Page 8 of Dominion

She had packed the things from her office on the fifth floor into a box the night before, so she began unpacking now, pinning pictures and cards to her bulletin board, and setting up framed photos.

The elevator dinged and Mr. Stone emerged. She lifted her chin and hurried out. “Good morning, Mr. Stone. I baked some banana bread if you’d like some. It has chocolate chips.”

His green eyes raked over her with a curious glint, but his “No,” was about as curt as it gets.

“No, thank you?” she corrected. She didn’t know what made her dare it—just disappointment and frustration at the rebuff, she supposed.

He stopped in his tracks, a muscle tightening in his jaw. “Is it your place to teach me manners, Ms. Bell?”

She felt the blood drain from her face as her body went cold. “No, sir.”

Then she saw it—the faint lift in one corner of his mouth. “No, thank you,” he amended and continued into his office. A shiver of excitement ran through her. What was that? Were they flirting? Why did she find his gruffness so darn appealing?

She exhaled.

Karen was looking at her with laughter in her expression.

Not sure whether she was laughing at her or with her, she braved a return smile, trying for rueful. “I’ll be lucky if I make it through the day, at this rate,” she said.

Karen seemed as silent as her boss, only smirking.

“I can’t believe I got the job. How many people applied?”

“I think he must have created it for you,” the older woman said, looking at her speculatively. “If you want to last, don’t stay out here and chit-chat. He hates noise. That was why he moved all the other offices downstairs.”

“Okaaay,” she said. “Got it. Thanks.”

She walked to her office. How would she survive up here with no one to talk to? She was, for the most part, a very social creature.

She finished organizing her desk, which didn’t take long, since her cubicle downstairs had been tiny. This big office, with the windows overlooking downtown Denver, seemed stark and empty. She would need to buy some paintings for the walls or something.

Her phone rang and she jumped, knocking the receiver over before she picked it up. “This is Ashley.”

“Come into my office.”

“Oh, ah, yes, sir,” she said. She started to put it down, then returned it to her ear to listen. Does one say ‘goodbye’ in this situation? The line was dead. Okay, clearly not. She grabbed a notebook and pen and headed into his office.

“Sit,” he said.

She didn’t attempt her doggy joke again as she settled into the chair across his desk.

“Thank you for the report, and the additional ideas you sent at,” he checked his computer screen, “five in the morning.”

Did she sense faint amusement there? She flushed. “I’m excited about this job.”

He touched his fingers together. “I’m glad.” His face looked anything but glad, the firm lines of his jaw looking as stony as usual. “I’d like to begin to implement some of your suggestions. Arrange a meeting with the advertising agency to talk about our new campaign and get me a list of your recommended cuts from middle management.”

She gaped. “Um… okay. So, do I invite sales and marketing to the advertising meeting?”

He cocked his head. “What do you think?”

She licked her lips and found his eyes on her mouth. Her heart picked up speed. Did he find her attractive? The idea came as one part thrilling and one part disappointing. If she’d landed this job only because he wanted to get into her pants… She shifted in her chair. Not that she was entirely opposed to letting him in her pants. Or skirt, as the case may be.

With effort, she dragged her mind back to the rather overwhelming issues at hand. “Well…”

“Talk through it out loud,” he said, circling his finger in the air. “I want to hear how you think.”

Okay, maybe she had won this position fair and square.

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