Read Online Project: Runaway Heiress by Heidi Betts - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heidi Betts
Ads: Link
you?” she quipped.
Without a hint of remorse or fear of speaking in such a manner to her employer. And not just any employer, but the CEO of the whole bloody company.
Why did that amuse him so damn much? Amuse, as well as arouse.
The sight of her, the thought of her, the knowledge that she would be seated just outside his office door for eight hours each day, was enough to send his blood to the boiling point.
Even now, he wanted to stand up, round his desk, lean down and kiss her just for the hell of it.
Well, for the hell of it, and also to discover if she tasted as good as he thought she would. That was something he suddenly wanted to know. Very, very badly.
In an attempt to cool the heat rising in his body and bringing small beads of perspiration to dot his brow, he raised the tea back to his lips and drained the cup dry. It didn’t cool him off as much as he’d hoped.
“So,” he commented to fill the increasingly awkward silence. “You can make a fine cup of tea, and you know your way about the design business—at least judging by last night’s conversation. I think it’s safe to say you’ve already surpassed the skills of all of my other assistants here in the States put together.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she replied, giving him a bright smile that Nigel believed could only be genuine.
So he responded with one of his own. “As you should. It was intended as one.”
“I can expect that bonus to be reflected in my first paycheck, then?”
She made it a question. Loaded and dangerous.
Narrowing his eyes, he answered carefully. “We’ll see. Keep up the good work, and I’ll have no problem rewarding your efforts monetarily. But you’ve only been here two days. I need to see you in action awhile longer than that before I make any promises.”
She shrugged one slim shoulder. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”
With a laugh, Nigel emptied the rest of the tea into his cup, then sat back, linking his hands in front of him. “Certainly not. And you may just earn yourself some extra perks yet. Especially if you bring me another pot of tea before running down to the fourth floor to see how things are going. We’ve got a special runway show coming up in two weeks, and I want to be sure we’re on track.”
Lillian sat up in a suddenly more serious, alert manner. “I’ll be happy to, but isn’t that something you should do yourself? I’m not sure I’ll know enough to judge how well things are going.”
“You’ll do fine,” Nigel assured her. “The head of the design team should be able to tell you what’s been done so far and what still needs to be taken care of. Then you can report to me, and if I think anything is out of sorts, I’ll go down and put the fear of unemployment into them.”
“Very stealthy of you,” she said. Then, taking a deep breath, she pushed to her feet. “I’ll do my best. It will be fun to visit the design-room floor. I’ve never been on one before.”
Her gaze darted away and she shifted from one leg to the other. Peculiar, to say the least.
Ignoring the odd behavior, Nigel said, “Take your time down there. It really is quite fascinating to watch the designers work.”
She nodded, collecting the china cup from the center of the desk and adding it to the other items on the tea-service tray. Gathering it all, she headed for the door.
“Tea first,” she said over her shoulder, “then I’ll go down and spy on your happy little elves.”
He watched her disappear out into the reception area, enjoying the sway of her hips and straight line of her back. It wasn’t until he heard her returning with a second cup of tea several minutes later that he realized he hadn’t moved a muscle since she’d walked away.
Which was not a good sign. Not good at all.
Six
L ily knew better than to make rash judgments about people. First impressions often made you think somebody was wonderful, friendly, trustworthy...and then later you discovered
Without a hint of remorse or fear of speaking in such a manner to her employer. And not just any employer, but the CEO of the whole bloody company.
Why did that amuse him so damn much? Amuse, as well as arouse.
The sight of her, the thought of her, the knowledge that she would be seated just outside his office door for eight hours each day, was enough to send his blood to the boiling point.
Even now, he wanted to stand up, round his desk, lean down and kiss her just for the hell of it.
Well, for the hell of it, and also to discover if she tasted as good as he thought she would. That was something he suddenly wanted to know. Very, very badly.
In an attempt to cool the heat rising in his body and bringing small beads of perspiration to dot his brow, he raised the tea back to his lips and drained the cup dry. It didn’t cool him off as much as he’d hoped.
“So,” he commented to fill the increasingly awkward silence. “You can make a fine cup of tea, and you know your way about the design business—at least judging by last night’s conversation. I think it’s safe to say you’ve already surpassed the skills of all of my other assistants here in the States put together.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she replied, giving him a bright smile that Nigel believed could only be genuine.
So he responded with one of his own. “As you should. It was intended as one.”
“I can expect that bonus to be reflected in my first paycheck, then?”
She made it a question. Loaded and dangerous.
Narrowing his eyes, he answered carefully. “We’ll see. Keep up the good work, and I’ll have no problem rewarding your efforts monetarily. But you’ve only been here two days. I need to see you in action awhile longer than that before I make any promises.”
She shrugged one slim shoulder. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”
With a laugh, Nigel emptied the rest of the tea into his cup, then sat back, linking his hands in front of him. “Certainly not. And you may just earn yourself some extra perks yet. Especially if you bring me another pot of tea before running down to the fourth floor to see how things are going. We’ve got a special runway show coming up in two weeks, and I want to be sure we’re on track.”
Lillian sat up in a suddenly more serious, alert manner. “I’ll be happy to, but isn’t that something you should do yourself? I’m not sure I’ll know enough to judge how well things are going.”
“You’ll do fine,” Nigel assured her. “The head of the design team should be able to tell you what’s been done so far and what still needs to be taken care of. Then you can report to me, and if I think anything is out of sorts, I’ll go down and put the fear of unemployment into them.”
“Very stealthy of you,” she said. Then, taking a deep breath, she pushed to her feet. “I’ll do my best. It will be fun to visit the design-room floor. I’ve never been on one before.”
Her gaze darted away and she shifted from one leg to the other. Peculiar, to say the least.
Ignoring the odd behavior, Nigel said, “Take your time down there. It really is quite fascinating to watch the designers work.”
She nodded, collecting the china cup from the center of the desk and adding it to the other items on the tea-service tray. Gathering it all, she headed for the door.
“Tea first,” she said over her shoulder, “then I’ll go down and spy on your happy little elves.”
He watched her disappear out into the reception area, enjoying the sway of her hips and straight line of her back. It wasn’t until he heard her returning with a second cup of tea several minutes later that he realized he hadn’t moved a muscle since she’d walked away.
Which was not a good sign. Not good at all.
Six
L ily knew better than to make rash judgments about people. First impressions often made you think somebody was wonderful, friendly, trustworthy...and then later you discovered
Similar Books
