When she stepped out of her building, the first thing she saw was Reid leaning against the Land Rover, looking incredibly gorgeous and relaxed in a pair of jeans and tee-shirt that hugged the muscular biceps she hadn’t noticed before because of his suit and tailored dress shirt yesterday.
It was all a façade, she thought. Not the gorgeous part, but he definitely wasn’t relaxed. The man probably never relaxed. He was most likely always tense.
No, tense wasn’t the right word. He was always alert. As she surveyed him, she realized that alert was exactly the right word. And it was confirmed when he looked up, almost as if he sensed she was there.
“Good morning, Selena,” he pushed away from the SUV and came towards her. “You didn’t sleep well last night, did you?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Not well,” she fibbed. She hadn’t slept at all!
“Change isn’t easy. But you’ll get through this. I’ll help you.”
Selena tilted her head slightly. “You say that as if it is a foregone conclusion that I’m taking the job.”
He smiled confidently and took her hand, leading her towards the SUV. “You are,” he announced. “So tell me what kept you up all night?”
She didn’t dare reveal her nervousness about being close to him. And there was no way she’d admit that she was anxious about taking on so much responsibility. Instead, as she sat in the passenger seat of the SUV while he drove through the streets of Arlington, she talked about the moving process and driving across country, all the small things that had to happen before she could take on such an enormous challenge.
He took her to a hotel for breakfast and she discovered what a thirty dollar bowl of yogurt and berries was like. In her mind, the yogurt and berries tasted exactly like what she got in the grocery store for a few bucks, but what did she know? Maybe there was some secret ingredient, like unicorn glitter or something! She wasn’t paying the bill, so she kept her mouth shut and sipped her green tea.
“How about if you fly out tomorrow with me and I’ll show you around Denver, we’ll go apartment shopping and get the ball rolling?”
She choked on her tea, peering at him over the rim of the china cup. “Tomorrow?”
He shrugged, leaning back in the plush chair. “You’re taking the job, Selena. So, why wait?”
Frantically, she tried to think up reasons to delay. He was right, she was going to take the job. It would be stupid not to take the job. A promotion and a huge salary increase weren’t something to turn down, especially since she didn’t have strong ties to this area. She didn’t have children that would be leaving their friends and schools. In the early hours of the morning, she’d come to the conclusion that there really was no valid reason not to take the job. Other than fear.
“Because I need to train someone to take my place.”
“The HR department already has several candidates ready. Interviews are set up for next week with your boss.”
She frowned, not liking the idea that she could be replaced so easily. But she pushed the thought aside. “Okay, well, I need to pack up my apartment.”
“We’ll be flying on a Rembrandt Cosmetics jet. Pack as much as you need for a couple of weeks and I’ll hire a moving service to pack up the rest and ship them.”
She held her breath as she stared across the table at the man. “You really don’t hold back, do you?”
He smiled ever so slightly in satisfaction and her heart tripped over its feet. “Never. When I want something, I get it.”
Selena could understand that philosophy. She’d wanted something, a new life, and she’d done everything within her power to make it happen. Now she had it and…why was she hesitating? After that horrible night so long ago, she’d vowed to embrace life and make herself…different. Stronger! This was simply the next step! She could do this job. He was offering her more money, more responsibility, a new life, and a new home.
With that thought in mind, excitement and determination to move forward obliterated her hesitation. “Okay. This weekend. I’ll take the job.”
His smile was slow, lighting up his eyes. She could barely breathe as she watched his face transform. “I’m really glad to hear that, Selena.”