The doors opened and Alex appeared, smiling when he saw her. “Emma, what a nice surprise to see you. Mallory’s been after me to make sure you’re attending that charity gala she’s planning in a few weeks. She’s determined to hook you up even though I told her that you’re the most content single woman I know.”
“Mallory’s a sweetheart. I’ve got the charity gala on my calendar.” Emma glanced at her watch. Her time was running out. “Do you have a minute?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“In your office?”
Alex must have picked up on her nervousness because his expression sobered. “Of course,” he said and led the way to his office. “Marlena, hold my calls for the next few minutes,” he said to his assistant. As soon as Emma stepped inside his private office, he closed the door. “News?”
She nodded, feeling a knot form in her throat. Her sense of loyalty was torn. On the one hand, she owed Alex and Max her college education and her future. On the other hand, Damien was her boss and he believed he was doing the best thing for MD.
“He’s going to the board. He’s determined to send a letter to all employees informing them of the impending layoffs and the minimum compensation they can expect. I think he wants to make the first cuts within a few weeks.”
Alex stared at her in shock. “I didn’t think he would move this quickly.”
“I’ve never seen anyone so focused. He has very specific ideas about how the layoffs should be announced and conducted, down to the day of the week.”
“Which day?” he asked.
“Not Friday,” she said. “He seems to prefer Tuesday or Wednesday to give people a chance to access support services.”
“Unless we find a way to stop him, he’s going to change the entire culture of the company,” Alex said grimly. “How can MD continue to progress with all these cuts? Granted the stock dividends are down, but whose aren’t? A panic cut is going to bite into our chances for future profits.”
Emma couldn’t disagree. “Unless you can find a way to get someone on the board to agree with you…” She felt duplicitous even saying such a thing. “I’m sorry I don’t have better news.”
“No,” Alex said. “You did what you were supposed to do. Keep us posted.”
Nodding, she left his office. She’d thought she could do this job without it bothering her, but now she felt ripped in half, dirty almost. Distracted as she walked down the hallway, she pushed the button for the elevator. Seconds later, the doors opened and she found herself face-to-face with Damien.
Damien felt the slightest twist in his gut at the expression on Emma’s face. Guilt, he saw it in her clouded blue eyes, her eyebrows knitted with worry. Poor thing, she made a terrible double agent.
“Miss Weatherfield,” he said, because he always addressed staff formally when in public. “What a surprise to meet you here on the executive floor.”
“I—uh, I ran into Mr. Megalos and he wanted to discuss the invitation his wife had extended to me for a charity gala in a few weeks,” she said.
He nodded. The truth was she’d run upstairs to tell Alex what Damien was planning to do. As if Alex or Max could change it. Damien knew they couldn’t. “What charity gala is this?”
“Uh, I believe it’s for cancer research. It’s on a Saturday, the week after next.”
“I’ve intended to participate in a charity drive since I’ve been in Vegas, but I’ve been busy. Perhaps you would allow me to escort you,” he said.
Her jaw dropped and she moved her mouth, but no sound came out. She cleared her throat. “I—uh—”
“Unless you already have an escort,” he said.
“No, but—”
“But?” he echoed.
“I may be helping Mallory, so I wouldn’t be able to give you the attention you deserve,” she said.
“I’m not high-maintenance,” he said with a slight smile. “I can look after myself once we arrive. Date?”
She bit her lip and looked at him with a frightened expression. “I guess so. I’ll uh, head back to the office, Da—” She broke off. “Mr. Medici.”
He gave a short nod and watched her step quickly into the elevator. The doors closed and he stood there for a moment. He wasn’t surprised that Emma was reporting to her previous managers. Heaven knew, this had happened to him many times before.
Her guilt was actually a promising sign. It meant he had begun to chip away at her loyalty. It meant she felt conflicted, which meant she didn’t see him as a total sonovabitch out to destroy MD.
It meant he could possibly win her over to his side. She had the information he needed to take down Max De Luca. Emma was highly intelligent and had a knack for reading people. Her calm attitude encouraged disclosure, and Damien was certain she knew secrets about both her bosses. Secrets he intended to learn. He would use any method to gain her assistance, including seduction. In fact, seducing Emma could very well be the best side benefit of taking this assignment.
