Michelle sucked in a horrified breath, but he threw back his head in laughter.
“I prefer Mitch to be honest, so here’s the deal. Mandy and Mitch.” He winked. “What a team we’re going to be.”
Michelle huffed and glared at me. I wanted to curse Mitch out. Her Spidey senses were tingling, and it had only been five minutes. He had just made my life harder.
“I’ll leave you to it. If you need anything, Mitchell”—she emphasized his name—"let me know.”
He leaned against his desk, crossing his ankles. “I think Mandy is going to take good care of me, Minnie. It’s all good.”
“Michelle. My name is Michelle.”
He waved his hand. “Right. Got it. You can leave now. Shut the door behind you, please.”
She stormed out, and for the first time in over a week, Mitch and I were alone with only a few feet separating us. We stared at each other. He looked tired, the sparkle I’d been drawn to missing from his eyes. I tried not to let it bother me.
“I don’t know what your plan is, but we need some ground rules.”
“I have no plan. I required a PA, your name came up and I agreed. I knew there was a pay increase, which would help you so I was certain you would accept. End of story.”
“I call BS on that.”
Mitch’s eyebrows shot up and his grin was huge. His dimples stood out, and for a moment, I caught my breath at how handsome he looked. At the way he was looking at me. I shook my head.
“I’m your PA. I will assist you with your needs—your professional needs,” I clarified when he grinned again. “I work for you now, so the rules of my contract must be adhered to.” I paused and added quietly, “I need this job, Mitch. Don’t screw this up for me.”
He stood, pulling on his shirtsleeves. “I won’t. I can be professional during business hours. You’ll find I’m a good boss. I’m fair, courteous, respectful, and pretty laid back, despite what Monica thinks.”
My lips twitched. “Michelle.”
He shrugged. “She couldn’t get my name right, why should I bother with hers? Might have saved me some trouble if she had.”
“Are you seriously blaming her for what happened?”
He sighed. “No. But I don’t like her. I don’t like how she treats people. How she treats y
ou.”
“You only know that because I told you about her when I thought you were just Mitch.”
He stepped closer, laying his hand on my arm. “I am Mitch. I always have been. And you’re going to remember that over the next while, and we’re going to move on from this.”
His eyes were warm and filled with emotion. His light touch filled me with longing. I could smell his cologne. Feel his heat. Hear his desire. Feel mine begin to build.
I stepped back, breaking the spell and his hold over me.
“Let’s get to work, shall we?”
* * *
For the next two weeks, Mitch proved he was a great boss. He was talented and demanding, but polite. He liked his coffee hot. Very hot. I learned once it cooled, to replace it promptly. And that he drank far too much of it. He, in turn, remembered my offhand remark about sneaking toffee, and the first day, a pretty glass dish appeared on my desk, filled with various flavors of the sweet treat. He made a big show of perching on my desk when Michelle was there and eating the candy steadily while listening to her lecture.
“I don’t allow snacks at my PA’s desks,” she informed him.
He nodded and nonchalantly unwrapped another piece of the sticky confection. “Good thing Mandy is my PA then, isn’t it, Marion?”
She stormed out. He stood, winked, and handed me a toffee.
“Carry on.”