Carl mused as I shoved my new employee ID in my purse. When I forced myself to make eye contact, his forehead was wrinkled. "You can relax now; you've already got the job."
"I am relaxed."
"Uh-huh." He took another drink of his coffee, polishing it off. He tossed the cup into a wastebasket beneath the security desk. "You have a good one, Miss Connelly. We'll see you Thursday."
I felt the blood rushing to my face as I hurried away from the desk and across the lobby. My short legs seemed to take impossibly long strides in my effort to get to the parking garage. We did it , I thought, feeling weightless, invincible.
We did it.
As I rode the elevator down to the garage, I groped around in my bag for my phone. My eyes were trained on the screen when I stepped out of the steel car, so I stood to the side of the elevator, out of the line of any traffic that might come through the silent garage as I started my message to Penelope.
Margaret won't be back until Thursday, so I'm not needed until then, but I'm in. I'm officially in. You are a genius, Lisbeth. Neal. Whoever the hell you are.
I was about to hit send, but the deafening blast of a car horn drew a shriek from the back of my throat. My phone tumbled from my hands, the screen shattering on the concrete with a crack that signaled the end of the iPhone I’d only had for a few months. Furious, I stared at the splintered screen for a second before lifting my eyes, seething at the horn blower.
Sitting less than ten feet away from me was a jet black Dodge Viper.
And climbing out of the sleek car and coming right at me was Oliver.
What the hell was he doing?
Suddenly hyperaware of his every movement, I angled my body slightly away from his, hunching my shoulders defensively. Christ, he really was something to look at.
"Was I in your way?" I demanded hotly as I stalked forward to grab my phone. He beat me to it. Assessing the damage, his full lips curled into a frown. Somehow, he even made a foul expression look sensual.
"You could've walked in front of my car.”
This was one of those blonde jokes—it had to be. "Standing perfectly still?" I questioned sardonically. At his serious nod, I softly bit my tongue, sliding it from side to side between my teeth a few times so I wouldn’t respond callously. He’s my boss’ son , I reminded myself. In all honesty though, Oliver probably deserved every rough word I wanted to give him at the moment. "Thank you for the warning,” I said dryly.
A broad grin spreading across his face, he held my phone out to me. Noticing my reluctance to take it, his fingers skimmed mine as he placed it in my palm. His fleeting touch was a shock to my system, a jolt of pure electricity that sent all my nerve endings into chaos. Exhaling, he stared down at my hands. The expression in his blue eyes was unreadable.
“Thank you,” I said again, dropping the sarcasm this time.
“Anytime.” He clenched his fingers. “What's your name?" When I didn't answer, focusing instead on stowing the now useless iPhone in one of the zippered compartments of my purse, he moved even closer to me. The warm, heady scent of his cologne washed over me, causing my stomach to flutter. "Which floor are you on?"
I hoisted my bag higher on my shoulder and rolled my eyes. "So you can scare the shit out of me there, too?"
He ran his teeth over his lip. The gesture was almost ... inviting. Abruptly, the feather-soft fluttering in my stomach gave way to a sharp swell of something I didn’t want to identify by name. I always did have a thing for the beautiful ones, especially when they were so clearly out of my reach. "So I can replace your phone,” he offered, his deep voice cutting through my thoughts.
"I have insurance, but thanks." I smiled tightly and started to walk around him. "Now, if you don’t mind, I—"
When he reached out and grabbed my wrist, the first thing that registered in my brain was how hot his fingers felt on my skin. Grazing my pulse point,
"I am relaxed."
"Uh-huh." He took another drink of his coffee, polishing it off. He tossed the cup into a wastebasket beneath the security desk. "You have a good one, Miss Connelly. We'll see you Thursday."
I felt the blood rushing to my face as I hurried away from the desk and across the lobby. My short legs seemed to take impossibly long strides in my effort to get to the parking garage. We did it , I thought, feeling weightless, invincible.
We did it.
As I rode the elevator down to the garage, I groped around in my bag for my phone. My eyes were trained on the screen when I stepped out of the steel car, so I stood to the side of the elevator, out of the line of any traffic that might come through the silent garage as I started my message to Penelope.
Margaret won't be back until Thursday, so I'm not needed until then, but I'm in. I'm officially in. You are a genius, Lisbeth. Neal. Whoever the hell you are.
I was about to hit send, but the deafening blast of a car horn drew a shriek from the back of my throat. My phone tumbled from my hands, the screen shattering on the concrete with a crack that signaled the end of the iPhone I’d only had for a few months. Furious, I stared at the splintered screen for a second before lifting my eyes, seething at the horn blower.
Sitting less than ten feet away from me was a jet black Dodge Viper.
And climbing out of the sleek car and coming right at me was Oliver.
What the hell was he doing?
Suddenly hyperaware of his every movement, I angled my body slightly away from his, hunching my shoulders defensively. Christ, he really was something to look at.
"Was I in your way?" I demanded hotly as I stalked forward to grab my phone. He beat me to it. Assessing the damage, his full lips curled into a frown. Somehow, he even made a foul expression look sensual.
"You could've walked in front of my car.”
This was one of those blonde jokes—it had to be. "Standing perfectly still?" I questioned sardonically. At his serious nod, I softly bit my tongue, sliding it from side to side between my teeth a few times so I wouldn’t respond callously. He’s my boss’ son , I reminded myself. In all honesty though, Oliver probably deserved every rough word I wanted to give him at the moment. "Thank you for the warning,” I said dryly.
A broad grin spreading across his face, he held my phone out to me. Noticing my reluctance to take it, his fingers skimmed mine as he placed it in my palm. His fleeting touch was a shock to my system, a jolt of pure electricity that sent all my nerve endings into chaos. Exhaling, he stared down at my hands. The expression in his blue eyes was unreadable.
“Thank you,” I said again, dropping the sarcasm this time.
“Anytime.” He clenched his fingers. “What's your name?" When I didn't answer, focusing instead on stowing the now useless iPhone in one of the zippered compartments of my purse, he moved even closer to me. The warm, heady scent of his cologne washed over me, causing my stomach to flutter. "Which floor are you on?"
I hoisted my bag higher on my shoulder and rolled my eyes. "So you can scare the shit out of me there, too?"
He ran his teeth over his lip. The gesture was almost ... inviting. Abruptly, the feather-soft fluttering in my stomach gave way to a sharp swell of something I didn’t want to identify by name. I always did have a thing for the beautiful ones, especially when they were so clearly out of my reach. "So I can replace your phone,” he offered, his deep voice cutting through my thoughts.
"I have insurance, but thanks." I smiled tightly and started to walk around him. "Now, if you don’t mind, I—"
When he reached out and grabbed my wrist, the first thing that registered in my brain was how hot his fingers felt on my skin. Grazing my pulse point,
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