Awkwardness set in, and she pulled her hand back. “Um…thanks so much. For giving me this opportunity.”
Andrew nodded, and his gaze traveled beyond her. “That’ll be all for now, Ms. Powers.”
The older woman let herself out, clicking the door shut behind her, and he motioned to one of the black leather chairs on the opposite side of his desk before taking his own seat.
“I’m glad I could be of assistance. Evan told me you’d found yourself in a predicament.”
Of course he had. For some stupid reason, she found herself fumbling to explain. “Yes, well, I moved here after I received a job offer from Brooklyn Life. I was supposed to be a fashion blogger for their online magazine. It seemed a step up from my position at Everything Tampa, so I took it. Of course, they didn’t tell me they were in jeopardy of closing. If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken the position.”
“That’s unfortunate,” he murmured. “Especially given that they closed only two weeks after your arrival.”
Though he didn’t come right out and say it, the tone of his voice indicated exactly what he was thinking. You should have vetted the company before packing up and moving halfway across the country on the promise of a job. Duh.
His silent admonition made her flesh heat with embarrassment. As if she hadn’t already heard this from Evan. As if she hadn’t thought it herself. Just another example of flighty Hailey, and her tendency to leap before she looked.
She played off his words as if they didn’t bother her, giving him a careless shrug. “Hey, at least I got to attend a couple sweet fashion shows before they shut down.”
One of his brows arched just a fraction; as if he couldn’t believe she could really be that irresponsible. But yup, apparently she was.
Hailey peered around the office. The walls were plastered with large, framed portraits of various magazine covers. Everly Publications owned Distinguished Gentlemen, one of the fastest up and coming magazines in the nation. She’d never met Andrew’s father, but she imagined he must have designed the magazine after his own sensibility. It explained why Andrew looked so formal and buttoned-up now, because this was the polar opposite of who he’d been as a child.
A soft laugh escaped her lips. “I still remember you at fifteen, always dressed in swim trunks and a raggedy old t-shirt. You used to make fun of all the guys wearing suits on their way to work.”
Something akin to sentimentality twinkled in his eyes. “Can’t blame me. It was hot in Florida. Suits just didn’t make sense.”
His toothy grin made him look years younger. Hailey’s blood heated at the sight of it. Resisting the silly urge to fan herself, she said, “Yes, beach attire was far more appropriate. Especially since the five of us spent most of our free time out on the bay.”
He sat back in his chair, his gaze far away. “I still have fond memories of that. I remember thinking at the time that I’d never leave. That I’d buy a boat someday and become a commercial fisherman, or a dive captain.”
Funny, when he smiled like that, she could actually imagine him doing such a thing.
“Look where you wound up instead,” she said without thinking. “As a New York bigwig.”
The grin slowly faded from his face. “I suppose we all have to grow up sometime.”
“Oh no, I didn’t mean anything by it…” She trailed off when he glanced back down at the papers on his desk. She shifted in her seat. “Um…you have certainly made quite a name for yourself. I read somewhere that Distinguished Gentlemen is expected to surpass GQ in popularity this year.”
Andrew met her gaze once more and shrugged. “It’s more my father’s legacy. I’m simply trying to continue it, along with my brothers.”
“I was sorry to hear about your father’s death last year,” Hailey said softly.
His graceful nod was the only indication he’d heard her. She bit her bottom lip, then after a moment’s hesitation, gave voice to her next thoughts.
“I’m also sorry about your mother.”
A shadow darkened his gaze. “She was a troubled woman, obviously,” he said in a voice so smooth he could have been talking about a stranger. “It was a tragedy.”
A drug overdose at the age of forty was more than a tragedy, especially considering she’d left behind three adolescent boys. Hailey had been shocked and confused back then, but once she’d grown older and learned the truth, it had explained so much. She’d always thought Mrs. Everly was strange; beautiful, spontaneous, and often tons of fun, but definitely weird. She would have days where she was on top of the world, followed by days where she’d barely get out of bed. Bipolar disorder, and it had finally gotten the best of her. Had led her down a sick, twisted path.
