Stephanie Bond - Seduction by the Book (Blaze Encounters)

W HEN P AGE WALKED THROUGH the door of Armstrong Enterprises the next morning, she had a spring in her step. She feltconfidentpowerful.

Jessica looked up from her desk and eyed Pages teal-colored skirt suit suspiciously. I made coffee, the woman mumbled.

Thanks, Page said, then walked over to the coffee station to pour herself a cup. Is Richard in yet?

No. And I dont think its very professional of you to call him by his first name.

Page raised her eyebrows. Ive heard you call him by his first name plenty of times.

I am Richards assistant, the woman said.

Page angled her head. And yet, Im the one he left in charge yesterday. She sipped the coffee, then winced. This coffee is a little weakyou should make another batch before Richard gets in. She set the offending cup on Jessicas desk, then turned and walked into Richards office, closing the door on the womans noises of sputtering protest.

Page walked over to the window and opened the curtains, smiling at the panoramic view of downtown Atlanta, thinking of how Richard must see it. The Armstrongs had invested in so many start-up businesses and so many incubator products in Atlanta over the past forty years, shed bet Richard owned a brick in almost every building on the horizon. He had much to be proud of. But having a hand in so many ventures meant he was expected to attend awards dinners, public hearings, and stockholder meetings, usually in the evenings and on weekends, and now there was only one of him to cover obligations that he and his father had once divided. No wonder Richard was exhausted.

Good morning, Miss Sharpe. His voice boomed into her thoughts.

She turned and, at the sight of Richard in a flawless black suit, her heart skipped a beat. Dark smudges still shadowed his blue eyes, but he looked more rested than when hed left yesterday. And the way he studied her head to toe with appreciation, it was as if he was seeing her for the first time.

Good morning, Richard, she returned warmly, feeling herself expand under his gaze. Were you able to get some rest?

It took me a while torelax, but then I managed to fall asleep. You were rightI needed to get away from the office for a while.

She nodded demurely, but inside she was doing cartwheels.

He seemed to break eye contact reluctantly. When he turned toward his massive cherry wood desk, his eyes widened. WowI cant remember the last time I could see the top of my desk.

Page walked over to show him the system shed used. The files are organized by color-coded tabs, arranged by importance and time-sensitivity.

He moved to stand next to her. So white is the lowest-priority and red would be the mosthot?

Pages nerve endings sizzled as voltage leapt between them. Thats right, she murmured, drawing strength from the chemistry that had sprung up around them since shed started asserting herself.

It looks complicated, he teased. I might need some tutoring.

The way he looked at her was almostinviting. Pages pulse clicked higher when she realized that Richard was making himself accessible to her. In Venus in Furs , Severin had made himself available to Wanda in a similar fashion, testing the waters. A flush worked its way over her body. Maybe her idea of seducing her boss wasnt so far-flung after all.

It appeared he wasamenable.

A sharp rap at the door interrupted them. Page looked up to see Jessica walk in, carrying a cup of steaming coffee. The blonde smiled at Richard. I thought you could use some fortification this morning. I made it strong the way you like it.

Page bit her tongue and averted her gaze.

Thank you, he said as he took the mug. Jessica, Miss Sharpe will be explaining her filing system to me and helping me get caught up today. Would you mind bringing her a cup of coffee, too?

Jessicas smile turned stiff. As she turned she shot lasers at Page, but left the office and returned a few minutes later with two cups of coffee. She handed one to Page and kept one for herself, then she perched on the corner of his desk with familiarity. What can I do to help? she asked, gesturing to the neat stacks of files on his desk.

See that Miss Sharpe and I arent disturbed, he said bluntly.

Jessica straightened so quickly she sloshed her coffee. Page almost felt sorry for herbut not quite.

Close the door, please, he added to the womans retreating back.

When the door closed, it felt as if a vacuum had been created, sealing them in a cozy little chamber. His blue-eyed gaze latched on to Page and she couldnt look away. She tried to maintain a professional demeanor even though she was sure he could hear her heart pounding. But faking it had gotten her this far, so she simply picked up the cup of coffee for a sip and adopted her most authoritative voice. Ready to get started?

Yes. Richard slipped off his suit jacket and hung it on the valet, then he turned back to her. Im in your hands.

When Page realized he wanted her to tell him what to do, a thrill ran through her. She pointed to his chair. Sit.

He did, looking at her as if she was his teacher and at the neat stacks of folders as if they were shiny school supplies.

She reached for the folder on top of the stack marked with a red tab. As she reached past him his nostrils flaredinhaling her perfume? Remember that the red tabs signify the high priority items.

The hot items, he repeated.

Thats right. She opened the folder. Top priority at the moment is tomorrow mornings meeting with DPH Energy. James Dillingham and his team are bringing two prototypes of fuel cells for venture funding consideration. At any point in time, Armstrong Enterprises had a couple dozen products under review for venture funding. Richard had always handled the countless day-to-day support activities, but his father had always handled the initial product selection.

I read all the collateral from DPH, Richard said. But I havent decided which prototype, if either, warrants funding.

DPH sent more research, she said, holding up a folder.

His mouth tightened. Dad was so good at cutting through the paperwork and the hype, as if he had some sort of second sense about the next big thing. I guess I just dont have the knack for it yet.

Richard, youve done an amazing job handling everything since your fathers passing.

He looked up at her, his expression troubled. Do you really think so?

Knowing that he cared about her opinion made her heart flower. Yes, I do. But have you thought about hiring someone to relieve some of your workload?

He nodded. Its been in the back of my mind. I guess the thought of bringing someone else into that role feels like a betrayal to my father.

I dont think your father would feel that way at all. Surely continuing to grow the company is the best homage you can pay to his legacy.

His anxious expression relaxed. Youre right. Of course, youre right, Miss Sharpe. Will you help me start the process of finding a candidate?

Of course. Why dont I take a stab at writing a job description, and well go from there?

He looked relieved. That would be excellent. Thanks.

It felt natural to reach down and squeeze his arm in reassurance. Beneath the crisp fabric of his shirt, his muscle bunched under her touch. The shock of the subtle response sent a pang of longing to her midsection. Richards hands were large and broad, his fingers thick and blunt-tipped. What would it be like to have those fingers moving over her bodyinside her body? Her fantasies ran rampant. With great effort, she forced her concentration back to the job at hand: proving to Richard that she deserved his trust and respect.

As the day progressed, two subtle changes occurred. Richard sat back and allowed Page to exert more and more control as they moved through the paperwork on his desk to complete the tasks on his substantial to-do list. And their body language began to mimic the role reversal of secretary bossing boss.