“Don’t be nervous. Regardless of what you’ve heard, Jaxson and his brothers are sweethearts.” She winked and looked like she had firsthand knowledge.
“I appreciate that.” I saw her name badge and grinned. “Samantha, thanks for your help.”
“Of course. If I’m not here when you bring the badge back, you can hand it over to one of these men.” She pointed behind her, but they didn’t lift their gazes from their monitors.
“Great.”
With each step closer to the elevator, my pulse accelerated as I thought back to my interaction with Stephanie. I was stiff and sounded way too rigid. I needed to correct that immediately. I wasn’t a woman barging into a drug house. Even though I didn’t feel laid-back, I had to act it. I managed to do a good job of blending in at Meta so I didn’t understand why I stiffened here.
I stepped onto the elevator and waved my badge in front of a reader as more people filed inside the carriage.
I could do this. All I had to do was loosen up, get the job, and observe.
Floor by floor, the others in the elevator sprinkled out until I was the only person remaining.
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath.
I could do this. I could get this job.
As I focused on the mantra, the elevator chimed, and I blinked my eyes open to see the doors slowly sliding open to reveal an elegant hallway. I stepped off the carriage and glanced toward a glass partition with WOLF INDUSTRIES etched into the bulletproof glass.
Three men stood in front of the glass doors dressed in black suits, eyeing me cautiously. Each looked imposing and aggressive. I immediately spotted the bulges from their weapons and knew they made the men downstairs look like lightweights.
They all took one step forward, and I smiled, holding up my meager badge.
“I’m here to meet with Jaxson and Greta?” I felt at this point, it was more of a question than a statement with the way they were observing me.
The man in the middle nodded and stepped forward, whipping a wand out from behind.
I pressed my lips together to avoid a snarky exchange and smiled instead.
“Please come forward.” He motioned for me to spread my legs and arms, which I did after I set my purse on the floor.
He waved the metal detector along my curves and brought his gaze to mine, looking somewhat relieved before he dropped his eyes to my purse. I picked my bag off the floor and handed it to him for a quick search.
I wondered if this was just another day in the life of Wolf Industries or if something had happened to make security tighter.
After passing through the checkpoint, I quickly walked into the lobby where an older woman was sitting and talking on the phone. She transferred the call where it needed to go and quickly stood up to greet me.
“You must be Avery.”
Not realizing I hadn’t really taken a breath since the elevator corridor, I took in a deep one and nodded.
“Yes. I’m Avery, and you’re Greta?” My breathy response must have made her sympathetic. She immediately walked around the reception counter to greet me.
“That’s me. Thank you for coming in. It’s not usually quite that cumbersome for an appointment.”
I expected her to offer more of an explanation, but she didn’t. Instead, she led me through the reception area to a large glassed-in conference room overlooking the city skyline. I looked down the hall and saw several more of the same, the one in front of me being the smallest.
“We’ll be in here,” she said, motioning for me to take a seat at the long conference table. “Would you like anything like a cup of coffee or water?”
“No, thank you.” I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
“I’ll be right back. I’ve been meaning to grab a second cup of coffee all morning.”
I watched her walk away in the opposite direction and thought about working here. Judging by her navy bouclé sheath dress, I would need to upgrade my wardrobe before setting foot inside. The fabric was rich with detail and texture, and I suddenly felt self-conscious about my own basic outfit.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like nice clothes. I just never had a need to purchase items beyond everyday casual. Every few years, I might splurge on a basic black dress that would carry me through a few special occasions, but that was pretty much it.
I slowly spun my chair, admiring the beautiful view of the city. I understood why so many fell in love with Manhattan. With this view, I would too. I looked down the long table and spotted a red Baccarat vase in an alcove at the far end of the room. The beveled glass and sharp features almost did a perfect job of camouflaging the camera turned toward the conference table.
I spun my chair back around and sat up straighter as I waited for Greta to return. What I didn’t expect was to see Devin Volkov rounding the corner and walking by the conference room. His stride was long and determined. One hand was in his slacks and the other was holding a cup of coffee, and every part of him made me one hundred percent distracted, which was a problem.
A big problem.
He didn’t notice me sitting in the room, and for that, I was eternally grateful as I turned my gaze in the opposite direction.
Greta returned with a big smile and her cup of coffee. She took a seat at the end of the table and took a sip before placing the mug on the table. Greta’s hair was perfectly done, and she wore two silver bracelets that clinked as she opened a folder and slid out a piece of paper.
She moved it out in front of her and opened her eyes wider as she attempted to read without glasses.
“I printed this list of questions off the internet.” She flashed a mischievous smile in my direction. “I’ve never had to hire someone to replace me before, so—”
I let out a gasp and she shook her head, laughing.
