The Way You Tempt Me. Elle Wright

on a whim, fueled by emotion. Which was something she’d always been careful not to do. She had no knowledge of the reasons why Jax made the offer. She had no idea of the particulars, just that he was looking to expand into sports and thought she would be a good fit at the agency. Initially she had every intention of politely declining, until Larry and Jeff stabbed her in the back.

      Zara couldn’t deny the appeal of working for Jax. Everything she would have negotiated into her employment package had already been included. He’d even thrown in perks she hadn’t thought of, including a signing bonus and moving expenses. All in all, he’d made an offer she would’ve been a fool to refuse. Still, she’d had reservations about her hasty decision all the way up to . . . well, even now.

      With a heavy sigh, she picked up the phone and dialed Larissa.

      “Hey, sissy,” Larissa said. In the background, she heard the sound of a drill and wondered what her big sis was doing to Zara’s new condo. But her questions could wait for later.

      “Maybe I made a mistake?”

      The buzzing stopped. “What? Why?”

      “I just think there’s more at play here than I expected.”

      “How so?”

      Zara switched the phone to her other ear and pulled out her tablet to check her e-mails. “Because X didn’t even know I was coming, and, apparently, I’m being considered to actually run the sports division.”

      “Shut up. Really? That’s awesome!”

      “Except X wanted the job. And now it’s awkward.”

      “Two things. I told you to call him weeks ago, but you’re so hardheaded.”

      Zara rolled her eyes. “You told me to call him and schedule sex.” The conversation started with her confessing that she felt attracted to X at the holiday party for the first time, and ended with her sister suggesting she use her friend to scratch the itch.

      “And two!” her sister shouted. “It can’t be more awkward than imagining him taking you on a rowing machine at the company gym.”

      Shit. I should’ve never told her about that dream. “I call foul. You were never supposed to repeat that.”

      Her sister laughed. “Hey, it’s funny. I crack up about it all the time.”

      “There will be no X—”

      The rest of the sentence—“doing me on any workout equipment”—died on her lips when she looked up and noticed the object of that particular fantasy standing in her doorway poised to knock. Now I can die.

      “‘No X’ what?” He stepped into the office.

      Zara’s mouth fell open and she blinked. Hard.

      “Are you okay, Zara?” he asked, concern in his eyes.

      “I have to go,” she told Rissa before ending the call. Taking a few seconds to center herself, she exhaled before she stood. “X!” Way too loud, Zara. She cleared her throat. “Hi. I didn’t expect you.”

      He motioned for her to take her seat again, and she did happily. It was either that or fall over if she tried to walk toward him. “I wanted to talk to you.” He sat down in one of the chairs across from her. “I’m sorry about today. Not a good way to start your time here.”

      “No, don’t apologize. I’m sure it must have been hard on you, too.”

      He shrugged. “I won’t lie. It was definitely unexpected.”

      Zara crossed her legs and noticed the way he followed the motion. “For me, too.”

      “What happened at Huntington?”

      She gave him an abridged version of events, glossing over the smaller details, like how she’d quit on the spot and cussed Larry out before she left. “Your father had offered me the job before the big betrayal, so I took it.”

      “Well, it’s Huntington’s loss.”

      “I worked so hard for that agency,” Zara admitted. “And when Larry betrayed me like that, I knew there was nothing left for me there.”

      “I get it. I would’ve done the same thing.”

      Even as children, Zara and X tended to react the same way in most situations. Except she’d given up her penchant for fights somewhere around that infamous homecoming-dance incident in high school and subsequent three-day suspension that landed her without her car for a month.

      “It’s always worse when it’s someone you trusted,” she said softly.

      “I never did like that clown.”

      She giggled. “You sure didn’t. I never understood why, though.”

      X smirked, giving her a glimpse of the dimple that drove many women and girls wild. “He always seemed like a snake, like he didn’t have your best interests at heart.”

      “You never told me that.”

      “It’s not like I could have changed your mind about him. You’re pretty stubborn.”

      “I guess you’re right,” she conceded. “I like to form my own opinions about the people I let in my life. Usually, I have pretty good instincts.”

      “Yeah, we all make mistakes.”

      The room descended into silence, and for the first time since she’d seen him today, it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Maybe that whole attraction thing was a fluke? “So, tell me, why sports? Why now?”

      “Why not?”

      “I mean, you’ve built an impressive career in youth. I’ve seen the trades. You’re tearing it up.”

      “Thanks. And I’m not unhappy with my job. I just want more.”

      “Is this about you? Or proving yourself to your father?”

      “You know something about that.”