Page 2 of Piercing Eyes

My pulse quickens. After all the job rejections I’ve gotten, this feels almost too good to be true. “Yes, absolutely. When would you like me to start?”

“How’s tomorrow?”

I blink. “Tomorrow?”

“I’m flying to New York to meet with my publisher, and it would be great if you could come along.” He says this like it’s the most normal request in the world, asking someone he just interviewed to fly across the country with him.

I take a steadying breath, reminding myself that this is exactly the kind of thing an assistant should be prepared for. “I can make that work.”

“Perfect.” He stands, his big athletic frame unfolding in front of me. “Let me walk you to your car.”

As we step outside, he asks, “So are you from around here?”

My stomach tightens. He really doesn’t remember me at all. I consider telling him about our elementary school connection—about Mrs. Watson’s third grade class, about how he used to steal my lunch desserts, about all the times he made me cry on the playground.

“Yes,” I say simply. The words sit on my tongue:We went to school together, Aiden. But what would be the point? Drawing attention to our past would only make things awkward, especially now that he’s my boss. Some things are better left buried in the past.

“What time should I get to the airport tomorrow?” I ask.

“I’ll email you the flight details tonight,” he says as we reach my car. “I’ll handle booking everything—just show up ready to go.”

“Sounds good. I’ll make sure I’m early.”

He starts to turn away before pausing. “Oh, and Rory?”

“Yes?”

“I take my coffee black with an extra shot.” He flashes me a smile that would be devastating if it wasn’t so clearly paired with an expectation that I’ll show up tomorrow with his coffee order in hand. I get it—I’m his assistant now. But he could at least phrase it as a request.

I watch him walk away, torn between attraction and exasperation. My new boss is absurdly hot, used to be my childhood bully, and clearly hasn’t changed much in the ego department. What did I just get myself into?

A job, obviously—one I desperately need. But as I slide into my car, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m playing with fire.

2

AIDEN

Ishouldn’t be thinking about how gorgeous she is. I shouldn’t be tracking the way her hips move in that skirt.

But as I watch Rory walk toward me, coffee cups in hand, it’s all I can think about.

Hiring her was a dangerous call. She’s going to be around constantly, running my schedule, traveling with me everywhere. I’ve got three books to finish and more appearances than I can count—the last thing I need is this kind of distraction. But something about her during our interview yesterday grabbed me. I couldn’t let her walk away.

“Good morning.” Rory hands me my coffee with a smile that hits me right in the chest.

“Morning. Thanks.” I take a drink, watching her settle into the seat beside me. That’s when I notice the pale strip of skin on her ring finger. Is she married? The thought disappoints me more than I care to admit. It shouldn’t matter either way.

“I hope you’re okay with a lot of traveling,” I say.

She nods. “I love flying.”

“What I meant was, I hope it doesn’t interfere with your life outside work. You have any pets?”

“No. I was going to adopt a dog with—” She presses her lips together, clearly wishing she hadn’t started the sentence. “With my fiancé. But we aren’t together anymore. So no, no pets. Do you have any?”

An ex-fiancé. That explains the ring mark. “No. My sister’s family has a real sweet German Shepherd, though. I get my dog fix whenever I see them.”

Her smile comes back. “Yeah, I love hanging out with my friends’ dogs too.” She pulls her phone from her bag. “So, I went through everything you sent over last night. I made some notes about additional points we might want to bring up with your publisher today.”

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