“Let’s see.” Marjorie’s grin remained as she folded her arms across her chest. “Maybe because I’m so darn good at my job? Or maybe because I’m your mother’s best friend and I’ve known you since you were eight years old? Or could it be because I’ve never told your mother who really hit the baseball that broke her office window when you were nine or who trampled her prize tulips that same summer? Oh, and what about the time you were grounded and I caught you sneaking out to-”
“All right, all right,” Adam said irately, holding up his hand for her to stop. “There should be a statute of limitations on that kind of stuff.”
“Sorry,” Marjorie said with a grin. “Honorary aunties never forget.”
“Tell me about it,” Adam muttered. “Look, this is ridiculous. Get Cheryl on the phone.”
“She quit,” Marjorie said, enunciating the words so he couldn’t ignore them. “She won’t be back. She was three months’ pregnant and working around the clock. Something had to give.”
He stopped in midpace and turned. “Pregnant?”
Marjorie nodded.
Appalled, he threw his hands up. “She always insisted she was a shark. She loved the kill. Sharks don’t get pregnant and run off in the middle of a deal.”
Marjorie shrugged. “I guess she was a dolphin in shark’s clothing.”
“Very funny,” he said coldly. “You can’t trust anyone these days.”
“So true.”
“I don’t have time for this,” Adam said abruptly. “I need a replacement, now.”
Marjorie smiled. “I’ve got the perfect person for you.”
Adam stopped her with a look. “I’m warning you, Marjorie. Don’t bring me someone who’s going to get pregnant and leave without notice.”
“Of course not,” she said with a huff.
“And I don’t want some bubble-gum-chewing bobble-head doll.” He stalked back and forth in front of the desk, warming to his rant. “I want someone with maturity, someone who knows the damn alphabet well enough to file something in the right drawer. And I definitely don’t want-”
“I know what you want, boss,” Marjorie said quickly. “And I’ve got just the person for you. Trish has gotten rave reviews as one of our best special assignment assistants. Her credentials are-”
“A floater?” Adam said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”
“Special assignment assistant,” Marjorie said through clenched teeth.
He waved her off. “I won’t work with a floater. This job’s too important to trust-”
“We don’t have a choice,” Marjorie said with a hiss, then added in a normal tone, “Trish’s credentials are excellent. She graduated from a very good college, then went on to get her MBA. She’s smart as a whip. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
“How smart can she be if she’s in the floater pool?” he said stubbornly.
Marjorie straightened her spine and pierced him with a look. “Our floaters-I mean, special assignment assistants-are top notch and you know it.”
“Of course they are,” he said. It was true. Duke’s floaters were an enthusiastic and skilled group. But that wouldn’t be enough for this job.
“Now, you behave,” Marjorie added in a hushed voice, making Adam feel like a ten-year-old who’d been caught stealing apples from old man Petrie’s orchard. “Trish is very smart and pretty.”
“Yeah, but can she type?” Adam muttered acerbically.
Trish James had heard more than enough from Adam Duke, who obviously hadn’t noticed that she’d been standing in the doorway to his office for the last five minutes.
“I type 120 words per minute, Mr. Duke,” Trish said brightly as she held out her hand to shake Adam Duke’s. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Trish James, your special assignment assistant.”
As their hands touched, Trish felt a jolt of heat and stared up at the man, hoping her apprehension didn’t show on her face. She’d known from the start that the CEO of Duke Development would be a formidable opponent. She just hadn’t realized that he’d be so tall and intimidating. Or so attractive-if you cared for the sort of potent, masculine toughness that must’ve appealed to every last woman in the known universe. Looking into his dark blue eyes, she felt her stomach take an unwelcome dip. Even seething with anger, Adam oozed sex appeal from every inch of his broad, muscular frame. Minutes ago, as she’d watched him from the office doorway, Trish had had to stifle an almost overwhelming urge to sneak away.
But Grandma Anna hadn’t raised a coward, so she’d pushed ahead and here she was, ready to beard the lion in his own den.
“Trish dear,” Marjorie said with a wink, clearly aware that Trish had overheard everything the HR manager and Adam had just said. “This is Adam Duke, of course. You’ll be working together for the next few weeks. I know you’ll do a wonderful job. Call me if you have any questions.”
Marjorie gave Adam a final warning glance, then smiled again. “Have a good day, both of you.” Then she turned and raced toward the door.
Trish almost laughed. Sure, have a good day. It was really starting out well. She tracked Marjorie’s escape out the door, leaving Trish on her own to face the man who had haunted her dreams for the last year. A man who’d turned those dreams to nightmares.
A man who didn’t even know who she was.
“Welcome,” Adam said gruffly.
“Thank you,” Trish said graciously, ignoring the insincerity in both their voices. They’d just started off on the wrong foot. Determined to right the situation and conduct herself professionally, she cleared her throat and said, “I appreciate that you’d rather not depend on a floater, Mr. Duke, but let me assure you that I know my way around an office.”
His eyes narrowed. “We refer to them as special assignment assistants, Ms. James.”
It took her a moment to realize he was joking. “Of course we do. My mistake.”
He smiled reluctantly. “That’s better.”
Her entire system zoomed up to red alert. It was that devastating smile that did it.
Determined to follow through with her plan, she squared her shoulders. Despite his gorgeous face, Adam Duke was a shark. He personified the killer species, and Trish ought to know, since he’d cold-bloodedly destroyed everything she’d ever loved. Now it was payback time. That’s why she was here.
Looking at him now, she had to admit he was the best-looking shark she’d ever seen. His eyes sparkled with both awareness and cynicism, but Trish could imagine them turning to blue ice if he ever discovered her true reason for being here.
“Ms. James?”
“What? Yes?” Trish blinked. The last thing she needed was to be caught staring soulfully at her unforgiving boss. “I’m sorry, I was taking mental notes. Could you repeat that?”
With a thoughtful nod, he glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to leave for a meeting shortly, but I’ll show you around first.”
As they crossed the luxurious space, Adam pointed out the locked cabinet where he kept some personal files, next to a sideboard with coffee and sodas to which she could help herself.
“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate that.”
“I’m not sure you will when you have no time to go to lunch and this is all you’re stuck with.”
“At least we won’t die of thirst,” she said lightheartedly, but her grin faded as she met his gaze and was struck again by his sheer strength and masculinity. She had to force herself to get a grip.
Despite his good looks, she knew he was inflexible and demanding, knew he would be a formidable taskmaster. Frankly, she wished she could tell him to take this job and…well, she couldn’t say it. She needed the job too much. She was on a mission and she would accomplish what she’d set out to do. Let Adam Duke look down on her, if it made him feel bigger and better. She didn’t care. The worse he treated her, the more justification she would have
