Tempting the Billionaire Read Online Free PDF Page B

had turned down the job once already; she could do it again. Though she could blame her nerves on Sadie, who kept insisting on this being a date.
    And it so wasn’t.
    The very suggestion that Shane August would ask her on a date was preposterous. Never mind the idea he wanted to hire her badly enough to woo her over dinner. She gulped as she rolled the word “woo” around in her head. Crickitt was woefully underprepared to date a normal guy, let alone a sophisticated billionaire.
    She got out and shut the door, catching her reflection in the car’s windows. Did she look like she was trying too hard? Like she had dressed for a potential lover rather than an employer? Maybe she should run home and change into sensible black pants and a blouse. She’d only be ten minutes late. Fifteen at the most.
    “Crickitt, look at you.”
    She turned to see Shane stepping out of a long black limousine. He shut the door behind him and approached, adjusting the sleeves on his dark suit. He’d changed for dinner. And, oh, he looked good. The pale lavender shirt stretched across his chest, complemented by a plum-colored tie running the length of his torso. She dragged her eyes north before they unwittingly traveled below his belt.
    He offered his elbow and she rested one hand on his forearm, pulling the shawl around her shoulders in a series of jerky movements.
    “I was considering going home to change,” she said, her voice wobbling.
    “Why? You’re stunning.”
    Stunning? She blinked up at him as if he’d just spoken a word outside of her native tongue. Had Ronald ever accused her of being “stunning”? Had anyone?
    Forcing her train of thought back on the tracks, she rambled rather than thanked him for the compliment. “I was worried I might be overdressed, but from what I remember, the restaurant is upscale.”
    “I think you picked perfectly.” He sent her a warm smile, one that made her mouth go dry, and led them inside. Crickitt’s heart hammered her rib cage in time with their steps.
    Relax, it’s just an interview.
    She angled her head to glance up at him. His jaw was slightly shadowed with stubble, his eyes shrouded by thick lashes. He looked dark and dangerous, and it was all too easy to imagine the scrape of that five o’clock shadow against her neck.
    She licked parched lips, forcing her thoughts down a more professional road. She’d hear him out over dinner, but if the position still wasn’t a good fit, she’d have to turn him down, regardless of how rich and attractive he was.
    He glanced down at her, his mouth kicking up on one side.
    Or maybe because of that.
    *  *  *
    This isn’t a date.
    Shane dragged his eyes away from Crickitt’s creamy, bare shoulders. Ever since she’d uncovered them, he’d found it hard to concentrate.
    Filling his wineglass to busy his hands, he dredged up another interview question for her to answer. After all, he was here to convince Crickitt to accept the personal assistant position.
    That, and nothing more. He didn’t believe in dipping his pen in the company ink, especially not with a woman he’d be working with on a daily basis. It was disconcerting that he needed the constant reminder.
    The moment Crickitt stepped into his office this afternoon he had known he wanted to hire her. And his instincts rarely steered him wrong. She was sharp and opinionated, charming and approachable at the same time. And attractive, he added, his eyes returning to her naked collarbone.
    Not. A. Date.
    The waiter arrived and delivered oval-shaped ramekins of sugar-encrusted crème brulée. Shane welcomed the distraction.
    Crickitt eyed her dessert, then narrowed her eyes at him. “Bribery?”
    “After you have a bite of that, you’ll fold like a paper airplane.”
    She spared him a smile, then cracked the topping and dug out a spoonful. With a final, wary glance in his direction, she lifted the spoon to her mouth. Her eyes drifted shut and an mmm sound emitted from her throat. Shane