Page 5 of I Am the Wild

It's after midnight, and I've played more Candy Crush on my phone than I'm willing to admit, when the woman finally leaves her desk and gestures for me to follow.

She says nothing as we walk through marbled halls featuring modern paintings and I'm led to a boardroom. "Sit. They will join you shortly."

Lovely, more waiting. I take a seat at the long, mahogany table and stare out the window overlooking the New York harbor.

When I hear the click of the door, I stand, straightening my skirt suit and wiping my sweaty palm against my jacket. Taking a deep breath, I put on my best professional smile as the door opens.

My smile falters when I see the man standing there. The man whose eyes have haunted me since the subway.

"Sebastian?"

My pulse quickens and I feel a sinking in my stomach. I wanted to see him again, it's true. But not here. Not like this.

Not after I just confessed that I don't really want the job I am here applying for.

A job… apparently… with his company.

The Interview

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night. ~ Sarah Williams

Another man pushespast him into the room, turning to face Sebastian, then glancing at me. "You two know each other?" he asks. He has the same British accent as Sebastian.

"No," Sebastian says, pulling his eyes away from mine and taking a seat as far from me as possible.

It takes me a moment to really see the other man, but when I finally look at him, I have to do a double take.

I might be in a room with the two sexiest men that have ever lived. And I'm not even exaggerating.

Man #2 is just as tall as Sebastian, though his build is leaner. His hair is a lighter brown and shorter, cut stylishly, and his eyes are ocean blue rather than the forest green of Sebastian's, but the two men share the same sharp cheekbones and nose.

He smiles at me, and I'm dazzled by his charm and his dimpled chin as he introduces himself. "I'm Derek Night," he says, as he takes my hand to shake it. The moment we touch, I'm lost in his eyes, adrift in an endless ocean, nearly drowning in him. I can almost smell the salty spray of the ocean.

I realize I'm holding my breath and I suck in air as my head spins.

He pauses a moment, staring into my eyes as if he also feels this connection. Cocking his head, he releases my hand. "Curious," he says under his breath, before taking a seat near me. "This is my brother, Sebastian, but you seem to already know his name?"

I nod, returning to my seat. "We briefly met in the subway a few hours ago." Brothers. That makes sense. Damn, they come from good genes, though.

Derek raises an eyebrow at his brother. "You took the subway?"

Sebastian shrugs and still doesn't look at me. He seems pissed, and I'm assuming it's because he thinks he's wasting his time interviewing someone who doesn't even want the job.

But I doneedthe job. And I can probably do the job, once I figure out what the job is.

Derek sighs as if he's used to his brother's mercurial moods. He returns his focus to me. "Once our other brothers arrive, we can begin. I apologize for the long wait. We had an emergency with a client that took longer than expected."

My heart hammers hard in my chest at the thought that there are more of them. Isn't two enough? "What kind of business is this that it handles client concerns in the middle of the night?" I ask.

But before my question can be answered, the door opens and two more men walk in. The air around me cracks with unseen electricity and I wonder if I'm the only one who can feel it. The four of them together overwhelm my senses and I brace myself against the table, my flash buzzing under my skin and in my head, making me dizzy.

Derek stands, smiling at the new arrivals. "Everything go okay?"

The tall blond with eyes such a pale blue they're almost white nods. "It's handled." He looks my way. "You must be Miss Oliver?"

I nod.

"I'm Elijah Night." He doesn't offer to shake my hand, and I'm equal measures disappointed and relieved. He's taller than the others, lean, and his light blond hair is longer and pulled back into a tie at the base of his neck. He's pale with a face that looks carved from marble. He pours himself into the chair with ease and grace, like a wild animal settling in.

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