“No, there’s nothing,” she said quickly, “It’s just that…he’s…” Serena bit her lip as a sudden tear stung her eye. She didn’t know how to go on, she didn’t know what to say.
“Serena,” Jan said in a schoolmarm voice, “be careful what you’re doing over there. Sounds like you’ve gotten yourself into something deep. But whatever you do, don’t fall for him.”
Too late. Serena put her left index finger to her lips and began to nibble at the nail. It had only been a week since she`d met the man but that advice had come way too late to save her heart.
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was after five o’clock but Roman had no plans to leave the office any time soon. He’d been working on a report for the past three hours and, looking down at the papers in front of him, he realized that he didn’t have very much to show for all that time. He’d been distracted all afternoon and, as important as this report was, for the life of him he just could not put his mind to it.
And it was all Serena Van Buren’s fault. The witch was driving him crazy. He’d avoided her most of the week but this morning they’d spent over two hours together poring over the files of old ad campaigns, discussing those that had been successful and restacking those that had not had much impact. They’d sat together around the conference table, so close that he could smell the light fragrance of her perfume. The closeness had made him aware of her every move and he’d been hard put not to pull her into his arms and kiss her breathless.
Today Serena was wearing a tailored navy blue suit that clung to the soft curves of her hips and bust. The soft waves of her hair floated around her heart shaped face, giving her the look of an angel. Her full lips were rose pink and there was a slight flush to her face that made her look vibrant. Once when they both reached for the same sheet of paper their hands touched and she jumped as if she’d been shocked. He’d felt it, too. A jolt of electricity rushed through his body, making him suck in his breath. He’d tried hard not to react to her closeness but it became almost difficult to breathe and he couldn’t help glancing at her every now and again. He shook his head as he remembered how his physical reaction to her had been so strong that at one point he’d had to get up and go over to the table to pour himself a glass of water just to get away from her.
What in the blazes was happening to him? He, a thirty year old man, was acting like a lovesick schoolboy. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. Somehow he had to fight this attraction to her. Richard Van Buren had trusted him with his daughter and he could not afford to jeopardize their relationship.
Roman was still sitting at his desk, staring out the window, when there was a knock at the door. Serena peeped in and he felt his heart tighten in his chest.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was sharper than he’d intended.
“It’s almost six o’clock. I thought you were gone already.” She stepped inside the room and pulled the door shut behind her. She looked just as fresh as she had first thing in the morning. If anything, she looked even more fetching right at this moment. She stood there looking so beautiful it was annoying. “I’m still here because of the work you gave me which you said you absolutely had to have first thing in the morning. I was going to leave it on your desk. ” She held out a folder as she approached.
He reached out and took it from her but did not bother to open it. Instead, he continued to stare at her in silence until she began to look uncomfortable and averted her eyes.
“It doesn’t matter that I stayed behind to finish it,” she continued, seeming to want to fill the silence. “It’s not like I’m rushing home to do anything special. I’ll probably just go home and watch TV.”
“What? No shopping at the mall? No partying in the evenings? I thought girls like you spent the evenings partying or hanging out with friends.”
“I don’t go out partying.” Her tone was cold and he could see the anger flash in her eyes but then her shoulders drooped almost imperceptibly. “And my best friends have both gone to Europe for the summer so I’m alone.”
“They can’t be all gone to Europe. Don’t you have other friends around here?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t have many friends.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Roman said dryly.
Serena glared at him then said, “Well, you have your report. If you don’t need me for anything else I’ll be leaving.” Without waiting for his reply she turned and stalked out of the office, closing the door smartly behind her.