Page 8 of Little Did You Know

I growled as my gaze shifted to Olivia, who was practically cowering in the corner, her eyes wide.

My attention turned to Hannah, who was fighting to control her facial expression. "She does not blow me under my desk," I lied.

"Not my business." Hannah shrugged. "But if you can do without your intern for the day, I'd be happy to take her shopping."

Hannah had only been my intern for four months. She was brilliant and competent, and she always got the job done efficiently and effectively, not to mention that she was hot, which was a nice benefit. She was an overachiever and willing to do anything I asked, and I should have thought about sending her with Olivia to begin with. Olivia and Hannah were closer in age, and Hannah wasn’t a bitch like Rachel. "That would be great. Have you already emailed me everything?"

"Yes, about thirty minutes ago."

"Perfect."

"What does she need?"

"Everything.” I was talking like Olivia wasn’t there to speak for herself. I guess a part of me still saw her as the twelve-year-old little girl I’d left behind in New York all those years ago. “She lost everything in the fire." I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. "Have everything sent to my house." I handed her my credit card.

Hannah's fingers closed around the credit card, professional mask firmly in place. “Budget?”

I shook my head. "Make sure she gets what she needs." Another glance at the time. "But get her out of here before Justin arrives."

The corner of Hannah's mouth twitched upward, her chin lifting. "Worried about what Justin will think of her?"

My glare could have melted steel. "Not you too."

Her smile retreated. "Right." Her spine straightened to attention. "I'll drop her off at your house once we're done."

“Perfect.” I turned to Olivia. “This is Hannah, and she’s going to make sure you get what you need,” I repeated like she hadn’t been here for the entire conversation.

Olivia smiled softly.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Hannah pulled open the door and ushered Olivia out.

I followed them to the elevator, offering Olivia a reassuring smile as the doors to the right elevators closed and the left chimed open.

Right on time.

Justin emerged, radiating morning energy in his pressed black suit and tie. "Good morning." His gaze traveled from my wrinkled suit to my shadowed eyes. "You look like shit. Weren't you wearing that yesterday?" Justin and I weren’t just business partners we were friends. We’d met in college freshman year, and we’d built this business from the ground up.

I smoothed a hand down my rumpled jacket. "Yes, I had a late night." Though Justin and I had similar appearances; dark hair, with similar builds, today he was put together and I was a mess.

His eyebrows arched toward his hairline as his dark eyes met mine. "Does it have anything to do with the homeless girl who followed you into the office?"

I rolled my eyes. I should have known I couldn’t get anything past him. He’d probably spotted us on the security cameras the minute we stepped onto the elevator. "She's not homeless." The words came out sharper than intended. I modified my tone. "She's a family friend, and she had a rough night."

Justin fell into step beside me. "I'm sure youconsoledher." The suggestion dripped from each word.

My jaw clenched. "It's not like that, and she's not my type."

He stopped short, nearly causing a collision with a passing intern. "Not your type?" His hand pressed against his chest in mock shock. "Not blonde?" A predatory grin spread across his face. "I have to meet this girl. I need to see what ‘not-your-type’ looks like.”

"No, she's not blonde, and she's not your type either."

He looked confused. "Does she stand upright on two legs, breathe oxygen, and have a pussy?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, and he laughed. This was a typical conversation between Justin and me; however, I didn't like him speaking of Olivia like that. "Do you always think with your dick?"

"Yes."

“Your guests have arrived,” Rachel announced. “I put them in conference room one.”

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