by John Corwin
"We had a sales meeting this morning. Miss Glass did not have the coffee done in time, and she stole donuts from a coworker because she hadn't planned ahead."
"The meeting was rescheduled without notice," said a voice from behind me. "And Mr. Jones failed to email us about it."
I turned to see Kevin standing in the hall, his forehead pinched.
"Some people don't look at the schedule like they should," Mr. Jones said. "The girl had plenty of time to check the schedule when she got in this morning."
"What kind of a sales manager changes an appointment at the last minute, and doesn't tell his salespeople?" Tyler said. "Sounds like a fundamental lack of communication."
"It certainly surprised me," Kevin said. "In fact, I wouldn't have known if Emily hadn't told me. It sounds to me that she made the best of the situation with what she had."
Intense gratitude welled up in me for Kevin. He'd always been a nice enough fellow, but to butt heads with Mr. Jones for a lowly intern seemed above and beyond one's duty. He had a wife and children. What if Mr. Jones felt vindictive and fired him?
Jones's lips curled into a snarl. "How dare you—"
"I agree," Tyler said, cutting off Jones and nodding at Kevin. "Sounds like a rush to judgment on your part, Mr. Jones." He stared at the other man for a moment. "I think you owe Miss Glass an apology and her job back."
Mr. Jones actually sputtered, his face going red. "I owe her no such thing. You have no idea what really happened."
Tyler pulled a folder from his small attaché case, and pulled out a sheet of paper. "According to human resources, you already had another recommendation in mind to replace Miss Glass. The new intern would be none other than your niece. It appears to me that when Mr. Jameson hired Miss Glass, you wanted to come up with a reason to fire her so you could hire your niece."
"Preposterous!" Mr. Jones yelled. "Who do you think you are coming in here making accusations like this?"
Tyler bared his teeth in a grin. "Your new boss."
Chapter 16
Mr. Jones tried to speak, but he seemed at a loss for words. Or perhaps he realized yelling at the new boss wasn't the best way to get off on a good foot. As for me, things suddenly became a bit clearer. The rumor Jack had mentioned about someone buying the company had apparently been true. Mr. Jameson had sold it to Tyler—Mr. Rock.
Tyler looked at Sandra. "I expect we'll make things official once Burt gets back. Until then, I'd like you to get Miss Glass settled back in. I've done a tour of the offices before, and I think the little office in the center hall would be a good place for her to call home."
Sandra looked from Mr. Jones to Tyler to me, her eyes uncertain, before standing and nodding. "At once, sir."
"I know the way," I said. "Really, there's no reason to show me, Sandra."
Tyler shrugged. "Whatever works for you Em—Miss Glass."
My gaze settled on him for a moment as a sense of déjà vu nagged me. I almost felt as if I knew this man from a previous life, or something weird like that. I realized I was staring. "Oh, yes. Thanks." I turned and walked down the hall.
"Welcome back." Kevin grinned and headed toward his department. He paused outside my office door when we reached it. "I was furious when I heard Jones had fired you. I'm amazed how quickly you got it back though." He chuckled. "Guess it doesn't hurt to catch the eye of the new owner, does it?"
"More like his pity," I said, smiling wistfully.
"Oh, I think it's more than that. He couldn't take his eyes off you. Don't underestimate yourself, Emily." Kevin tapped the doorframe with his hand. "Well, back to the grind." He walked off.
I set my box down on the desk and dropped into the chair as my legs suddenly felt quite weak. What a whirlwind day! I shook my head, hardly able to believe all the twists and turns. It was certainly a day to write about in my journal.
Bloody hell.
A quick visit to the bathroom turned into a long visit as I tried to make myself once again presentable. The hairbrush I kept in my purse wasn't the best, but it loosened the tangles in my hair until my dingy brown locks finally straightened into some semblance of order. I wiped my face with a damp paper towel and freshened up my lip gloss, happy that I seldom wore much in the way of makeup or I might have looked like a Gothic nightmare with runny eyeliner and washed out base.
My clothes were altogether another matter. Tyler had taken the brunt of the coffee, but my pea coat's sleeves were stained. My blouse and business skirt looked rumpled, and only a good dry cleaning would make them right again. My appearance ranged somewhere between that of a homeless tramp and a hooker, but at least my hair was brushed and drying.
