by Leslie North
She thought he was a construction worker? Well, he was dressed in jeans and a work shirt. “That depends on what kind of tools you’re looking for,” he said in a husky voice as he stepped closer towards her.
Lifting her chin, she smiled coyly at him. “I’ve always had a thing for a man in a hard hat.”
“Come by my room later tonight, and I’ll show you every hard thing I have.”
When he was inches from her, she tossed back her head and laughed. “God. You men are so easy.” The doors opened, and she nimbly stepped outside. “Have a nice day. I hope you looked your fill.”
He stood in the elevator for a moment, stunned. Quickly, he realized this was his floor too, and he hopped out before the door closed.
Her heels clacked on the tile floor as he followed her. Out of curiosity, he stayed a few steps behind her. If she was on this floor, she was, no doubt, closer to being Duncan’s personal assistant than a simple secretary. But this meeting was only for the Board. So what was she doing here?
“What are you doing? That wasn’t anything serious,” she hissed as she whirled around.
“It wasn’t?” he asked innocently.
“No. And you shouldn’t be up here. Are you lost?”
Was he lost? Well wasn’t that an interesting turn. “Maybe,” he said casually. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t be up here?”
Her features relaxed. “I’m sorry. I’m a little high-strung today. This floor is for VP members only. We have an important business meeting in the works. If you let me know who you’re waiting for, I can help direct you to the right place.”
“I have a meeting with Gabe Maxfield,” he said with a straight face.
“Ah. Well Mr. Maxfield will be preoccupied in the meeting for a while. You’re welcome to wait by his office, or I can let him know that you’d like to reschedule, Mr.…?”
“Maxfield,” he said with a smile.
Frustration flashed across her face. “Yes, I know you’re waiting on Mr. Maxfield. You know what, I’m sure Gabe will realize his mistake, and he’ll be in touch with you as soon as the meeting is over. On behalf of Duncan Enterprises, I apologize for the inconvenience.”
She had the power to apologize for the inconvenience? This was getting more and more interesting by the moment. She flashed him a small smile before spinning on her heels and moving faster. She must have realized that she was late.
At the end of the corridor, she pushed aside the glass doors. Through the panes, Gabe caught his eye and raised an eyebrow. Stephen hadn’t actually called to announce he would be attending. The truth was, Gabe wasn’t sure if Stephen was coming or not.
The woman rounded on him. “I thought I made it clear. This is a private meeting,” she said as she slapped her hands on his chest.
“Is it now? And you’re invited to this private meeting?” he asked as he cocked his head.
“Of course I’m invited,” she snapped. “I’m Angela Lopez, the Senior VP of the company. Do I need to call security?”
Surprised, his eyes looked back up to Gabe. Everyone was staring at them. “Of course, you are,” he agreed with obvious reluctance. “Well, you should probably take a seat, Ms. Angela Lopez, Senior VP. It looks like everyone is waiting for you.”
“And I will sit down as soon as you leave!”
He gave her a wide smile. Part of him was about to enjoy this moment. “Why would I leave? I’m invited as well.” Clearing his throat, he turned to the board members. “I’m sorry I’m late. As many of you know, I’m Stephen Maxfield. I got held up in the elevator.”
The expression on her face said it all. A few members nodded to him as he took his seat, and he watched with some amusement as she tried to compose herself. Her face was flushed, either with anger or embarrassment, but one thing was sure, she wouldn’t be threatening to call security on him again. Like it or not, he owned part of this company. And she worked for him.
Grab your copy of The Billionaire’s Tenacious Boss from www.LeslieNorthBooks.com