She’d died with a needle in her arm while her boys were upstairs asleep. Hailey couldn’t even begin to imagine the terror they must have felt upon finding her.
“We never got to see you after she, um…passed away. Next thing we knew, you and your brothers had gone to live with your father.”
“Well.” His expression grew stony. “It all turned out for the best, as you can see.”
Shit. She’d obviously said something wrong. Touched on a sore subject. Leave it to her to say the wrong thing.
She shifted in her seat. “I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“No. You’re fine.” He picked up a paper from his stack. “I’m glad I could be of assistance until you can get back on your feet, Hailey.”
Translation: Keep looking for another job.
“Ms. Powers will explain your duties to you,” he added, dropping his gaze to the sheet.
Well…that was an obvious dismissal if she’d ever seen one.
She waited another minute to see if he’d speak again. Finally, snapping her jaw shut, she forced herself to her feet. This had so not gone the way she’d anticipated. While part of her wanted to snap at him for making her feel so damn uncomfortable, the other part was acutely aware that, a former friend or not, he was now effectively her boss.
Damn, life sucked sometimes.
As she turned and headed for the door, she couldn’t help but lament the fact that the boy she’d once known—the funny boy with laughing eyes and an easy smile—was for the most part, gone. It seemed the man she’d been carrying a secret torch for all these years was nothing more than a figment of her imagination. That made her sad in ways she couldn’t explain.
From what Hailey had glimpsed of Andrew Everly, he was just a shadow of the man he might have been if his life had gone another way. And if he was always wound as tight as she’d seen him today, he was headed the way of her own father: dead of a heart attack before the age of sixty.
Stifling a shudder, she searched out Miranda. Call her irresponsible, or wild, or immature; she’d take all those labels…as long as she didn’t end up stuffy and repressed. That would be the real travesty.
***
This is what I get for doing favors.
Andrew watched Hailey stroll out the door, his mind filled with disgust at the situation he was in. Her swishing mini-skirt revealed enticing glimpses of the backs of her thighs as she moved, making him all too aware that she was nothing like the freckle-faced little brat from his youth.
He didn’t know what he’d expected when Evan had rung him up to ask that he employ his little sister until she got back on her feet. In his mind, he’d pictured little ten-year-old Hailey Thompson, with her scrawny limbs, buckteeth, and wild, unkempt hair. Her hazel eyes had always been too big for her face, wide and expressive as a puppy’s when she followed him and Evan around. Andrew had agreed out of courtesy to his old friend. Even though he and Evan hadn’t remained close after he’d moved to New York, they’d maintained occasional contact, and Andrew’s memories of Hailey had been fond.
He thought he’d be doing Miranda a favor as well, by hiring an assistant to take over some of his more personal matters. Miranda was getting older and starting to show signs of strain during the occasional weekend business trips they
were required to take. So this had seemed like an easy way to help out both Evan and Miranda at the same time.
Well, he’d forgotten one important factor. Hailey had grown up.
Those eyes were still a tad too big, but now they radiated a certain worldliness, a promise of erotic knowledge that made the crotch of Andrew’s slacks too tight. She’d grown into her teeth too, as her full, sensual lips only served to accentuate. And though she was still petite and slim, her curves were anything but scrawny.
To be blunt, she was sexy as hell. Even now, just thinking about her, he sported a potentially embarrassing semi. In his office, for god’s sake.
No mistaking it. Hailey spelled trouble, plain and simple.
And now she works for you. As your personal assistant.
Just imagining the sorts of things she could do made his pulse race erratically. Unbidden images flashed in his mind. Her straightening his office, bending over to show enticing glimpses of her silky thighs. Leaning over to set his coffee on his desk, and revealing more of the creamy swell of her décolletage. Hiking that indecent skirt up to show him what lay in between those luscious legs.
