BOOK 2 OF THIS SERIES STARTS HERE:“YOU look like hell,” James Brown said bluntly from the doorway of Sophia’s office.She shot him a look that would have withered a lesser man. But James was frustratingly unaffected by her icy demeanor around him. He acted as if he didn’t have a clue that he bugged the shit out of her. But no, she imagined he knew exactly how much he bothered her, and he just chose to ignore it. Stubborn, impossible, completely overbearing man. Precisely the kind of man she avoided at all costs.Only he was her boss. That put another sour expression on her face. Clement had been her boss, he and Derrick. And then when her brother had died three years ago, Derrick had become her only boss and she had liked it that way.James should hire his own damn personal assistant, but he seemed perfectly content to dump his workload on Sophia and annoy the piss out of her in the process.“Gee, thanks,” she said in a tone to match her glare. “Nice to know I pass muster around here
His grin got bigger and she swore this was the first time she’d actually seen the man smile. He was always so quiet and brooding. He didn’t frown, but he didn’t smile either. He always wore an inscrutable expression that drove her crazy because she never had any clue what he was thinking.Only now she got the distinct impression he’d been thinking about her. A lot.She mentally went through every single one of her favorite four-letter curse words and added a few with extra syllables for good measure.“Let me make this simple for you since you love a challenge. I’m not a challenge, James. I will never be a challenge because you don’t have a chance in hell with me. You’re out of your goddamn mind anyway. What the hell would a man like you see in me? According to you I’m scared of my own shadow. I’m timid, apparently I look like hell and have as many issues as People magazine.”He rose, ignoring her outburst, which only infuriated her more. He seemed utterly unfazed by her cutting remark
The urge to dominate was powerful. It beat like his pulse, strong with anticipation, even as he knew Sophia was not a woman to dominate. She wasn’t a woman who’d submit. Ever. Not physically. But dominance was so much more than the physical trappings that often accompanied such a relationship. Emotional surrender was much more powerful, and perhaps that was what he craved when he looked into those shadowed eyes of hers.She needed a man who’d cherish her, protect her from any and all hurts, provide shelter for her. A place of refuge from the rest of the world. She needed a man she could turn to and trust unerringly in his ability to shield her from any threat. Even those that weren’t physical, but emotional, because those were hurts far worse than physical ones.She was infinitely fragile. So very vulnerable. He watched her. He watched her a damn lot, and when she didn’t realize others were observing her, she lost the icy façade and he got a glimpse of the frightened young girl behind
His eyebrow quirked upward. So she had been studying him. She knew enough about him for him to realize she’d spent a lot of time observing him and his reactions.His features relaxed into a smile, as he noted again her surprise.“I’ve been accused of being an emotionless, uptight bastard by more than one person,” he said in amusement. “Perhaps you draw out another side to me that no one else sees.”She looked disgruntled by that suggestion.“You wanted something?” she prompted, obviously anxious for the meeting to be over.He had no such plans for her to scurry back to the safety of her office where she shut the rest of the world out. He knew she went straight home every day. Didn’t have a social life unless you counted her lunches with Karla and Sandra, her two best friends. In fact, their circle of friends were the only people Sophia had any sort of a connection to.It had to be a lonely life and he hated that for her. Hated that her past had shaped her future—was still shaping her
He just wanted . . . her.“All right,” she finally said in a husky voice that made him go even harder. Because there was capitulation in her voice. Not quite submission, but it was close and it fired his blood, made it sing through his veins, because just this once, he’d won.“I’ll meet you at the restaurant at seven,” she said.She lifted her gaze challengingly to his, as if to dare him to argue with her statement. He merely smiled back. He’d allow her this small victory because the bigger one was already his. Dinner. Just the two of them. Yeah, they’d talk business, but he also planned to delve deeper into this intriguing woman. Figure out what made her tick. And he’d pick her up the next day and drive her to their meeting. Which meant she was dependent on him the entire day.He liked that idea. Liked it too damn much. Her dependent on him. The hell he’d ever let her down or make her regret her grudging trust. Oh, he knew she didn’t trust him yet. That would be the biggest hurdle to
She hated that he made her so nervous. Hated admitting that weakness to herself. She’d spent her entire life being weak, though she disguised it by being abrasive and even bitchy. She wasn’t proud of those things, but it was far preferable to ever showing vulnerability to another person.“Relax, Sophia,” James said, drawing her gaze to his.She saw warmth in his eyes and pondered that oddity. It wasn’t that James was some heartless, cold bastard. But he’d perfected the look. Anyone would think twice about crossing him. Usually his eyes were impenetrable, showing nothing of whatever emotion he was feeling, if he even had them.But now? There was an odd tenderness in his eyes and it seemed to be directed at her. It was one beat off of sympathy and that got her back up because the very last thing she wanted from this man was pity.“Did you just scowl at me?” he asked, his lips twisting in amusement.“No. Yes. Maybe,” she muttered.“Relax,” he said again, his tone growing as gentle as his
She shrugged instead, giving him the impression his words had no effect whatsoever.“I looked at areas where they could reduce costs, and honestly, there was a lot there that is completely unnecessary. They could reduce employee perks, the things that don’t really matter, and not have to reduce benefits, the things that are necessary.”He nodded his agreement. “I too saw a lot of unnecessary expenditures, and by focusing on those areas, it will eliminate the need to cut some of the positions, though there are those that could easily be absorbed into other jobs.”She stared thoughtfully at him a moment. “You don’t like cutting jobs. I mean, they aren’t just nameless, faceless people to you, are they?”She wasn’t at all certain what had given her that flash of insight into his character. It was something in his tone though, and the brief glimmer, almost a grimace, that had registered in his eyes. Perhaps he was more human than she gave him credit for.“Of course I don’t,” he murmured. “
“No one,” she croaked. “He just looked like . . .” She trailed off helplessly and to her further horror, tears slipped down her cheeks. “He reminded me of someone. Please, can we just leave?”“The hell I’m letting you drive home in your condition.”He got up, tossed several bills onto the table, then pulled her to her feet, instantly propelling her toward the entrance, not stopping until they were outside, fresh air blowing over her like the most soothing balm.Some of the tightness eased. Her horrific fear began to subside, leaving stark embarrassment in its wake.“Breathe,” James ordered even as he barked an order to the valet to get his car.She sucked in breath after breath, gulping at the air greedily until finally the tightness eased and the spots receded. The world had stopped its sickening swaying, but as she tried to step away from him and his hold on her, her knees buckled, and with a muttered curse, he hauled her right back up against his side, his arm anchoring her there s