by Dawn Brower
Seriously? Could this day get any worse? He thought she was rude? She repressed the urge to laugh hysterically. This was what her life had amounted to: an ex who was the bane of her existence, and a boss she wanted to strangle as much as she wanted to kiss. As far as she was concerned Nolan could jump off the nearest cliff and disappear for eternity. Too bad that wasn’t likely to happen. At least not as long as he was dating her sister and had her mother’s ear—why couldn’t they see him for the disgusting pig he was?
The sooner she dispatched him the quicker she could continue working. His phone call was not the delight he clearly thought it was. Stupid jerk believed the sun rose and set on his perceived superiority. Claire couldn’t wait for the day he fell off his high horse and understood the despair of losing all he held dear. That is if he did care about anything. His pride was his biggest weakness, and one day it would also lead to his downfall.
Claire rolled her eyes. “Well, I never claimed to be perfect.”
He sighed. “Meet me for lunch. I have to see you.”
Did he seriously think she’d drop everything and run to do his bidding? Those days had passed a long time ago. Why did he think she’d want to have anything to do with him?
“What is it going to take for you to leave me alone?” Whatever was suddenly driving Nolan had to be nipped in the bud. She was not ever getting involved with him again—even if he hadn’t started dating her sister. He was her past and would remain there.
“I’m trying to apologize,” he said with practiced charm oozing out of his voice. “I miss you.”
Claire rolled her eyes. “Nothing you say to me will ever make me see you in a positive light. No amount of apologizing will right the wrong you did to me.”
“I don’t believe that,” He insisted. “We had something good once and we can find a way to have it again.”
When had Nolan become delusional? She hadn’t noticed that trait before. “Did you send me flowers?” What if it had been him and not Matt? A sour taste filled her mouth at the idea. Stupid Nolan and his sudden need to pursue her again.
“I’d send you dozens of flowers if it will get you to listen to me,” he replied. “Do you want me to?”
That was a non-answer if she’d ever heard one... He probably hadn’t sent them anyway. She was done with the conversation. Nolan was sucking up a part of her day she didn’t have time to spare. She’d already wasted too much on him. Matt may not have been who’d she believed him to be, but at least he’d never do to her what Nolan had. He had a sense of decency. Nolan, on the other hand, was a rotting piece of trash she’d been glad to toss out of her life. “No. There’s nothing you could do or say that would make things right. Don’t call me again.”
She hung up and rushed out of the office. Her phone started ringing again, but she ignored it. Claire headed into the conference room and found Matt already seated, talking to a vibrant young woman. She had lovely mahogany hair and brilliant blue eyes. A pang of jealousy settled into her stomach. Matt was so animated as he spoke with her. And the woman...could she bat her eyelashes anymore? She was being rather obvious...
He glanced over and met her gaze. Matt was still her boss and if she intended to keep her position she’d have to suck up her irritation and play nice. Why did he have to be so damned handsome? The half smile on his face told her everything. He was trying to lighten the mood, and maybe soften her up a little bit in the process. Well it was a little too late for that. She was tired of hanging on and being the door mat everyone stomped on. It was rather sad—she’d had him on a pedestal he couldn’t live up to. She shouldn’t have put him in a category he’d never be able to stay in. When would she learn that sometimes things were a too good to be true? Matt was a male and he was bound to mess up. She could give him a little leeway for that, but not much. He had a long way to go before she let up and let him off the hook.
“Ah, Claire, good. You finally arrived. You took longer than anticipated, so we started without you.”
Claire mentally shook away her jealousy. This wasn’t the time or place for her irrational feelings. “What did I miss?” She rounded the table and took the seat next to Matt. She reached across the table and held out her hand. “Claire Jackson. I’m the legal assistant for the firm.”
“I’m Olivia West,” she replied. “I’ve explained to Matt my qualifications, and my reasoning for leaving my current firm.”
