Investigating Christmas. Debra & Regan Webb & Black

      “I’m sure you’re right.” Lucy tilted her head toward the desk on the other side of his office. “What about your current assistant?”

      “She’s not the dedicated PA I need,” he countered. “Trisha manages my calendar and answers the phone right now, but it’s a stopgap measure. She doesn’t have your business acumen and I don’t have time for her to develop it.” The ease of his admission didn’t surprise him. He’d always been able to talk with Lucy about anything.

      Her dark eyebrows arched and her lips parted for a moment, then she clamped her mouth shut. “I see. Tell me more.”

      “We’ve been searching for a better fit for her within the company,” he added. “What were your duties with Kathrein?”

      She shook her head, her gaze dropping to her hands. “Beyond telling you I managed his calendar, the rest of my responsibilities are confidential.”

      “Right. Of course.” He waved that off as unimportant and quickly outlined his professional expectations. A savvy, analytical mind like Lucy’s could help him keep Gray Box at the top and develop new ideas and market applications. She would be the perfect liaison between him and clients who waffled around wasting his time, too. “What do you think?”

      “Salary and benefits?”

      “Name it, whatever you need. I’ll make sure it’s all written into the contract.” He twisted, pointed out a building across the street. “You can even have the corporate suite at the hotel until you find a place to live.”

      “That’s very generous. Thank you.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes as she accepted the ridiculous offer.

      “You’re worried about me, aren’t you?” He sat back, stretched his arms across the back of the couch. “About our history?”

      “No,” she said, her denial a little weak. “I came to you as a colleague and friend. We both have new interests, now. You can reassure Trisha or whomever you’re seeing that I won’t interfere with your personal life.”

      He didn’t appreciate that promise or the vague reprimand. Lucy had been his only “interest” for over a year. She still was, if he was brutally honest about it. The women who’d followed her had floated through his life without any real substance or impact. Contrary to rumors, he didn’t date in the traditional sense of connecting to someone. Trisha was the latest in a line of women willing to spend time as his public companion in exchange for his opening a few professional doors for her.

      “I won’t lie, Lucy. I’ve missed you. If you want to reconnect personally, I’m all for it.”

      Her eyes went wide. “Rush.”

      He flared his hands, let them fall. “Call it full disclosure. When it comes to you and me, the ball is in your court. If you’re here for purely professional reasons, I respect that.”

      “I am.” She swallowed. “Thank you for the job. You won’t regret it.”

      He already did. Lucy Gaines had been everything he’d wanted from a woman in both his personal and professional worlds. Smart and kind, lovely and compassionate, they’d shared interests from wine country to stock market trends to pitching in with local charities.

      “Let’s get out of here.” If they stayed in this office, he’d be tempted to unload every stray business idea he’d wanted to discuss with her over the past year. Not only would that border on employee abuse, it would leave him wide open and vulnerable. He wanted her, he intended to have her, but only when he knew she’d stick around. Standing, he urged her to her feet as well. “I’ll show you what’s changed since you left.” Reflexively he checked his watch.

      “Only everything,” she said with a short laugh. “Don’t wreck your entire day for me. I’m sure Melva can fill me in and give me instructions about the hotel suite.”

      He picked up on the edge creeping into her voice. How could he convince her he wanted to give her every minute today? “Melva is absolutely capable,” he agreed. “We can skip the full tour if you’re tired from the trip.” He wasn’t sure why he was pressing her, only that he wasn’t ready to let her out of his sight. She was everything he remembered and more, but he got the feeling she was hiding something about her time with Kathrein. He didn’t stand a chance of figuring it out if he left her alone.

      “I feel fine, Rush,” she said, her smile tight. “We’ve agreed to terms. You don’t have to entertain me.”

      “Ouch.” He laid a hand over his heart, feigning pain. “I’m going to play tour guide anyway. There’s no one better than me to bring you back up to speed, on Gray Box specifically and the Bay Area in general.”

      She shook her head, but not before he noticed the little lift at the corner of her mouth. His arrogance had often amused her. He switched off the privacy glass and caught sight of Trisha at Melva’s reception desk. An even better reason to leave the office behind for the afternoon, he decided. While he’d been honest about searching for a better post for Trisha, he hadn’t focused on the issue. Now he had an excellent reason to move forward on that adjustment immediately.

      “You know,” he said, turning his back on the rest of the executive floor, “I should start the tour right here.” He gestured toward the door in the opposite wall, tucked behind a floor-to-ceiling display case filled with books and myriad industry awards. “My indispensable PA should know my secret escape route.” He led her out of the office and into a narrow service hallway. “Private bathroom,” he said, pointing out another door. “There’s a bedroom as well.”

      “A bedroom? Good grief, Rush. It’s a wonder you haven’t been sued for harassment.”

      Well, that stung. The gossip rags and paparazzi greatly exaggerated his personal exploits whenever he chose to spend time around town with models or actresses. “It’s not a space I share,” he replied through clenched teeth. When and why had her opinion of him plummeted so drastically? “You know how things go during research or a product launch, or—”

      “When you’re closing a major deal,” she finished for him. “I remember.”

      He swallowed the urge to point out if he wasn’t constantly focused on building up the business, Gray Box wouldn’t be such a convenient fallback option for her. Except a woman with Lucy’s skills and credentials could name her salary and benefits, and choose from numerous offers. Knowing that, knowing how talented she was, it was tough to accept she’d returned to him without any intent to rekindle their personal relationship. He couldn’t decide if his decision to hire her made him an easy mark, sentimental or selfish. Time would tell.

      “This is my private elevator.” He reached out and punched the button. “Most of the time I use the public one or the express, but occasionally this is necessary.”

      One side of her mouth curled in a half smile. “You pulled out all the stops here,” she said.

      If she’d seen his heart on his sleeve as he eagerly shared this with her, she didn’t give him any reaction. “The office isn’t just about the show of power, though it helps.” The doors parted and he ushered her inside. Her fragrance, the dark sensual notes smoothed with a whisper of vanilla, filled the small space. He hoped the scent lingered a while so he could breathe her in at will. He punched the button for three floors down, pulling himself together. That spark they’d once shared seemed to be missing now and it wasn’t her problem that he hadn’t been able to get over her.

      “This must make it easier to avoid distractions,” she murmured.

      “Exactly.” So she remembered how people cornered him in elevators, pitching ideas and résumés.

      “As your PA, is it my job to fend them off now?” Her gaze narrowed and she pretended to glare at potential intruders lurking in the corners.

      “No.” He laughed a little and then reconsidered. Though she stood several inches shorter, even in the heels, she could