Eclipse of the Heart - By Carly Carson Page 0,10

He leaned back, hoping to set her at ease. Not that he could relax, when her light perfume was enticing him, her brown eyes were flashing an invitation he knew she didn't recognize, and her cheeks were flushed as if she'd just finished a romp in bed. He gave a mental sigh. "Tell me about your qualifications," he said.

She stood. "Let me get my resume."

He waved her back to her seat. "I'll look at it later. Let's talk now." He wanted to ask her to take off her jacket and make herself comfortable, but he knew better. She was as skittish as a virgin in a bordello.

"Fine." She bit off the word. "I have an undergraduate degree in business, and I've worked for five years at a small, Web-based promotional company. In my spare time, I've started a business offering nutritional advice online."

"Why nutrition?"

"My sister has been sick for awhile. I became interested in the subject in hopes of helping her."

"Are the plans for your own business on hold?"

For the first time, she hesitated. "I'd hoped to continue running it on a part-time basis."

"You returned to the corporate world strictly for insurance benefits?"

"I needed the salary and the benefits." She bit her lip.

"I'm sure you know I'm looking for a financial person to analyze acquisitions." She definitely didn't have the profile he normally wanted for this position.

"I also have an MBA in Finance," she said.

So she was pushing thirty. An age he avoided. Though he sometimes craved a woman with more maturity than the usual brainless bimbo the agency sent over, he didn't want to get tangled up with anyone whose biological clock might be ticking. He'd specified mid-twenties as the age range with the agency. He didn't think it was too young, given that he was thirty-two.

Strike one for Amanda.

He didn't count the fact that she wasn't for sexual hire as the first strike. There were ways to get around that problem.

He nodded at her. "Where'd you get your degree?"

"Wharton."

"Harvard here." Though he'd been born and raised in Massachusetts, he'd never been back since the accident.

"I'll try not to hold that against you."

Her quip surprised him into a quick grin. "But you," he countered, "have to live down Trump as an alum."

For the first time, she smiled. "I have a good story about him," she said.

"Let's hear it."

"I was with one of my professors who was waiting to go into a Board of Trustees meeting. The Donald called."

Logan nodded. "With an outrageous demand, no doubt."

She laughed. "Oh, yes. He was in his helicopter and late for the Board meeting. He wanted to land on the football field."

Logan raised his eyebrows. "It's not like him to ask for permission."

"Exactly. When the permission was denied, he announced he was intending to land there, anyway."

"I hope football practice wasn't in session."

"Not at that point. But the Dean called the Athletic Director and said, 'Get everyone in the gym onto the field, immediately.'" She spread her hands. "There just wasn't any room for the helicopter to land."

Logan threw back his head and laughed. "It's not often someone thwarts The Donald."

She smiled. "It was a fun moment."

The suite doorbell rang. Perfect timing, Logan thought. He wouldn't find a better moment to exit on a positive note.

He stood. "That's the bellman."

"I could manage my own luggage."

"I'm moving." He strode past her, just one inch closer to her than he would have ventured if he didn't want to inhale a whiff of her scent. He'd noticed it first in the airplane. Even though they'd sat across the aisle from each other in the small jet, whenever she moved, a faint breath of her perfume would tease him. Honey and cinnamon. Just like her hair and her warm brown eyes.

She frowned as she stood. "That's silly. I don't need this whole suite."

"I want you to have it." He opened the door and ushered in the bellman. "If you send me your resume," he said casually, "I'll look it over tonight. We can talk in the morning."

Silently, she pulled a folder out of her briefcase and handed it to him.

"I'll be up early," she said.

"Thanks." He let his fingers brush hers as he took the folder. Her eyes flew to his face, but he made sure she wouldn't see anything there. He'd need a lot of subtlety to reel her in.

Chapter 4

In the morning, Amanda woke before dawn. She checked her phone. 6 a.m.

She had a text from Logan.

Changed my plans.Left for London.

She scrolled down for the rest