Play Thing. Nicola Marsh

in the old manager’s office since early this morning and hadn’t opened his door since.

      She’d be the first staff member he would interview.

      ‘Woo-hoo, lucky me,’ she muttered, glancing at the old-fashioned round clock opposite her desk. She valued punctuality so surely her new boss would be impressed if she arrived five minutes early for their meeting?

      Not giving herself time to ponder the upcoming face-to-face she’d been dreading ever since he’d told her of his arrival in Sydney, she swept up her work in her arms and headed for his office.

      The receptionist mouthed ‘good luck’ and Charlotte grimaced in response, before knocking twice on Mr Bronson’s door.

      When she heard a clipped, ‘Come in,’ she opened the door and stepped inside. He had his back to her, his butt resting on the desk while he spoke into a cell pressed to his ear.

      Her first impressions: dark wavy hair a tad too long to be conventional, broad shoulders, designer suit, nice ass.

      Wow, that guy yesterday must have really done a number on her if one of the first things she noticed about Mr Tall, Dark and Demanding was his ass.

      She closed the door and crossed the room, mentally reciting all the ways she’d like to torture him in response to how he’d tortured her over the last few weeks.

      However, all thought fled when he ended his call and turned to face her.

      Shock rendered her muscles useless and the files in her hands tumbled to the floor, along with her tablet, the numbness flooding her body soon replaced by something far more sinister.

      Soul-deep, soul-destroying mortification.

      Because the boss she had to impress to keep this job, the boss who’d made her life hell with his demands, the boss who could make or break this company, was the sexy guy who’d turned her world upside down yesterday in the warehouse.

       CHAPTER SIX

      WHEN ALEX TOOK on a new client he threw himself into the business of rejuvenating that company one hundred per cent. He’d gained a reputation as astute, driven and results-focused because of it. Clients came to him these days. He rarely advertised. And he’d treated The Number Makers job with the same industrious approach. Meaning he’d researched the key players before he started. Meaning he knew Charlotte Baxter was dedicated, conscientious and goal-orientated before she walked through his door.

      He also knew she’d probably want to eviscerate him once she got past the shock.

      ‘Need some help?’ He didn’t wait for a response, moving around the desk to squat and gather up her files. It would give her time to compose herself, as a small part of him felt like a complete bastard for springing a surprise of this magnitude on her when he could have called her last night and warned her.

      If he’d been blown away when he’d realised the truth yesterday he could only imagine how she’d be feeling now.

      When he stood and placed her files and tablet on the desk, she still hadn’t moved but some of her colour had returned.

      ‘Why don’t you have a seat and we’ll talk?’ He laid a hand in the small of her back and she jumped as if he’d electrocuted her.

      He didn’t know whether to be flattered or appalled.

      ‘I know this is awkward, but it doesn’t have to be—’

      ‘You knew?’ She sank onto the chair opposite, her eyes wide and accusing, her mouth open slightly, shell-shocked. ‘I mean, yesterday, when we...you know...you knew who I was?’

      Hell.

      Alex had intended on coming clean but not this soon. He’d wanted to smooth the way, reassure her that what had happened wouldn’t interfere with their working relationship at all. But one look at her mouth twisting in disgust told him he’d be fighting a monstrous battle to convince her to stay, let alone listen.

      ‘Charlie, look—’

      ‘Don’t call me that,’ she growled. ‘Don’t you dare call me that.’

      She shook her head, sending a sleek fall of hair over one shoulder. He preferred the way she’d looked yesterday, tousled and make-up–free, and the fact she’d gone to so much trouble today to impress her new boss made him feel bad anew.

      ‘Let me explain.’ He laid out his hands, palms up, like he had nothing to hide. Yeah, like that would placate her. ‘I know I should have said something yesterday. I’m a businessman and I’m good at what I do, so I researched this company before taking on the job.’

      Her eyes narrowed, fiery slate slits pinning him with a disdain he deserved. ‘What do you want, a medal?’

      He bit back his first instinct to laugh. Good to know she had a sense of humour beneath that austere front. Along with lingerie designed to make a man lose his mind.

      ‘What I’m trying to say is, I didn’t recognise you when I set foot in that warehouse. You had your hair down and glasses off and were wearing that lingerie...’

      Crap, how could he explain the next bit without sounding like a total sleaze?

      ‘And?’ Disgust had given way to audible animosity. He hoped it was an improvement.

      ‘You blew me away and I couldn’t control my baser instincts. We had phenomenal sex, but it wasn’t until you said something afterward that I realised who you were.’

      He could have sworn her upper lip curled in derision. ‘And what was that?’

      ‘You said “I really need to get this tidied up now”, referring to your aunt’s merchandise in the warehouse, but it’s a phrase you’ve used often in reference to tasks I’ve set you over the last few weeks.’

      Her frosty expression didn’t change, as if she was unsure whether to believe him or not, but she gave a begrudging nod and he pinched the bridge of his nose, searching for the right words to make her understand. ‘I was honest about one thing yesterday. I don’t do things like that, meet women and have sex with them in under ten minutes. But seeing you like that...it blew my mind.’

      At last, a breakthrough, when her rigid shoulders relaxed a tad. Not a complete thaw but he’d work on it, whatever it took. He needed Charlotte on board for his revamp of this company. And if having to work alongside this intriguing woman while he did it was a side benefit, he was all for it.

      ‘You seriously couldn’t control yourself around me?’

      Out of all the responses he’d imagined, that wasn’t it. She sounded hesitant, slightly awed, as if she couldn’t believe he’d want her.

      Some asshole must have really done a number on her for her confidence to be that low. It made him want to vault the desk, sweep her into his arms and show her exactly how sexy she was.

      ‘You’re incredible, and when I saw you I wanted you.’ He shrugged, hoping the simple truth would appease more than an apology. ‘And at the risk of having you fling that tablet at my head, seeing you strut in here only reinforces that snap judgement I made yesterday. But I know we have to work together and we’re professionals. So let’s chalk up yesterday to what it was—phenomenal, impulsive, amazing sex between consulting adults—and move on to business.’

      She stared at him, dazed, but the faint pink in her cheeks indicated he’d hit the mark by articulating just how incredible it had been between them.

      ‘You expect us to work together and pretend like nothing happened?’

      She’d lost the biting, sarcastic edge and it gave him hope.

      ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m not that good a pretender.’ He steepled his fingers together and rested them on the