Her brows drew together and two lines marred the smooth skin above the bridge of her nose. He wondered if anyone had ever told her that her blue eyes sparkled when she was angry. Probably not. Elise Hamilton had been assigned to work with Luc because she never lost her temper. She was—according to Roger Dill—the most amenable executive assistant in the building. Elise was competent and mild mannered. Or at least, she had been until Luc got his hands on her. Figuratively speaking, he amended silently. Since their first week together of his consultation job at Andersen Corporation, Luc had gone out of his way to irk the quiet angel he’d acquired for the paperwork intensive project. Watching Elise lose her temper and attempt to mince words with him made the hellish job at Andersen worth it.
She swatted at him again. “I said get up and go chase her before I get her for calling me those names.”
“Why?” he asked as she planted her hands on his shoulders and pushed herself up off the floor. A touch of her perfume lingered around him. It reminded him of summer nights, jasmine, and what he’d like to do with Elise on a summer night underneath a full Southern moon with jasmine blooming all around them. He halted that train of thought before it could produce a more visible response than he already had.
Elise folded her arms over her chest, pushing up her breasts in a way he’d gladly do for her, and scowled down at him. “Why? Because your fiancée thinks that you and I were on the floor doing goodness knows what and if you don’t get yourself after her, she’s going to call off the wedding. That is why.”
“Ah.” He nodded in understanding.
“Ah? Is that all you can say? Ah,” she scoffed.
Luc watched as Elise spotted the engagement ring and snatched it off the desk then thrust it in his face. “Take this and go. Beg if you have to, but chase her down and explain that we were not playing kinky office games.”
He thought about it for half a second, then said, “No.”
“Fine. If you won’t, then I’ll do it.” Elise turned on her heel and started to walk away from him. “I’ll cram it down her throat and proclaim your undying love for her. I’ll even let the bean pole call me short and fat, but if she calls me a—”
Luc frowned. “You’re not fat.” Definitely not fat. Luscious and curvy, but not fat. In fact, he’d call her perfect.
“And I’m not short, either. I’m petite,” she told him angrily. “I don’t spend all those hours doing exercises for nothing. And while we’re on the subject, I am not a play thing you can—”
Luc stood up. “Elise.”
“What?” She glared up at him. Wisps of hair fluttered around her flushed face and her dark blue eyes crackled with energy.
He held out his hand. “Give me the ring.” She dropped it into his palm and his hand closed around it. The reality of the situation started to sink in and his mood darkened. “Go get your things. I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Don’t worry about me. She’s got a head start on you. Your legs are longer—not by much with her in those heels—but you can still catch her.”
He sighed and, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair, stepped over a pile of papers. “I’m not going after Margot. Get your things. We’re leaving.” He thrust the ring into his pocket and caught her by the elbow.
“But, Luc,” she stammered breathlessly. “You have to. She thinks we were doing kinky things underneath the desk. She thinks I’m a home wrecker.”
He halted by her charred desk and opened the bottom drawer where he knew she kept her personal effects, then removed her purse and handed it to her. His fingers wrapped around her arm and he hauled her through the maze of cubicles.
Elise dug in her heels. “Luc, you have to go find Margot and—”
He stopped and towered over her. “Listen to me, Elise. I am not running after Margot. I’m taking you to your car then I’m finding the closest bar and spending the rest of the night getting well and truly drunk. Now, move,” he snapped.
“Oh, Luc,” she sighed. Compassion and sorrow filled her eyes and she bit her bottom lip. “I’m so sorry. This wouldn’t have happened if—”
He advanced on her pinning her against the wall without touching her. “If you apologize for one more thing, I’m going to—”
Her chin lifted rebelliously. “What? You’ll do what? Order them to fire me?” Tears welled in her eyes, but she held his gaze. “I’ve had the worst day of my life and it’s only going to get worse. You don’t have to come up with thirty thousand dollars in two weeks.” She sniffled. “And Raven’s going to sell Aphrodite and he’ll never be the same and… oh, would you get out of my way?” She shoved at his chest.