“By choice. I’m cutting back my hours purely by choice.” She moved the list of questions to the side. “I’ve worked for the Volkovs for nearly forty years, and I’ve recently started imagining what it might be like to sleep in a little longer or meet my friends for lunch. I will miss them though. I like to be the one greeting them every morning. These men have a lot on their plate.” Greta folded her hands in front of her and rested them on the table.
I liked her loyalty, but it told me it would be very difficult to get very close to any one of these men while she was around.
“Do you have any office experience?” she questioned.
“I do. In high school, I volunteered in an office, doing mostly data entry, filing, and ordering office supplies.” I neglected to mention the office was at our local police department. “In college, I also worked off and on at a nonprofit doing bookkeeping and light accounting.”
For the court system, but I decided to keep that to myself as well.
“And your degree is in?”
“Sociology.” I did not plan on mentioning the minor in criminology. “I’ve waitressed since I got to New York so that I could save enough money to go back to school. I was hoping to get a Master’s in Sociology.”
“And that is why you worked at Meta?” she asked.
“Yes, but the longer I’m in New York, the more unsure I am about going back to school. I’m thinking if I can find the right fit, I’d like to just enter the workforce full-time.”
“Would working here get in the way of your goals?” she asked.
“In all honesty, my goals have changed. The city has opened my eyes to a lot of possibilities I never considered before.”
I hated lying to Greta.
“Well, this is a typical entry-level position. I take care of the front office, scheduling, and travel arrangements. It has worked perfectly for me over the years. There are days where I don’t think I’ll get it all done, and there are days, generally when they are out of the office, when I find myself playing solitaire online. If you did decide to go back to school, I don’t see a problem with studying when there is nothing else to do. There are also quite a few events you’ll oversee. Are you familiar wit
h event planning?”
I nodded, probably not on the scale the Volkovs expect. “I’ve had a lot of experience working with different venues and vendors, coordinating parties and meetings.”
Granted, I only helped a bit back home when I was younger, and it generally included a venue at a small-town hotel and a lot of men and women dressed in blue, celebrating the year’s accomplishments.
“Perfect. Do you have any questions?”
“How many employees are located here?” I asked.
“On this floor, there are only fifteen. We employ two hundred at this location, but each floor has its own reception area. I report directly to the Volkovs.”
“Do you oversee the other receptionists?” I asked.
“I don’t. We have a Senior Administrative Assistant who does that, but thankfully, we have our own little bubble up here so we bypass all the office politics.” She laughed.
“Sounds perfect.” I knew I wasn’t here only to listen. I needed to seem interested, and I genuinely was. I had to walk away with the job in hand. “Is there much overtime?”
“I might get a frantic call from Jax every once in a while when I’m trying to catch up on Dateline or something, but other than that, not really.” She laughed and leaned forward. “Between you and me, he’s the most high-maintenance of the brothers.”
“Good tip.”
“I’m full of them.” Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “So, how many words per minute do you type, and are you familiar with Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel?”
“Last time I got tested, I was at sixty-five words a minute, and I’m very proficient in those programs, along with several other accounting platforms.”
“Wonderful.” She nodded and glanced at the sheet again when a man cleared his throat.
I looked up expecting to see Jaxson but instead saw Devin standing at the door, and my heart nearly tumbled to the precinct. He was gorgeous, eyes sparkling blue and dark hair slightly tousled.
The suit he wore made it painfully obvious what expensive taste does for a person. I’d never seen a suit fit someone so well. His mere presence was imposing and a complete turn-on for most anyone with a pulse.
“Are you ready for me?” his gravelly voice was as sexy as I remembered, and I quickly dropped my gaze to the table.
My pulse wasn’t merely pounding. It was shaking my sanity loose as I continued to feel his eyes on me. Jaxson was going to be the other person interviewing me. I’d prepared for a stern interview with very little chitchat and absolutely no chemistry.
Devin was an entirely different situation. He seemed far more gregarious, and he was certainly considerate, kind, and attractive.
Who was I kidding?
They were all attractive.
But Devin had the personality to cause problems.
“I certainly am ready for you to take over.” Greta stood up and scooped her paper and folder into her hand. She looked like she’d much rather chat with me over a cup of coffee than have to deal with the formalities they were making her go through. “Try not to scare this one off.”
I knew she was teasing, but I kept in my chuckle as I slid a sideways glance toward Devin and saw him shaking his head as he walked into the conference room. The moment he was inside the space, everything about the energy in the room changed. It was like the air crackled with something that was out of my control.
Greta trundled off and Devin shut the door behind her before turning to face me.
His blue eyes locked on mine as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, his suit jacket pulling slightly across his shoulders.
I suddenly wanted Greta back, but I kept my gaze focused on his.
Devin was accustomed to intimidating others, yet I didn’t get the sense that he was attempting to coerce me in the least bit.
“You didn’t call me.”
“Why would I?” I nearly croaked, wondering why he would care.
“You encountered a problem.” His dark brow arched. “If I remember correctly, which I know I do, I wanted you to call me if anything else came up.”
