a good guy. He’s also possibly the most business-savvy person you’ll ever meet. If there’s anything to learn about how to make a success of yourself, you’ll learn it from him.”
She studied me carefully. “That still doesn’t explain why he’d invite some random person like me to an interview.”
“Because random is exactly what he’s looking for this time around,” I said bluntly, making eye contact with both of them while I spoke. “The man has worked with superstars and models for his entire life. He’s after something different for this campaign. He wants a homegrown honey. A sweet, salt of the earth, pretty girl that people can relate to.”
“But why?” Leah frowned, exchanging a glance with Rick. “Isn’t Killen Cosmetics all about luxury and exclusivity?”
I nodded. “It is, but Jefferson’s not getting any younger, and before he retires, he wants to bring a product to market that will truly make Killen a household name. In every household. Not just the super-rich ones.”
Rick laughed softly, poking Leah in the ribs. The action made her jump, which ended with her being pressed against me. He was teasing her about something, but I was too focused on suddenly having her practically in my lap to pay attention to what he was saying.
Her body was warm and soft against mine, the spicy, musky scent of her suddenly filling my nostrils. For just a split second, I wondered what she would do if I pinned her down underneath me right here on the backseat. I wondered if she tasted as good as she smelled. I imagined getting my hands on her curves and drawing loud moans from her lips.
Just when my pants were starting to get tighter, the sound of Rick’s laughter hit my ears and it was like having a bucket of ice dumped over my head to be reminded that he was here. Thank God.
“You’ll be getting paid for being a small-town girl,” he was reasoning when I started listening to them again. “That’s the dream. Getting paid for just being you. I bet you’ll have plenty of free time to write while you’re doing it too.”
He glanced at me. “If she gets the job and decides to accept it, what are the terms?”
“The contract is for a year,” I said, fucking ecstatic I hadn’t gotten caught with my mind in the gutter about his little sister. “You’ll be expected to relocate to New York for the duration. The company will put you up, and I promise it will be somewhere awesome. You’ll also be given your own office at our headquarters, your own assistant, and a few other perks like a driver and a car if you want them.”
Leah’s jaw went slack. “All that just for letting people take some pictures of me?”
“It’s a little more than just letting people take pictures of you,” I said, wanting to be honest even though I also really wanted her to take the job. “You’ll be the face of this perfume line we’ve been developing, which means you’ll be working closely with the marketing department and several other departments involved in the rollout of the product. You’ll also be expected to attend promotional events, travel a lot, and do some networking.”
“Aren’t you the head of the marketing department?” Rick asked. “I know you got your degrees in marketing and management, but I swear I remember something about you getting promoted to the head of the department. So she’ll be working with you?”
“I was the head of the marketing department and she will be working with me,” I said, shifting so my leg wasn’t pushed against Leah’s anymore. Her scent was still messing with my head, but there was nothing to be done about that. “I’m the senior vice president of the company now. I still work with the marketing department, but I’m no longer only a part of it.”
“Wow,” he said, reaching past Leah to offer me his hand for a high-five. “That’s great news, man. You’re really moving up in the world.”
“Has Jefferson adopted you then?” Leah asked, her forest greens locked on mine. “I thought one had to have been born into royalty to climb that high on the Killen ladder.”
“Dane went to Harvard,” Rick said, scoffing. “That means he’s honorary royalty.”
I laughed. “I don’t know about honorary royalty, but Jefferson also didn’t adopt me. I’d have been open to it, but he never asked. We’ve just been working closely together for a few years now, and he’s taken me under his wing.”