for the shift in topic to something impersonal. “I’m thinking about going to California to see about getting a job.” If she hadn’t promised to stick around until Natalie’s return, she would’ve taken the first available flight out of Dulles.
“That where your family is?”
“No.” When he merely continued to look at her, she added, “I’m…not planning on visiting them.”
Something flickered in his eyes, then vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “The economy out there isn’t that great. And it’s no financial center.”
“I can do stuff other than i-banking.” Did he think investment banking was the only thing she was qualified for?
There was a bit of jam on a corner of his mouth. He licked it, and she drew in a breath. That talented tongue had traced its way up and down her body several times the previous night, stopping to explore at various strategic points along the way. She was sure he’d used it to inscribe words on her clit…in fact, the pleasure had gone on so long he might have been transcribing the entire unabridged Arabian Ni—
“So what do you think?” He was looking at her expectantly.
She blinked. “About…?”
He sipped his coffee, squinted at her a little. “Have you been listening?”
Oh god, how humiliating. She never daydreamed in the middle of a conversation, and certainly not because she was fantasizing about the other person’s tongue. “I’m just a bit surprised,” she said, trying to wing her way through it. “Could you just take me through it again, just to make sure I understand exactly what you’re trying to say?”
His mouth curved into a knowing smile.
Damn it.
“How about if I just summarize? I need somebody with a good head for finance and an eye for detail.”
“Okay.”
“I want to hire you.”
Hire
her? “What? You haven’t even seen my résumé.”
“Don’t need to. Natalie said you’re brilliant at what you do. That’s enough for me.”
She put her fork down. “Ethan…I don’t know.” It was one thing to sleep with a guy, quite another to work for him. Work was a commitment.
“Before you decide, you should know there are other conditions of the job. Some nice and unusual benefits.”
“Such as?”
“For example, your pay.” He named a figure that momentarily stunned her.
“Do I get medical and dental?” she asked.
“Of course. And how about 401k while we’re at it?”
Her head spun. She’d been certain he’d come to confront her about sneaking out like a thief, not offer her a job! “Uh…what will my responsibilities entail?”
“You’ll be going over some family business. My family, to be exact. The Lloyds Development.”
“I thought you were working at Global Strategies.”
“I am. That’s why I need you. I don’t have the time or energy to devote my full attention to TLD, and it’s important I become familiar with it ASAP.”
“You said it was your family business.”
“Right.”
“But you don’t know much about it?”
“I know the basic outlines of the business, of course, what we’re involved with and so on. But I don’t work there and I’m not part of management.”
“That’s kind of hard to believe. Not that I don’t think you’re telling the truth, but most people wouldn’t be able to stay away.”
“As long as the company’s doing well and continues to provide for the people who depend on it, I don’t care who gets the credit for running it.”
He gave her a small friendly smile, but it sent shivers up her back the way a shark’s fin cutting through dark water would. A man who didn’t care who took the credit so long as he got what he wanted was ten times more dangerous than one whose ego couldn’t take not being number one. No manipulation would shake someone like Ethan from his course of action until he achieved the desired outcome.
“Who would I report to?”
“Me. And only me.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “Where would I work?”
“TLD has a
“That where your family is?”
“No.” When he merely continued to look at her, she added, “I’m…not planning on visiting them.”
Something flickered in his eyes, then vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “The economy out there isn’t that great. And it’s no financial center.”
“I can do stuff other than i-banking.” Did he think investment banking was the only thing she was qualified for?
There was a bit of jam on a corner of his mouth. He licked it, and she drew in a breath. That talented tongue had traced its way up and down her body several times the previous night, stopping to explore at various strategic points along the way. She was sure he’d used it to inscribe words on her clit…in fact, the pleasure had gone on so long he might have been transcribing the entire unabridged Arabian Ni—
“So what do you think?” He was looking at her expectantly.
She blinked. “About…?”
He sipped his coffee, squinted at her a little. “Have you been listening?”
Oh god, how humiliating. She never daydreamed in the middle of a conversation, and certainly not because she was fantasizing about the other person’s tongue. “I’m just a bit surprised,” she said, trying to wing her way through it. “Could you just take me through it again, just to make sure I understand exactly what you’re trying to say?”
His mouth curved into a knowing smile.
Damn it.
“How about if I just summarize? I need somebody with a good head for finance and an eye for detail.”
“Okay.”
“I want to hire you.”
Hire
her? “What? You haven’t even seen my résumé.”
“Don’t need to. Natalie said you’re brilliant at what you do. That’s enough for me.”
She put her fork down. “Ethan…I don’t know.” It was one thing to sleep with a guy, quite another to work for him. Work was a commitment.
“Before you decide, you should know there are other conditions of the job. Some nice and unusual benefits.”
“Such as?”
“For example, your pay.” He named a figure that momentarily stunned her.
“Do I get medical and dental?” she asked.
“Of course. And how about 401k while we’re at it?”
Her head spun. She’d been certain he’d come to confront her about sneaking out like a thief, not offer her a job! “Uh…what will my responsibilities entail?”
“You’ll be going over some family business. My family, to be exact. The Lloyds Development.”
“I thought you were working at Global Strategies.”
“I am. That’s why I need you. I don’t have the time or energy to devote my full attention to TLD, and it’s important I become familiar with it ASAP.”
“You said it was your family business.”
“Right.”
“But you don’t know much about it?”
“I know the basic outlines of the business, of course, what we’re involved with and so on. But I don’t work there and I’m not part of management.”
“That’s kind of hard to believe. Not that I don’t think you’re telling the truth, but most people wouldn’t be able to stay away.”
“As long as the company’s doing well and continues to provide for the people who depend on it, I don’t care who gets the credit for running it.”
He gave her a small friendly smile, but it sent shivers up her back the way a shark’s fin cutting through dark water would. A man who didn’t care who took the credit so long as he got what he wanted was ten times more dangerous than one whose ego couldn’t take not being number one. No manipulation would shake someone like Ethan from his course of action until he achieved the desired outcome.
“Who would I report to?”
“Me. And only me.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “Where would I work?”
“TLD has a
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