Devin released his arms and pulled out the chair Greta had been sitting in, but he didn’t take a seat. Instead, he rested his hands on the top and studied me, waiting for a response.
“I figured it would be too difficult to explain how or why I sent someone to the emergency room.” I licked my lips, which had turned extremely dry, and his gaze flicked to my mouth. “So, I decided I’d just start looking for a new job without anyone’s help. I understood why I was let go. I would have fired me as well.”
Amusement lit his gaze even though the rest of his expression appeared stern.
“Did I give you the impression that I don’t support our employees?”
Even though his questions were more statements than anything, there was nothing unpleasant about his delivery. Unfortunately, there was nothing unpleasant about him period.
“Quite the contrary, actually. However, at the point a call could have been helpful, I didn’t really think I qualified as an employee.” I smoothed my hands along my lap and looked back up at Devin.
“Fair enough.” He walked around the chair and took a seat.
“I’m grateful that Jaxson called me regarding this open position because, honestly, I didn’t know how much longer I would have lasted at Meta anyway.”
“Is that so?”
“The staff is lovely, but the clientele is an entirely different story.” I hoped I wasn’t being too brazen. After all, now wasn’t the time to give my opinion on his recently opened restaurant, but I also thought he should know how I felt.
“I agree.”
Relief flooded through me, but what replaced it was worrisome the moment he continued.
“Do you see yourself fitting in here?” A flash of heat darted through his gaze, but I focused on the question.
“I do.”
I stared at the man who was giving me the second chance I needed, and I prayed I wouldn’t let myself or the department down.
Chapter Six
Devin
This was going to be a real bitch. Everything about this woman screamed sex to me. The cool expression in her light green eyes, her auburn hair swept behind her, and the controlled gestures as she sat on the edge of her seat were all reminders why this was a really bad idea.
Avery was spellbinding, and I couldn’t afford to be bound by her in any way, shape, or form.
Earlier, when I’d walked past the conference room pretending I didn’t see Avery it was hard to keep my mind focused. She was beautiful—even more beautiful than I remembered—and the idea of having her wandering around the office every day wasn’t one of Jaxson’s finest.
When I sat down for our interview and looked across the conference table, our eyes collided into a mess of emotion that worried me. She suddenly dropped her gaze, and I knew she felt the electricity.
An indescribable pull to kiss every single inch of her was pounding steadily behind my gaze, and I forced myself to stick to the task at hand. She didn’t need to come from one bad situation to fall into another. I’d stay away and save us all the trouble of the typical scripted ending that was my life.
“Do you see yourself growing within this organization?” I asked, continuing the line of questioning and cocking my head to the side.
“With any task, I like to concentrate on the first step before analyzing things I have no control over.” Avery blinked and tapped her finger on the conference table.
She looked distracted, or maybe she was holding something back.
“What makes you think you have no control over where you go in our organization?” I asked, and her response told me having her around was going to be difficult.
She slid forward in her chair and smiled wryly. I loved seeing the fire behind her gaze.
“Do you really want to ask me that after last night?” Her voice teased me slightly and I felt my groin tighten. “I never imagined I’d be sitting here, but apparently, surprise
s lurk around every corner.”
“That they do.” I watched Avery sit back in the chair, preparing to answer another useless question.
I folded my hands on the table, and she slowly licked her lips as she waited for me to continue, but I couldn’t.
Avery had thrown me completely off my game.
She uncrossed her legs and looked up at me.
Avery was off-limits.
But the longer I studied her, the more I realized she knew exactly what she was doing.
“I assume you spoke with Greta about your office experience?” I questioned.
She nodded, and a stray hair fell to the side of her face. She was doing an excellent job of avoiding my gaze, which in normal interviews would be worrisome.
But nothing about this was normal and we both knew it. The charge running between us was thick in the air.
“Sometimes, we require after-hours work. Will that be a problem for you?”
“Not at all,” she answered, almost too quickly, and she sucked her cheeks in slightly.
I’d admit watching her reaction to me was deeply satisfying, but this interview was where it would end. I didn’t make a habit of sleeping with women who worked for us. It never led to good things, and I certainly wasn’t going to start with Avery.
“Do you have any questions?” I asked. “About the responsibilities of the job or Wolf Industries?”
“Not about the position. It’s quite similar to others I’ve held, and I’m certain I’d do an excellent job keeping the office running smoothly.” She drank in my smile and every part of me lit up. “Is there anything I should know about my personal safety working here?”
Her question took me off-guard and I glanced toward the hall.
“It’s one of the safest buildings in the city. This floor especially.” I studied her and she looked somewhat relieved. “But if you ever have any safety concerns, I ask that you let me or one of my brothers know immediately. Although, I know how well you obeyed my instructions last time I gave them.”
“I’ll work on that.” Her lip tugged slightly and she glanced out the window.
Devin: A Romantic Suspense (V Mafia Series Book 2) Page 5