Gorgeous: Book One (Gorgeous #1) - Lisa Shelby Page 0,13
how's the first day going?"
"Fine, sir. Thank you for asking."
"Please, call me Ronan. Is it all right if I call you Olivia or do you prefer Miss Adams?"
"Olivia is fine, Mr. McKinley."
"Well, Olivia. We will be working together a lot, so I do hope that at some point you grow comfortable enough to call me by my first name, but whatever makes you comfortable works for me."
"Thank you, sir."
"I hope you're finding the accommodations at the Saint Francis to your liking?"
"It's absolutely beautiful. I could stand in the lobby and stare at those beautiful ceilings all day. Thank you for putting me up at the hotel, and I assure you I will be into my own place just as soon as possible."
"Take your time. We have a corporate discount there. It's no problem at all." He winks and the bite I have just taken nearly falls from my mouth.
"Thank you, sir." I can feel the blush creep up my neck when I call him sir again. I don't know why I can't call him by his first time, but it just feels too casual and a casual relationship with a man like him is the last thing I need.
As if reading my mind, he changes the subject to the dinner party this coming weekend at his home and things become much more professional, and my discomfort melts away. I'm surprised to find him very involved in the planning of the dinner and to see how much he cares about how well it goes.
"Since this is a dinner to celebrate the hard work of my senior management team, I want to be sure to pull out all the stops. I don't usually entertain at home, but my team is like family, and so I thought it would be the best setting to show them my appreciation."
I must admit, I can't wait to see his home. I know it sounds silly, but I can't help but to be curious about where a man like him calls home.
Before I know it, lunch is over and we've actually had a productive meal with me getting a feel for what he's expecting for his dinner party as well as some of his expectations of my job. We work well together, and I like all of his ideas. He's very hands-on, but we seem to have some kind of synergy already, and it's helping to ease my concerns.
There is still an attraction there, but there is also a professionalism and care about the work, on both sides. I think I may have made a good decision after all.
"Well, I better get back to work, and don't forget, you have a conference call in fifteen minutes, Mr. McKinley," I say, starting to clean up the table and pretending I didn't see the ghost of a smile play at his lips when I called him Mr. McKinley again. "I'll take the extra lunches to the break room and get out of your way."
He grabs the bag of extra food before I can. "Nah, that's okay. I've been stuck in this office since six o'clock this morning. It will do me some good to take the walk."
Yep, my assumptions about him were way off base. I feel a little sheepish even if I hadn't shared my thoughts aloud.
As we're walking out of his grand office, I notice a closed door in the back corner, and I must show my curiosity more than I intend to, because he feels the need to explain.
"Home away from home, I guess you could say. I work a lot and sometimes I have meetings at various times due to the different time zones our projects are happening in. There's a bed and bath back there for the occasions I need to sleep here, and fortunately there is the company gym downstairs. Sometimes I work from my home office if I know I have an early meeting. It just depends on my schedule."
"Oh, I...I...see," I say, stuttering on my words.
There just may be more to this man after all.
Just my luck.
6
Olivia
Olivia
Feeling anxious and a little too excited to see where a man like him lives, I fidget in the backseat all the way to my destination. When my town car pulls up to a beautiful brick home in Pacific Heights, I instantly fall head over heels in love.
Stepping out of the car, I take my time admiring the elegant brick building with its large glass doors decorated with ornate, black, wrought iron. I've never seen