Chapter One
“I am willing to work whatever hours are necessary. I"m already used to that. One has to put in the hours if one wants to be successful in this business and I"ve proven that with the book of business I will be bringing with me.”
Nick Carrington couldn"t believe his luck in finding a woman with the qualifications that Sondra Prentice had and who looked like a New York model on top of all that. He imagined her to be in her mid thirties, just a few years younger than himself. She would fit into his firm quite well and she already had a book of business that would follow her. He needed someone who could manage his investment firm, keep the sales up and bring in new business at the same time.
Her green eyes watched him intently as she sat in front of his desk unwavering under his scrutiny. He wondered how long her hair was. She had it pulled up and clipped in the back; she impressed him to say the least. “Thank you for coming in for a second interview with me. You can start on Monday? Your family must be used to you working long hours.”
“I"m not going into details on my family. That"s not part of the business deal. As long as I can fulfill your job requirements, that"s all that"s important. Wouldn"t you agree?” Sondra"s nails tapped the wooden arms of the chair as she held her head high.
She wasn"t intimidated by him in the least.
“I can deal with that. Welcome to the company.” Nick stood and extended a hand shake to Sondra. Her firm grip and business attitude must have gotten her several of her clients; her smile relaxed him and he wanted to know more about her but that would happen in time. “I"d like to introduce you to a few of the employees and show you where your office will be.”
As soon as she stood up, he couldn"t help but admire her model figure and the way her skirt molded over that tight ass of hers. Firm thighs and calves told him she worked out on a regular basis. Perhaps he could set up a date to run a few miles with her sometime; he"d love to see her in a pair of running shorts. Nick opened his office door and she exited in front of him and proceeded down the hall until he caught up with her.
He introduced her to the receptionist then led her to the other side of the office and down that hall to where her office would be. Sondra followed him in as he turned on the light.
“Tom retired a few weeks ago so this has been empty just waiting for the right person to move in. I hope you"ll like it here.”
Sondra appeared impressed with the dark cherry desk and shelving units. She sat in one of the plush leather chairs in front of the desk and crossed her sexy legs, then smiled at him. He took in her legs from the tip of her shoe to the hem of her skirt before meeting her gaze. Her body screamed sensuality. He"d have to be sure and snare this hot little number. They could have some great times ahead.
“This is a beautiful office, Nick. I think I"ll be very happy here. My clients will definitely be impressed. Thank you.”
“Let me know if you need any help moving things in and Gloria will be happy to get whatever supplies you might need. Let"s go meet a few of the guys. I"m sure in this business you"re used to being the only female advisor in an office; not many women in the investment world, although more are coming in all the time.”
Sondra led the way out of her office and down the hall. The gentle sway of her hips drew his attention for a moment as the other two reps stood at Gloria"s counter waiting for them. Sondra took the initiative and reach out her hand.
Dave reached out to her first. “Welcome to the company. Wow, I take it you play tennis or golf with that grip!”
Dave couldn"t take his eyes off his new co-worker and Nick immediately felt a twinge of ownership toward her. He"d have to keep that attitude in check and be sure he was more careful around Sondra until they got to know each other better, which he hoped wouldn"t take an enormous effort. She seemed friendly and outgoing with definite goals in mind. He liked her take charge attitude and knew she would fit in with his plans...and then some.
No one he worked with was aware of his alternate lifestyle and he wanted it kept that way.
The vanilla world didn"t understand nor did they look kindly on that type of behavior so he lived both ways and so far, no problems came up. Nick wondered about Sondra"s lifestyle; imagining her in several outfits at the moment heated his blood. That dark blue pin stripped suit certainly fit her like a glove; he only wished he were part of the glove to mold over those sensuous curves of hers. Walking in high heels came natural to her as she moved around the office. Hiring Sondra would be a benefit he was happy with and looked forward to his future.
Sondra smiled at Dave and ignored his come on. “I play tennis occasionally but no golf and I do work out with weights; it keeps my mind sharp.” She couldn"t resist a wink, knowing he would be someone she had no interest in right off the bat.
Now Nick was another story all together...she would definitely be considering a way to get more of his attention! Those blue eyes of his would get her into trouble fast if she didn"t think on her feet where he was concerned. She"d find herself falling for him should he show any kind of interest in her beyond the office environment. His suit hung from broad shoulders and she wondered how firm those abs were beneath his white shirt.
“Have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you Monday, Sondra. It"s a pleasure to meet you.” Gloria smiled at her with an eager attitude.
“I"ll get my things moved in first thing. Thank you again, Nick.” A rush of interest swirled through her as he firmly took her hand. Was it her imagination that he"d held on longer than normal or was it his intent so she"d look him directly in the eyes so he could convey that silent message to her? Because she got that loud and clear!
Unable to resist, she stared back at him, letting him know she wouldn"t back down first and look away. She did let go of his hand first though. “I"ll see you Monday, Nick.”
In the car, Sondra could still feel Nick"s grip and wondered more about the man. Working here would be good for her and keep her mind occupied so her past would not find a way to seep into her thoughts. She looked forward to making new friends and obtaining new clients and Nick"s challenge of managing his office would be fun to tackle.
Although, tackling Nick would be more fun!
She shook her head, started her car and pulled away, eager to begin her new job on Monday and get on a good working relationship with Nick. Starting out as friends would go slow; she didn"t want to get into another relationship so soon. If he were to ask for any dinner dates, she"d have to say no until a bit more time passed between them. Work needed to take first priority so she could get her clients used to the new office and also find new clients with her marketing plan she"d discuss with Nick later on.
* * * * *
Nick had picked up Sondra for a nice dinner out. She"d made him wait long enough to agree to have dinner with him but he wasn"t about to let up on her until she had agreed. They"d gotten along well these past few months. He liked her input on some of the marketing plans they discussed and her clients appeared to like her new location. She just fit in.
It was time they got to know each other a little better. They"d gone out a few other times for lunch and ran together on a regular basis now, ending up exercising at the gym but she"d not agreed to date him yet. She said lunch was good for now. Nick wanted more and hoped Sondra did, too. Assuming a further relationship would be up to him, he planned to take the next step.
During dinner, Nick relaxed with her which he found came easy. The waiter had placed them in a rounded booth so he moved closer to her as Sondra laughed; he enjoyed the sound of it.
Tonight she wore her hair down rather than clipped up and it hung just past her shoulders.
“I"m glad you"ve settled into your office well. You seem to be comfortable with everything and the guys find you easy to work with.”
“I do enjoy being there. Thank you.” Sondra held up her glass. “Here"s to a long relationship, Nick.”
She touched her glass to his and he couldn"t help but watch the golden liquid disappear past her lips...lips he was dying to kiss. Nick arched his back as his mind wandered to other things that her lips could do.
He swirled his whiskey hoping that would take his mind off the visions of Sondra. Tonight, perhaps their friendship would blossom into more.
“I want to know you better and sometimes the office isn"t the place for that. I don"t need the guys knowing everything I do.”
She met his gaze and her eyes captivated him. “Thank you for that. I"d like to keep it that way, too. No one needs to know that we might see each other outside the office a few times.”
She took another drink then her tongue pulled in the last drop from her upper lip. “I can"t wait until the weather warms up to start running outdoors more. Running at the gym, doing laps around the perimeter isn"t what I call a good time.”
Her smile brightened her face.
The green of her eyes sparkled as Nick admired her, wanting to take her in his arms right here. “Working out and running help keep my mind sharp as well as keep me in shape. So do you travel or have any hobbies? Tell me a bit about yourself.”