I took the seat he’d offered as he went around the desk to sit in his chair. “Thank you, Mr. Wolfe.”
The nerves I’d had before were nothing compared to what was now going on inside my body. And what was worse was that my libido came to life in a way it never had before. My mouth watered to taste him, a thing that had never happened to me with anyone else.
I was a virgin, with limited experience in even making out. I’d had only one boyfriend in my life, though I’d kissed a couple of guys before him, but nothing ever went further than that. So the reactions that had been set off inside of me by this man were unusual and a little worrisome.
There I sat, looking at the desk. Only one paper was on it, and his hands quickly reached for it, moving it so he could read it. My head still in the clouds with thoughts of his attractiveness, I envisioned him wadding the paper up, tossing it over his shoulder, and looking at me with wanting eyes. Then telling me to get naked and get on top of his desk.
At that moment, if he’d said those things to me, I actually thought I might just do them.
But he didn’t do that at all, much to my disappointment. “So, Julia, I see here that you’re a recent grad from Columbia. But you’re not from New York. You’re originally from Atlanta, Georgia.” He looked at me with a cute grin. “Now, how did a girl from Atlanta end up at Columbia?”
“I’ve always wanted to live in New York. I graduated from high school as the valedictorian and had several scholarships. I applied only to Columbia, which my counselor told me wasn’t a smart idea. But I’d always wanted to go to that college. I put my heart and soul into it and was accepted. I’ve been on the dean’s list since freshman year and graduated with honors.” I went silent, feeling like I was talking a bit too much about myself.
He nodded, making those full waves of hair bounce a little. His haircut framed his face perfectly. He looked cute and yet still professional—a combination I’d never seen before.
He had to be in his mid to late thirties. He had that mature look about him, while still holding onto the young guy within him. And there I was again, ogling the man who’d be my boss—if I got the job, which I still didn’t think I would.
“Being fresh out of college, do you think that gives you more of an edge than a person who has experience in this position?” he asked with a curious expression.
I had to ponder that for a moment before answering. “To be honest, I think there are pros and cons to hiring a person with experience. For one, they’re pretty much set in their ways. And that might not go along with your ways, Mr. Wolfe. Yes, they know what they’re doing, but will it be what you want? I’m a clean slate. You can mold me into whatever you want.”
My breath caught in my throat as a vision of him physically molding me to fit with his perfectly masculine body zipped through my imagination.
Stop it!
“That’s true.” He looked at me as he nodded. “My last assistant had a ton of experience, and she kind of took over. She did the molding, since I had no clue as to what I was doing at first. It would be nice to get to do the molding this time around.”
Does that mean that I have a real chance of getting this job?
Internally, I scolded myself for even thinking the errant thought. Of course I didn’t have a shot at getting the job. The man was just thinking out loud.
“If I may ask, and I hope I don’t sound like a fool to you, but what exactly would your assistant do, Mr. Wolfe?” I had to ask because I was clueless.
“Assist me.” He gave me a big smile. “And not like make me coffee and bring me things, either. Help me come up with ideas to make the station better. Deal with the things I don’t have time to, both personally and here at work.”
“Like making sure your laundry is sent out and taken back home?” I asked. “That kind of thing?”
“No, my head housekeeper sees to all that.” His long, thick fingers tapped on the desktop. “More like a mind I can work with. Someone who can motivate me, help me come up with innovative ideas, and all the while keep the little things out of my way. Is that something you think you could do, Julia?”
I had no idea if I could do any of those things. But I knew one thing for sure: I sure as hell wanted to try. “I’ve got a lot of ideas myself. I think I would be able to be all you needed me to be, sir. I know I’d like to try. But I would understand if you went with another candidate. Just having this interview is an experience that will help me going forward in seeking employment and I have to thank you for taking the time to let me do this interview with you.”
He turned his chair sideways and crossed one leg over his knee. “Your approach is different than any of the other candidates I’ve interviewed. They all talked about themselves as if they had special talents that no one else had. I found myself feeling as if I was trying to make a purchase at a used car lot with annoying salespeople pushing something I didn’t even want down my throat. So, this interview has been refreshing.”
“Glad I could refresh you, sir.” I had to smile at him, as his grin was contagious.
I’d never had so many naughty thoughts about anyone as I had over this guy—and all in the span of a couple minutes. He had it all—charisma, charm, sexiness, and to top that all off, the man was rich as hell too. Not that I cared about money, but who thinks having tons of it isn’t an attribute?
“I think we’re done here, Julia.” He got up and I followed his lead. We began walking to his door as he went on, “I’ve got a couple more interviews to do today, and then that’s all of them. I’ll be making my decision soon. If you don’t hear from my human resources department within the next three days, that means I’ve gone with someone else.” He shook my hand again after opening his door. “It was nice to meet you, and I’d like to wish you all the best.”
“You too,” I said, then left the gorgeous man, confident that what he’d said there at the last—wishing me all the best—meant I wasn’t going to get the job.
