Peter stood again and stepped over to refill his glass. Quiet stretched between them as he seemed to gather his thoughts. “You know what’s terrible about being rich, Novah?” His broad shoulders slumped some.
“No, sir. I don’t.” She hid her smile behind a nibble of her bottom lip. She’d never had the unfortunate circumstance of having a fortune.
“The lack of trust.” He met her gaze, holding it in a cool embrace. “It comes down to always wondering who wants me for my billion-dollar bank account,” he said without a blink of an eye. He strolled to the window and looked out onto the sunset feathering the buildings of downtown Cheyenne. “I’ve learned how important trust is the hard way.”
“Sir, I’m not sure I follow.” Had she done something that made him question her loyalty?
“I’ve let Drake go from the security team.”
Drake, a man with droopy, pockmarked skin, who never looked anyone in the eye had been Langley’s right-hand man. If you saw one you most likely saw the other. She couldn’t say she was disappointed in the revelation considering the forty-something man gave her chills when he was in the office. “Maybe that’s for the best.” Once the words were out, she wanted to pull them back in. It was best she didn’t get involved.
Peter swiveled on his polished loafers and looked at her with hooded eyes. He finally smiled and she felt relief. “I’m glad you think so. You know the saying, one door closes, and a window opens.” He emptied his second scotch and swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “I’ve hired someone to take Drake’s place.” He pressed a button on his desk phone. “Stark, is my man here yet?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll bring him in.”
“I want you to meet him, Novah, after all I’ll rely on you getting him up to speed.”
The polished walnut doors came open and Byron Starks poked his head in.
“There’s the man of the hour now,” Mr. Langley said in a booming voice.
Good. She had some work left to do, and a call to her mother asking if she’d keep Finley for the weekend and then a long explanation why Novah wouldn’t be at the game. Standing, she ran her hand down her simple white blouse just as she heard, “Come meet my new head of security, Novah. Egan Banks.”
Egan Banks?
What?
Her knees wobbled and her stomach tightened. She grabbed the back of the chair and stabilized her weakness as she stretched her gaze to her ex-husband who was closing the door behind him. He stepped into the suddenly too small space, sucking up all the available oxygen. Mr. Langley greeted Egan with a handshake and a bit of small talk that Novah couldn’t quite follow through the foggy paths of her brain. Egan then saw her, appearing as staggered as she felt. He wasn’t wearing his usual attire of t-shirt and jeans, but instead a flattering suit that accentuated his broad shoulders, long torso and toned legs. He looked polished, poised, confident in the suit, but when had he ever lacked confidence. He recovered faster than she did, and a grin spread across his lips, reminding her of the heated night they’d shared the last time she saw him.
She felt like she’d been struck by a lightning bolt. He looked better than ever.
“Come on over and say hello to the best assistant a businessman could ask for. Egan Banks meet Novah Coffman. He will be at Lake Jade this weekend. Novah, you’ll be relaying important information about the campaign to our new guy here.” Langley patted Egan’s back as if they’d been friends forever.
“Good afternoon, Miss Coffman.” He held out his large hand and she stared at the offering, wanting to ignore it, but she felt Langley’s expectant gaze on her. She had no choice but to lay her palm against Egan’s. An exchange of indescribable warmth and energy rocketed up her arm and settled in her breasts. Damn the betrayal of her body.
“Good afternoon,” she forced through quivering lips. Apparently, Langley’s security team hadn’t done a proper background check on Egan otherwise they would have learned that he and Novah already knew each other quite well. Would he have still been hired? Probably not.
What if she told her boss the truth? Should she? Was this a test? No, that didn’t make sense.
She opened her mouth to confess, but her chance was lost because the door opened and Starks interrupted. “Sir, the reporter is here for your interview.”
“Great.” He rubbed his hands together in enthusiasm. Novah had never met a man who loved being in the spotlight more. “Egan, I’ll see you later. Novah, if he has any questions fill him in.” He winked and excused himself.
The second the door closed, Novah, who had been squeezing the notebook and pen so tight that she got a paper cut, released her hold, and forced through clenched teeth, “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?”
Exasperated, she took a much-needed step back and tried gathering her thoughts. “I work here!”
“And so do I, now.” He seemed amused with the whole situation and it infuriated her.
“You can’t work here.”
“Why?”
“Because I do.” She brought the notebook against her chest where her heart beat a hundred miles a minute.
“You’re a teacher. Not a secretary,” he fumed.
“I was a teacher until the school lost its funding and now I’m an assistant.” She put great emphasis on the last word. “I was here first so you need to leave. This can’t happen. Won’t happen.”
“Although you think everything revolves around you, I didn’t take this job because you work
