He turned off the shower and snagged a towel, relieved that he’d regained a semblance of control and common sense. He was grateful to Angie, grateful that she’d showed such amazing restraint and put an end to a situation that would have caused endless complications on the work front. He’d been a fool to allow lust to interfere with logic. He’d finally found the perfect PA and with one foolish, impulsive act had almost ruined a perfect working environment. First thing Monday morning he’d apologize. Then he’d carefully, gently, politely return them to their former arm’s length relationship. No doubt Angie would be relieved.
And then he’d devote more time and attention to finding the perfect wife to match his perfect PA.
He tossed back the covers on his bed and allowed himself to relax against a lake of silk. Punching his pillow into a comfortable mound, he folded his arms behind his head. Still, he could imagine how it would have been. He could imagine having Angie in his bed, as brilliant and amusing and meticulous in the way she made love as she was in the workplace. She’d prove just as trustworthy, too, easing the pain and hurt others had inflicted over the years. A small smile drifted across his mouth. Damn if she didn’t fit his criteria for the perfect wife, as well as a PA. It was more than perfect. A multibillion dollar business. A brilliant woman more than a match for him in all the most important aspects of life. And even a mother for Mikey, a baby she found utterly adorable. Imagine having the best of all worlds.
It was perfection. Sheer perfection.
Four
“All buttoned up again, I see.”
Angie offered Lucius a cool smile, one she’d practiced endless times over the weekend in order to get it just right. “Same as always.”
He didn’t say the words, but she could hear them loud and clear: Not always.
Just as she’d rehearsed for endless hours to perfect her demeanor and how she intended to act when she returned to work and came face-to-face with Lucius again, she’d also agonized over her clothing. She didn’t dare select anything that remotely resembled upholstery. But she also didn’t want to wear anything too suggestive. Not that she owned much that could be considered in any way, shape or form the least suggestive. Still, it made choosing the perfect outfit a challenge.
She’d finally settled on a crisp brown suit and café au lait blouse. And though she’d ultimately decided to wear her hair up, it was in a looser style than usual. She looked professional, yet approachable, she decided. The epitome of the perfect PA.
Despite that, Lucius’s gaze swept her, stripped her. His eyes glittered darkly, the memory of their embrace lurking there like a menacing shadow. He held her with that single powerful look for a long, tense moment before his mouth curved upward in a knowing smile. “Buttons won’t work anymore. I know what you’re hiding underneath them.”
With that, he disappeared into his office, leaving her with a half-dozen sharp comebacks blistering her tongue, all unspoken. Later, she promised herself. If he made one more comment, she’d cut loose with every single one of them. To Angie’s relief, the morning swept toward midday without Lucius making any more suggestive observations. Instead, he filled her schedule to overflowing with a laundry list of endless tasks. Shortly before lunch, she glanced up to see an older couple approaching her desk.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ridgeway.” As always, she was careful to offer them a warm, friendly smile. “Did you have a good weekend with your grandson?”
“Michael was fussy.”
As usual it was Benjamin who responded, Geoff’s mother cloaking herself in painful silence. Grief continued to hang on the pair, carved deep into their faces and making them appear far older than their early sixties. It had been a rough three months for them, their pain and bitterness deepened by the intense dislike they’d felt toward Geoff’s wife, and the blame they heaped on her for their son’s premature demise. It didn’t make the least sense to Angie, but apparently they felt that the two wouldn’t have died if Lisa hadn’t insisted on a European vacation as a combination Christmas present and second honeymoon.
For some reason that blame also extended to Lucius and she couldn’t help but wonder if they’d somehow discovered that he’d had a sexual relationship with Lisa, as well—knew and in some emotion-riddled, illogical fashion held him responsible for Geoff’s death, too.
“Michael needs a more regular routine,” Benjamin continued. “Consistent parenting. Passing him around like a football isn’t helping.”