Lord of Rain (The Dragon Demigods #5) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,15

can go now,” he adds when I just stand there gaping at him.

Oh, my god!

What the hell?

I need to get a serious grip. I turn and practically run out. I probably look similar to the guy from earlier. Maybe dumbstruck instead of teary. There is a perfectly coifed forty-something lady sitting in the same chair I was in not so long ago.

“The position has been filled,” I hear Mr. Bolt rasp, followed by his door slamming shut. I’m walking down the hallway. I have only one thought. No, I have two thoughts. What just happened, and what the heck am I going to do?

6

Ashley

Candice takes the glass of orange juice out of my hand and throws the liquid down the drain with a flourish. Then she puts the glass in the sink next to her own.

“What are you doing?” I frown.

“We need to celebrate!” She claps her hands and dances her way to the refrigerator.

I watch as she pulls out a bottle of sparkling wine. She holds it up and grins at me. “You got the job. Why didn’t you tell me as soon as you walked through the door?”

“Because I’m not sure I’m going to accept it.” I shake my head.

She looks at me like I just lost my mind. “What do you mean you’re not going to accept it?” I watch as she pulls the gold foil off the top of the bottle.

“I just explained to you how gorgeous Mr. Bolt is. In hindsight, I almost can’t believe I had that reaction to him. I must have looked like a complete idiot.” I’m still reeling. Something like that has never happened to me before. “I’m not sure how I got the job.”

“Exactly.” She is smiling broadly. There’s a loud popping noise as she pushes the cork out of the bottle. A little bit of the bubbling liquid dribbles over the rim.

“You’re not making any sense, Candice. He’s the majority shareholder and CEO of a major corporation, and he’s gorgeous…as in dreamy…as in I couldn’t talk for at least a minute after seeing him. I made a fool of myself.”

Candice puts the bottle down. “I am making sense. You acted like a complete idiot. You nearly fell onto your face.” She chuckles.

“It’s not funny, and yes, I almost fell flat on my face.”

“And he still gave you the position.” She shrugs. “You didn’t oversell yourself. What is it that his company does?” she asks, stretching so that she can pull two flute glasses out of one of the cupboards above the counter.

“He seems to own a vast array of different businesses. He buys them as they’re going under and then turns them back into profitable organizations, before sometimes selling them at massive profits.”

“Interesting.” Candice tilts a glass and pours until it’s two-thirds full. Then she holds the glass out to me. “Maybe he can help you with Buns and Breads.”

“Large corporations…not small family businesses like ours. Besides, I can’t accept the offer,” I say, taking the glass despite my words.

“He can’t be that good-looking,” she says as she pours a glass for herself. “Surely you can ignore your attraction to him? Next time you see him, you’ll realize that it’ll be fine.”

“Didn’t you hear me earlier? I couldn’t speak for a full minute. When I did talk, it was only because he helped me with the right words. He’s freaking gorgeous! He’s…” I shrug. “If he had offered to do me on his desk, I would have absolutely agreed.”

Candice’s attention is on her phone, her fingers are pressing the keys.

“Is something wrong?” I ask.

“Holy shit!” she pushes out.

“What is it?” I take a step towards her, concerned.

She turns the phone so that I can see the screen. “So, this is S.W. Bolt?”

It’s a picture of Mr. Bolt scowling at the camera. His hair is slightly mussed. He’s wearing a white shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Both the shirt and the pants are understated, but I can see they’re designer. He has a thick, gold watch on his wrist. I think I see a hint of a tattoo sticking out of his shirt. It must run across his chest. Argh! A guy like him would have a tattoo. Everything about him screams money and power… Oh, and sex.

“Um…” I bite my lip. “Yes.” My voice is a shaky sigh. “That would be him.” Just looking at his picture is making me feel lightheaded.

“First name Steven. No one knows what the W stands for…I think it stands for ‘Wicked’.”