Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
“What the fuck?” I growled.
The woman lifted her head, her hair falling back. I stared into the darkest eyes I’d ever seen. They were round with shock, yet I saw amusement lurking in their depths. A smile played on her full lips.
“Hi.”
Her voice did something to me. It was breathy and soft. Sweet, yet sultry. I liked it.
“Hello.”
“I’m here for the five forty-five interview.” She looked sheepish. “I planned on bowling you over, but not like this.”
My lips twitched. “You’re late.”
“I missed my bus, and then I broke my heel running to get here,” she babbled, still lying on my chest. “The guy downstairs refused to let me come up, saying the office closed at six. But I waited until he answered the phone and was distracted, and I ran up the steps,” she said, sounding breathless.
And much too sexy to be this close.
“Ten floors,” she added.
“You’re still late.”
“You have to let me interview. Please. Ask your boss nicely.”
I glared at her. “I am the boss.”
“Oh,” she whispered, her eyes even rounder. “Well, shit.”
Chapter Two
MAGNOLIA
It had been a day from hell. Nothing had gone right. Earlier, I’d overslept, missed my bus, and the temporary agency I had been working for let me go. I spent some time dropping off résumés, and while waiting on the corner for a light to change, I had been splashed by a car. I had to go home to change before heading to my late afternoon appointment. I realized I had lost my keys and had to wait for my friend to get home and open my door. By the time he did, I was cold, miserable, and feeling down.
Determined to finish off the day on a better note, I dressed in my best outfit, put on heels, and headed to the interview I hoped would go well. I had been pleased to receive a call the night before, the low voice on the other end asking me if I could come in for five forty-five, giving me the shivers as he spoke. I was quick to agree, jotting down the address as he dictated it, then hung up.
But again, the damn bus took off as I was running to catch it. I started walking, half jogging, and caught a different bus, managing to somehow slip getting off it, and snapping a heel. Then, walking like a drunk on a Saturday night, I made it to the building, fifteen minutes late. The security guard refused to let me up, but I was determined and dodged into the stairwell. I pulled off my shoes and raced up the steps, glad I kept up my cardio.
I hadn’t expected to run into someone and get tackled to the floor.
I hadn’t planned on the sensation of how good it felt with the stranger’s arms around me, holding me as if to keep me safe.
And when I lifted my head and met those intense, icy blue eyes, I hadn’t expected his words.
“I am the boss.”
After muttering a curse, I carefully rolled away, wincing a little as I pushed up off my knees and ran a hand down my skirt. I followed his lithe rise to his feet, staring at him in the semidarkness.
“Mr. Bane, I presume?” I asked, pleased to hear my voice sound almost normal. A little shaky, but okay.
“Yes.”
He reached past me, flicking on the light, and I caught my breath. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and wide-chested. His suit was pulled tight across his arms. He had light-brown hair, thick and wavy, brushed off his forehead. His full lips were drawn into a frown, and heavy eyebrows set off his incredible eyes. Clear, brilliant blue. Glittering and frosty, looking at me as if I was a bug he wanted to squash under his fingers. He was handsome, intimidating, and confident. I knew he was thirty-four, eight years older than I was. Somehow, his self-assurance made me feel younger.
He studied me, no doubt finding me lacking. I was far shorter than he was, and I knew I looked anything but professional. I glanced down, trying to hide the fact that I was shoeless, my coat damp, my hair had fallen out of the careful ponytail I had wrestled it into, and I was breathing hard.
Maybe I had to work on my cardio a little more.
“I assume you are Ms. Myers?”
“Yes. Magnolia. Maggie to my friends.”
I shut up as I watched one eyebrow lift, effectively silencing me. It was a pretty cool trick, and I wondered how long it had taken him to perfect it.
“I was leaving. You’re late, and I’m done for the day. You missed your chance.”
I grabbed his sleeve before he could move. “Please. I ran almost all the way here and then…ten flights of stairs! You have to give me credit for that. Please. Give me a chance.”