fixed firmly on the white light showing the change of floors. When the elevator stopped, she tapped her foot while leaning against the wall of the stall. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her breathing to stop herself from panicking.
The bell sounded and she brushed past the sea of bodies in the small compartment to make it to her floor. Several people gave her odd looks, but she ignored them.
Without slowing her stride, she made her way to the staff room and quickly made Mr Allen’s coffee just the way he’d described on the phone. He liked it hot with two sugars and no cream.
A quick glance at the time. She saw she had a few minutes to spare. “Please don’t let him be here yet.” She was too flustered from almost being late. Hope didn’t want Simon to see her like this.
She stirred the hot liquid and rushed towards his office. A quick glance at her office saw the mail resting on the top of her desk. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hope figured he hadn’t made it into work.
In that split second of checking her desk, Hope didn’t see the figure standing at his door.
The hot coffee spilt on the floor and down her front as she careened into a hard male chest.
Hope jumped back and stared up at Simon Allen.
She knew it was him the moment she saw the heated look in his eyes. Her pristine white shirt was pressed against her skin with the brown stain of coffee. The coffee scalded her skin but Hope was unable to look away. Simon was much taller than her. She knew he was older by a good ten years. She was twenty-five years old.
His dark black hair was neatly cut to his face and his features were always so serious, which she’d seen from the magazines he graced. The hard square of his jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth together. His eyes were a dark brown and almost black from the angle she was staring at him.
“Miss Pattern, I assume?” he asked. His voice was clear without any quiver of uncertainty.
“Mr Allen, I’m so sorry.” She pulled out of his arms. Simon must have reached out for her to stop her from falling farther.
Instead of firing her on the spot, he pulled her into his office and closed the door. He lifted her face up for his inspection with a finger under her chin. Hope could do nothing but wait for his assessment of her.
“You’re the woman I’ve been talking to?” he asked.
She nodded as her words failed her. What could she say?
Simon turned her face this way and that. She wondered what he was thinking as he stared at her.
His finger moved from her chin to stroke her cheek. “I’ve never seen a hair colour like this. It is like pure golden sunshine.”
Hope felt the blush fill her cheeks. She’d never been complimented for her hair before. With her full curves, many men had overlooked her, preferring the slimmer and more perfect woman. She’d seen the evidence in several bars she frequented. No one was looking for a woman with curves.
“Sir, I don’t think this is appropriate.”
“I like the way you call me sir,” he said.
She smiled. There was a hell of a lot that her boss didn’t know about her. “I’m sure you do. May I go and get you another coffee?”
“I think that would be best.” Simon took one last look at her before stepping back. Her heart was hammering inside her chest as she turned and opened the door.
“Hope?”
She turned to look at the man who was the sexiest man she’d ever seen.
“Yes, sir?”
“I’m looking forward to working with you.”
* * * *
Hope pulled out of the memory as Simon walked back into his room. Their first meeting had been electric. What was to come with their relationship had been so much more.
Simon wore a black robe and he sat on the edge of the bed. His hand moved over her body, caressing her skin.
“Will you be my wife?” he asked.
She bit her lip. Hope didn’t know where his demands for her to be his wife had come from, only that he’d done nothing but ask her for the past few months. Every time he
The bell sounded and she brushed past the sea of bodies in the small compartment to make it to her floor. Several people gave her odd looks, but she ignored them.
Without slowing her stride, she made her way to the staff room and quickly made Mr Allen’s coffee just the way he’d described on the phone. He liked it hot with two sugars and no cream.
A quick glance at the time. She saw she had a few minutes to spare. “Please don’t let him be here yet.” She was too flustered from almost being late. Hope didn’t want Simon to see her like this.
She stirred the hot liquid and rushed towards his office. A quick glance at her office saw the mail resting on the top of her desk. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hope figured he hadn’t made it into work.
In that split second of checking her desk, Hope didn’t see the figure standing at his door.
The hot coffee spilt on the floor and down her front as she careened into a hard male chest.
Hope jumped back and stared up at Simon Allen.
She knew it was him the moment she saw the heated look in his eyes. Her pristine white shirt was pressed against her skin with the brown stain of coffee. The coffee scalded her skin but Hope was unable to look away. Simon was much taller than her. She knew he was older by a good ten years. She was twenty-five years old.
His dark black hair was neatly cut to his face and his features were always so serious, which she’d seen from the magazines he graced. The hard square of his jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth together. His eyes were a dark brown and almost black from the angle she was staring at him.
“Miss Pattern, I assume?” he asked. His voice was clear without any quiver of uncertainty.
“Mr Allen, I’m so sorry.” She pulled out of his arms. Simon must have reached out for her to stop her from falling farther.
Instead of firing her on the spot, he pulled her into his office and closed the door. He lifted her face up for his inspection with a finger under her chin. Hope could do nothing but wait for his assessment of her.
“You’re the woman I’ve been talking to?” he asked.
She nodded as her words failed her. What could she say?
Simon turned her face this way and that. She wondered what he was thinking as he stared at her.
His finger moved from her chin to stroke her cheek. “I’ve never seen a hair colour like this. It is like pure golden sunshine.”
Hope felt the blush fill her cheeks. She’d never been complimented for her hair before. With her full curves, many men had overlooked her, preferring the slimmer and more perfect woman. She’d seen the evidence in several bars she frequented. No one was looking for a woman with curves.
“Sir, I don’t think this is appropriate.”
“I like the way you call me sir,” he said.
She smiled. There was a hell of a lot that her boss didn’t know about her. “I’m sure you do. May I go and get you another coffee?”
“I think that would be best.” Simon took one last look at her before stepping back. Her heart was hammering inside her chest as she turned and opened the door.
“Hope?”
She turned to look at the man who was the sexiest man she’d ever seen.
“Yes, sir?”
“I’m looking forward to working with you.”
* * * *
Hope pulled out of the memory as Simon walked back into his room. Their first meeting had been electric. What was to come with their relationship had been so much more.
Simon wore a black robe and he sat on the edge of the bed. His hand moved over her body, caressing her skin.
“Will you be my wife?” he asked.
She bit her lip. Hope didn’t know where his demands for her to be his wife had come from, only that he’d done nothing but ask her for the past few months. Every time he
Similar Books