Claire picked up her file and glanced over her work history. “You’re currently at Courtney, Kissinger, and Harrison?” She raised an eyebrow. Olivia had not been there when Claire had been Nolan’s assistant. “May I ask why you wish to leave?” It was a prestigious and well-respected firm; if not for having Nolan in its employ, she’d have actually liked working there.
“It’s personal.” She glanced down. “I’d rather not say if I don’t have to.”
Claire’s interest was piqued. She wanted to press, but understood why the woman would want to keep it to herself. Perhaps she’d had an experience similar to hers. So instead of prying she said, “Tell me about yourself.”
Her whole face lit up. “I love my job—the law part.” She waved her hand. “But that’s not what you want to know, is it? Most of my qualifications are outlined in my CV. I graduated at the top of my class and went to work at Courtney, Kissinger, and Harrison after graduation. I’ve been there a little over a year. I worked under Kissinger. He’s been wonderful and a fount of information. There’s not a thing that man doesn’t know, and I’ve been blessed to work with him, but in truth there’s no room for advancement there. They’re not...” She frowned. “Overly eager to make any other associates partners, and if they do it’s usually male.”
Claire nodded. “They can be misogynistic pigs.”
Olivia laughed. “Not how I would have worded it, but yes, it is an all males club there.”
“I feel like I’m intruding on a female empowerment session,” Matt said. “I can assure you that won’t be an issue. Dani would crush me under her heels if I tried. Not that I would...but you understand my point.”
“I do,” Olivia said. Her tongue swiped across her bottom lip, as she gazed up at him. “I’d love the opportunity to work here. My brother said he was impressed by both you and Ms. Brosen.”
Claire tilted her head and interrupted their flirting session. “Who’s your brother?” She had to stop their line of discussion before she ripped the other woman’s hair out. Matt wasn’t hers, and she wasn’t sure if she still wanted him to be. He’d been a bad boy and needed to be punished.
“Preston West,” Olivia batted her eyelashes suggestively at Matt.
She was being a little irrational. She didn’t like the sly glances Olivia kept flashing Matt. She gripped her pen in her hand and almost snapped it in half the last time she’d battered her eyelashes at him. Claire sat back and stared at the woman thoughtfully. She could see the resemblance a little bit. Dr. West had been the one to inform them of Dani’s condition after her surgery. Matt had insisted on waiting until it was over. He’d been so worried about his friend. It seemed the West family had it all—brains and good genes.
“I didn’t realize he was aware we were hiring,” Claire said.
“I believe Dr. Sousa mentioned it to him,” Her lips tilted into a sultry smile. “They used to be fast friends, but they’ve had a little falling out.”
Yeah, it was called an extramarital affair. Claire couldn’t blame Ren for giving Dr. West the cold shoulder. The man had slept with his wife, at the time. She’d have done the same in his place. Ren was on the way to forgiving his former friend though. With Dani in his life, he’d managed to find room to let the past go and move on. They probably had a long way of getting back the friendship they used to have, but after Preston saved Dani’s life, Ren had decided to go easier on him.
“Of course Ren would know,” Matt muttered. “Dani couldn’t bother to...”
Claire elbowed him in the gut. He moaned but closed his mouth immediately.
“Thanks again,” Olivia said. “I hope you’ll allow me the opportunity to work with you.”
Olivia stood and Matt showed her out. Claire chewed on her bottom lip and watched them exit the conference room. She wanted to hate Olivia, but couldn’t find anything to fault her on. She couldn’t very well say they couldn’t hire her because she didn’t like how Matt looked at her. Olivia West was a lovely woman. Matt returned shortly afterward and sat next to her.
“So what do you think?” he asked.
“She seems okay.”
His eyebrows rose. “Okay?”
Her jaw tightened. She didn’t want to discuss Olivia with him, but she knew she had to. “Yes. Her qualifications are good, but she’s the first interview of the day. I think we owe the rest of the individuals in the waiting room a chance before we make a decision.”