Alone in the elevator, I sighed as my heart sank. I knew I’d never see that man again, and I’d most likely never step foot in the WOLF building again for the rest of my life.
I’d had no idea that interview would be such a rollercoaster of emotions, and I wondered how I’d make myself ever go on another one.
Chapter Two
Artimus
My eyes were glued to her perfect form as she walked away from me. Tall, lean, and with just the right amount of curves, Julia Bengal was a walking heartache. Shiny black hair hung bone-straight down her back and bangs hung to her dark brows, framing her face, accenting high cheekbones. Coffee-colored eyes shone out at me as soon as I faced her. It felt as if she could see all the way through me, right to my very soul.
She wore sensible business attire—a black skirt that went below her knees, and a white satin blouse that she’d tucked into the waist of the skirt. A short black jacket made out of the same material as the skirt rounded out her outfit. Her lack of jewelry and her sensible flat black shoes told me she wasn’t trying to show off her phenomenal looks to get the job she’d just interviewed for, but was simply being true to her style and herself.
As a matter of fact, she hadn’t acted like any of the other people I had interviewed at all. I could tell nerves were coursing through her, but she’d managed to keep them mostly under control. Hell, the girl was just happy to have gotten an interview, being new to the workforce and lacking experience with the whole process of getting a job.
I knew I couldn’t hire her though. Even though I’d looked through her application and found she’d graduated with perfect grades and even made the dean’s list all four years of college. She’d been in the running from the start with those grades. But once I saw her and felt my body react in a way it never had before, I knew I couldn’t have her around me as much as I would have to if she became my assistant.
And I found that to be a damn shame.
But my company had rules. Rules I’d come up with myself in the hopes of setting a be
tter standard for our industry. Sexual misconduct wasn’t tolerated. Dating between employees wasn’t allowed either. And I knew the moment I saw her that I’d want to do more than just date that young woman.
A knock came at my office door. “Ashton here, Artimus.”
I hit the button under my desk, opening the door for the producer of all our news shows at WOLF. “Come in.”
He jerked his head back a bit. “Did I just see a woman coming out of your office?”
“You did.” I leaned back and put my feet up on my desk. “I’ve just finished interviewing her. I have to say she’s perfect, but I won’t be able to hire her.”
Ashton took a seat as a crooked smile filled his face. “If she’s perfect then why can’t you hire her?”
“Because I had an instant attraction to her is why.” Looking up at the ceiling, I wished things could’ve been different. But they couldn’t.
“Wow, how unfair is that?” Ashton drummed his fingers on my desk. “I think you need to think about what you’ve just said, Artimus.”
I had no idea what he could be talking about. “And why is that, Ashton?”
He pushed his hand through his dark hair as he let out a long sigh. “You can’t not hire her simply because she’s attractive. It’s not fair, not to mention a little sexist. That’s almost as bad as hiring her just because she is attractive. Bottom line is, if she is the right person for this job, then you should hire her. And what is it that makes her so right for this job anyway?”
It was hard to figure out how to word it, but I gave it a shot, “She’s raw. Willing to be molded.” I rubbed my forehead as I thought about that. “In more ways than one, I’d bet.” I looked at my friend for help. “See, I can’t stop myself from thinking sexy thoughts about her. It would be disastrous to be around her as much as I’d have to be if she were to be my assistant.”
Ashton seemed unfazed by my admission and he sighed once more. “Artimus Wolfe, would you please listen to yourself? You would deny that woman the job of a lifetime just because you think she’s sexy? Hell, we’ve got tons of sexy women working here. You hired all of them. I’ve got to call this an unfair decision, boss-man.”
I didn’t like to be called unfair. I strove to be fair as much as I possibly could, at all times. What my esteemed friend and employee was saying got to me. So, I pleaded my case a little more, “Ashton, how could I work so closely with her without violating my own rules?”
“I do it all the time. You’ll adapt.” He winked at me, telling me he had the hots for someone he worked with.
My bets were on the cue card girl, Nina. The two often ate meals together, and I always seemed to find them laughing about something together. I’d even caught each of them sending some longing looks from time to time while the other wasn’t watching.
But Ashton was a professional and knew his limits. He’d never jeopardize his career for a woman. And personally, he wasn’t ready for a relationship; I could tell that. His past still held too much space in his mind and heart. A woman would only complicate things for him until he sorted that out.
My friend had something that held him back from making advances on any woman for the time being. I didn’t have a single thing stopping me from doing that.
And Julia stirred me in a way that no one had since … well, since ever. And if she could do that with just her presence for a few minutes, then what else could she stir in me when we were working closely with each other for hours and days at a time?
My assistant’s primary work space was at my desk, just to the side of me. That way we could look at the computer together and see the ratings and things of that nature.
I knew that if I had to be that close to Julia for any length of time, it would become harder and harder to keep my hands to myself. And I’d have to do that if she were my employee.
It wouldn’t be right to hire a person to work that closely with me, knowing that I have a hunger for her that might make me do things I normally wouldn’t. Even as I sat there, trying to make a case for myself, I envisioned her lying on one of the sofas in the office, her skirt hiked up and exposing a creamy thigh as she bit her lower lip.
