Page 10 of Dante
"Get in here!" he barked.
Lifting her chin, she took her time gathering up her device and made her way into his office. He was standing behind his desk, his attention on his desktop. She stood by one of the deep cushioned chairs and waited him out. Lifting his head, he jerked towards the chair and waited until she was seated.
"Ellen, Ms. Carstairs informed me of the transition three weeks ago and reminded me a week ago. It slipped my mind. She also informed me that she told you what this position entails." His eyes wandered over her face and what he saw pissed him off royally.
She was too attractive and too damn young. In fact, she looked like a damn model. He wanted middle-aged and had specifically told his former assistant that detail. Keeping his temper under control, he sat. Ellen had assured him that the woman seatedacross from him was one of the best and he did not have the bloody time to interview anyone else.
"I don't want a personal relationship. You do your job to my specifications, and we won't have a problem. I don't want a card for my birthday or a cake." His eyes became icy cold. "And most of all, I will not tolerate you thinking that there's something personal between us. I don't date my employees. I... What the hell are you doing?"
"Taking notes," her fingers flew over the keypad swiftly. "Just making sure I got all of it. No calling you Dante, check. No ordering you a cake for your birthday which will be on September thirtieth. And if I feel the urge to reach across the desk and rip your clothes off, I should try and control it."
She looked up and had the grim satisfaction of seeing the cold mask replaced by a look of complete shock. It was quickly covered up. She had the time to admire the complete shift and wondered belatedly if she was going to be fired on her first day.
"I also have a few things I need to clear up myself."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't fetch coffee, and I expect to be treated with respect. I am not one of the best, I am the best. I will anticipate your needs and try and be one step ahead. No one gets by me without being on the schedule, and I mean no one."
She rose gracefully and glanced at her watch.
"Was that everything?"
Dante had to bite back the smile and took the time to admire her temerity. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. The woman had backbone. One he would think about later. Much later.
"That about covers it." His voice was expressionless, and his face did not reveal anything.
"Good." Her heart was galloping, the blood roaring in her ears, but she was determined to remain calm. "You have five minutes to get to your board meeting. The file is to your left. I brought myself up to speed on the apartment complex."
She started to say that she admired the designs and the efficiency of the building but kept that to herself. She was not sure she was not going to be fired.
"I'm assuming I will be needed to take notes."
"Yes." He snapped. "Give me a few minutes."
He waited until she left and closed the doors before leaning back in the chair and staring at the doors.
Picking up the pen, he slid it through his fingers absently. Most people would have been rushing out the door by his first attack, and that had been an attack. He had held his punches because seeing her seated behind the desk, looking so goddamned beautiful had set his teeth on edge. He had told her the truth. Hedid not mess around with his employees, no matter how comely they were. He had decided on that from the first time he started his company.
He had seen corporations tumble and destroyed because the CEO could not keep his pants zipped and had worked too damned hard to allow that to happen.
He had his pick of beautiful women. Ones who had started shamelessly pursuing him as soon as he made his first million. He did not have to pick from the company tree. He was not blind to the fact that the single females and some of the married ones were hoping he would change his mind, but that was not going to happen. They were his employees and as far as he was concerned, he was responsible for providing them with a job and making the workplace safe and comfortable.
They were rewarded for their excellent work, because he did not tolerate shoddiness. He expected the best and was more than willing to pay for it.
Shoving away from the desk, he picked up the file and headed out.
He kept his eye on her during the meeting. He had introduced her to the board as soon as they stepped into the conference room and noticed how the collection of men ranging from their mid seventies to late twenties took on interest in her as soon as she walked into the room. He believed in being open minded and fair, so his board consisted of the experienced and the educated, with a few women mixed in. He was not the kind of boss who cowed his board, not giving them room to breathe and insisted on all of them having a say.
At his position at the head of the table, he leaned back with the pretense of casual relaxation, fingers twirling the sterling silver pen while he listened to the CFO drone on about equity and bottom line. He would allow it for another few minutes. His employees knew him well enough to know that he did not miss a thing. Even when he was sitting still.
And it annoyed him to realize that he was intrigued by the woman seated at the front of the room, studiously taking notes on her device. Her legs were smoothly encased in transparent stockings that highlighted the curves of very long and shapely legs. Dragging his eyes away from them, he happened to notice that he had not been the only one taking a long look.
His eyes met those of Devon McIntosh, head of the acquisitions department and a friend.
His attempt to freeze the man with an icy look only managed to gain him a cheeky smile and a knowing look. Hissing out a breath, he tamped down his temper and coolly told the CFO to wrap it up.
She liked him. He was cheerful and amiable, and she could not help but be flattered by his obvious admiration and his friendliness as well as his flattery. He had thinning sandy hair and sparkling light green eyes that kept wandering over her face.
