My diversionary tactic worked because Jamie eyes glazed over as she stared dreamily off into space.

“Yes, Troy Weston is a hunk too.” She sighed gustily before she blinked and came out of her trance. “Too bad they’re both players. Troy just broke up with some Broadway star and I heard Jake is dating the Brazilian supermodel, Carolina Oliveira. Have you seen her yet?”

Something pinched inside my chest. “Not yet. Is she the one on the cover of Sports Illustrated this year?” I asked, aiming for a casual tone. If I remembered correctly, Carolina was a sultry dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty.

Jamie nodded as she sipped her soda. “Yeah, she’s gorgeous. I heard she’s a bit of a diva, but if you’re as beautiful as she is, you could afford to be. And he’s obviously willing to put up with her. She must do some amazing tricks in the sack.”

The image of Jake’s body entwined with the supermodel’s induced a sharp pang. I firmly ignored it and smiled weakly at Jamie. “I love your perspective on things.”

Her smile was dazzling. “It’s a gift.”

“Do you know how long they’ve been dating?” Instantly, I hated myself for asking, but the question came out without conscious thought.

Scrunching up her brow, Jamie said, “Two months, I think. I haven’t seen him date anyone for longer than three months so he may be ready to move on. Although this relationship might last longer since she’s been away on so many photo shoots. They do say distance makes the heart fonder.”

“Yes they do,” I said softly.

“She’s supposed to be back in town anytime. As his EA, you’ll probably see her soon.”

The prospect of meeting Jake’s perfect girlfriend did not excite me. I felt an insistent throb of pain in my chest. “Shit. I think I have heartburn. I must have eaten too fast. Do you have an antacid?”

Jamie frowned. “Sorry, never had a need for them. Do you want to drop by the drugstore to get some?”

I massaged the tight spot and felt it ease. “No, I should be fine. So what’s going on with you?”

Jamie proceeded to tell me about her last three dates with men she met on a popular dating site. I was guffawing in no time as she recounted each disastrous date to me.

“Maybe you should try another site and be more specific about what you want,” I suggested. “Although, I’m not qualified to give any advice since I don’t date.”

“Ooh… we should make a profile for you!”

“So I too could meet a man who wears culottes on a first date?”

Giggling, Jamie smacked me playfully. “That was one in million! You wouldn’t be so lucky.”

The rest of lunch was fun and light-hearted. It felt nice to talk to another woman and Jamie and I made plans to have lunch together again.

When I returned to the office, Jake’s door was closed, indicating he had a private meeting. I spied a stack of papers on my desk. There was a brief note on top.

Review and let me know what you think.

I rolled my eyes. The man definitely did not know the word “please.” I sat down and started reading. It was a report on a local real estate company called Bauen. I didn’t know what I was supposed to review since there was no context, but I slogged through the pages. A lot of it was business jargon that didn’t mean much to me.

I was relieved when I came to the financial report. Numbers I understood. I skimmed through the figures and frowned. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something felt off. I slowed down and went through each line, but I still couldn’t pinpoint the problem.

“What do you make of the report, Cora?” A deep voice came from above.

I jerked my head up to meet Jake’s gaze and my heart gave a recalcitrant jump. No matter how often I saw him, his gorgeous looks were always jarring to my senses– those piercing aquamarine eyes, the strong jawline, the sensual lips. It was more temptation than any girl could take.

Private school for Marcus, Cora.

Thank god for the voice of common sense. I stiffened my spine and tightened my grip on the pages. “Um…well… I haven’t read the whole thing yet.”

He smiled at me and I cursed that damn dimple. It was such overkill for the man to be this beautiful and have that adorable dent at the corner of his mouth. Science said that dimples were deformities, but it sure as hell didn’t look like a defect on his face.

“Come on. I value your judgment. What does your gut say about Bauen?” His tone was soft and cajoling.

He leaned over my desk, almost invading my personal space and I couldn’t look away from his gaze. My pulse sped up as my nose picked up a hint of his cologne and underneath the expensive scent, his own unique musk. His eyes roamed over my face and seemed to hone in on my mouth. Automatically I licked my lower lip and his pupils dilated. His eyes darkened to a deep ocean blue and his face tightened with some strong emotion.

The moment became charged with electricity and my breaths became little pants. My eyes dropped to his mouth. His lips were slightly parted. I wondered if they felt as soft as they looked.

Ring. Ring.

I blinked.  Jake stood upright, looking intently at me. Trying to clear the fuzz from my brain, I inhaled deeply a few times before picking up the phone.

“Weston Enterprises. Jake Weston’s office. How may I help you?”

A contralto voice purred on the other end, “Yes. I’d like to talk to Jake.”

“Can I tell him who’s calling?”

“Si. Tell him it’s his querida, Carolina.”

I knew enough Portuguese to know the word for darling. I swallowed against the lump in my throat. It was as if my talk with Jamie conjured her up. “Let me check if he’s available.” Putting her on hold, I looked up at Jake. “It’s Carolina. Do you want to take the call?”

I didn’t know what reaction I expected, but the look of alacrity on his face made my heart sink.

Stupid girl, I chastised myself. Whatever you imagined was happening before her call was just in your head.

He nodded. “Yes. I need to talk to her. Put her through to line one.” Without another word, he strode into his office and closed the door.

I pressed the button to transfer her to his line and stood up from my desk. Suddenly, I was desperate for a moment of privacy and I skedaddled to the bathroom. It was fortuitously empty. I braced my hands on the sink and looked in the mirror. My eyes were too bright and my cheeks too pink. To my shame, heat coursed through my body, concentrating in my core. I squeezed my thighs together and felt the slickness at the apex of my legs.

“This will not do, Cora girl.” I spoke to my reflection sternly. “He’s got a supermodel girlfriend and you can’t jeopardize your plans with your foolish thoughts. You should be thankful the phone call saved you from doing something you’ll regret.” I nodded with satisfaction at my logical reasoning and splashed cold water on my face. The last thing I wanted to be was another assistant who didn’t know her place. I needed to keep my mental distance from Jake Weston.

I patted my face dry with a paper towel and took a few deep breaths. Armed with new resolve, I returned to my desk and picked up the report. When the numbers danced before my eyes, I gave up and stuffed it into my purse. Maybe I’d have better luck at home.

Stupid me– I decided to look up Carolina Oliveira. Pictures of the Brazilian beauty filled my screen. With every click, an even more beautiful version of her came up. Bronzed skin. Dramatic, passionate eyes. Perfect body.

To make sure I drove the point home, I searched for images of her with Jake. Immediately, a photo popped up of them standing on the red carpet at a film festival. He looked amazing in a tux, with his arms wrapped around the model’s tiny waist. She was dressed in a burnt orange gown few women could pull off. They looked like the quintessential power couple. Tall, beautiful and rich.