The bathroom door bumped open and Janet walked in. The side of her mouth had a jelly stain on it, no doubt from the fresh donuts I'd purchased to replace the ones Jack had taken. She saw me and went crimson.
"Oh, goodness. Jack told me he took the donuts, not you. I feel so awful for getting you into trouble." She offered me a sheepish grin. "I hope Mr. Jones wasn't too harsh on you."
Harsh? He bloody fired me, you nincompoop. I kept those nasty little thoughts to myself and returned her smile, except mine probably looked closer to Tyler's wolfish grin. I definitely smelled blood in the water. "No, we had a good talk and everything is fine now."
"Oh, thank heavens," she said, walking to the sink and dabbing at the jelly stain. "I forgive you, by the way."
Forgive me for what? The woman had only just told me Jack had admitted to grand theft donut, so why—oh forget it! "How very sweet of you," I said in a polite voice, and left the bathroom.
After checking on the coffee machines and making sure the remaining meetings of the day were stocked with junk food, I returned to my office and slumped in my chair, assuming a very unladylike posture. I was absolutely worn out, not to mention famished. In all the excitement, I'd skipped lunch.
Since my duties were done and Sandra had left me well enough alone, I decided to eat my lunch despite the late hour. But when I looked for it in my box, it wasn't there. I thought back to breakfast, and realized I hadn't packed food. I went to the kitchen and procured a bagel and cream cheese from the cart for the three-o'clock meeting. I swore to God if anyone accused me of stealing it I would stab them with a plastic butter knife.
Jack stepped inside, saw me, and let out a long breath. "Holy crap, Emily. I am so sorry for getting you into trouble. Did Jones do anything mean?"
I paused to take a drink of water and wash down a mouthful of bagel before answering. "Nothing too terrible. He fired me."
"He what?" Jack's eyes went almost comically wide.
"Well, he fired me, but it's all good now, because I ran into the new owner and he hired me back." I suppressed a smile and bit into the quickly dwindling bagel.
"Uh..." Jack didn't seem to have a response. "New owner?"
"Apparently the rumors of a buyout were well founded." I shrugged. "I believe they're doing the final paperwork today." Just the thought of Tyler brought his green eyes back to focus. How firm and warm his grip was on my hands. How gentle he'd been wiping off the hot coffee. His eyes, actions, and vibe almost reminded me of—I took in a sharp breath and caught a puzzled look from Jack.
"Did you find a bone in the bagel or something?" he said.
"No, I just realized why I had such déjà vu earlier." It actually felt much stronger than those words could describe. I remembered Thomas's concerned green eyes when I'd spilled coffee all over him. How he'd thought of me first. Was it possible someone like Tyler Rock could really exist? Someone so gorgeous and likely rich who would care about the feelings of an intern? Or was it just a game for him?
"So who's the mystery buyer?" Jack said, walking to the fridge and pulling out a soft drink.
"His name is Tyler Rock. Have you heard of him?"
He took a sip and shook his head. "No. Did you do an internet search?"
I clucked my tongue and shook my head at my own idiocy. "No, but that's a wonderful idea."
"Yeah, I want to know if he'll be good for the company or if I should start looking for another job." Jack pulled out his cell phone and typed in the name. He whistled softly. "Wow. I haven't heard of this guy, but I have heard of his father." He held the screen so I could see it. "Cyrus Rock. Billionaire. He basically spun off part of his empire and incorporated the holdings into three smaller corporations, then gave one to each of his kids to run as they saw fit. He said they'd have to prove they were worthy of their inheritance, or he'd cut them out of the will."
"Good heavens, what a monster," I said. "All the people who depend on those companies and he risked them just so his children could prove themselves?"
"Yeah. I remember reading about it a few years ago, but forgot all about it. I guess this Tyler Rock dude is one of his kids."
"And we're a bloody experiment?"
Jack laughed. "I hope you like hamster wheels."
"Not funny."
