Why doesn’t he just hire a housekeeper? Or get a dog.

“Okay. So you’d like someone”—she specifically avoided saying me, like hell was she taking this job—“to find women that fit this description and then … what?”

“You’d show me her picture to make certain I find her attractive. If I do, you set up a date for us to meet. If it works out, I’ll give you a bonus and you’re done. If it doesn’t, then you start searching again.” He leaned back in his chair and smiled slightly.

Knowing it was at the prospect of ordering a date like a restaurant meal kept Andy from returning it. “Where would the searching take place?”

“Wherever you choose. Facebook, dating sites, the grocery store—I leave that up to you. That’s why I’m hiring you. To do the research for me.”

“Right.” Because that’s how people met and fell in love—by being researched. Max Ellis and this jerk could be great friends, although all of the women in Boston would be worse off for that match.

“Any other questions?” His tone suggested he was surprised there’d been any questions at all. As if the whole transaction was everyday.

Well, it certainly wasn’t her everyday. And even if the pay was beyond excellent, it would be an impossible task. There could not be a match for Blake Donovan. She believed it wholeheartedly. Time to shut the morbid game down. “Nope. I think I have a grasp on the job.”

“Good. Although you should never assume you have a grasp on the job from one interview. Your employer will think you’re oversimplifying or are conceited.”

Her conceited? Wasn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?

“Now let’s test your skills, shall we, Drea?”

“It’s Andy.” Her patience was wearing. “Or Andrea, if you prefer.”

“I prefer Drea, thank you.” He leaned forward, his elbows propped on his desk. “Suppose Max Ellis were looking to hire me. What would you tell him?”

She almost laughed. “Oh, let’s not do that.”

“Let’s do. And I expect the truth.”

“Honestly?” It was awfully tempting … “You don’t want to know.”

“No, I do. Be brutal. I can take it.”

She hesitated. Telling him would put an end to her candidacy for the position. But did she care?

She did not.

Sorry, Lacy. “Okay. I’d tell Max that you are a devoted businessman with the commitment, hunger, fortitude, and ambition to succeed.”

The edge of his top lip curved upward slightly.

Then she went on. “I’d also tell him that you are lacking in common social skills, particularly humility, kindness, and decency. You’re sexist, arrogant, and, basically, a rich pompous ass. I also noticed all your very expensive, very monotonously black pens are lined up ruler-straight. On the right side of your desk. That indicates you are both rigid and boring. Probably a conservative. Don’t even get me started on your shirt. That shade of mauve screams Desperately hetero and hip. Nothing could make you farther from either.” That felt marvelous.

“Very good, Drea. Very good, indeed.” He stared at her as though he, too, was making an assessment of her character.

Huh? That was her move, and it made her squirmy to see him employing it.

He sat back in his chair finally, a smirk playing on his lips. “And tell me, would Max Ellis have hired me based on your input?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, he probably would have.”

*   *   *

Blake laughed out loud. It was the only thing he could think to do to dislodge the strange warmth he was suddenly feeling in his chest. Please let it be heartburn and not a fondness for the potential employee in front of him.

Andrea’s eyes blazed at his outburst.

“I apologize,” he said, composing himself. “Thank you, Drea. I appreciate your candor.”

“It’s Andy.”

He was finding her obvious annoyance more than a little amusing. This whole interview was exactly the opposite of what he’d expected. It was almost enjoyable.

Not almost—it was enjoyable.

He regretted now that he’d played a total asshole since she’d arrived. Most of it was exactly his true colors, but he’d amped up his arrogance. It helped weed the women who’d shown up only to sign up to be his bride, from the ones who wanted to find him a bride. Sadly, there had been few of the latter.

When this one had walked in, though, he was immediately on edge. It started with her bizarrely sparse résumé, something that screamed backstory to him. Blake liked a good mystery. Then there was that completely unprofessional lingering gaze they had shared. That had led him to be even nastier than usual. He just wasn’t used to not having the upper hand.

Now that he’d deduced Andrea Dawson was sincere about her job application, he decided he could dial it down a bit.

“Andy.” He tested her nickname on his tongue. “It doesn’t fit. It’s too boyish. And you are definitely all woman.” She wasn’t even remotely his type—between the curves and the all-American coloring, not to mention ambition. Ambition in a woman had always struck him as one of the least attractive things on earth. Probably because his money-grubbing stepmother had run his father into the ground, all in the name of “ambition.”

But the woman in front of him didn’t put him off as he might have expected. Despite her flaws, he had to admit there was something distinctly sexy about Awn-dray-uh Princess Leia Dawson. Really, a Star Wars reference?

“I … thank you, I think.”

He settled farther into his chair, reveling in her discomfort. “You’re welcome. Drea.”

She, in contrast, sat up, squaring her shoulders. “My name is Andy, Mr. Donovan. I’ve never gone by Drea. It’s always been Andy or, when my sister’s mad at me, Andrea.”

“Fine. Andrea it is. Perhaps it’s best since I suspect you will frequently anger me.” Did he just wink at her? That was strange. He never winked.

He rubbed his eye, hoping she’d believe his wink had been a twitch. “And you may call me Blake. You’ll need to get to know what makes me tick and I think that requires a first-name basis, don’t you?”

“What? Excuse me, but—are you actually offering me the job?” She looked completely shocked.

He was a little shocked himself. Normally Blake preferred his employees to treat him with a certain level of deference, but something in him said that Andrea Dawson was the one. “I am.”

“But—”

“But we haven’t discussed pay yet. That’s right. Here’s what I think your beginning skills are worth.” He grabbed a Montblanc and a fresh sheet of stationery from the desk and scribbled a figure. Folding the paper once, he handed it to his new hire, who opened it rather suspiciously.

“Oh.”

“I expect that’s reasonable.”

“It is, but—”

“As I mentioned in my ad, there will be an increase dependent on how the relationships progress. We can discuss that further if you accept the position.”

“Sure, of course. I appreciate the offer—”

“Don’t answer now.” He interrupted, suddenly nervous he’d scared her off before she even started. Or maybe the number he’d written down wasn’t high enough. “You should always take your time replying to business offers even if you already know how you’re going to respond. If you say yes, you’ll look desperate. If you say no, you’ll seem ungrateful for the opportunity. Never appear ungrateful. Call me by close of business tomorrow with your answer.”

“Uh … Okay.”

He stood and reached for her hand. That was what one did at the end of a business meeting, after all, but he knew it was an excuse to see if her skin was really as soft as it appeared.

She seemed startled at his outstretched limb. It took her a second to put her palm in his. When she did, when their flesh touched, Blake could swear he felt a spark. Not like the shock of electricity from rubbing your feet across the carpet, but a mingling of energy. The warmth traveled through him, spreading into every part of his body.