Gone with the Wolf - By Kristin Miller Page 0,5

he knew for sure.

As Drake reached his secretary’s desk, Trixie Fox stood and handed him a steaming mug of coffee. It was bold and out-of-the-pot hot, nearly scalding his tongue. The pain quieted Raul’s thoughts before they could continue further.

“Good morning, Mr. Wilder,” Trixie said with a kind smile.

“I hope the new arrangement’s all right.” Drake pointed to the second desk across from Trixie’s—the one he’d brought in especially for Emelia. The mahogany desks faced each other and flanked his door, creating an alleyway to his office. “I’m not sure if Ms. Hudson will pan out as my personal secretary, but I know how overworked you’ve been lately. I think it might be more accommodating to split the secretary position into admin and personal.”

It wasn’t a total lie. Trixie worked her ass off for Wilder Financial, and could absolutely use another set of hands to assist with business—only those hands wouldn’t be Emelia’s. Drake wasn’t sure how long it would take to rule out Emelia as his Luminary, but he’d keep her close until he knew undeniably either way. He made a mental note to find Trixie a real assistant as soon as he ruled Emelia out.

“It means so much knowing that you’ve noticed how hard I’ve been working.” Trixie tucked her tawny-brown hair behind her ears and smiled coyly. “I was starting to think you didn’t see me at all.”

Under normal circumstances, Drake would’ve been flattered by Trixie’s constant attention. He couldn’t deny she was classically beautiful—taller than average with a model-thin build, generous breasts, and legs that wouldn’t quit. But there’d never been a spark between them. At least not from Drake’s side. In the five years Trixie had worked for the company, Drake had never gotten the urge to take advantage of the long nights they spent working in his office.

Not once.

“I trust you’ll be able to instruct Ms. Hudson on how we run things around here?”

Trixie nodded. “I’ll have her in top form in no time.”

As far as Drake was concerned, Emelia’s form was already top-notch. “I’m sure you will.”

Striding toward his office, Drake shot a quick glance at the desk that would soon be Emelia’s. Flat-screen monitor. Keyboard. Pad of paper. Telephone. She already had the necessities, though she wouldn’t be using those things much. As Drake’s personal assistant, she’d refill his coffee, run errands, take orders, and handle things Trixie was too busy to handle herself.

He couldn’t wait to see Emelia again.

“Mr. Wilder?” Trixie’s voice pierced his thoughts.

He turned and stared into questioning hazel eyes. “Yes?”

“Pardon my saying so, but are you sure you want a temp to fill this position? I’m sure we could find a secretary from a lower department who is more qualified.”

“I appreciate your concern, Trixie, and perhaps in a day’s time we’ll get someone from another department. For now, I want Emelia Hudson and no other.”

With a wince, Drake entered his office and waited for the door to click shut behind him.

“You want Emelia Hudson and no other?” Raul’s voice taunted.

Drake stood in front of his floor-to-ceiling windows, zoned out on the misty cityscape, and scrubbed his head. Had he really just said that? “Damn, that came out wrong.”

“No,” Raul said, placing his hand on Drake’s shoulder. “There’s a chance it came out right.”

It’d been nothing more than surprise, Drake thought. Emelia had caught him off guard in the wine cellar last night. He hadn’t been with a woman in months. He’d been tense and on edge, tired from dealing with bundles of acquisitions in the city. He’d been all business, impersonal and cold, for so long, she’d been a welcome surprise. She’d somehow soothed him.

She couldn’t be his Luminary, his one and only destined mate.

God help him if she was.

Chapter Three

Emelia leaned away from her new desk on the top floor of Wilder Financial and stared at her bottle of Dasani as if it could somehow materialize into a bottle of Advil and take her headache away. She couldn’t remember much from last night, which was damn odd considering she’d never blacked out from drinking before.

She did remember Drake, though, and how the feel of his lips made her knees wobble like Jell-O. Even her ex-fiancé—whom she downright refused to think about for another second—hadn’t excited her the way Drake had, and they’d had some steamy encounters over the course of their rocky relationship.

There was something different about Drake. Something about the way her stomach flipped and her brain seized… Their connection seemed more than physical. Every time