He shifted, groaning as the semi suddenly morphed into rock-hard wood. No, he was heading down a very dangerous path, and he needed to stop it. Now.
Breathing in deep, he forced the lascivious thoughts from his head. When he could finally think again, he silently cursed himself.
Smart move, jackass.
Had Andrew known what he’d been agreeing to in hiring Hailey, he would have avoided that phone call at all costs. His strong physical reaction to her was a distraction he didn’t need. Not when Distinguished Gentleman was on the verge of expanding into foreign markets.
Right now his focus needed to be on the investors. On pushing this venture forward. If his father were still alive and present, he would have speared him with that very lecture.
Speaking of investors.
Andrew checked his watch. His unexpected lunch meeting meant he’d be staying at work longer than he originally thought. He’d have to move his dinner date with Diane to later in the evening. There was no question she’d understand. As the daughter of his biggest investor, she knew that business came first. Always.
He pulled the office phone toward him, about to hit the intercom, when he realized that calling to push back the time for a date would now fall under Hailey’s domain, not Miranda’s. His finger hovered over the button for a moment before, without pausing to fully reflect on his reasoning, he picked up his cell phone and dialed Diane himself.
***
I. Hate. This.
Hailey gritted her teeth and focused on pouring the steaming coffee into the mug she held. Whatever had possessed her to think she could successfully be a personal assistant? There was a reason she’d worked as a fashion blogger. It was an independent job, one where she only occasionally had to report to the office for meetings, and it was fun.
Picking up dry cleaning, pouring coffee, and rescheduling restaurant appointments was not her idea of fun. In fact, getting her eyebrows waxed might classify as more fun than that.
“Or maybe a trip to the gynecologist’s office,” she murmured.
A choked cough sounded out from behind her, making her back go stiff.
Crap. When would she ever learn to look around before blurting things out? That particular habit hadn’t been so bad in Tampa, where there’d been more square footage per person, but in a city this size, there was always bound to be someone practically right on top of you. The upside was that city folk were used to seeing buckets o’ crazy. Compared to some of the things she’d witnessed since moving here, nothing short of stripping to her birthday suit and singing the alphabet backwards would be seen as too strange.
Heck, even that might fly depending on the time of night.
Wiping all expression from her face, Hailey turned her head to search out the noise of the cough. It was a middle-aged guy dressed in business casual, and he held up a clear water bottle.
“Just need a refill.” He shuffled to the dispenser, looking distinctly uncomfortable as he pressed the tap for the water. “Um…were you saying something?”
So he was going to act like he hadn’t heard her? Well, that was fine with her. She loved playing games.
“Oh, just trying to decide where to take my date tonight. It’s our third date, so…well, you know.” She plastered a bright smile to her face and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Special night.”
His face turned bright red and, letting out another hacking cough, he rushed from the office.
Too easy. Hailey turned back to the coffee pot with a smile. Maybe this whole office thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.
The insistent click of heels on marble preceded Miranda’s entrance into the small break room located down the hall from Hailey’s nook. Already, the sound of Miranda’s footsteps had been burned into Hailey’s brain. As far as she could tell, the older woman hadn’t let age slow her down one bit.
Miranda swept a hand to one hip. “Where’s that coffee? Mr. Everly’s meeting has started already.”
“Coming, I’m coming.”
Hailey grabbed the two mugs and followed Miranda with an internal roll of her eyes. Now this was the part of her new job that would surely be no fun. The few hours she’d been here had been enough to establish that Miranda was a veritable dragon in the workplace. She was clearly accustomed to doing things her way, and way too focused on silly little things, like making sure Hailey did everything just the way Andrew liked it.
Following directions to the letter had never been her strong suit. Since she was going to be working for Andrew, wasn’t it better if he found that out now?