“We can still discuss her beforehand.” Matt crossed his arms over his chest. “I like her, and I’m not going to lie—I want to hire her. And, while I agree we need to meet the rest, I don’t think I’ll change my mind.”
Claire turned to glare at him “I never thought you were the type to be ensnared by a pretty face.”
His mouth fell open. Matt stared at her speechless. Then, after a moment, he said, “Olivia is lovely.”
“Right.” Claire didn’t like that was all he had to say. “As I said, we should see to the rest of the interviews.”
“But she’s not as lovely as you are.”
Her heart melted at his words. No, Claire. Don’t fall for it. He could be sweet, and oh so wonderful, but she wasn’t going to be a fool for him ever again. “Should I go get the next candidate, or will you?” She raised an eyebrow, ignoring his statement.
“I won’t give up on us,” he said quietly. He lifted his hand and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She glanced at him and was greeted with raw, unadulterated emotion staring back at her. He left himself bare, as if begging her to see what was deep inside of him. Claire’s breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t handle it. His voice was rough when he finally said, “But I’ll give you time to get used to it.”
He stood up and exited the conference room to retrieve the next interviewee. Her hands shook as she made some brief notes in Olivia’s file and set it aside. She let her head fall into her hands as deep ragged breaths were wrenched from within her. What was she going to do? She didn’t want to fight with him, but he’d soon realize this was one battle she’d not lose. He could say all the pretty things he wanted, but she wouldn’t give in one inch. When she’d said they were done, she’d meant it. She’d given him all of her and he’d torn her to shreds by not trusting her. There was no going back from that. They were done and he’d accept it ... in time.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Matt tapped his fingers on the table as he listened to the last interviewee drone on. He couldn’t care less what the man had to say. Perhaps that was wrong of him, but he’d already made a decision. He’d decided to hire Olivia West before Claire had even entered the room. She was qualified, tenacious, and quite clever. She’d do well working with them at the firm. He didn’t particularly want to meet anyone else, but he continued for two reasons: one, it looked better to give everyone a chance, and two, the main reason, he was able to keep Claire by his side for most of the morning. After that, it would take some major navigating to keep her there. She’d already tried to skate out with a claim of afternoon plans. He’d have to find a way to derail them.
“Um, Mr...” Matt glanced down at the man’s credentials. Damn, he’d forgotten his name.
“Fuller,” Claire supplied. A wry grin curled up on her lips.
“Yes, Mr. Fuller. Tell me why you’d like to work here?”
He let his mind wander as the man talked. After he went through the motions of this interview he could talk to Claire about what mattered: her and him, and the future he envisioned for them. He’d messed up. A part of him had known it was a mistake to keep his improvement from her, so it hadn’t surprised him at all she’d been royally pissed off. He’d have been angry too in her position, but that didn’t mean they were done. He refused to believe they couldn’t find a way to be together. They hadn’t even had a chance. If he let her back off they were done before they’d even begun. That was unacceptable.
Mr. Fuller had stopped talking and stared at him intently. It took a brief moment for Matt to snap out of it. He glanced down at his qualifications again, not really caring what details they had to impart. He looked back up and said, “I think we have all we need. We’ll be in touch when we make a decision.”
Claire’s mouth fell open in shock. She closed it and didn’t object to Matt’s pronouncement. What could she say? He was the boss, and ultimately it was his decision to make. Besides, it would look bad to argue in front of a potential employee. They had to give a sense of solidarity. Even if she wanted to punch him in the face by the look of her fist curling in her lap.
She turned toward Mr. Fuller and said, “It was a pleasure to meet you. Let me see you out.”
She walked him out, talking lightly. Matt grimaced at the sight of her so jovial with another man. He had to figure out what to do to get to her. There was hope. It might take time, but he could persevere. As long as he didn’t give up and let her go. That was the most moronic thing he’d ever thought of doing. At least he’d finally woke up and realized his mistake. Now he could do whatever was necessary to rectify it.
