Page 17 of Christian Clause

The man I thought I would never see again walks into the office from an adjoining door and my heart slams in my throat. He stiffens perceptibly upon sighting me. The shock in his eyes mirrors mine.

"Hope," he says in that smooth voice I’ll never forget.

While I stand there gaping at him like a lunatic, he slowly walks towards me.

I try to say something, but my tongue feels glued to the roof of my mouth.

This is unbelievable. Why of all the men in Cedar Crest does it have to be the stranger I couldn’t get off my mind that has to be my new boss?

My mouth runs dry when he comes to stand directly in front of me. I find drawing oxygen into my starved lungs to be painful. His tantalizing scent tickles my senses. My stomach clenches as if butterflies are flip-flopping around it. Suddenly, my breasts feel very heavy and my nipples tighten against my blouse. I can only hope they haven't become glaring to this man who exudes sexual magnetism.

What the heck is wrong with me, I wonder. Get a grip. You're acting like a lovesick high-school girl.

He’s incredibly handsome, so what? Does it mean I have to go crazy and drool all over him anytime I see him? He is already used to women fawning over him and making a fool of themselves to get his attention. I remember the way the waitress at the coffee shop blushed and stared at him. Pushing away all sexual thoughts from my mind, I’m determined not to belittle myself before him. I’ll make sure he doesn’t see me as one of the cheap women he’s probably used to.

Then why am I standing here gawking at him like a starving woman seeing her first meal in days?

“Well, hello, Hope. We meet again,” he drawls softly, grinning with obvious pleasure.

In place of the black suit he had on at the mall, he is sheathed in a charcoal gray suit that shows off his virile masculinity in ways that make me recall the first time I saw him. When I got home that day, I chided myself for not agreeing to see him again. But when I thought of Terrance, I decided I did the right thing.

“Nothing to say,” he teases and places his hands in his pockets, drawing my attention to the strength of his legs.

Struggling to control my emotions, which were running haywire, I say, “What’s there to say?”

“There’s nothing really, is there? Except, fate dealt me a good hand and brought you to me instead of allowing me to channel my resources into looking for you.”

I don’t know what to say to that, so I simply change the direction of my gaze from his handsome face to the window.

“You know,” he continues, “I told myself that the first thing I’ll do whenever I see you again is kiss you until you can speak again. I’m afraid I can’t do that now, even though my presence alone seems to be doing that for me. However, I haven’t given up on the thought yet. Maybe not in the office, as I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

He wants to kiss me?

The knowledge fills me with elation as the feelings are reciprocated. But, I quickly catch myself. Chris Clause is my boss. I’m sure he’s used to his workers throwing themselves at him and allowing him to do whatever he likes with them.

Well, not me.

I wish now that I had asked for his full name when we met at the mall. I would have been prepared for this meeting. At that time, I thought that I wouldn’t see him again. But then again, would I have taken the job knowing I had the hots for the boss?

Before I can say anything, his phone buzzes on the desk. Swiftly, he reaches the desk and presses a button.

“You have a meeting in the conference room in a few minutes, Mr. Clause,” Clara’s voice comes through the intercom.

“Work begins,” Christian tells me, taking a file from the desk and handing it to me.

I do everything possible to make sure our hands don’t brush. He notices it and gives me a mocking smile.

“We’ll continue this conversation later.”

My heart does a jiggle at the promise I hear in his voice. I don’t have the time to ponder on it as I hurry after him. His long strides lead out of the office, down the hallway to a large conference room where some men and women are already waiting. He introduces me and asks me to take notes of the meeting. Clara comes in to hand me a notepad. It’s a struggle at first to concentrate when all I can think about is Christian’s handsome face and charisma.

Eventually, I put my game face on and do a good job, which impresses him. I go to my office to type out the dictation and present it to him, which he likes but doesn’t say much as two other men are in his office. I spend the rest of the day typing notes and organizing meetings and bookings for him. I don’t even know when he leaves the office until Clara comes to tell me it’s time to go home. I’m relieved but enjoy the challenge the work presents, which differs from my previous job.

Debra and Aria welcome me as if I’ve been gone for a week. It warms my heart that I have a family to return to, unlike in Atlanta. I shudder when I remember Alice and Becky. I join Debra in preparing dinner and as soon as Ray gets home, we settle down to eat.

“So, how was your first day at Clause Enterprises?” Ray asks, passing me the salad.

“I enjoyed it. Maybe it’s from not working for a while.”

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