It was a good sign that Cali was defending Luke. So many people hated their bosses, especially secretaries and administrative assistants, who were usually at the bottom of the totem pole—not that Cali was anywhere near the bottom.
Still, she’d expected a bit more bitterness or at least hostile undertones when Cali talked about Luke. Evelyn couldn’t help it. Something about that man just drove her crazy. She wasn’t sure whether it was his cocky arrogance, the fact that he had more money than he even knew what to do with, or even his good looks that rubbed her the wrong way.
Evelyn hated to admit he was attractive, but who was she kidding? The man was on pretty much every eligible bachelor list the city had created since he took the reins of DevX Tech. Wherever he went, women fawned over him, and ever since she started this assignment, all the female agents she ran into tried to get in on the investigation.
But Luke seemed to have it all: thick, dark hair, gorgeous blue eyes, and enough muscle tone that those expensive suits he always wore highlighted it exactly the right way. He wasn’t one of those guys who had a treadmill in his office just for looks. He actually used it. And probably some weights. Okay, a lot of weights.
Evelyn might’ve spent more time than she was proud of imagining exactly how Luke would look once he took off his jacket and removed his shirt.
Damn it. Why couldn’t she fantasize about Michael? He was just as handsome as his brother, except with the added benefit of being reasonable and nice. Did she really have to be one of those stereotypical women who fell for the bad boy?
She’d measure this crush—No. Not crush. Strange fascination.—against the men in her past if there weren’t so few. Once she’d set her mind on working in the FBI to battle the corruption so rampant in the towns so close to the border, her personal life had been put on the backburner. She’d had a good friends with benefits situation going on for the year or so after she got out of the academy, but once he’d sent signals that he wanted more than what they had, she’d pulled away. Since then, there’d been a few dates here and there but nothing serious. Because she couldn’t work in such a volatile environment having to worry about a loved one still at home.
And she couldn’t stand working in the nonvolatile environment of New York. Her own personal exile that her superiors probably thought was some sort of reward.
She forced herself to focus as the elevator doors opened. Fantasies were one thing, but this was work. She wasn’t allowed to go all gaga over a guy. Especially one who hated her as much as Luke did. She refused to be one of those women who was just asking for her heart to be broken.
Cali strode out of the elevator and Evelyn followed. The building was a simple square shape, and they seemed to be getting closer and closer to Luke’s office. Her fears were realized as Cali turned in to a small, windowless office right across from Luke’s door. “I didn’t realize we’d be working this close,” muttered Evelyn as she set down her shoulder bag with her agency computer and notebook.
“Luke said that one of the benefits of the contest was that you work intensely with him. So I made sure to put you as close as possible.”
Evelyn had no one to blame for this mess but herself. “Sounds good.” Cali stood back while Evelyn sat in the comfortable computer chair and glanced around the office.
“IT will be up in a few minutes to make sure you get your laptop and make sure you’re connected to the printers. Luke has a meeting right now, but he’ll give you a rundown of what’s expected from you for the next few weeks.”
“Great.” Evelyn forced a smile. She really just wanted a few minutes to herself to get her bearings. Except Cali wasn’t moving. “Is something wrong?”
Cali tilted her head. She opened her mouth and then shut it real quick.
Oh boy. Here were the questions about what Evelyn was actually doing here. Evelyn steeled herself for the questions until Cali finally said, “You’re not a trust fund baby, are you?”
Evelyn’s brows drew together. “Um, no.”
“Full ride scholarship? Worked your whole way through school?”
Well, this wasn’t the line of questioning she’d been expecting. “For the most part,” she said evasively. Cali was asking Evelyn Peterson these questions, but Evelyn Price was the one who they applied perfectly to. After her dad skipped out on the family, there wasn’t any extra money for education, and Evelyn had to spend every spare second studying to earn her scholarships. “Is that a problem?”
Cali frowned. “I worked my way through college too. I want to give you a quick tip. If you want to work up here, you need to look and act like a trust fund baby.”
Realization washed over Evelyn. “You don’t think I’m dressed right?”
Cali shook her head. “Oh, I think you’re dressed right. For your first day on the first floor. But this isn’t the first floor. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars or wear super short skirts or anything. Just try for a suit that matches. And avoid wrinkles.”
Evelyn tightened her lips and glanced down at her black pants and black jacket. Same color, but from different brands. The blacks were just different enough that it was noticeable. And the suit wasn’t wrinkled when she put it on. The insufferably hot subway had done that for her.
“I’m not trying to be bitchy, I swear. But you’re really lucky to get this chance and that kind of stuff is what I wish I’d been told when I started. I can give you the name of a few reasonably priced places I went to when I was first starting out.”
Evelyn eyed Cali’s perfectly fitted powder blue skirt and jacket that probably would’ve looked ridiculous on her, but that Cali seemed to look professional in. Evelyn had a feeling she and the administrative assistant intent on world domination didn’t have all that much in common. “I appreciate the tip,” said Evelyn with a smile that wasn’t quite as forced as before. Even though it wasn’t the nicest thing another woman had ever said to her, it was still good to know Cali wasn’t just sitting back and waiting for Luke to see Evelyn’s mismatched suit.