"Yeah, well, I'll have to do some more research about this guy." He scrolled down the screen. "Looks like Cyrus has a daughter and two sons. Tyler is the youngest, his brother Brandon is the oldest, and Arianna is in between. Their mother died when they were young, and with a dad like they have, I'm sure they all have severe daddy and mommy issues."
"Just what we need," I said, my heart sinking at this news. It didn't mean Tyler was a bad person, but it certainly didn't bode well.
"According to this, Brandon's companies are doing okay, while Arianna's have fluctuated." He grimaced. "Crap."
"What?" I said grabbing his hand and pulling his phone screen into a better position for me to read it.
"Tyler's companies haven't done well. One went bankrupt. He sold it off for pennies on the dollar. The others have all sunk in value, but they're holding on."
"Good lord," I said in a whiney voice. "We're doomed, aren't we? Maybe he just got the worst companies in the deal."
"According to the original news stories, Cyrus gave them each companies of similar value, type, and potential. So I don't think that's it. Tyler just doesn't have what it takes."
I was no business expert, but it didn't take a financial genius to see the writing on the wall. Perhaps Tyler was truly a nice person. If so, it was no wonder he was failing miserably at business. It took a right asshole like Mr. Jones to make money.
"Don't believe everything you read," said a quiet, but amused voice from the door.
I felt my skin turn to ice as I looked into the storm-tossed eyes of Tyler Rock. The remnant of the bagel smacked cream cheese side down on the floor, a split second before Jack's phone fell from my fingers and landed atop it. I looked at Jack and wondered if my face looked quite as shocked as his.
"Uh," Jack said, quite eloquently stating my present thoughts as well.
Tyler shrugged. "It's smart to question the order of things. Most people don't bother to research anything about a company they work for. They just slog in place day-to-day for a paycheck and never question anything." He stepped through the door. "They're sheep." His wolf-like grin returned. "I eat sheep."
I gulped. His eyes were so intense, his body language so predatory, I felt a bit weak in the knees. But something inside me, quite likely the thought of my mother seeing me quaver, bucked up my courage. "Thank you for saving my job, Mr. Rock, but you apparently don't have a very good track record. Why are you buying this company when your others are failing?"
His eyes flared for a moment. "I knew there was something about you." It almost seemed as if he were saying it to himself. "I have a very good reason for buying this company. A reason I'm not willing to explain, however." He leaned down, retrieved my bagel and Jack's phone from the floor, handing the latter to the still-stunned programmer. "But things are going to be different with my holdings from here on out. I've made mistakes. But I've also learned from them." He rinsed his hands in the sink and grabbed a paper towel. "I need people who will question things and be brave enough to challenge the people in charge. I want a pack of wolves, not a flock of sheep."
Jack shook his head slowly. "Is this what you tried at your other companies?"
Tyler laughed, his pleasant baritone echoing in the room. "No, not at all." He rested a hand on Jack's shoulder. "What do you do here?"
"I'm a programmer."
"What do you think of your department head?"
"Of Hinkle?" Jack shrugged. "He's an asshole who never listens to anyone."
Tyler nodded, putting a hand under his chin. "Is he a programmer?"
"He used to be."
"Okay." Tyler's eyes seemed to go out of focus for a moment. "We're going to have a full staff meeting first thing tomorrow. I already had Sandra clear the calendar for everyone." He looked at me. "Miss Glass, I'd like you to brief me on the company."
"But I'm new," I said, feeling the weight of his gaze. "Jack knows a lot more than I do."
He acted as though I hadn't spoken. "Jack, I want you to write up a work flow for the programming department. How you do things now, and what you think would make it better. You'll present it tomorrow."
Jack's mouth dropped open. Snapped shut. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Get on it, and tell Hinkle you're to do nothing else today. In other words, tell him to stay off your ass." Tyler winked.
A laugh erupted from Jack, which he quickly stifled. "I'm on it." He left the room with an honest-to-God spring in his step.
Tyler shifted his intense gaze to me. "You look...hungry."
Oh dear. The way he said it seemed to have an entirely different meaning. Just looking at him did make me hungry. But not for food. What was wrong with me? One chiseled confident man, and I was practically salivating.
He smiled. "I saw the way you were devouring that bagel."
