Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“Come see us as soon as you get in.” His eyes are full of heat, and I realize I’m holding my breath as I await his next move. When he opens my door and exits as smoothly as he entered, I can’t decide if I’m relieved or disappointed.
CHAPTER 16
ANA
When I enter the building the next morning, the marketing director, Owen, is holding the elevator for me.
“Good morning! You came back. That’s a good sign.”
I smile at his joke—or at least I hope he’s joking. Based on things I read in the files, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if people have quit after their first day.
We make small talk on the ride up, then wish each other a good day and go our separate ways when we reach our floor. I put my bag in my office, set out a little potted plant I brought in, grab my notebook, and head to Derek and Jansen’s offices.
It occurs to me that I could say I’m taking the bull by the horns meeting with them first thing in the morning, but that expression makes me think about grabbing their … ahem, horns, and I almost need to detour to the restroom to splash cold water on my face. Must not think about my bosses’ big horns.
As I cross the space, I’m oddly aware of my underwear. Ever since I first had the money to spend on things beyond necessities, I’ve splurged on lingerie. I feel both sexy and powerful wearing nice fabrics and pretty designs, even when no one else sees them except me.
But my new bosses have seen some of my lingerie, and apparently Derek is still thinking about it. Today, I purposely chose my most basic white set, with the hopes that my hormones get the message that my mind needs to stay on business, not pleasure.
I take a deep breath as I approach their open doors, both in an effort to keep said hormones in check, and to strengthen my nerves. There are a lot of things I need to discuss with them about the company’s concerning turnover rate, and I strongly suspect they won’t like what I have to say. I need to deliver my points with finesse, but that might be hard to do, since my brain seems to go fuzzy whenever I’m with them.
I go to Derek’s office first, and can hear he’s in a conversation before I see that he’s on the phone. He acknowledges me with a nod as I stand out in the hallway.
Jansen’s office is right next to Derek’s, and the door is also open. I find him inside, head bent over papers on his desk, and I have to knock to get his attention.
His face is stormy when he finally looks up, and I fight the urge to back away when he grumbles out a “Yes?”
“Good morning,” I say brightly. “Any chance you’d have time for a quick meeting this morning? Derek told me to come by first thing so the three of us could talk.”
Something close to a growl comes from Jansen’s throat. He looks back down at his papers, then pushes them aside into an untidy stack.
“Everything okay?” I ask, because he seems even surlier than he was the day I met him.
“Not really.” His gravelly voice does something to me deep inside, but I ignore that.
“Anything I can help with?”
“No.” A short but not very sweet answer, said in a way that warns me not to ask any followup questions about the source of his misery. I wonder if he’s had his coffee yet, because it’s my understanding that it helps some people face the day with a little more grace.
“Want me to come back later?”
I get another “No,” this time slightly less harsh, and how odd is it that I can read such nuance in my boss’s single-syllable responses?
Derek’s arrival saves me from having to try to make small talk—or more likely, from standing in awkward silence while Jansen frowns at me.
The other funny thing is that I realize I’m not taking Jansen’s bad mood personally. I wish he was in better spirits, but I know it’s nothing I did, and it doesn’t bother me at all. This may also have something to do with the fact that I find his scowl sexy.
Speaking of sexy, now that both men are together, my skin is tingling, hoping in vain for their touch. It’s going to take a long, long time to forget what we did together and how they made me feel, and I know I’m lying to myself when I assume I might ever forget it.
“What did you want to talk about, Ana?” Derek asks, pulling me back to the present.
“I’d like to review my plans for building up the staff.”
Jansen glances at a chair in front of his desk, and I take that as an invitation to sit.