“We did, but since I’ve already looked it all over, I thought I’d take a chance and see if you’ve got time to talk about it now.”
For a second, I could only blink at her. It wasn’t often that I was speechless or shocked, but that was exactly what I was right then. “I only sent that email less than two hours ago.”
She shrugged. “I know. I’ve been waiting here for thirty minutes or so.”
“You read through all of it?” I tried to calculate how many pages I’d sent her in total, but I didn’t know the precise amount. It had been a lot, though.
Addy lifted her shoulders again, then flicked a hand in the direction of my office. “I’ve read through it all. I think I have a pretty good idea of what you meant before.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, my mind spinning in disbelief. “Well, I’ve got some time to go over things if you really feel like you’re ready.”
“I’m ready.” Her voice was strong and confident, her chin slightly higher than normal as she gave me a smile and set off leading the way to my office.
Obviously, she was sure that she had this under control. It was surprising, to say the least, but I’d hear her out. I highly doubted she’d had the time to go over all the information in any detail, but I’d give her the chance.
Whatever happened, I wouldn’t judge her based on the meeting we were about to have. She was eager to start working, I knew that much. All I had to see now was whether her eagerness had trumped my need for her to be thoroughly prepared for any meeting she had with me.
Chapter 10
Addy
This was it. If I screwed up this meeting, there was no telling if Marco would give me another chance.
I’d devoured the information he’d sent me, though. The more I’d read, the more excited I had gotten. As soon as I’d finished, I’d practically run over to his office—only to be told he wasn’t in.
It had been a bit of a disappointment that I’d had to wait, but now the wait was over, and I was going to get to share my thoughts with him while they were still fresh. It had been a while since my brain had had any real challenge, and the documentation he’d sent over had sparked an interest I hadn’t felt for anything in a long time.
The range of companies he worked with was astonishing. Then there were all the different nationalities of his clients from all around the globe, each with their own sets of unique customs included in their files.
That was only the tip of the iceberg. Logistics had so many more components to it than I’d realized, and I was sure I still hadn’t come close to realizing the full extent of it.
The challenge excited me, and now I was more eager than ever to get started. I had to stop myself from bouncing on the balls of my feet while I waited for him to open his office.
“After you.” He motioned me inside, followed, and closed the door behind him.
As he strode to his desk, I took just one moment to appreciate the figure he cut in his couture suit. Tall, dark, and handsome didn’t even begin to describe the man.
Sunlight shone in through his windows and highlighted the lighter bits in his hair, which in turn only made the dark-chocolate color of it seem darker. The fabric of his shirt stretched just ever so slightly between his shoulders and over his biceps.
His hips were narrower than those broad shoulders, causing his upper body to taper off in a true swimmer’s form. He drummed his long fingers on the desk as he rounded it, then gestured for me to take a seat.
“What did you think?” he asked as he lowered himself into his chair. His eyes came up to meet mine and didn’t waver again. “I’m curious to know since you wanted to see me so urgently.”
“Firstly, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity,” I started. Elena and I had gone over some common interview tips last night, and even though I’d technically already had my interview, I still wanted to come across as professional.
Marco, however, narrowed those vibrantly golden eyes of his in confusion. “You want to thank me for the opportunity to read an email?”
“No.” Although, on second thought, that was probably exactly what it had sounded like.
Crap.
Quietly taking a deep breath, I refocused. I was nervous as hell, but I needed to remain confident. My ideas were solid, and my understanding of my role in the company had grown. I just needed my words to match how I felt about it.
“What I meant was that I appreciate you taking this chance on me.” Much better. I held back a smile and rested my hands in my lap, willing myself to stay calm and collected. “I know that you’re taking a risk, but I wanted to assure you I’m up for any challenge you might give me.”
“Okay.” A tiny line appeared between his eyebrows as he lifted a hand to tap the corner of his mouth. “I thought we were past this stage of our relationship. You have a job here, Addy. The risk is one I’m willing to take. How about you tell me what you thought about the information I sent over?”
“Right.” I should have seen that one coming. Still, I wasn’t going to let it shake me.
Was he an incredibly hot billionaire with an impressive empire he had built himself? Yes.
But I was Adaline Tidwell and the very fact that I was sitting in an office in Florence, Italy was proof that I’d also made my dreams come true. Just not in the same way he had.
Bending over to retrieve my purse, I pulled out my phone and opened