Even though he knew she wasn’t actually an intern, it would be nice to not stand out like a sore thumb. And she might even be able to get Hotchins to let her expense a new suit or two. Silver lining...
“So Luke will be in the office in a few hours?”
“He’s here now. Just downstairs. He’ll be up to greet you as soon as he can get away.”
“Thanks,” said Evelyn as Cali finally left her alone.
Evelyn sat in silence for a moment as she collected herself. She would be able to do this. Catch the bad guys, go back to Texas. She reached into her bag and pulled out the worn, printed-out picture.
A family smiled at the camera. A mother, father, and two teens. They’d done everything right. Went to school. Started a family. Got a good job and put all their savings into their 401k. But the Thirteen Stars ruined it for them. One of the members had been the president and CEO of the company the father in the picture had worked for. The company had invested the employee 401ks in a massive Ponzi scheme where the CEO reaped all the financial rewards. Once the SEC got wind of it, Thirteen Stars threw their collective muscle behind their own, and he was long gone, with billions of stolen money on his own private island.
So there never would be any recovery for the Rowe family. They were in their early forties with two kids about to start schooling when tuition was at record highs with no savings or any type of safety net.
It was families like the Rowes who she had to keep in mind. Even if she didn’t like Luke or want to be alone with him any more than necessary, it was vital that someone look out for the honest folk.
She pulled a piece of tape from the dispenser on her desk and hung the photo on the wall next to her chair. Her little reminder of what she was doing this for. The blonde- and brown-haired family didn’t resemble her at all, but people normally weren’t rude enough to ask. And Evelyn would have a great answer in a flash if anyone got too curious.
Just then, IT knocked on her open doorfr
ame, and she waved them in. An hour later, she had a DevX Tech laptop, phone line, and access to the network and all the printers on the floor. She even got an access badge, which was rather comical considering she’d lifted one off another employee the first time she’d been in the building. She’d be damned if she was going to wait for security to call Michael or Luke every time she wanted to have a private conference.
She set aside the company computer and pulled out her agency one and her own wireless port. She’d made Luke agree to keep his people from peeking in at her activity, but she wasn’t going to take any chances.
Right as she was about to put in her login, Luke appeared in the doorway. “Well, if it isn’t my new star intern.” He winked.
And it begins... “Good morning, Mr. Devereaux.” She used her most starchy and formal tone.
“I love that you can’t even muster fake enthusiasm to be here.”
“Is your brother in today? I can be enthusiastic for him.”
“You’re out of luck 'til Monday, hun. Just you and me.”
She took a deep gulp at the idea of them being alone together. But it wasn’t just them. It was them and the hundreds of other employees of the corporate headquarters of DevX Tech. “I’m sure Cali will protect me.”
“Yeah. She does have a habit of taking in the strays.” As always, his tone always seemed more affectionate when he mentioned his assistant. If she didn’t know better, she’d think they were brother and sister, not employee and employer. Though she was shocked that they weren’t spending more time together after hours. Considering how much of a womanizer Luke was and how drop dead gorgeous Cali was, it seemed like it was just natural that the two beautiful people would, well, merge. Unless they had already done the deed and were one of those rare couples who actually got along afterwards.
“But before she can rush in to save you, can I have a few minutes with you in my office?”
She raised a brow but got up and followed him across the hall and into his office. As soon as they were in, he shut the door behind her and leaned against the polished wood, staring her down.
A shiver raced up her spine. Damn. Now she really was alone with him. Had she ever been in a room with just him before? There had always been Michael or Lori or at least an open door as a buffer. She took a breath and met his eyes. Those crystal blue eyes that no one besides some A-list celebrity should be allowed to have.
“As much as I hated, hated, the idea of you being here, you have good timing.”
Evelyn backed up until she could lean her hip against the small conference table at the far end of the office. “Did Thirteen Stars contact you?”
He nodded. “They scheduled a call for sometime this evening.”
“Nothing exact then?” Why would they make anything simple now?
“Nope. But you’ll be the first person I call after I get off the phone with them.”
She tilted her head as she considered him. “Awww, Luke. Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily? This just means that you and I get to have a dinner date tonight.”
CHAPTER THREE
Luke glanced over at the clock on the bottom of his computer screen. Six thirty. He was normally long gone from the office by now. But he hadn’t gotten the phone call he was waiting for yet, which meant that if he left, Evelyn would probably want to go with him.
He didn’t remember the last time he’d been at the office past five. In this day and age, he would much rather pull the late nights in the comfort of his penthouse apartment instead of at the office. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to be inviting her back to his apartment any time soon. No matter how much certain parts of his anatomy wanted her there.
At the slightest thought of Evelyn being alone with him, in his bedroom, his cock surged to attention. Luke clenched his fists and took a deep breath, urging his body to come back under his control.
He shouldn’t be this distracted by her. For the most part, she’d stayed out of his hair all day. Except for popping in one time to ask where the bathroom was, she hadn’t bothered him at all. Even so, Luke found himself hopping on his treadmill three different times to clear his mind, and from the feel of his erection at the moment, the physical exertion hadn’t done much to calm him down.
