“I want to be here!” she said. Something intense finally blazed in her eyes; a fire that made me take notice. It didn’t help make me any less hard either. “You have no right to cast judgment on me like this.”
“It’s a job interview. I have every right to question your dedication. I know Tammy, sometimes she stampedes into things. Her intentions are good, but she goes ahead even if someone hasn’t even signed off on it. These are long, hard hours. You’ll be doing fourteen-hour days all summer just like any regular Swagger go-getter. If you’re listless here, then I can’t help but assume that you’ll act like a zombie on the job.”
She shook her head and balled her hands up into fists at her sides as she paced. Considering the heels she’d put on to compensate for her short stature, I was pretty impressed. She definitely wasn’t the type to trip.
“How dare you. You know how much of a go-getter I am? I work every day, all day. I put myself through school and have loans coming out of my ass. I spend at least five hours all day, every day, working on the NYU paper and at least two on a blog with over five thousand subscribers. Sometimes I don’t sleep more than four hours a night. I love fashion, I know a hell of a lot about it, and if that’s not good enough for you, then I don’t know what is.” She was panting by the time she finished, and I couldn’t help but notice the way it made her amazing chest heave.
I’d been wrong.
There was passion there, lying just under the surface.
I stood up and circled around my desk. I couldn’t help but be moved by her outburst. Maybe I’d pushed her too far, but I’d seen something now; something that made me want her for more than her banging body. She had something deep there, something hungry. I hadn’t seen a woman with that much raw hunger and dedication to her life’s passions in a long time.
It was like a burst of fresh air.
Striding over to her, I placed my hand on her cheek. Selena appeared startled but didn’t move away from me. Her skin was warm against my palm, and my heart raced. I wanted her, craved her already like a damn drug, but I was even more curious than I was desperate for her.
“What’s going on?”
“I think I get to ask that question,” she hissed. Still, she didn’t pull away from me. “You’re a terrible interviewer. Do you do that to all your employees?”
I leaned closer to her. I wasn’t even sure what the fuck I was doing. Maybe I could chalk it up later to some clichéd midlife crisis. All I knew was that there was something fierce inside of Selena calling to me, both her drive and something wounded deep. It felt familiar.
“You’re assuming you’re going to become an employee,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. I was so close that my breath landed on her cheek. “Why were you so out of it when you got here? Do you want this job? After all, who are you really, Selena?”
She swallowed hard but kept her focus on me, seemingly refusing to back down. “I’m a damn fine writer and editor, and you’ll be getting me at a steal this summer. Now, did I get the job or not?”
I couldn’t resist anymore; not that I’d put up much of a fight. My cock was throbbing, and I wanted her; wanted to taste her more than I’d wanted practically anything else in my life. Then, my lips were on hers, my tongue probing her own. She tasted of strawberries and mint, both clean and fruity.
It took everything I had not to grind against her, not to take this any further.
She hesitated for just a moment as I continued but then her mouth opened wider and her arms wrapped around my shoulders. Selena was returning the kiss, her lips grazing mine, her tongue dancing with mine. The intensity built between us. My hand went lower, cupping her ass, and then she stilled.
Finally, she broke away from me.
Her eyes were wide as she stared back at me, dazed. “What… Oh, I never do that. This isn’t me. We were fighting and oh my God! Tammy is going to kill me.”
That killed my libido dead; my erection finally under some fucking control. Saying Tammy’s name was like having a gallon of ice water poured down my pants and smothering my cock. My shoulders went rigid, but I didn’t back away from Selena. I didn’t want to. Whatever was happening between us was something I hadn’t felt in years, and I wasn’t about to lose that now.
“It’s… Sometimes crazy things happen,” I offered, knowing I had to tread carefully.
“You had your tongue down my throat. I think that’s more than just a crazy thing,” she admitted.
“Look, your writing is excellent, and you argued your case. You have twenty-four hours.” I spun around coolly and headed back to my desk. It was a struggle to try and get a sense of equilibrium back into everything, but I’d been a cutthroat CEO for the better part of twenty years. And I’d fucking well better stay in control.
“What?”
“You have one day, Miss Cole. You can come back on Wednesday morning early and take that job, or you can leave it. I think it’d be in your best interest to take this opportunity, but it’s all up to you.” I took my seat and smirked back at her, working to retake control and the upper hand. “Are you really going to walk away from the job of a lifetime?”
Selena took in a sharp breath before she glared at me, that fire back in her hazel eyes. “You really think I’ll take the job after all of this?”
“Miss Cole, I’m counting on it.”
Chapter Three
Selena
I was shaking. After the day I’d had, that was the only thing I could do. After Mr. Duncan—God, after my best friend’s father had kissed me… Not just kissed me. His tongue had been deep down my throat, his hands roaming over my body, and I’d felt the heat of him flush against me. Brandon Duncan, the most powerful man in publishing, wanted me. That much was obvious. I could try and lie to myself—say that he took advantage of me and now the job offer was just a way to get fully in my pants. He’d been rude enough to me.