Five
Emma spent the entire weekend cleaning and re-cleaning her apartment, but she still felt scummy. She suspected this was some sort of Lady Macbethesque response to her subterfuge at work. She had a hard time looking herself in the eye in the mirror, let alone meeting Damien’s gaze on Monday morning.
With the doors locked, she was even more aware of him than usual. Was she imagining it or was his body brushing hers more often? Did he notice how his hand covered hers on the doorknob?
She found herself desperate to turn down her internal heat and maintain a business attitude toward him. Why did her mind persist in imagining him shirtless with his chest pressed against hers, his strong arms wrapped around her? Why did she find herself forcing her gaze from staring at his mouth, wondering how his lips would feel on hers?
None of this made sense. She’d been assistant to two very attractive and powerful men before. Why did Damien affect her this way? She felt as if she had suddenly gone man-crazy, except her lunacy was very specific.
Thank goodness, a distraction appeared. She grasped at it. The salon offering her a full makeover called to schedule an appointment since they’d had a cancellation for Monday. During her pedicure, Mallory called and set Emma up with a date on Tuesday night.
Emma didn’t care if the guy was an axe murderer. She just needed someone to get her mind off her boss. Staring into the mirror at the end of her makeover, she was stunned at the transformation. With a few sunny streaks and her hair styled in a sexy shoulder-length cut, smoky eyes and plump lips, she actually looked hot. Gulp. Although she wasn’t sure she could duplicate the job the experts had done on her, she would give it her best try since she was meeting her blind date for cocktails and dinner.
The following day, she walked into the office with an extra little bag that contained her cosmetics and change of clothes for her date. She heard Damien on the phone, but he finished before she had a chance to discern anything about his conversation.
He entered the outer office and nodded at her. “Good morning,” he said as he reached to lock the door.
“Good—” She noticed the white bandage around his left hand. “Oh, no, what happened?”
He shrugged. “A minor accident last night. It was teen night for Rebuilding Vegas. The idea was to teach practical construction skills to local kids.”
Emma grimaced. “Sounds like it was dangerous.”
“Someone dropped a saw from the second floor. I tried to catch it so no one would get hurt.”
“But you got hurt.”
“A few stitches. I’ll live.”
“Bet they offered pain medication, and you wouldn’t take it,” she ventured.
His lips twitched. “It wasn’t necessary.”
“Of course it wasn’t,” she said. “You probably need to chew glass in order to be happy.”
He gave a low chuckle. “You’re in a snappy mood today. Any reason why?”
“Not really,” she said, thankful that she had a date tonight. A date that would hopefully take her mind off Damien. Heaven help her, the man was burning up her dreams and fantasies. She could only hope that whoever she met tonight would be able to distract her.
He narrowed his eyes. “Your hair looks different,” he said.
“Very observant,” she said. “I got it cut last night.”
“That’s not all. There’s something else.”
“The hairstylist added a few highlights,” she said, uncomfortable under his intent gaze.
“Nice,” he said. “But it looked good before. Ah, this was your makeover. I thought you weren’t going until Wednesday.”
He’d remembered, she thought, and her discomfort grew. “They had an opening.”
“They changed your hair. What else?”
She cleared her throat. “Just chose a couple new outfits for me to wear and some different makeup. The makeup is more appropriate for after work. I have some for to—” She broke off, not wanting to reveal any more. “I’m sure there are more important topics for us to discuss. Did you want me to gather any reports for you today?”
Feeling him watch her in silence, she fought the urge to fidget.
“Yes. As a matter of fact, I do. I want to do a closer study on the San Diego resorts.”
“I’ll get them for you,” she said. “You had mentioned you hadn’t wanted to talk to any of the VPs involved with the departments you’re studying. Should I assume you prefer to take the same approach with this one?”
He shook his head. “No. As a matter of fact, I want to talk with Alex or Max, but I’ll arrange that myself.”
Frustration rippled through her. “As you wish. Is there anything else?”
“Not right now,” he said.
Without realizing it, she released that sigh she’d been holding as she turned away.
“You’re displeased,” he said.