‘Wilson.’
‘It’s Mr Darrington’s assistant here,’ she said in a meek soft voice. ‘Would he be able to schedule a meeting with you at, say…eleven on Thursday?’ Tahlia held her breath. The week should be enough to gather the evidence that would support her case, if the Rottie agreed to the timing.
Raquel was notorious for messing people around just to make sure they knew the hierarchy—she was the boss and could do what she wanted. Tahlia would probably have to beg and grovel to get an appointment with her any time this month.
‘Mr Darrington. Yes. Of course. Not a problem.’ And she rang off.
Tahlia put the phone down in the cradle, staring at it, her stomach leaden. What was that? Raquel never just accepted a time without argument. Something was up…
‘Hey,’ a familiar deep voice said.
Tahlia’ s skin rippled as though a thousand butterflies had brushed her body. She looked up at Case. ‘Hey.’
‘I need to talk to you.’
She stood up, trying to suppress a smile. Couldn’t he get enough of her? She sobered. What could possibly have Raquel bowing to him? His good looks, his playboy eyes or that smile?
She narrowed her gaze, running her eyes over the man again, from the tip of his shiny black shoes to the tip of his spiky haircut. It didn’t matter.
By the end of the week she’d know every inch of this guy, inside and out. She’d discover all his secrets.
Tahlia’s gaze moved to Case’s mouth. She probably should avoid those lips. ‘What can I do for you, Mr Darrington… Case?’ she lilted.
He paused.
She watched his brow furrow. Oh, gawd. Had she got her signals crossed? Had the flowers been from someone else entirely? Had her clever saving-face parting proved she was crazy and she’d just made the biggest fool of herself for no reason at all or had she just scared him off with that incredibly stupid and impulsive kiss that had come out of nowhere?
She tipped her head. He didn’t seem like the sort of guy who would scare easily.
He moved closer. ‘I don’t mean that I’m not flattered or that I didn’t enjoy—’
Heat rushed to her cheeks. Oh, gawd. How could she have been so stupid? ‘So you didn’t send the flowers?’
‘I did, actually.’
She tapped the pen on her chin. She had known it! He was interested in her, at least enough to send her flowers on Friday—and by goodness that kiss had said as much. He hadn’t been exactly bone-cold beneath her lips—far from it.
He was putty in her hands.
She stared at his mouth again. It would just be so easy to lean forward, take a step, tiptoe and kiss him once more, wrap her arms around that firm, hard body.
She froze. To soften the guy up for an interrogation of his motives, not for anything else.
Her whole body ached. ‘Then?’ she blurted. ‘What? It was a mistake? The flowers were sent to the wrong address and it wasn’t me you were thinking of? It was someone else entirely and I took it to mean that you were as interested as your amazing blue eyes said you were and—’
Case stepped forward, the distance between them gone. He lifted his hand and touched her lips with his finger, stilling the words rushing from her mouth. ‘The kiss was amazing.’
The echo of her embarrassing jabbering faded in the wake of the look that shone in his sapphire-blue eyes, the incredible intimacy in his touch, the flames that scorched through every nerve in her body.
She couldn’t look away and couldn’t move.
He drew his finger back, watching her mouth, the tip of his finger brushing her bottom lip sending bolts of desire through her.
‘So?’ she whispered.
He dragged in a deep slow breath. ‘I…I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to—’
She stood taller. ‘Of course.’ Tahlia nodded tightly, trying to fight the surge of heat in her veins.
She would never have considered crossing the line herself under normal circumstances. How could she have thought a man like Case would cross it just because of her?
Had she really thought he’d be some office playboy looking for a quick roll in the copy paper? That the man could be flattered into blurting out his background and connections so she could use them against him?
She shook her head. ‘I understand. I am your personal-assistant-cum-glorified-secretary and I’m sure you don’t want any scandals on your CV.’
‘It’s not that.’
She stiffened. ‘It’s not? You’re not worried about what an affair with your PA could do to your future?’
‘An affair?’
She bit her lip. Oh, darn, where had that come from? How could she say so many stupid incriminating things around him? ‘Well, I guess I could be thinking along those lines,’ she said more carefully. If he wasn’t sitting in her chair and messing with her workplace. ‘And I wasn’t going to be so forward to suggest anything as threatening as a relationship.’
He crossed his arms over his chest. ‘Why would you think I’d be threatened by a relationship?’
She shrugged. ‘Most men are.’
He dropped his arms to his sides. ‘I’m not most men.’
She swallowed hard. ‘I can see that. So, if it’s not your employment future you’re worried about—’
‘No.’
‘Then?’ She looked towards the ceiling. Please let there not be an unrequited love, a dead girlfriend, an ex with a brood of kids. She caught herself. She didn’t care.
He slipped his hands into his pockets. ‘I already guaranteed you that I wouldn’t get too personal with my assistant.’
Relief washed through her like spring rain. ‘I’m sure I could overlook that under the circumstances,’ she said softly, smiling. Back to Plan A—flirt him into making a fatal mistake.
‘And those circumstances are?’
Tahlia looked at her heels, wishing she didn’t feel quite so much for the idea. ‘That your assistant is me.’
Chapter Twelve
Too many cooks spoil the… bachelor?
‘HELLO, handsome.’
The redhead stepped out from behind a large fern in the hallway, her modest attire doing nothing to dampen the gleam in her eyes.
Case stopped. ‘Good afternoon, Chrystal,’ he offered casually, looking past her to where he wanted to go.
‘Case,’ she lilted, fluttering her lashes and looking up into his eyes.
‘Is there something I can do for you?’ he asked, cringing. He had a fair idea what the woman wanted and there was no way he was going there.
‘Actually, yes,’ she purred, leaning into him as though she still had her revealing top on. ‘I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me some time, you know, like on a date.’
Case swallowed hard. ‘I’m flattered by your offer, but I—’
She touched his arm, pouting. ‘You want to get to know all your staff, don’t you? Well, some of your staff are worth getting to know better.’
Tahlia’s