“It is why I love this place. It soothes my senses. It inspires me.” He smiles at me and I blush.
We walk through the large foyer of dark wood and antique rugs and he offers to take my jacket. I oblige.
“Do you live here alone?” I ask as he takes my jacket and I take in the grandness of the house and the high, sloping ceilings.
“I mostly use my condo in the city. But I have friends and family nearby who enjoy this house. It’s also ideal for entertaining guests, including company events.”
“Is that what this is?” I ask.
Kalin turns around and a small smile plays on his lips. “It’s my pleasure having you here, Annabelle. So I suppose it’s a bit of both.”
“It’s so beautiful, so tranquil here,” I say, folding my hands in front of me.
“Quite the contrast to living in the city, I presume?” He smiles at me.
“I still have sirens ringing in my head. All I heard during the drive up here were birds singing.” I exhale a sigh. I feel a mix of envy and relief.
“Yes, I appreciate the city, but leave often for my own peace of mind,” he says with a bemused smile. “A glass of wine?” He looks salacious and relaxed and sexy as hell. I like him this way, unrestrained from his CEO role.
“Yes.” The sun sets through the large windows and I look around at the dark wooden beams that flow up in angles over the bar. He moves toward me and hands me a glass of wine. In a rush of courage I ask him, “Mr. Davis, why did you invite me here?”
“To welcome my new marketing assistant, of course. To our new adventures together.” We raise our glasses and he clinks his glass to mine.
I place the glass to my lips, and the rich aroma drifts over me. I take a sip and a mix of blackberry, olive, milk chocolate, and cherries coats my mouth in luxurious textures. It is divine. Probably another eight-hundred-dollar bottle of wine.
“But you could have hired anyone. Why did you hire me?”
Before I can finish the sentence, he takes the wine glass from my hand and sets it down on the bar. He turns to me, and his eyes are darkening. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Annabelle. You don’t even have to sign the contract if you don’t want to.”
His firm, full lips are so close. His hot breath blankets my face and stirs something inside of me. Confusion and desire mix in my head. “It’s not that. It’s just that there are more qualified people than me.” I grimace.
His eyes move over my face and back to my eyes. “It would only be fair to say that I would very much like having you as my marketing assistant. Don’t you feel comfortable here, Annabelle?”
“Yes.”
“So do I. You make me feel…happy.”
“I thought I inspired you?” I realize I am flirting with him.
His eyes shine with amusement. “You do.”
“Why would you say that to me?”
“I like being surrounded by things that make me happy. I hired you because I think you’re smart.” Kalin runs his long finger over my cheek and gazes at me. “I think you are beautiful. Like I said, you don’t have to sign the contract if you don’t feel comfortable working around me, knowing that this is how I feel. But your job is not based on anything other than what is in your job description. I just want you to know the truth.”
Kalin turns from me and stares out the large windows, where the sun is setting. He turns back to me. “But there is another reason I hired you.”
My curiosity piques, but flashes of a dungeon cross my mind, with Lia saying “I told you so” in a scolding tone. I take a deep breath and meet his gaze. “Tell me. I have to know before I sign the contract.”
“I want someone I can trust, Annabelle, and I think I’m a good judge of character.”
He steps closer and lifts my chin so that I look directly into his big brown eyes. God, his eyes are beautiful. “It’s hard trusting people with my secrets, Annabelle. Even the board and management. I want someone who I can be myself around. I want someone who I can confide in. That will be you.”
His lips are so close to mine. I could almost kiss him. What if I did? A mischievous smile moves across his mouth. “And if something more should happen during this confiding, I won’t sue you.”
“You sue me?” I say in a mocking tone.
Kalin threads his fingers into mine, and walks me backward against the wall. “You’re right. I hate lawsuits. Promise me you won’t sue me for finding you irresistible, Annabelle.”
“I promise.”
He lifts my arms and presses me to the wall. His firm lips graze my neck and travel up to my ear. “I knew the first time I saw you that there was something about you.” His breath is hot on my neck, and my heart is pounding in my ears. I push back against his strong grip, but only end up twisting helplessly against the wall.