a few moments later, and he leans against the back wall, hands splayed out on either side of him, gripping the polished chrome handrail. The elevator is bigger than the kitchen I ate my breakfast in this morning, but he still manages to dominate the entire space. I stand in the corner, as far from him as possible, and try to ignore the way he’s watching me, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
A flush creeps over my cheeks as I become painfully aware of my appearance. The left leg of my jeans and the bottom of my thick coat is soaking wet. I’ve cycled twenty-eight miles today and this is my last stop, so no doubt my hair is at peak crazy. In sharp contrast, he’s groomed to perfection. Clean shaven. Sandy blond hair, styled within an inch of its life. His white shirt is crisp and crease-free. He wears an impeccably tailored suit and the finest leather shoes. I might be penniless right now, but I have plenty of experience with the finer things in life and enough knowledge of men like this one here to know that he has the kind of wealth that makes him untouchable. It also makes women like me easily dispensable.
My skin grows hot under his gaze. “For a place this fancy, you’d think they’d have better security.” I say, the need to take back control of the situation too strong for me to ignore.
His brow furrows in a slight frown. “Huh?”
I offer a casual shrug. “I mean I could be anyone. I could have all kinds of nasty stuff in this envelope here.” I hold it up to emphasize my point.
He pushes himself off the wall, and in one step he’s standing right in front of me. “Are youanyone, Lily?” My name rolls off his tongue like a raindrop from a leaf.
“H-how do you know my n-name?”
He glances down at my chest, which heaves with the effort of breathing. “It’s on your ID badge.”
My gaze follows his and intense relief washes over me. Of course it is.
“Anddo youhave any nasty stuff in that envelope of yours?” His voice takes on a completely different tone, one that makes me regret saying that. His whole demeanor has shifted.
Dear god, I can’t breathe. If smiley Hot Guy was hot, then growly Hot Guy with a hint of danger is pure fire. I shake my head, making my curls bounce around my shoulders. “Just papers.”
He gives me a satisfied smile and steps back, his eyes locked on mine as he returns to his position against the rail.
ChapterTwo
WEST
Xander stares at her ass as she sashays from the room, her dark curls bouncing with every step she takes. As soon as the door is closed, he flashes me a grin. “She was cute, right?”
I glance at the envelope on my desk. The papers she just delivered need my attention. Any further delay in this merger is going to make me gray before I’m forty, which is only two years away as Xander likes to remind me.
He flops into the chair opposite my desk. “West?”
I glance up, running my tongue over my bottom lip. “What?”
“I said she was cute.”
“Kind of.” I shrug and use my letter opener to slice open the envelope.
He scoffs. “Kind of? I saw the way you looked at her.”
My head snaps up. Yes, I was acutely aware of the flush on her cheeks and the way her bright green eyes sparkled with defiance. I also noticed the bead of sweat running down her slender neck and wondered for a brief second what it would be like to lick it from her olive skin. “I didn’t look at her like anything,” I bark. Within these walls, I pride myself on being a professional. Unlike my partner here, I don’t openly salivate over women every chance I get.
He laughs, throwing his head back far enough that I see the tattoo peeking out from beneath the open collar of his dress shirt. “Relax, buddy. She wouldn’t have noticed. But I know you too well.”
I snort but otherwise don’t respond.
“Yeah.” His voice drops an octave, and he leans forward, placing his hands on my desk. “You had that look in your eye. The one you get when your cock is twitching in your boxers.”
“Fuck you.” I concentrate on the papers and try to ignore him.
He sighs dramatically. “What’s crawled up your ass today? Are you pissed at me for something?”
I’m pissed about a lot of things. Mostly this goddamn merger that he’s preventing me from dealing with. I glare at him. “You’re clean shaven.”
He runs a hand over his jaw. “Yeah, Zeke was bitching about my stubble.”
Tension works its way into my neck and shoulders. “You shaved for him?”