Shit, stop that!
“I can’t hire her, and that’s that.” I slammed my fist down on the desk as if to punctuate my sentence.
“Wow.” Ashton just sat there, looking at me with his mouth ajar. “How in the hell did she make that much of an impression on you with just a short interview?”
I had no idea. “You’ve got me. I felt some kind of physical spark run up my arm and through my body like lightning when I shook her hand. It took everything in me not to gasp out loud and throw her hand away like it was on fire. It was the weirdest shit ever, man. And she smelled so good—I feel like I can still smell her shampoo. I know I won’t be able to control myself around her.”
Ashton got up and walked over to the mini fridge, grabbing a couple of bottled waters. “Well, you might get mad at me, but I’ve got to say this.” He tossed one of the bottles to me before taking his seat again. “You’re being a hypocrite.”
Okay, first he called me unfair and now he’s calling me a hypocrite. This is too much.
“I’d love for you to explain to me why you think that, Ashton.” I readied myself to take what he said into consideration before denying any such accusations against my person.
He took a drink of the water before saying, “You expect every single one of your employees to do what you don’t expect yourself to do. That makes you a hypocrite. It’s just that easy, Artimus.”
Damn, he’s right!
“So I am being unfair for not hiring a person who would be a great fit for the job as my assistant. Along with that, I’m being hypocritical by not hiring a person I have an attraction to because I’ve hired other gorgeous and great people to work here and have made rules that don’t allow them to form relationships.” My friend might be onto something, when I put it that way. I was being unfair and a hypocrite—two qualities I didn’t like in other people. Those were also qualities I’d never realized I’d been harboring myself.
I supposed Ashton could see by my expression that the realization was hitting me, because he laughed as he got up. “Seems I’ve gotten you to see the light, but I’ve got to get back to work now. I just wanted to come see how the hunt for the perfect assistant was going. Seems the hunt is over. You’ve found her. All you have to do is get the hell over yourself the same way the rest of us have had to.”
“Seems so.” I watched him leave and put my head in my hands as I rested my elbows on the desk.
It wasn’t easy to admit to myself that I wasn’t the man I thought I was. I knew I had flaws. Everyone does. But I never knew I could be so blind to them.
There were more interviews to do. Julia Bengal might not make the cut if one of them made more sense to hire over her. Somehow that thought left me with a knot in my stomach.
I felt a smile creep over my lips as I thought about getting to see her beautiful face every workday. Hearing that soft voice—deep for a woman, with a side of sultry that I was sure she had no idea sounded so damn sexy and feminine—would be nice too.
Could I do it?
Could I hold back and maintain my self-control the way I demanded my employees do?
Shaking my head, I knew it would be hard. But I also knew that Julia Bengal was just the right kind of person to help me take WOLF to where I wanted it to be. The very top.
I wouldn’t settle for anything less than that, and I needed the perfect person by my side to help me get it there.
Lots of late nights would be expected. Long hours, too. Hell, I was getting ahead of myself. She might not even accept the job once I offered it and let her know all that the position entailed.
But I knew I’d offer her the job. I knew she’d stay on my mind through the remaining interviews.
She’d already cemented herself in my head, it seemed. I prayed she wouldn’t do the same thing in my heart.
A cl
oud of doubt surrounded me where my will and determination were concerned. But what could I do? I expected that out of everyone else. Time to face the music myself.
Why does that sound so damn scary?
Chapter Three
Julia
The next day I was back at the job search, looking for jobs on my laptop. I had started bright and early in the morning, and by six in the evening I was feeling done with the whole thing.
I’d put in six applications at various jobs online, but the only job that really interested me was the one at WOLF.
I hated how I could get so single-minded sometimes. Just like with Columbia, I knew what I wanted and never gave a thought to any other possibility. And that’s what was happening now with the position at WOLF.
I had no idea why that was happening in my brain. I didn’t think I had a chance at all of getting even a second interview, much less the job. But still, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Mr. Wolfe had said to give it three days, and if I hadn’t heard anything by then, it meant he’d picked someone else. Well, it had only been one day, but at six o’clock I knew the office was closed.
One day down, two more to go.
My roommate came in, rushing to get to the bathroom as usual. She refused to use public restrooms. “Hey, Bethey.”
“Hey, Julia,” came her breathless reply before the bathroom door slammed shut, followed by a great sigh of relief as she finally got to pee.
Thankfully I didn’t have as shy a bladder as she did. I couldn’t imagine holding it in all day long.
Closing my laptop, I began to think about what I’d make for dinner when my cell rang. Picking it off the coffee table, I gasped, “It’s WOLF!” Swiping the screen, I answered the call, “Hello!”
“Can I speak to Julia Bengal, please?” came a woman’s voice.
“This is she.” I bit my pinky fingernail as I waited to hear what she had to say. I couldn’t believe this was happening.
Dangerous Kiss Page 135