Page 3 of Midnight & Magic
“That’s a perfect time. Delmonico’s always has an early dinner reservation I can snap up.”
“Great.” He said as he clicked the intercom button off. “That’s settled then.”
Cassidy’s eyes were now the size of giant saucers.
“Sir, I mean, Camden, I don’t even think I can afford the soup at Delmonico’s.”
He waved his hand again.
“It’s a good thing I make enough to treat you then, huh? See you back here at 4.”
Cassidy got up from the chair, and despite that, she was now in full-on sweating mode. She was grateful that the leather seat didn’t give it away. She spun on her heel and headed as quickly as her feet would take her to Cheryl’s desk to start the paperwork, but she could feel him staring at her backside the whole time she was walking out the door.
God! What am I going to do? I’ve got the hots for the boss!
He seemed to like what he saw, too, which was not a good thing at all. He was a player—they didn’t call him the Bad Boy Billionaire for nothing. And that was one thing that Cassidy swore to stay away from. Not after everything she went through with her ex. She had to play the lunch cooly if she had any hopes of keeping her job and integrity intact.
She was through the doors, and the heat of his stare seemed to melt through the glass and radiate her back. Cheryl looked up from her computer screen as she arrived at the reception desk.
“How did it go? Apparently, well, if I’m adding you to the payroll.”
“Um, I’m not so sure. The man thinks that I’m a party planner. I don’t know about this, Cheryl. I’m worried.”
“Hey, it will pay the bills, and you need that right now.”
Cassidy smiled at Cheryl and then glanced back into Camden’s office. He was still staring at her. His face still showed a cool expression, but not as cold as when she had first met him.
“Does he always stare? I mean, is that like his thing?” Cassidy asked Cheryl through gritted teeth.
“I thought there was a bit of a spark between the two of you!”
“Cheryl! He’s my boss!”
“Cassidy! He’s a man and a vampire, to boot! You could use a distraction after that whole divorce debacle. Camden’s gorgeous, and from what I hear, there’re no strings attached when it comes to sleeping with that man. You could easily have a nice one-night stand after dinner and then get back to business tomorrow morning.”
“It’s just a late lunch. And besides—Camden says he does this for all the new people.”
Cheryl blinked a couple of times before responding.
“Cassidy, you are the first person he has ever taken out of the office. And this is a dinner for him—not a lunch. He doesn’t eat that much—I’ve only seen him eat once a day—if that. Vampires don’t need to eat human food, so there’s no point in him taking lunch breaks. Plus, I’m here enough to know that.”
“I’m a vampire, and I take my lunch breaks. Sometimes you need to clear your head.”
“He usually can pack it in, and I think that’s why he gets grumpy. He doesn’t feed, eat, or rest as he should. Maybe you can change that.”
“Me? How would I change that?”
“I can tell he likes you. I can smell it from here.”
“Ew.”
Cheryl shrugged.
“It’s a vamp thing, and you know it.”
Chapter Three
Camden’s vampiric powers allowed him to sense her heightened anxiety before stepping off the elevator. Although more known for their heightened hearing, vampires also had a great sense of smell—better than bloodhounds. The woman he was supposed to interview was definitely here. His stomach did somersaults as he took in her delightful scent of hibiscus and lavender. He wondered if that came from her perfume or shampoo, which seemed to grow with intensity as he rounded the corner towards his office. God, how he wished he didn’t have to hire someone new, especially one with a divine scent this good. It’s like she’d done this on purpose to impress him. Did Cheryl not tell her what lavender did to him? Of course, she didn’t. Cheryl wouldn’t know about that because he never told her. In fact, he never told Cheryl much of anything. He kept his distance from the matronly woman and right along with everyone else in the building.