“Remember,” Miranda said as she led her down the hall, “Mr. Everly prefers that you knock twice, wait for a few moments, and then enter. That way he won’t be overly interrupted if he’s on the phone, or be surprised by your presence.”
“Yes, I remember.” How could she forget, after Dragon-Face had drilled it into her head for the past hour?
“When you enter, quietly set the mugs in front of each of the gentlemen and wait for a few moments to see if Mr. Everly needs anything. If not, you can return to your desk.”
“Got it.”
“And don’t forget to check his Outgoing bin. If there’s anything in there, be sure to bring it straight to me.”
Okay lady. It’s not rocket science.
Hailey came to a stop in front of the office and glanced down at her mugs. Uh-oh. Dilemma. She cocked her head toward the door and asked, “Do you mind?”
Miranda’s jaw tightened, as if in disapproval that Hailey hadn’t figured out how to grow a third hand, and she gave two knocks on the door. After a moment’s pause, she twisted the doorknob.
“Remember,” the older woman said in a stage whisper, “don’t interrupt them while they’re talking.”
Jeez, you’d think Andrew was king of the world from the way his executive assistant treated him. What would Miranda say if Hailey told her he’d had to make his own peanut butter sandwiches when he’d come over to their house as a kid?
Probably something like, “Never! Mr. Everly couldn’t possibly lower himself to eat something so mundane. And prepare it himself? Nonsense.”
She let out a little laugh as she swept into the room, and Andrew stopped in mid-sentence.
Oops. Distracted him.
His blue eyes landed on hers, causing a shiver to run down her back. He might have turned into a real stick in the mud, but he was still damn sexy.
Well, since she’d broken the cardinal rule already…
“Here’s your coffee,” she said, cheerfully setting a mug in front of the man seated across from Andrew. Gray-haired and on the bigger side of portly, he looked a little put out to be interrupted. Just the sort of man who probably needed his feathers ruffled every now and again. Like her father, actually. He’d always taken himself too seriously.
“And here’s yours.” She mov
ed around the desk, but just as she was inches from setting the mug down, her heel snagged in the carpet. “Oh!”
The cup tilted, sending half the steamy contents onto his lap.
“Shit.” He jerked and rose slightly off his chair, wiping at his slacks.
Hailey gasped. “Oh god, I’m so sorry.”
Dragon-Face was going to kill her. If Andrew didn’t fire her first.
After absently setting the mug down, she whirled around and searched for something to help clean up the spill.
The dry cleaning she’d picked up a bit earlier hung on a coat rack in the corner. Underneath the plastic wrapping was a light-blue silk tie that matched the color of Andrew’s eyes. That would do.
She tore at the plastic and grabbed the tie, using it to blot the rapidly spreading stain on his pants.
“It’s okay,” he said, his voice tight.
He tried to grab the fabric, but in her haste to erase the damage she’d done, she barely even noticed. Snatching the outer seam, she pulled his slacks taut. Then fanned at them with the tie. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe that happened.”
“Please.” His hand reached out and gripped her wrist like a vice.
She froze at the strangled tone of his voice.
Slowly, he guided her into straightening. His body was so close that she could feel the heat coming off him. Could smell his spicy, masculine scent. Sudden want made her stomach clench, and that old, familiar longing returned one-hundred-fold.
She and Andrew may have grown up. He may have turned into a corporate fuddy-duddy. But she still wanted him. Even more now that she had the knowledge of a grown, sensual woman, and not the fanciful yearnings of a child.
When her gaze lifted to Andrew’s, there was discomfort there, along with unexpected heat. It skyrocketed her heartbeat quicker than a killer round of jumping jacks.
“I can handle it,” he said in a low, hoarse voice.
Just then it hit her, what she’d been doing.
Oh god. I just rubbed down my new boss’s crotch. With a tie that probably costs more than my entire outfit put together.
And now she was staring at his crotch. Which he didn’t miss, apparently, because he cleared his throat and shifted.
Wild Girls Rule Page 2
