Mr. Big Shot: An Enemies To Lovers Romance (Kinda Cocky Book 1), стр. 27

“I’m thinking.”

She sighed. “Not to be intrusive--.”

I grinned. “Not a patient one, are you?”

“Not particularly.”

I chuckled, glancing at the door, hearing Brenden on the other side. “That’ll serve you well here. Especially with all of the wishy-washy clients that Brenden has a tendency to find.”

“I just want to say something about our… past interactions?”

My eyes found hers. “I’m listening.”

“I panicked.”

I blinked. “Come again?”

She picked a spot of something invisible off her skirt before she cleared her throat and explained. “I panicked, Zane. I woke up with you in my bed after not really remembering falling asleep with you in the first place, and I panicked.”

I nodded. “It happens. It’s in the--.”

“And with everything going on with me moving here and trying to find a new job and my friends shoving me into this lifestyle, I’m not sure it suits me. It was just--.”

“A lot?”

She sighed. “Yeah. It was a lot to take in. I left to go get coffee and breakfast, and I ended up sitting in my car to put in more applications. Getting a job was the only thing on my mind when I first moved here, and for a brief second that night, it wasn’t the only thing on my mind anymore. And the only thing I kept thinking about was--.”

I interrupted a second time. “The lost time with me instead of doing what you knew you needed to do?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you going to always do that?”

“Do what?”

Her brow lifted. “Finish my sentences?”

“If I know what you’re about to say, then yes.”

“Fair enough.”

I leaned forward. “Look, Karina. You don’t owe me an explanation. It happened, it passed, and it was a good time. But it was only that. A one-off. A good time between two people who obviously needed the distraction from stress.”

She let out a breath. “So, you're not upset?”

I grinned. “Maybe a teeny tiny bit. Been a while since I’ve fallen asleep in a woman’s bed. But, I certainly have never been walked out on.”

She groaned, her head falling back. “Oh, God. You’re not going to hire me because of this.”

I shook my head. “On the contrary, you’ve got the job.”

Her head snapped up. “What?”

I smiled. “You’ve got the job.”

She paused. “And this isn’t because we’ve slept together?”

“Nope. In fact, my gut is telling me not to hire you because of that exact issue.”

She twisted her mouth for a moment. “Oh.”

“But, I can’t deny how right you are for this job. You obviously adapt well. You have the skills, the knowledge, the education. The passion for something different, and you don’t mind the overtime.”

She took in a long deep breath. “I need the money, so bring it on.”

I chuckled. “Great. So, against my better judgment of mixing business with personal, I’m going to offer you the job. Four weeks of paid vacation with a starting salary of $45,000. That will come with health insurance for you to pick out, as well as chances to work from home that don’t count against your sick leave. That will be counted as one week on top of the four weeks of paid vacation.”

“Is the sick leave paid at all?”

I nodded. “Half of what you would usually make, but yes. We also offer retirement account options with a matching percentage of up to seven percent.”

She smiled. “That’s great. That--that sounds fantastic, Zane. Thank you.”

“So, will you take the job?”

She clapped her hands against her thighs. “Of course, I’ll take the job.”

I stood up, offering her my hand. “You have my word. This will be strictly business.”

She shook my hand. “I make you that same promise."

The second our palms touched, electricity shot up my arm. I felt the hairs on the nape of my neck stand on end, and I quickly pulled my hand away from hers. I stood up straight, rolling my shoulders back to try and ground myself. And the entire time, I wondered if it was true.

Can you really bear to keep things professional when you know what’s under her clothes?

“So, when would you like me to start?” Karina asked.

Her voice pulled me from my trance, and I had to swallow a growl when I watched her bend over to get her purse. What a wonderful ass she had.

“As soon as you can. If you’re free today, I can get you clocked in for a half-day, and we can get you settled in with your headset and things like that.”

She slid her purse over her shoulder. “Sounds fine by me. Lead the way.”

I held my arm toward the door. “After you, Miss…?”

She turned her back to me. “Rosehill.”

My eyes fell to her ass. “Miss Rosehill. After you.”

“Thank you.”

As her hips swayed with every step, I knew I was in trouble.

I knew I had just made the best decision for my company, but the worst decision for myself.