Now that the offer was out there, I felt great about it. The fact my old friend would be around made me lighthearted and happier than I’d been in a very long time. I’d been avoiding people for much too long. Maybe this was the beginning of a change for me. Perhaps I could make room for at least one close friend in my life.
“Christopher, that’s more than generous. I’m sure your HR department and I can come to an agreement on the job and the money. And let me tell you that my family will be over the moon with this news.” He seemed very happy, and that made me happy.
“I can’t wait to see you and Celeste again. And meeting your daughter will be nice too.” I thought about my girls. “You said she’s twenty, right?”
“Yeah, she’s twenty,” he said. “But she’s really shy.”
“My girls can pull her out of her shell. They’ve got lots of friends. I’ll ask them to take her around and introduce her to everyone.” I hoped my girls would be nice to his daughter and take her under their wings.
“That won’t be necessary, Christopher,” he said, sounding a little grumpy. “We’re pretty strict with her, so she doesn’t go out much. No makeup, no boys, no parties while she’s under my roof. But it’s nice of you to offer.”
A twenty year old who hasn’t gone on a date?
I felt sorry for her already. Hopefully she was having at least a little fun behind her father’s back—what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. “Well, maybe things will be different up here. Manchester isn’t a dangerous place. And my girls have never gotten into any trouble. I’m sure your daughter could use a friend or two here while you all settle in. I would hate for her to be unhappy living in Manchester.”
Hesitantly, he said, “We’ll see. I’m looking forward to hearing from your company tomorrow, Christopher. I really appreciate this, you know. Now I get to tell the wife and kid the great news.”
“I’m glad I could help, Sebastien. And I’m glad you’ll be around. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent time with friends; I’m really looking forward to you moving here and working at my company.” I really was, too. For the first time in a long time, I was looking forward to something.
“I’m looking forward to it as well.” He waited a second then went on, “I don’t suppose you would have anything for my daughter to do at the company, too, would you?”
With no idea of what the girl was like or what she could do, I wasn’t sure about her. “Does she have a job now?”
“She works in a boutique, selling clothes, makeup, stuff like that,” he told me.
“Well, we don’t have a need for anyone to do that kind of work here.” I thought about it for a moment then added, “But I’m sure we can find something for her to do here. What are her career goals?”
“She’s a kid, Christopher; she has no career goals yet,” he said with a laugh.
He left me with little to work with. “I suppose you should bring her in with you when you come to fill out all the paperwork. I’ll feel her out and see where she might work out, and where she’d be happy working.” I hated to put people in positions they didn’t like.
With her background in retail and customer service, I might even be able to put her into the sales department, but I wouldn’t know until I met her. It sounded like my friend kept her on a very short leash. I wondered how much he would even allow her to do.
“Well, maybe she’ll develop some goals by working here,” I added. I had hopes that we could help the young woman blossom.
I knew I hadn’t been able to do that with my girls, as I’d let their mother do the raising of them. Thanks to her, I hadn’t been allowed much influence there.
According to Lisa, my only role as father was to provide, and I did that very well. Maybe my friend’s daughter would allow me to help her find something that would fulfill her. It would be nice to mentor a young person since I couldn’t do that for my own daughters.
“Emma will do fine, I’m sure,” Sebastien said. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Have a great night and thank you so much. Goodbye.”
Stepping out of the car that the driver had parked in the garage, I went in through the side door to the kitchen. The cook had left out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for me, just as I’d asked her to.
Feeling happy about what the future might hold for me, I picked up the food and took a bite. A glass of milk would go perfectly with it, so I went to pour myself some.
I took my food and drink to the table and sat down. I’d never paid attention to how empty the house felt. The staff had all gone home for the night. Sitting in my empty house, I felt alone for the first time in a very long time.
It would be nice to have a friend again. Someone to invite over for barbeques and other fun stuff—that would certainly be a change for me.
A very good change.
Chapter 6
Emma
The new job offer was great news for Dad, but it wasn’t all that great for me. His friend had come through for him big time. Dad landed the job as the manager of Chinese produce, a new division that Mr. Taylor had just started.
Along with the new job came a house that bordered on being a mansion compared to the house I grew up in. Five bedrooms, six baths, four living areas, three dining areas, and a pool with a built-in hot tub; our new home was more than I could’ve ever dreamed of.
The four-car garage left one space empty, and Dad quickly proclaimed that he would be buying a motorcycle to fill that space. Mr. Taylor paid Dad a salary that was twice as much as what he had been making at his old company. My father had never been happier in his entire life, and he told us that all the time.
Not long after we arrived at our new home, Dad told me to get myself ready for an interview. He and Mr. Taylor had talked about me working at the company, but Mr. Taylor wanted to meet me—to feel me out to see where I would fit best.
I’d never been more nervous. The new company car sped along as Dad drove me to the giant building that housed the offices of Global Distributing.
“This place is huge,” I gushed as I got out of my father’s car.
“It’s a monster, isn’t it?” He glowed as he walked up the steps with me right on his heels.
