How he wanted to silence that soft, lovely mouth!
“Very amusing.”
“I thought so.”
He cleared his throat. Took his hand from the doorjamb. Folded his arms over his chest.
“I am offering you the job. As my PA.”
“Now who’s being amusing?”
“You must be ready to leave the country immediately.”
“You don’t hear well, do you? I don’t want to play your piano, let alone—”
“We fly to Paris tomorrow.”
“Good for you. As for me, I’m out of here. Goodbye, Mr. Santini.”
He glared at her. Then he inclined his head and stepped aside. She marched past him and the door slammed shut behind her.
What a dreadful man!
All arrogance. All ego. All I-am-the-center-of-the-universe.
Well, in his world, he probably was.
The confrontation had left her drained. Shaky. It wasn’t that kiss. It wasn’t the way it had felt when he’d touched her. Kissed her. The way it would have felt if he’d stripped away her clothing, stripped away his, come down on top of her…
She jumped as the door flew open and banged against the wall.
“That next PA of mine,” he said, “the one for whom you offer sympathy… Did I mention what her pay will be?”
“An autographed photo? A bowl of gruel?” Emily fluttered her lashes. “A warm kennel?”
“One hundred thousand a year.”
She blinked. “Dollars?”
“Plus health coverage. Paid holidays Four weeks of vacation. And a clothing allowance.”
“A clothing allowance?”
He shrugged. “My assistant travels with me. Attends meetings with me. Business lunches, dinners, whatever. It is imperative she dress properly. If I demand that, it becomes my responsibility.”
“Well,” Emily said, trying to stem the sudden image of dollar bills floating in her head, “I’m sure you’ll find someone who’ll be delighted to grab the job.”
A muscle in his jaw knotted.
“I am sure I shall.”
Emily nodded. So did he. Then he stepped into his office. This time, the door shuddered when he slammed it shut.
“Jerk,” she muttered.
Did he really think he could bribe her into working for him? Just because $100,000 a year was more than she’d earned in her entire time in New York, just because it would feed and clothe and house her for the foreseeable future, just because she’d be able to tell Lissa and Jaimie about this job, just because even her brothers would be impressed…
She took a deep breath. Expelled it. Thought no, yes, no…