Page 9 of Until I Find You

The next day,I’m standing outside the door of Jack’s FiDi apartment.

When Seth said “ground floor,” I didn’t know that meant that his friend, Jack, doesn’t even have an office space. I’m trying to take that as a good sign. That I have room to do a lot of good work here.

From behind the door come sounds of unlocking. Lots of locks. Is this guy paranoid or something?

I roll my shoulders back, hold my head high, and pull my portfolio closer to my chest. I want to make a good impression.

When the door finally swings open, I am face to face with Jack Lyons. My new boss. Or partner.

Whatever else he might be is secondary to how gorgeous he is.

Tall, dark, and handsome doesn’t exactly cover it. There’s something about him that’s elegant and terrifying at the same time.

Olive skin and dark, well-kept hair. Clean shaven with youthful features. Dark eyebrows. And though he’s lanky, underneath his white dress shirt are muscles that are begging to be touched.

Warm brown eyes stare down at me for a few moments, hand on the door.

I’m afraid he might slam it on my face for no apparent reason.

“You’re Camilla.”

I nod. “You’re Jack.”

He sucks his lower lip into his mouth and nods once before stepping aside to clear the doorway. “Um, come on in.”

“Thank you.” I nod, brushing past him into the penthouse apartment.

The place is gorgeous. An open concept dream. Incredible kitchen that opens up onto a spacious living area and windows with a staggering view of the upper bay. You can literally see the Statue of Liberty from here.

However, the apartment is the opposite of lived in. Everything is so clean. Too clean. It seems as though it’s been staged for a showing by a real estate agent and they just…never took the furniture away. Nothing is personal. It’s all leather and chrome, clean, dark lines, and no signs of life.

Except for the slate kitchen island which is covered in papers. It’s not amess,though. They’re all organized in straight, parallel rows.

I might have met someone who might be more of a control freak than me.

Jack closes the door. “Um, we should just jump in, yeah?”

Wow, just jumping right in, huh? Not even a how do you do.

If Seth and Jack are as close as Seth said, Jack probably trusts my former boss implicitly. Still, I wouldn’t mind a little introductory session. Just because he knows Seth and so do I, doesn’t mean I know Jack.

“I guess. But do you mind if I have a glass of water or something first?”

Jack’s eyes snap in my direction, wide. As if it is a crime I need to hydrate. “Oh. Yes, of course.”

While he fetches the water, I place my portfolio on the only bare spot on the island. “I’m sure you’d like to see my qualifications or get to know me a bit before you decide if we proceed with the project together.”

Jack says nothing, eyes downcast. He places the cup of water on the island and says in a measured, even tone, “That won’t be necessary.”

“Oh. All right.”

“I think it’s best if we just get to work.”

If we’re going to be working together as closely as Seth suggested, shouldn’t he be interested in getting to know me? Who I am, how I work…

Is it that he fully trusts Seth or that he really doesn’t care?

Or maybe it is something else. He is really attractive, but maybe he’s shy. Seth says he was a stockbroker, so maybe it is that he has no idea what to look for in an assistant. Or maybe?—