Somehow, I found the words to reply. "I forgot my lunch today."
Tyler checked a very expensive looking Rolex. "I haven't had lunch yet either." His lip curled into a lopsided grin. "Do you like pho soup?"
I felt a bit dizzy at the question, and an edge of electricity seemed to run up my stomach. Déjà vu all over again. "Yes," I said, my voice sound weak to my ears. Something about this man reminded me of Thomas even though the pair looked nothing alike. I imagined it must be his green eyes.
"Excellent. You can brief me while we eat."
From the way he looked at me, I wondered just what he planned to eat. Perhaps it might have been better if I hadn't been rehired, because Tyler Rock looked like a man who got what he wanted.
And I was on the menu.
Chapter 17
We walked down the hall toward the lift. Sandra, a shell-shocked look still on her face watched us approach. "Everything is scheduled, Mr. Rock. Is there anything else you need?"
Tyler shook his head. "Not right now. We're going for a bite, and Miss Glass will brief me on company policies."
"The intern?" Sandra said, her eyebrows rising in tandem. "But she's only been here two weeks."
"Sometimes a fresh perspective is best." The doors dinged, and Tyler motioned for me to enter first.
I was torn between giving Sandra a smug smile, or fainting at the thought of having to brief this powerful man on a company I knew next to nothing about. I wasn't sure if I should be terrified or exhilarated. My body had an opinion of its own, wavering between knee-weakening fear, and a chill of excitement that left goose bumps on my arms. My gaze wandered of its own accord to take in Tyler's handsome profile, the confident set of his shoulders, and the slightly amused smile that seemed ever-present on his lips, as if he found the world to be a source of constant entertainment.
My heart beat a little harder just looking at him. He was manly and gorgeous, but the confidence he exuded amplified everything else. The strong, hot sensation I'd felt earlier tingled my intuition. The faintest hint of something burning tickled my nose. I couldn't be sure if it was real or imagined. An image of Thomas flashed into my head but I quickly dismissed it. The two men were nothing alike.
Tyler gave me a quick sideways look a
nd grinned. "Are you feeling okay, Miss Glass?"
The way he said my name sent a shiver through me. "Uh huh." Is that even English? Apparently it was all I could muster, because my mouth simply hung open like a decorative piece on a statue.
Tyler chuckled.
Once we reached the sidewalk, I almost expected a limousine and a security detail of men in dark suits to melt out of the environment to see him safely away. Instead, a man of medium height with a head of thick brown hair joined us, keeping a discreet distance behind. Oh, and we walked.
My wealthy companion took a deep breath of the cool air and sighed. Misty breath billowed from his mouth. "So beautiful," he said, taking in the gray afternoon weather as if he'd never seen it like this before.
"It's a bit chilly and damp," I said, pulling my coat tight around me. The sleeves were stained, but dry, and my clothes were no longer damp, though if my nerves didn't calm down, perspiration might undo that minor accomplishment.
He looked down at me. "Would you like another coat?"
I wondered what would happen if I said yes. "I'm fine."
"Just give the word, and I'll make you warm."
I shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold. A surge of hot defiance took away the weakness in my legs. "Mr. Rock, I may be just an intern, and I am truly grateful to you for saving my job. But if you think for one bloody minute that this entitles you to anything more, I want to make it perfectly clear that it does not." What in God's name am I saying?
Tyler burst into a loud laugh, throwing back his head as if I'd just said the funniest thing in the world. "You and I are going to get along great." His hand reached toward my cheek, and jerked back as if he suddenly realized what he was doing.
Again, I had the strangest sense that I'd met this man before. That I somehow knew him. But I knew with certainty I'd never forget a face like his. Nor his eyes, nor his body. Tyler Rock was unforgettable.
He held the door to the restaurant open, and one of the waiters sat us. The man I assumed was Tyler's bodyguard remained outside. Tyler removed his suit jacket, revealing a dark blue shirt. His frame was lean, but his biceps bulged against his long-sleeve shirt when he bent his arms. I also happened to notice his ring finger was bare—a fact that brought me a strange sense of satisfaction. Ha, as if I'd have a chance with such a man.