His sanctimonious tone made me grit my teeth. I was never one for violence, but my palm itched to connect smartly with his cheek. “Better than to have no emotions at all,” I uttered under my breath.

From the flash in his eyes, Jake heard me, but I didn’t care.

In one day, my opinion of him had swung from he’s-such-a-sweet-son to he’s-not-so-bad-if-he-respects-my-opinion to he’s-an-utter-and-complete-asshole. His Exaltedness was back.

I stuck my chin in the air, refusing to be cowed by his disapproval. “You asked me not to hold back my opinion when you hired me. In this instance, I think you’re making a mistake. Saving Datapoynt might not add to Weston Enterprises’ profits at first, but in the long run, you’ll earn the loyalty of Richardses and they’d work even harder for you.”

He made a derisive sound. “That’s a naïve outlook. The Richardses could also sit back and coast on Weston’s resources once they are under our umbrella. Then I’d have to reallocate resources to reorganize the company.”

“Maybe you need to have some faith in people,” I shot back, disgusted by his cynicism.

“And you trust people too easily.” His jaw clenched. “Or maybe you’re too easily charmed by the younger Richards.”

I mentally threw up my arms in defeat. “Believe what you will, Jake. I’m going to finish these notes.” I stalked out of the room.

Chapter 4

“So what’s it like?” Jamie’s blue eyes looked huge as she leaned over the table at our favorite deli. “Working for the big boss, what’s it like?” She was practically vibrating with curiosity.

After news of my promotion came out, Jamie was the only one from my old department to reach out to congratulate me. She didn’t seem to resent me for getting the job and I was grateful for her support because many of my previously nice co-workers, now treated me like a pariah. According to Jamie, they were jealous of my “good fortune,” and rumors abounded about how I didn’t deserve the promotion. They’d be shocked to realize I agreed wholeheartedly with them.

The situation made me realize how loyal Jamie was. After my mom’s death, I had kept to myself and lost touch with my friends. I kept everyone I met at arm’s length. Deciding it was time to start reconnecting with some old friends and making some new ones, I invited Jamie to have lunch with me.

I sucked on the insides of my cheeks, trying to find the right words. As much as I was beginning to like Jamie, I wasn’t confident she could keep any secrets so I had to choose my words carefully.

I had been Jake’s assistant for a little over three weeks and my head was still dizzy from how fast everything moved. I hardly had a moment to breathe. Jake Weston’s schedule was more than one mortal man could handle. Which made me think he was some kind of robot because I didn’t think the man slept or rested.

“Um…busy,” I said.

Jamie’s made a face at my vague answer. “Come on. You can do better than that!”

“Well, every day is different. It’s actually pretty interesting stuff. In my first week, we visited a construction site because Jake wanted to check on the project’s progress. Last week, we went to a robotics firm to look at the new products they will offer next year. And yesterday, a software firm came to do a demo on a new technology that could revolutionize our electronics division.”

I found I loved the challenge of having new things thrown at me. After the episode with the Emerson project, I was reluctant to share my opinions, but Jake insisted. Sometimes he dismissed my arguments, but sometimes I was able to give new insight. Gradually, I was getting more comfortable voicing my thoughts.

“And is he as unreasonable as they say he is?”

I pursed my lips, weighing her question.

The man behind the counter called out our order and Jamie jumped out of her seat to pick it up.

I took the few seconds to collect my thoughts about my boss. Jake Weston baffled me more than ever. As expected, he was dynamic and confident– and yes, even arrogant– but in the last few weeks I had seen many other aspects of him.

He was respectful of his staff. He was blunt when someone screwed up, but he was never demeaning. It was revealing that his executives were not afraid to voice their opinions, even when Jake disagreed with them. It forced me to revise my initial impression of him as a tyrant.

His relationship with his family was also an eye-opener. He clearly worshipped his mom and respected Troy. The two brothers consulted with each other throughout the day.

But his ruthlessness in business still made me uncomfortable. In the boardroom, he transformed into a distant and unfeeling man. He was never outright rude, but he did not let any sentiment seep into his decision-making process. The Richards meeting was the worst example of his coldness and I still seethed with anger when I thought about how he treated Leon and Dale.

Jamie set my turkey club in front of me and took her seat. For a few minutes, we busied ourselves with our food, but she was soon back on the hunt for information.

“So?”

“He’s demanding, but I wouldn’t call him unreasonable. I guess he’s like any other high-power CEO. I haven’t been yelled at so far,” I joked.

“Hmm…doesn’t sound too bad.” She seemed let down by the lack of drama.

I decided to throw her a tidbit. “The office manager is a pain in the patootie.”

Perking up, she propped her chin in her palm. “Really? Is she the pretty blonde with the skinny body?”

“Yeah. Alana Latham. She hates me.” I got a visceral chill when I walked by her desk.

Rearing back in offense, Jamie demanded, “Why the hell would she hate you?” Her indignation on my behalf made me smile.

I shrugged, truly puzzled by the other woman’s animosity. “I have no idea. I tried to be nice.” I described the incident with the pastry.

Jamie made a clicking sound in the back of her throat. “Ugh. Rude! Besides, you have a sexpot body going for you. Men find curves irresistible on a woman.”

Making a face to show my skepticism, I brushed her compliment aside. “I’m willing to put up with a lot of things, but that was the last straw. Anyone who throws away a chocolate croissant has no redeeming qualities as far as I’m concerned.”

Jamie laughed and nodded in agreement with my assessment.

“We’re at an icy stalemate. We only deal with each other when absolutely necessary. Unfortunately for me, I have to interact with her more than I would like since she essentially runs the executive floor.”

“Talk about the snake in your paradise! She’s probably just jealous she didn’t get the job. I’d bet she applied for the EA position.”

“I didn’t even think of that!” It certainly would explain a lot.

“Girl, if I didn’t like you so much, I’d be pea green with envy too! As it is, I’m merely seasick green.” She grinned to show she wasn’t serious. “Spending the day next to dreamy Jake Weston is every girl’s fantasy. Is he as hot in person as he is in the tabloids?”

I fought the blush threatening to paint my cheeks.

Yes! Sizzling hot. Hot enough to melt a girl’s panties. Hot enough to fry my brain cells.

To my dismay, the attraction I felt during our first meeting was only growing. The more time I spent with Jake, the more my body rebelled against my brain. I buzzed with energy whenever he was in the vicinity. I had never had this type of physical reaction to a man. It was unnerving, especially since I wasn’t sure I even liked him.

And it galled me that I now understood how his ex-EAs felt. But I was determined to hide my errant feelings at all costs. There was more at stake than just my job. There were my future plans and most of all, my dignity. The image of Jake firing me for having a crush on him made my stomach turn.

I dropped my eyes. “He’s pretty good looking. There are some good genes in his family. Have you seen his brother, Troy?”