I wasn’t rushing alongside him because of excitement, but for fear I’d get lost if I didn’t keep up. “There’re so many people here. I can’t believe he even needs either of us.”
“Well, luckily, he does.” Dad pushed the elevator button, and we stepped into the packed lift when it arrived. I could smell that someone had just had coffee for breakfast; another person smelled like donuts. I focused on the people around me to avoid thinking about the scrutiny that I would soon face from Mr. Taylor.
We went all the way to the top, and only one other person was left to get off with us. The man was wearing a suit and tie, and looked like a real professional. Dad did, too, wearing a new suit and tie. I was the only one who looked like I wouldn’t fit in.
My blue dress went all the way down to my ankles, and I wore flats. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail, a matching silk ribbon wrapped around it. My father had helped me pick out my outfit. He said it made me look my age. I thought it made me look six years old.
My heart pounded as I followed my dad to Mr. Taylor’s office. “It’s just at the end of this hallway. I’ve got an office up here too.” He pointed to a door that had his name on a gold nameplate about halfway down the long corridor.
“Wow, Dad. Cool,” I gushed. “Can I see your office when this is over?”
“You bet.” He stopped at Mr. Taylor’s door. I took a deep breath, trying to tell myself that it was no big deal that the man who sat behind that door held my future in his hands. “Here we are.”
After Dad knocked, a deep voice called out, “Come in, Sebastien.”
“Wow, how’d he know it was you?” I asked.
“Surveillance cameras.” He pointed at the tiny camera above the door we stood in front of.
“Oh, yeah.” I felt a little stupid fo
r not noticing it before.
As my dad opened the door, my eyes were immediately drawn to the tall man who stood by a counter with an expensive coffee machine on it. He turned to us with a cup of steaming liquid in his hand. “You made it, Sebastien. And this must be Emma.”
I couldn’t think, much less talk. But Dad bumped me with his shoulder. “Shake his hand, Emma.”
Only then did I notice Mr. Taylor’s extended hand. “Oh, sorry. Hi, Mr. Taylor. My father’s told me a lot about you.” I almost blurted something about his divorce—my dad had filled me in about that on our drive over—and that would’ve been super inappropriate. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Sir,” Dad whispered.
“Sir,” I added.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Emma Hancock,” his voice was smooth, rich, deep, and sophisticated. It took my breath away.
But it was the touch of his hand that set off feelings that I’d never experienced before. My core felt hot. My panties felt damp. Something inside me vibrated.
When I looked up into his eyes—eyes that were a stunning combination of green and brown all mixed up in the most fantastic way—my heart stopped. “Hi.” I felt starstruck even though the man wasn’t a star.
He laughed lightly then kept hold of my hand, pulling me to a chair. “Here, take a seat.” After I sat down, he held out the cup of coffee to me. “Care for some coffee, Emma?”
“Emma doesn’t drink coffee, Christopher,” Dad told him.
My cheeks blazed with embarrassment. I’d never wanted anything more in my life than for this man to look at me like a woman and not like the little kid my dad wished I could still be. I wanted to be all woman to this man, and I had no idea why.
Mr. Taylor looked at my father for a second before drinking the coffee himself. “Well, let’s see. How to go about this,” he paused for a moment, but quickly continued. “Emma, tell me what kinds of things you like to do. Hobbies, special interests, anything like that.” He leaned back on his desk.
The length of his legs made my mouth water, and I didn’t understand that reaction at all. Thick as tree trunks, I could see his thighs were all muscle. The suit he wore did little to hide the fact that his arms were massive as well.
“Do you work out?” I asked him, instead of answering his question.
“Emma!” Dad snarled.
I dropped my head. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay, Sebastien,” Mr. Taylor said. “I do work out. Is that something you like to do as well?”
“I never have.” I looked up at him. “But I think I would like it.” Especially if I could work out with you.
Something was wrong with me. I wasn’t thinking straight. I definitely wasn’t talking straight either.
I caught my father pinching the bridge of his nose. “Emma, try to concentrate, honey. Tell Mr. Taylor what kinds of things you think you might be able to help with at the office.”
“I can type really fast.” I tried not to look directly at the man. He stirred me in such a way that it made it hard to think or breathe. “I’m a fast learner. I can do just about anything asked of me.”
“That’s good,” he said. He moved around to sit behind his desk.
I looked him over as his back was to me. He kept his dark hair short and parted on one side. It made him look both masculine and dashing at the same time. I’d never thought of anyone as dashing, but that’s the exact word that came to mind as I thought about Mr. Taylor.
“I can also clean pretty well, too, Mr. Taylor.” The way his name slipped off my tongue felt good. And I noticed his eyes jump a bit when he turned to look at me before sitting down.
“I’m not going to put you into the janitorial department, Emma. I’m leaning toward making you an assistant.” He placed the cup of coffee on his desk then steepled his long, thick fingers, touching the tips of them together, making me wonder what the tips of his fingers might feel like as they ran over my skin.
Hiding my hands by my sides, I crossed my fingers for luck. Please make me your assistant!
