wouldn’t suit everyone but it suits him. For a moment, I ask myself what his hair must feel like, whether it’s as soft as it looks. And then I notice that he’s saying something and I try to concentrate on his words again.
“Clive told me that you made a good impression at your first meeting yesterday. It appears that you are highly dedicated and have a feeling for the kinds of projects that department of Huntington Ventures specialises in, which, incidentally, is one of our company’s key departments and especially important to my partner and me.”
“I know …I mean, not that I made a good impression, I didn’t know that but I know that supporting innovations is very important to you. That’s …well, it’s part of your company philosophy.”
What am I saying? I’ve got to get out of here, I think. Urgently.
He smiles and I am completely captivated again. Jonathan Huntington would still be extremely attractive if he had a row of perfect teeth. But that small missing bit gives his smile a certain uniqueness that I can’t take my eyes off of. It makes him more authentic somehow—and more vulnerable. How did that happen, I wonder.
“You’re well-informed,” he says, in his deep, caressing voice. “And you should be very pleased with yourself, Miss Lawson. Because from now on you’ll be working for me.”
“Ah …I thought I already was,” I reply, confused.
His smile widens. “Perhaps I didn’t express myself clearly. Of course you’re already working for me but from now on you’ll be working with me .”
What? My heart is racing. “With you? I don’t understand …”
“I’m going to give you a glimpse of the way this company is run. You can shadow me as a kind of—assistant. There will be a few exceptions but you’ll be present at most of the talks I give and can ask questions about whatever you find interesting. You won’t be involved in the decision-making process itself, of course, but I am most certainly willing to hear your opinions, whenever you have something to say.”
It’s clear from his tone that this isn’t a question, he’s not making me an offer, and I don’t have a choice—it’s an order. But I’m still hesitant.
Part of me—the ambitious part—is overjoyed. You hit the jackpot, Grace. You can shadow Jonathan Huntington and look over his shoulder as he runs the company. You’ll get insights you couldn’t have dreamed of. It’s an incredible opportunity.
But there’s another quieter voice warning me. Warning me about the man whose nearness makes it hard for me to think straight. And whom I should be wary of, according to Annie. Does he really want to give me an opportunity—or does he have other reasons for making me this incredible offer?
“Why are you offering me this?” I ask the question without thinking it through properly. It just slips out.
He raises his eyebrows and then he snorts quietly and shakes his head, smiling. He obviously finds this pretty amusing.
“Would you rather stay in the investment department?” He says it in that tone again, which lets me know loud and clear that I’m obviously not right in the head. “If you don’t want to take advantage of this opportunity, then …”
“Yes, of course I do.” The ambitious side of me is quick to reassure him, before the other side has a chance to think it through. “I …I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
“Why?”
This man is going to drive me crazy. I look at him almost despairingly because I don’t know if I trust myself to ask this question—but I can’t get it out of my head.
“Do you do this often?” This time, the warning voice gets the upper hand and asks the question. If he does this kind of thing often, then I’m nothing special. But if not—why me?
He looks at me in that half-amused, half-angry way again, and pushes his hair from his forehead.
“Do I often make kind offers? No, I don’t. And I might not bother in the future. Because you seem to have
“Clive told me that you made a good impression at your first meeting yesterday. It appears that you are highly dedicated and have a feeling for the kinds of projects that department of Huntington Ventures specialises in, which, incidentally, is one of our company’s key departments and especially important to my partner and me.”
“I know …I mean, not that I made a good impression, I didn’t know that but I know that supporting innovations is very important to you. That’s …well, it’s part of your company philosophy.”
What am I saying? I’ve got to get out of here, I think. Urgently.
He smiles and I am completely captivated again. Jonathan Huntington would still be extremely attractive if he had a row of perfect teeth. But that small missing bit gives his smile a certain uniqueness that I can’t take my eyes off of. It makes him more authentic somehow—and more vulnerable. How did that happen, I wonder.
“You’re well-informed,” he says, in his deep, caressing voice. “And you should be very pleased with yourself, Miss Lawson. Because from now on you’ll be working for me.”
“Ah …I thought I already was,” I reply, confused.
His smile widens. “Perhaps I didn’t express myself clearly. Of course you’re already working for me but from now on you’ll be working with me .”
What? My heart is racing. “With you? I don’t understand …”
“I’m going to give you a glimpse of the way this company is run. You can shadow me as a kind of—assistant. There will be a few exceptions but you’ll be present at most of the talks I give and can ask questions about whatever you find interesting. You won’t be involved in the decision-making process itself, of course, but I am most certainly willing to hear your opinions, whenever you have something to say.”
It’s clear from his tone that this isn’t a question, he’s not making me an offer, and I don’t have a choice—it’s an order. But I’m still hesitant.
Part of me—the ambitious part—is overjoyed. You hit the jackpot, Grace. You can shadow Jonathan Huntington and look over his shoulder as he runs the company. You’ll get insights you couldn’t have dreamed of. It’s an incredible opportunity.
But there’s another quieter voice warning me. Warning me about the man whose nearness makes it hard for me to think straight. And whom I should be wary of, according to Annie. Does he really want to give me an opportunity—or does he have other reasons for making me this incredible offer?
“Why are you offering me this?” I ask the question without thinking it through properly. It just slips out.
He raises his eyebrows and then he snorts quietly and shakes his head, smiling. He obviously finds this pretty amusing.
“Would you rather stay in the investment department?” He says it in that tone again, which lets me know loud and clear that I’m obviously not right in the head. “If you don’t want to take advantage of this opportunity, then …”
“Yes, of course I do.” The ambitious side of me is quick to reassure him, before the other side has a chance to think it through. “I …I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
“Why?”
This man is going to drive me crazy. I look at him almost despairingly because I don’t know if I trust myself to ask this question—but I can’t get it out of my head.
“Do you do this often?” This time, the warning voice gets the upper hand and asks the question. If he does this kind of thing often, then I’m nothing special. But if not—why me?
He looks at me in that half-amused, half-angry way again, and pushes his hair from his forehead.
“Do I often make kind offers? No, I don’t. And I might not bother in the future. Because you seem to have
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