table for good measure, hoping he’d get the
message and retract his offer.
He didn’t. Instead, he smiled at her before addressing the
crowd. “As Annika pointed out to me earlier, the warehouses are of no value to
anyone empty. Letting you use them until they sell is the least I can do for
Whitetail. I’ll throw in some IT equipment too, if you want it. We’ve recently
upgraded the Chicago offices so there’s some going spare.” He pulled out two
business cards and gave one to Nicole and the other to Melissa.
Nicole smiled and her face lit up again for the second time in
a week. “You’ve been incredibly helpful, Finn. We’ll be in touch.”
“Best go through whoever’s my P.A. She’ll be handling it all.”
His gaze swung to Annika as his foot connected lightly with her shin.
Now he was the one doing the warning off. Under normal
circumstances it wouldn’t have even been necessary. Sure, she needed the money.
She badly needed the money but not even possible eviction would have been enough
to propel her into the job of being Finn Callahan’s P.A. But nothing about this
situation was normal. As mayor, the town depended on her and she in turn had to
protect the people of Whitetail. She needed to keep a very close eye on things
from a business perspective and there was only one way to do that. Even if it
meant risking her sanity.
She raised her hand and her voice. “You can go through me. I’m
his new P.A.”
Finn’s jaw tensed and his eyebrows hit his hairline, but it was
the flash of fire in his dark, dark eyes—fire which flared for a moment before
quickly being doused by stony resignation—that sent butterflies somersaulting in
her stomach. It was going to be a very long summer.
* * *
It was Monday morning and Annika tried to listen as Finn
paced across the office. His wide mouth and tempting lips that had featured in
more than just one dream, moved continuously as he outlined her job in crisp and
precise detail. She’d expected a grilling from him on why she’d taken the job
but from the moment he’d stepped through the doorway, he’d treated her like she
was any ordinary employee and had immediately launched into orientation. They
could have been in Chicago and the only nod to the fact they weren’t was his
clothing.
Gone was the more formal business shirt of yesterday. Today he
wore an apple-green short-sleeved shirt which sat square on his broad shoulders
and had the unsettling effect of making his eyes far more chocolate-noir than
inky black.
She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. Watching those
eyes and that mouth was far too distracting on so many levels that she didn’t
dare count. Instead she moved her gaze around, trying to pin it to a wall or the
blinking light on the fax/scanner/printer/copier, but it kept flitting between
Finn and the lake. The house was built on a point and this afforded almost every
room a view, including the office. Today the summer sunshine shimmered against
the blue water which sparkled and danced like a shower of silver glitter. The
recreational sounds of vacationers drifted on the air—the distant buzz of
motorboats, the delighted squeals of children splashing in the water and the
thwack of balls as they hit the strings of tennis racquets. Every part of her
wanted to be outside and she wondered how any work ever got done in this light
and airy room.
Finn didn’t appear to notice the blue-blue sky, the vivid green
of the trees, the silvery glistening lake or even her. Nothing it seemed could
distract him from work, which was probably why he had millions of dollars in the
bank and she had less than nothing.
Just start the final painting for the gallery exhibition you agreed to and earn some money that way .
The thought had her ducking for cover. No time . The town needs me and that means working here .
Finn rubbed the back of his neck. “I usually use an agency to
hire temporary staff so I’ll have to ask someone in payroll to organize
message and retract his offer.
He didn’t. Instead, he smiled at her before addressing the
crowd. “As Annika pointed out to me earlier, the warehouses are of no value to
anyone empty. Letting you use them until they sell is the least I can do for
Whitetail. I’ll throw in some IT equipment too, if you want it. We’ve recently
upgraded the Chicago offices so there’s some going spare.” He pulled out two
business cards and gave one to Nicole and the other to Melissa.
Nicole smiled and her face lit up again for the second time in
a week. “You’ve been incredibly helpful, Finn. We’ll be in touch.”
“Best go through whoever’s my P.A. She’ll be handling it all.”
His gaze swung to Annika as his foot connected lightly with her shin.
Now he was the one doing the warning off. Under normal
circumstances it wouldn’t have even been necessary. Sure, she needed the money.
She badly needed the money but not even possible eviction would have been enough
to propel her into the job of being Finn Callahan’s P.A. But nothing about this
situation was normal. As mayor, the town depended on her and she in turn had to
protect the people of Whitetail. She needed to keep a very close eye on things
from a business perspective and there was only one way to do that. Even if it
meant risking her sanity.
She raised her hand and her voice. “You can go through me. I’m
his new P.A.”
Finn’s jaw tensed and his eyebrows hit his hairline, but it was
the flash of fire in his dark, dark eyes—fire which flared for a moment before
quickly being doused by stony resignation—that sent butterflies somersaulting in
her stomach. It was going to be a very long summer.
* * *
It was Monday morning and Annika tried to listen as Finn
paced across the office. His wide mouth and tempting lips that had featured in
more than just one dream, moved continuously as he outlined her job in crisp and
precise detail. She’d expected a grilling from him on why she’d taken the job
but from the moment he’d stepped through the doorway, he’d treated her like she
was any ordinary employee and had immediately launched into orientation. They
could have been in Chicago and the only nod to the fact they weren’t was his
clothing.
Gone was the more formal business shirt of yesterday. Today he
wore an apple-green short-sleeved shirt which sat square on his broad shoulders
and had the unsettling effect of making his eyes far more chocolate-noir than
inky black.
She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. Watching those
eyes and that mouth was far too distracting on so many levels that she didn’t
dare count. Instead she moved her gaze around, trying to pin it to a wall or the
blinking light on the fax/scanner/printer/copier, but it kept flitting between
Finn and the lake. The house was built on a point and this afforded almost every
room a view, including the office. Today the summer sunshine shimmered against
the blue water which sparkled and danced like a shower of silver glitter. The
recreational sounds of vacationers drifted on the air—the distant buzz of
motorboats, the delighted squeals of children splashing in the water and the
thwack of balls as they hit the strings of tennis racquets. Every part of her
wanted to be outside and she wondered how any work ever got done in this light
and airy room.
Finn didn’t appear to notice the blue-blue sky, the vivid green
of the trees, the silvery glistening lake or even her. Nothing it seemed could
distract him from work, which was probably why he had millions of dollars in the
bank and she had less than nothing.
Just start the final painting for the gallery exhibition you agreed to and earn some money that way .
The thought had her ducking for cover. No time . The town needs me and that means working here .
Finn rubbed the back of his neck. “I usually use an agency to
hire temporary staff so I’ll have to ask someone in payroll to organize
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