go well. If the board didn’t approve
Griffin as interim CEO, she’d probably be out of a job. Yes, she’d find another
one, but this was a good job, especially for someone as young as she was. She’d
lucked into it. She’d first been hired as a temp when Dalton’s previous
assistant had knee surgery, but he’d kept her on when Janine had decided not to
come back.
If she lost this job, her next position wouldn’t pay nearly
this well. Which meant making her mortgage payment would be a strain. It was
already steep, but when she’d first bought her house, it had seemed like such a
good investment. It had represented all the security she’d desperately wanted.
Now, it just represented all that she’d lose if this didn’t go well.
She left the conference room and hurried down the hall to her
office. Griffin was leaving his as she walked in.
“I was just checking on the conference room. Everything looks
good there.”
“Thanks.” He smiled that same breezy smile she was used to, the
flash of white teeth and deep dimples. Suddenly the nerves she felt for the
meeting morphed into a pleasant fluttery sort of anticipation that had nothing
to do with efficient IT and catering departments.
She handed him the folio folder from her desk. “Here’s your
copy of the agenda. I kept it simple.”
He flipped it open and read over it as she spoke. “Looks
good.”
He was about to walk out when she stopped him. “Wait a second.
Is that what you’re wearing?”
“Yeah.” He glanced down as if seeing his jeans and shirt for
the first time.
“You don’t look the part of the business executive.”
“I haven’t exactly had time to go home and change.”
She held up a hand to ward off a protest. “Just give me two
minutes.” She dashed into Dalton’s office and dug around in the coat closet for
a minute before returning. She held out what she’d found. “Here, put this
on.”
Griffin held it out in front of him. “A sweater?”
“Come on, trust me.”
“A sweater?” he repeated, even as he pulled it over his
head.
“I didn’t have a lot to work with here.” She helped him with
the hem, tugging it over his hips. “Dalton keeps a couple of jackets here, but
your shoulders are broader than his, so you couldn’t wear one of those.” Griffin
stilled as she fussed over him, adjusting the sleeves of the V-neck sweater so a
half-inch of cuff showed. Then she grabbed the two ties she’d found and held
them up. “What do you think? Yellow or green?”
His lips twitched, dazzling her with a hint of white teeth and
dimple. “How about no tie?”
“A tie says powerful and important,” she argued.
“A tie with a sweater says Mr. Rogers,” he countered, still
smiling.
She rolled her eyes. “Trust me, nothing about you says Mr.
Rogers.”
Still, she conceded the point and set the ties aside, but she
couldn’t stop herself from reaching up to straighten his collar. Her fingers
lingered on the warm skin of his neck and the faint bristle of growth along his
jaw. He hadn’t shaved this morning, she knew, but he must have shaved the night
before. She thought about what the past twenty-four hours had been like for him.
He’d called her as he’d left the airport—that had been around midnight. He must
have shaved as soon as he’d gotten home, just before she showed up. She’d never
thought about that until now…the way he always shaved just before they saw
each other. The way his jaw was always smooth when he kissed her on her neck.
And anywhere else.
Suddenly she realized they’d both gone completely still. Her
breath caught in her chest as she looked up into his eyes, which were the exact
same shade of blue as his shirt. Heat swirled through her body, turning her
insides to mush and her knees to jelly.
Was he thinking about it, too? About the way he’d nuzzled her
breast just last night? About the way he’d spread her body out before him like a
feast and kissed every inch of her? How she’d
Griffin as interim CEO, she’d probably be out of a job. Yes, she’d find another
one, but this was a good job, especially for someone as young as she was. She’d
lucked into it. She’d first been hired as a temp when Dalton’s previous
assistant had knee surgery, but he’d kept her on when Janine had decided not to
come back.
If she lost this job, her next position wouldn’t pay nearly
this well. Which meant making her mortgage payment would be a strain. It was
already steep, but when she’d first bought her house, it had seemed like such a
good investment. It had represented all the security she’d desperately wanted.
Now, it just represented all that she’d lose if this didn’t go well.
She left the conference room and hurried down the hall to her
office. Griffin was leaving his as she walked in.
“I was just checking on the conference room. Everything looks
good there.”
“Thanks.” He smiled that same breezy smile she was used to, the
flash of white teeth and deep dimples. Suddenly the nerves she felt for the
meeting morphed into a pleasant fluttery sort of anticipation that had nothing
to do with efficient IT and catering departments.
She handed him the folio folder from her desk. “Here’s your
copy of the agenda. I kept it simple.”
He flipped it open and read over it as she spoke. “Looks
good.”
He was about to walk out when she stopped him. “Wait a second.
Is that what you’re wearing?”
“Yeah.” He glanced down as if seeing his jeans and shirt for
the first time.
“You don’t look the part of the business executive.”
“I haven’t exactly had time to go home and change.”
She held up a hand to ward off a protest. “Just give me two
minutes.” She dashed into Dalton’s office and dug around in the coat closet for
a minute before returning. She held out what she’d found. “Here, put this
on.”
Griffin held it out in front of him. “A sweater?”
“Come on, trust me.”
“A sweater?” he repeated, even as he pulled it over his
head.
“I didn’t have a lot to work with here.” She helped him with
the hem, tugging it over his hips. “Dalton keeps a couple of jackets here, but
your shoulders are broader than his, so you couldn’t wear one of those.” Griffin
stilled as she fussed over him, adjusting the sleeves of the V-neck sweater so a
half-inch of cuff showed. Then she grabbed the two ties she’d found and held
them up. “What do you think? Yellow or green?”
His lips twitched, dazzling her with a hint of white teeth and
dimple. “How about no tie?”
“A tie says powerful and important,” she argued.
“A tie with a sweater says Mr. Rogers,” he countered, still
smiling.
She rolled her eyes. “Trust me, nothing about you says Mr.
Rogers.”
Still, she conceded the point and set the ties aside, but she
couldn’t stop herself from reaching up to straighten his collar. Her fingers
lingered on the warm skin of his neck and the faint bristle of growth along his
jaw. He hadn’t shaved this morning, she knew, but he must have shaved the night
before. She thought about what the past twenty-four hours had been like for him.
He’d called her as he’d left the airport—that had been around midnight. He must
have shaved as soon as he’d gotten home, just before she showed up. She’d never
thought about that until now…the way he always shaved just before they saw
each other. The way his jaw was always smooth when he kissed her on her neck.
And anywhere else.
Suddenly she realized they’d both gone completely still. Her
breath caught in her chest as she looked up into his eyes, which were the exact
same shade of blue as his shirt. Heat swirled through her body, turning her
insides to mush and her knees to jelly.
Was he thinking about it, too? About the way he’d nuzzled her
breast just last night? About the way he’d spread her body out before him like a
feast and kissed every inch of her? How she’d
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