As though he conjured her up, Evelyn popped her head in his doorway. She leaned her hip against the frame and glanced at the paperwork in front of him. “Are you planning on staying much longer?”
“I was planning on waiting until I got the phone call,” he said.
“I’m thinking it might still be a while.”
“Are you spoiled by government hours—leaving right at five o’clock every day?” Not that Luke enjoyed working late, but he wasn’t about to tell her that.
Evelyn held up her hands. “Hey. I have no problem working late. It’s the not eating part that’s getting to me. I brought some snacks that held me over for lunch, but I was thinking about ordering something in. Any good recommendations?”
See, now if Michael were here, he’d know the best places to order in from. Luke had no clue. If Cali wasn’t there to take care of food orders for him, he’d usually end up leaving and grabbing something on the way back to his place. “I know a bunch of places we can eat out,” he offered. He didn’t want to go to a sit-down restaurant with her, but he didn’t want her to starve either.
Evelyn shook her head. “I’m hungry, but I still have to work out after this and I don’t want a big meal before that.”
“I promise, I’ll tell you everything I learned from this phone call. There’s no reason for you to stick around. I can call you a cab right now to take you to the gym.”
She smiled at him. “You’re not getting away from me that easily, Luke. Just tell me what you want to eat for dinner.”
Hell, Luke didn’t know what he wanted. No, scratch that. He knew exactly what he wanted, and that was the problem. “We should get out of here.” He stood. Get out of the deserted building and onto the crowded streets. He didn’t care where they ate, as long as it wasn’t quiet or romantic in any way.
“Sure,” said Evelyn. “Let me just grab my things.”
Luke rubbed his temples. He could do this. Just a few more days or weeks and she would be gone. And maybe after a day or two, she would lose whatever strange spell she seemed to have over him.
Without waiting for her, he gathered up his computer, workout bag, and the documents he’d need that night and headed for the elevator. He stood next to the buttons and stared down the hallway.
And then it struck him. He knew exactly why he was so fascinated by the FBI agent. It had been too long since he’d gotten laid. Ever since Emma had almost been murdered, he’d been too distracted from his usual pursuits. Of course the smoking hot Evelyn Price would be constantly starring in his R-rated fantasies. As soon as he could ditch her tonight, he’d dial up one of his exes. There were a few he’d parted with on good terms, and as long as they were still single, most of his past flames were up for a few more orgasms.
And Luke swore to himself that as long as he was with those other women, he wouldn’t imagine Evelyn’s gorgeous fuck-me lips screaming his name once.
~~~~~
Evelyn thought Luke would immediately usher her into a car to grab some food, but instead he led her around the corner and approached one of the many street vendors lined up along the busy street. Evelyn shook her head emphatically and halted.
Luke smiled over his shoulder. “Come on. This is quick and one brat won’t be enough to keep you from working out.”
“Nope. Hell no. I am not eating a hot dog out of a vendor cart.” She’d done a lot of reckless things in her time at the agency, but she’d never had a death wish.
Luke set a hand in the small of her back and led her closer to the cart with a line of about five customers who apparently had no concern for what they put into their bodies. She stared wide-eyed as the quick working man behind the cart handed out hot dog after hot dog.
“They
’re brats,” said Luke as they were the next customers in line.
“Is that better somehow?” She grimaced as another one of the vile things was sold in front of her.
“Well, it sure tastes better.”
Luke dragged her up to the cart and the man behind the cart beamed down at them. His skin was dark brown from his days standing out in the sun, but his bright grin and frenetic energy showed that even though he was in the midst of the dinner rush, he wasn’t close to being tired. “Luke! Long time no see! Who’s this pretty lady?”
Evelyn opened her mouth to reply, but Luke answered for her. “This pretty lady is Evelyn. She’s working with me for a little bit. Evelyn, this is Jake.”
She smiled up at him and his face fell. “And here I was hoping you finally found a woman to make an honest man out of you!”
Evelyn snorted. “It would take an army of women to make an honest man out of this one.”
Jake shook his head. “Nah. This one’s already had an army. All he needs now is one special one.” He shot her a knowing wink before he turned back to Luke. “What can I get you two today?”
“Two brats and two waters.” Luke reached in for his wallet. In a flash, Jake had the brats in buns and a thin paper wrapping and handed them over. Luke had his hands full, so Evelyn took them. She noticed Jake never had to say the price.
Luke just handed him over one bill that Jake tucked into his apron before he ushered Evelyn over to the toppings. “You can put anything you want on there except ketchup. That’s not allowed on brats.”
Evelyn raised a brow. As much as she did love ketchup, she wasn’t about to put it on a brat. But she decided to give Luke some grief about it. “Isn’t it just like a normal hot dog?”
The look he gave her was of pure disdain. “I take it back. You let me handle your toppings.”
He wrapped his fingers around her wrist to hold her brat still as he put a neat line of mustard along one side. “There. You get the basic. I don’t want you to get too overwhelmed with your first New York brat.”
Testing The Boss (Billionaires In The City, #5) Page 2