Claire walked back in and shut the door with a thud. “What was that about,” she demanded. “You didn’t hear a word he said.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I haven’t lost my hearing. It was my sight that was damaged.”
Her lips pursed into a line of displeasure. “That’s not even remotely funny. Don’t joke about it like it hadn’t devastated everyone.”
Matt sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. It’d wrecked him to believe he’d never see again. He still wasn’t entirely sure what happened. One minute he was still seeing blurry objects and the next his vision was assaulted by Nolan kissing Claire. It was not a pleasant thing to witness when his eyesight returned. Even so, it had been the wakeup call he needed to get his ass in gear. She was his everything. Claire was worth fighting for. He’d meant it when he said he wasn’t giving up on them. She’d realize, in time, they had something real.
“No one’s laughing,” he said quietly.
“Might as well have been.” She glared at him. “I don’t have time for your shenanigans. What is the meaning of this? You have shot down every person who’s come in for an interview, except Olivia. The last one you didn’t even have the patience to listen to. I could tell you drifted off several times during the interview. It was disrespectful and irritating as hell.”
Matt leaned back in his chair and stared up at her. He reveled in her beauty. Her honey blonde hair was falling around her face in waves. Fury shot out of her warm chocolate eyes. She was impassioned and it spoke to him in ways he couldn’t describe. All he could focus on was her. The flush of her cheeks, the pretty pink lips, and the wisp of her eyelashes—if he reached forward he could pull her into his lap and kiss her until she forgot everything but them. It was oh so tempting, but it wouldn’t further his cause. When her senses returned she’d hate him for it.
“Are you even listening to me?” Claire’s hands rested on her hips as she fumed. “Are you tuning me out the way you did Mr. Fuller?”
“I’d never do that to you.” His mouth twitched. “I promise you’re the one person who has my full attention.” It might not be the way she wanted it focused on her though. He’d not admit where his mind had wandered. He wanted her so damn bad.
“What the hell is going on with you?” She paced around the room. Her arms flailed out as she spoke. “You’re not acting like yourself. I’ve given you a lot of leeway considering all
you’ve had to deal with over the past several weeks, but this was beyond unprofessional. You insisted on being a part of these interviews. Why? I could have handled them without you.”
Another thing he intended to explain later. How could he make her understand that he needed to be around her. To breathe in her scent, but mostly marvel in the sight of her. For so long he’d believed he’d never be able to see her again; now that he could, he wanted to burn it into his memory so he’d never forget it. Claire was a vital part of his life. He’d succeeded in pushing her away, but now he had to find a way to weave her back seamlessly into his life. It was a Herculean task. If anyone could do it, he could.
“I need to take my life back.” Matt stood and stalked toward her. “Every last inch of it. I don’t think I need to explain how important that is to you.”
She shook her head and took a step back. Matt followed her with purposeful strides.
“I’m sorry if you felt inconvenienced by my involvement,” he said and moved closer to her. She backed up against a wall. He stopped directly in front of her. The corner of his mouth lifted. “But I don’t give a damn.” He placed his hands on the wall, pinning her in place. She licked her lips. Matt suppressed a groan. “There are a lot of things I’d take into consideration for you. This office, my business, is not one of them. Ultimately, it’s my decision. Someone has to make the hard decisions. If I have to be the bad guy, I will.” He leaned down and nuzzled her neck. He breathed in her scent and sighed as a whiff of honey and vanilla filled the air. Matt brushed his lips over her ear and whispered, “Outside of that, you’re my world. I promise you’ll be the most cherished woman alive. Say the word and I’ll make it happen.”
Claire didn’t more an inch. It was frustrating. He wanted to take her into his arms and show her how much he loved her. She was being difficult, and it was becoming impossible to get her to bend even a little bit. She lifted her chin defiantly and stared into his eyes. “I gave you every chance possible. You’re the one that tossed them out like yesterday’s trash. I’m all out of give-a-damns.”