Hot and Heavy - Erika Wilde Page 0,4
ever get personally involved with Richard Turner’s daughter.
CHAPTER TWO
If Cole was in the market for a woman, then Melodie wanted to be the one to fill that role…in any capacity he might need. Even if she had to settle for a temporary, one-night date for the sake of business. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to convince her boss that she was the right woman for that job, or more importantly, the right woman for him.
“Dream on,” she muttered to herself as she sank dejectedly into the chair behind her desk in the reception area of the firm.
She shook her head as she realized the irony of her remark. Gorgeous, sexy—albeit grumpy—Cole Sommers had been a part of her dreams and fantasies for more years than she cared to recall. She’d met him for the first time when she was sixteen and her father had brought him home for dinner one night after his dad, John Sommers, had been killed. She could still distinctly remember the butterflies that hatched in her stomach whenever he glanced at her with those dark, velvet-blue eyes of his, the way her entire body tingled whenever he was near, and how her heart skipped a beat when he talked to her in that deep, smooth voice of his.
Twelve years later and he still had that same sensual effect on her. And she was still smitten, still dreaming, still fantasizing of him—and he was oblivious to her, other than her position as his faithful, efficient secretary.
Not only did she want Cole to notice her as a woman, but she’d spent the past two years at the firm trying to prove her capabilities in the PI business beyond her secretarial duties. She’d been intrigued by the various cases from her very first day on the job and enjoyed helping Cole, Noah, and Joelle research cases—doing background checks, and learning the ins and outs of the business. Now, she was ready to take that next step, and ready to show Cole that she could handle more than front-end paperwork.
Noah entered the reception area from Cole’s office, and Melodie sat up straighter in her chair, shoved her personal secrets away for the time being and focused on the pulled up the payables on her computer that she needed to process.
“Hey, sweet stuff,” he said, calling her by the flirtatious nickname he’d christened her with the first week she’d come to work for the firm. “I’ll be out tomorrow for most of the day working on a case, so if you need me for anything important, just hit me up on my cell.”
She smiled, having always genuinely liked Noah. He was one of those men who had charisma aplenty and liked all women. He was, undoubtedly, a “chick magnet” as his sister was fond of saying, though Melodie had never thought of him as anything more than a friend and surrogate brother. “Will do.”
He glanced at his wristwatch. “It’s almost five thirty. Why don’t you take off early?” he teased, knowing full well she usually didn’t leave the office until after six most nights. “You deserve the break.”
Take off early and do what, she wondered. Her nights were so routine and boring it was pathetic—pick up fast food on the way home, eat it while watching TV, take a shower, slip into comfy pj’s, check in with her dad, then read a book until she fell asleep. Occasionally, on the weekend, she’d go out to dinner and a movie with a friend, nothing overly exciting or wild. Then again, having been raised by a police sergeant, she’d never strayed from what was expected of her—discreet, proper behavior, in public and in private.
“Even Joelle enjoys the benefits of leaving on time,” he said, gesturing to the office with its lights out for the evening.
“Joelle has a handsome husband to go home to,” she countered.
Noah feigned a shocked look. “You mean to tell me that you don’t have some hot guy waiting for you to get home at night so he can ravish you?”
Didn’t she wish. She rolled her eyes at his exaggeration. “Hardly, and you’re a big tease.”
“Well, here’s a little tip for you.” He leaned close, as if sharing a well-kept secret, and gave the end of her braid a mischievous tug. “You’re not going to find Mr. Right spending all your time here.”
Melodie blinked, unsure whether to take his remark as a subtle warning about his brother, a little friendly advice, or if he was just humoring her with