Begin Again: A Stay Novella
Page 15
He counted down the eight seconds it always took her to move from her desk to his office, and the door opened on cue. She entered with the smooth, assured stride he’d memorized and slid into her chair opposite his desk, her tablet held between tapered fingers with short, naked nails. She wore her usual black pantsuit and low-heeled black pumps. Once he’d joked if she had seven identical pantsuits in her closet for each day of the week.
She’d said they were all black, but not identical because they were different designers and fabric, and she kept an eighth outfit available for emergencies. She didn’t understand jokes very well. Her sense of humor was Spock-like, and it had taken him a while to get used to it.
He stared at the nape of her neck, exposed from the ruthless topknot she kept her ash-blond hair tied in, her gaze trained on the screen in front of her. He knew the gaze well. Big, brown eyes hidden behind smart, tortoiseshell-framed glasses. Razor-focused. Ruthlessly composed. Sharply intelligent. A bit distant.
And endlessly fascinating.
“No notes,” he clipped out, resuming his pacing. “I need to discuss something with you.”
“He wants you to run for governor.”
He jerked, then wondered why he was surprised. Her IQ wasn’t just off the charts on paper, but she could also read people. The combination made her the best damn right-hand person he’d ever employed in his life. It also made her completely irreplaceable—and she knew it.
“Yes. He’s decided not to run for re-election and thinks I can win.”
She never tried to turn her head to gaze at him, allowing him to pace his office like the cage it sometimes was. Her aura seeped a calmness that already soothed the wild chatter in his mind. She was almost witchlike in her ability to give him whatever he needed. Maybe that was why he’d begun thinking of her as much more than his assistant and advisor.
Or maybe he was finally starting to break under his long-imposed years of celibacy.
“You can win,” she said. “Statistically, you’re the best choice. Your approval ratings are top-rated. You’re coming off a victory of reducing the amount of homelessness in the city, and your political views are balanced so the liberals and conservatives will both be satisfied. You’re a dream candidate, Mr. Mayor, and our governor has never been stupid. He endorses you, steps out of the spotlight, and gives you a clear path to victory.”
“Stop calling me that,” he barked, irritation prickling his skin. “We’re alone. I told you this before.”
She inclined her head with grace. “Sorry, Jonathan.”
His name on her tongue calmed the beast. He dropped into his leather chair and drummed his fingers on the table, staring at her. She stared back, unblinking, waiting patiently for whatever he wanted to throw at her.
Damnit. He’d hired her because she knew her shit, came highly recommended, and they’d never want to sleep with each other. His last hire had been a mistake, one who ended up crushing on him and failing at her job. His long-term assistant had finally succumbed to retirement, and he’d been floundering at the loss. The moment Alyssa Block had walked into his office with her cool eyes and clipped speech, he’d known they weren’t each other’s types. He preferred fiery, opinionated, passionate women like his beloved late wife. A partner who challenged him mentally and physically. It was also obvious that Alyssa didn’t give a crap about flirting with him or being physical—she just wanted to do her job the best she could.
That had been over two years ago, and they’d been inseparable ever since. In a good way.
He’d learned early on that mixing business with personal relationships meant disaster—any politician who wanted a career knew the rules to follow. History proved itself over and over. Men who couldn’t keep their pants zipped made for crappy leaders. He didn’t get involved in opinions, whether it was right or wrong for his personal life to be scrutinized and judged. Jonathan only dealt with the facts, and if he couldn’t change them or tweak them, acceptance was the best route.
He never thought it’d be a problem. Until lately.
Because, lately, he’d been thinking about Alyssa in many more ways than as his assistant. And it was wrecking the entire orderly world that she so competently managed for him.
Discover the World Of 1001 Dark Nights
Collection One
Collection Two
Collection Three
Collection Four
Collection Five
Collection Six
Bundles
Discovery Authors
Blue Box Press
Rising Storm
Liliana Hart's MacKenzie Family
Lexi Blake's Crossover Collection
Kristen Proby's Crossover Collection
On Behalf of 1001 Dark Nights,
Liz Berry, M.J. Rose, and Jillian Stein would like to thank ~
Steve Berry
Doug Scofield
Benjamin Stein
Kim Guidroz
Social Butterfly PR
Asha Hossain
Chris Graham
Chelle Olson
Kasi Alexander
Jessica Johns
Dylan Stockton
Richard Blake
and Simon Lipskar
Table of Contents
Book Description
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue