It was when she watched him drag his hands through his dark hair, for probably the hundredth time that afternoon, she frowned. Why are you so freaking sensitive? She scolded herself. This isn’t about you. This guy obviously has a lot going on right now, and he doesn’t have time to play nice with you, chatting all day. He hired you to do a job. So do it, Maya.
Her eyes still on him, she watched him tent his long fingers in front of his face, obviously deep in thought. He grabbed a pen and scribbled furiously on a pad of yellow legal paper in front of him, apparently caught by a moment of inspiration.
Watching him at work, she smiled. Jamie Sellers was an impossibly good-looking man. Once again she was brought back to the night when, at the nightclub below them, she had kissed him in one of the most impulsive moments of her life. Her lips tingled and desire flushed throughout her body. Every time she thought about that kiss she had a similar reaction. But if she hoped to concentrate on anything at all this afternoon she needed to stop. Shaking herself free of the thoughts, she sighed.
Her sigh was a little too loud, as it caught Jamie’s attention. He gazed over at her. His steel-blue eyes seemingly looking into her. “Everything okay?”
Caught off guard, she stammered a little. “Uh, yeah, sorry. I think I just need a cup of coffee.” She recovered quickly, gesturing to the espresso machine in the kitchenette.
“Help yourself,” he said, looking back down at his paperwork. “Do you know how to use one of those?”
“Yeah, my parents have one just like it.” She stood. “Do you want anything?”
“Just so we’re clear, your job isn’t to get me coffee. I can get my own coffee,” he told her, brow furrowed. “But, yeah sure, if you don’t mind.” He smiled. “A double espresso, no sugar or anything would be great. Thank you.”
* * *
BY THE EVENING, Jamie found himself seated at the bar of the club downstairs. He watched Trevor dry the glasses he had just pulled from the washer with a microfiber cloth. Jamie smiled at the attention to detail. Neither man could abide serving glasses that had dried water spots on them.
“You all right, man?” Trevor asked him while he worked.
Jamie shoved his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just tired.”
“How’s the new assistant working out?” he asked with a smirk.
Jamie regarded Trevor carefully. He obviously knew that he had hired Maya. “She’s working out just fine,” he answered with a curt nod.
“Can I get you a Coke?”
Jamie shook his head. “Not today. I will have a finger of the Aberfeldy 21, though. Neat.”
Raising a questioning eyebrow, Trevor reached for one of their finest scotches. “Sure, friend.” He reached for the bottle at the top of the display and carefully poured out a serving. “That’s a strange order for you. You don’t normally drink at all, let alone here. What’s up?”
“Why does anything need to be up?” he demanded.
“Jamie, you’re a creature of habit, some might think you’re bordering on workaholic. So, what exactly is going on here?” He leaned on the bar to come face-to-face with Jamie. “Does it have anything to do with the beautiful new assistant you hired? I heard her name is Maya Connor. Funny, that happens to be the name of the woman who kissed you right here at the bar not long ago, is it not?”
Jamie threw back the scotch and swallowed it in one gulp. Normally, he would have enjoyed sipping such a decadent spirit, but right then he needed the fortification. “Yeah,” he sighed, the scotch burning a pleasant trail down his throat and into his stomach. “Even though you already seem to know, it is her.”
He proceeded to tell Trevor about their encounter in Dr. Carmichael’s class and him offering her the job. “And for the love of God, could you please keep that kiss on the down-low,” he whispered and leaned in. “I don’t want anyone getting ideas about why she was hired.”
“It’s nobody’s business, but why did you hire her?”
Jamie was silent for a moment. Why had he hired her? He wanted to say that it was strictly professional. That he knew she would be a competent assistant and nothing more. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell his friend that. So he went with the partial truth. “She came highly recommended by Dr. Carmichael, and I trust his opinion,” he said with a wave. “What happened here that night is just a wacky coincidence. She told me that it was a dare. Her friend Abby was trying to get her to be a little wilder, so she dared Maya to kiss me. That’s all. That’s the story.”
“Uh-huh.” Trevor stood straight, clearly unconvinced, and gestured to the empty glass Jamie had slammed down on the bar. “So, why the drink?”
“Why can’t I have a drink in my own club?” he angrily defended himself. “I have to head back upstairs for a conference call soon, and I just wanted a quick break to relax a little. Is that okay with you?”
Trevor smiled at his friend’s outburst. “It’s fine, dude. If anyone needs to relax a little, it’s clearly you.”
MAYA ENTERED HER apartment at seven o’clock. She knew that Jamie was staying late for a conference call to settle some things with a presentation he would be giving at an upcoming conference in Las Vegas. She had offered to stay, but he dismissed her, saying it wasn’t necessary. It still felt like a brush-off, all the same. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was uncomfortable being in the same room with her, and she wondered why he hired her if her presence made him so bristly? She made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of Merlot, and when Abby ran into the kitchen to greet her she poured one for her friend, as well.
“So, how was your day?” Abby asked her, eager anticipation spread across her face.
Unsurprisingly, Abby had been supportive of Maya accepting the position. She was a great friend and she was so excited for Maya. She had even helped her decide on an outfit for her first day, in addition to helping her research Jamie and J. Sellers Holdings.
Maya’s smile was tired. “It was long. There’s a lot of work to get done. He’s got so much going on. But—big news—he did tell me that the two of us would be going to Las Vegas in a few of weeks for a convention. So that’s pretty exciting.”
“Vegas? With Mr. Gorgeous? That’s amazing. I’m so jealous! I love Vegas.”
“Yeah, it should be great. I’ve never been there, but I doubt I’ll get much time to sightsee, or shop, or anything else. He’s pretty serious about business being strictly that.” She took a sip of her wine.
“And a weird thing. The day was going fine at first, but then it’s like his personality changed,” she told Abby, frowning. “He spent most of the day ignoring me, and we both worked quietly at our desks. It was kind of awkward.”
“You said he was busy. That’s probably just him in work mode,” Abby offered.
Maya rolled her eyes, embarrassed that she had been so sensitive. “Of course, that’s it. He is busy. He’s still at the office on a conference call, as we speak.”
“Or, maybe he was just on edge because he was concerned you would jump him at his desk?” Abby mused, an