Page 6 of Off Limits Silver Fox

A frown marks my forehead because I don’t know if I should take it as a compliment or an insult. Were my skirt and blouse the previous day that hideous? It was the best I had among my clothes.

Brushing it aside, I smile at them. “Good morning, Susan. Good morning, Alex.”

“And a good morning to you, too. Susan, I’ve got to get this to personnel.” The lanky, sandy-haired man walks out of the office.

“Don’t mind him,” Susan says as I draw closer to her table. “He’s a sucker for fashion.”

I file that in my memory. Never will I argue about the fashion world with him, not that I know much about it, anyway. I smile at the dark-haired P.A. with piercing blue eyes. She’s in her late thirties and has worked for Mr. Payne for a long time. I’m in awe of how collected she is. I hope I’ll become that confident someday.

“Are you ready for today’s onslaught?” she asks with a twinkle in her eyes.

I frown. “Onslaught?”

She laughs. “Yes. You’ll understand what I mean when Gareth comes in.”

My eyes widen like saucers. “You call Mr. Payne by his first name?”

Her shoulders move in a shrug. “Of course. After working with him since he established the company, we’ve become friends. Besides, he makes everyone who works closely with him call him Gareth. He says Mr. Payne makes him feel old and unapproachable.”

“But he looks unapproachable,” I point out, and she laughs again. I like the musical sound.

“Only to new staff. Junior staff doesn’t call him Gareth, however. Only those assigned to this floor.”

I nod at the information. “He doesn’t look his age.”

Susan gives me a knowing look. “Don’t allow his good looks to make you let your guard down and not give your best. He doesn’t fool around with his employees.”

My face reddens instantly. “Susan, please. No matter how handsome he is, I didn’t come here to date my boss. Yes, I reacted like a brainless ninny yesterday, but I’m way past that now.”

Susan grins. “Are you sure?”

I nod vigorously, almost upsetting the pins holding my hair in a twist. I feel as if I’m trying to convince myself as well as her. “Yes. He’s my boss, and not only that, he’s also much older than me.”

“It hasn’t stopped women from throwing themselves at him. Listen, if you want to work in this company for long, don’t have romantic inclinations towards him. To save your job and yourself from the heartbreak.”

“Noted.”

The door opens, and my boss strolls into the office. The atmosphere becomes electrifying as his powerful presence fills it. Today, he’s dressed in a navy-blue suit that accentuates his muscular build and height. I didn’t realize how tall he was yesterday, seated at his desk. He must be over six feet with pure male magnetism. Despite my resolve not to be affected by him, my heart skips and then beats rapidly in my chest. With a blush, I recall my dream.

“Good morning,” he says as he walks briskly past us into his office. “As soon as you’re settled in, I want to see you in my office, Miss Graham. We’ll go over some new details concerning the project.”

“Yes, sir,” I quickly reply, stifling the urge to close my eyes and inhale the whiff of his musky cologne.

“Go and prepare. It will be a long day,” Susan advises with a smile.

I hurry out and walk along the hallway to my office. Quickly, I place my purse on my desk and retrieve my mirror from it. I glance at my carefully made-up face and make sure no strand has come loose from my bun. Satisfied, I pick up my notepad and pen and hurry out of the office. Taking a deep breath, I release it slowly and after a brief knock, enter the vast office.

Mr. Payne is standing beside the floor-to-ceiling length glass window overlooking the busy street below. He’d taken off his jacket, and my eyes roam the pristine white shirt sheathing his broad shoulders and his muscled torso. He must exercise a lot for him to be this ripped. I’m almost tempted to ask him. Almost.

Forcing away the sensations he arouses in me, I say breathlessly, “I’m ready, Mr. Payne.” I don’t recognize my own voice.

He sips from his cup of coffee as he stares at me, and I try not to squirm at his intense scrutiny. Even though I received a compliment from Jackie and Alex about my new clothes, I still hope he’s impressed. I’d carefully chosen the button-up silk blouse and the black belted A-line skirt.

With a thudding heart, I await his assessment. He looks unimpressed, and my shoulders slump.

“Take a seat, Hailey.”

Hailey? Did he just call me Hailey?

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