Read Online Fresh Temptation by Reeni Austin - Free Book Online

heart raced as he turned his head frantically in the direction of the footsteps and unconsciously adjusted his tie again.
    And there she was, the lovely blonde of his fantasies, wearing a pin-striped navy blue suit that looked like it was made to set off her best assets.
    Her eyes met his for a split second, then she glanced down at the floor with a slight grin.
    Does she have any idea what she does to me?
    He stood still, waiting for her to walk up to him, but she shyly stopped a few feet away. She’s a walking contradiction . During their short interview she was all guts. Today, she was timid, but that was good. It gave him the upper hand. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so nervous.
    Victor calmly extended his hand. “Ms. Green. Welcome.”
    She took one step closer and slowly put her hand around his. “Mr. Barboza. Thank you for having me.”
    Her skin’s like velvet …His breath hitched as her fingers lightly grazed the inside of his wrist. Shit, now isn’t the time …
    He pulled his hand away and forced himself to make an offer he’d rehearsed for days. Keep it casual . “So, it’s almost lunchtime. Do you have plans?”
    Her mouth dropped for a moment. “No…no plans.”
    “Would you like to get a quick bite?” Victor shrugged. “Celebrate your first day.”
    She looked at Gary, as if seeking his approval. “Um…”
    Victor grinned. “Gary got lunch his first day too.” He turned to him. “And you’re invited, by the way.” He had only planned to invite Gary if Cara appeared anxious…which she did.
    Gary sighed, dramatically. “I wish I could but it’s my bi-weekly chiropractor visit. And I so need it after the weekend I had.”
    “Ah, that’s right.” Victor gave Cara a wry grin. “He hurt his neck a couple months back. Wouldn’t tell me what happened. He just showed up Monday morning in a neck brace, muttering something about taking the bus from Atlantic City—”
    Gary held up one finger. “Enough!” Then he put his finger down and straightened his posture. “I mean, quiet, if you please, Mr. Barboza.”
    Victor laughed. He had never asked Gary to be so formal with him, and it amused Victor greatly to mess with him on occasion. Today, Victor was even more thankful for Gary’s presence in the office. It was just the tension-breaker he would need in order to calm down enough to subtly woo the new employee.
     
    * * *
     
    Cara tried to do more than stand there, blinking rapidly as if she didn’t have a thought in her head. But her mind had indeed gone blank.
    Alone, with Victor? Already? She had prepared herself for the idea of working beside him in the same office. But going to lunch was entirely different. They would enjoy a meal together. Alone. Like a date. And she hadn’t been on a date in a very, very long time.
    “So?” Victor asked patiently. “Lunch?”
    Cara inhaled a slightly trembling breath, willing herself to say the thing he wanted to hear. “Lunch. Yes. That’d be fine.”
    “Great.” Victor grinned, then abruptly turned in the direction of his office. “Meet me at the elevator in fifteen minutes.” And then he disappeared inside and shut the door.
    She put her head down and walked straight to her desk. Her short interaction with Victor had temporarily made her forget about what Rhonda had told her in the break room. But now that she remembered, her time was limited. When she reached her desk, she took out her phone to do a search for “Victor Barboza engagement.” In the days since Victor offered her this job, she had searched for him online and found nothing but the company’s official website, or other boring links that told her almost nothing. And she knew better than to use his company’s Internet connection for a search like this.
    It took a few minutes, but she finally found the name “Alexis Whitt” listed along with “Victor Barboza.” There appeared to be a wedding website that was no longer functioning, but there was still a wedding gift