“I would love that, sir.” I tried to think of other things that would make me a good assistant. “I don’t drink coffee, but I know how to make it. And I know how to answer phones too. I could answer your phone for you.”
“Not mine,” he said with a laugh. “My assistant has been with me for years. She makes my coffee. And I tend to answer my own phone calls. I’m not talking about you becoming my assistant, if that’s what you were thinking.”
Damn!
“Oh, I could be anyone’s assistant, sir.” I hoped that helped make me look a little less stupid to the man.
He and my father were the same age. Yet he looked so different. So agile. So sexy.
“Do you drive, Emma?” he asked as he opened a file he’d pulled from the top drawer of his desk.
“I do, sir.” I had to put my hands in my lap to hold them still. They’d begun to shake.
Why does this man have to be the first man to turn me on like this?
Why does he have to be my father’s friend?
Why does he have to be my father’s age?
What the hell is wrong with me?
I’d never gotten flustered with any guy my age. And I knew some good-looking guys. Sure, I hadn’t talked to any of them that much, but I knew them.
So, why did this man have such an effect on me?
When he looked up, his eyes danced a bit as he looked into mine. “My assistant needs an assistant. That would involve some driving. She picks up my laundry and delivers it to my home, but that would become your job. And she scouts places for me from time to time.”
“Scouts?” I had to ask.
Dad came up behind me. “That means she goes to look at places for him to judge if they’re good for what he needs them for. And I think Emma could do that.”
Mr. Taylor looked at Dad. “I’m sure she can.” He got up, going over to my father. “I think I can handle it all from here, Sebastien. I’ll get her all set up. My assistant will want to talk to her and then we’ll get her to human resources to get all her paperwork signed. And she’ll be issued a company car, too, so you don’t have to wait around for her today.”
Dad looked over his shoulder at me as Mr. Taylor led him out of the office—a thing I was both happy and afraid for. “Looks like you’ve got a job, honey. Make Daddy proud.”
“She’s not in kindergarten, Sebastien,” Mr. Taylor said quietly, but I heard him anyway as his deep voice traveled. “Try to let her spread her wings.”
“You’re right.” I’d never heard my dad admit that anyone was right when it came to me. In his opinion, he—and he alone—knew what was best for me. “See you later, Christopher. And thanks for this.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you at lunch. I’ve got a few things I want to talk about with you, and we can do it over lunch,” Mr. Taylor said before closing the door, leaving us all alone in his office.
My blood went from scorching hot to ice cold. I’m alone with Mr. Taylor!
He walked back to sit behind his desk. “Normally, I don’t hire people just because a relative works here. But your father is a very dear friend. I hope it won’t offend you when I try to advise him to stop babying you when I see him doing it.”
“No, sir.” I was happy he’d said something to my father. “I understand.”
“Good. I want us to be one big happy family here.” Leaning forward, he smiled, and I nearly passed out—it was that brilliant. “I’ve got a couple of daughters who aren’t that much older than you, Emma. What do you think about meeting them sometime?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” My hands twisted in my lap. “I’m sure they’re so… so cool and sophisticated like you are. I wouldn’t fit in with them. I know I wouldn’t. But that’s very nice of you to ask.”
His expression turned to one of concern. “Emma, may I ask you something a little personal?” He waited for my nod and then continued. “Did you choose your own outfit today? Was it
your own choice today not to wear makeup for this interview?”
“Dad doesn’t allow it, and he suggested the outfit,” I said much too quickly. “But I think the makeup thing is so that my face never breaks out. He said he had lots of trouble with acne when he was a teenager, and he never wanted me to have to go through that.”
“Admirable,” Mr. Taylor mused. “But you’re not a teen anymore, and I think a little makeup wouldn’t hurt your skin at all. But I should say that you’ve got remarkably smooth skin. My daughters would be envious. If you don’t mind one old man’s advice, I’d say maybe just a bit of blush, some lipstick, and a little eye makeup would make you look more your age. Right now you resemble a twelve-year-old—no offense intended.”
My cheeks went red, and my head dropped. “I agree.”
The next thing I felt was his hand on my chin, pulling my face up. “No reason to be embarrassed, Emma. So, what do you say? Would you like to be my assistant’s assistant?”
“I would, sir. I would love that.”
And I would love it if you never removed your hand from my face!
Chapter 7
Christopher
Touching her made things stir in me that hadn’t rustled in years. My hand lingered, fingers barely touching her chin, as sparks radiated throughout my body.
“Good, Emma. I think we’ll work well together.” The urge to draw her lips to mine had me pulling my hand away as if burned.
I’d never been so tempted in my life. Her golden-brown hair, pulled back into a sophomoric ponytail and tied with a blue satin ribbon, looked ridiculous on a girl her age. I yearned to pull it out to let her hair fall down her back. I imagined she’d have beautiful loose waves when it was unrestrained.
Her dark green eyes looked like translucent pools on a forest floor. I could drown a happy man in those pools.
His Secret Virgin: A Forbidden Romance (The Sons of Sin Book 3) Page 4
