the only two on the top floor of the building, the bell chimed once more to announce they’d reached their destination.
As Eva stepped out onto a winter-white tile, she thanked the chatterbox for the escort, even though she now felt more frazzled than she had before.
“My pleasure, Eva. We’ll likely run into each other throughout the day. Good luck.” He gave her a two-fingered salute as his smiling face disappeared behind the closing panels.
She looked left, wondering which way to go, and then right, where she caught sight of a man standing in front of an open door, his enormous frame backlit by…the daylight coming…from the…windows…behind…
Him.
Dread landed in the pit of her stomach, fighting for dominance with a dark hunger only one man had the ability to make her feel.
Total confusion forced her into motion. As she closed the distance between them, she gripped the handle of her briefcase and tried to think of some plausible explanation as to why Gabriel would be there.
She was still trying when the corridor widened into a reception area that had an empty desk and a handful of comfy-looking chairs that were also empty. With no expression, certainly no lingering softness that had been present a little over an hour ago, her lover stepped to the side and motioned her forward.
She stopped in front of him, not about to enter her boss’s office until she had some answers. “What are you doing here, Gabriel?” she whispered uneasily.
“Come inside and I’ll explain.”
“Is anyone in there?” she mouthed, pointing through the door.
He shook his head. “It’s just us.”
Nodding weakly, she moved past him, her breath catching when he shifted and their bodies—accidentally?— brushed. Not nooow, her brain sang in warning as she forced herself not to react—or pause to rub some more. To distract herself, she focused on her surroundings, taking in the walls lined with empty bookshelves and a beautiful view of Puget Sound. The office itself was modern, yet warm and comfortable with an obvious masculine touch.
Making for the black leather chairs in front of a huge desk—
She slammed to a halt.
No.
Shock rattled her bones as she stared at the nameplate sitting on the corner of the desk.
Gabriel Moore, CEO.
Her hand came up to cover her mouth. Oh, God. What had she done?
Dropping her hand, she turned to face her new fucking boss. His expression was still shuttered. Unreadable and immobile. Blank but for the tic working in his jaw. His hands were buried deep in the front pockets of his pants and, sheesh, could he intimidate without moving a muscle.
“What’s happening here? I’m supposed to be meeting Alekzander Tarasov.” She looked at the nameplate again, praying she’d somehow been wrong. Of course she wasn’t. “You’re not…Alekzander Tarasov,” she finished on a whisper, wanting to sink through the floor.
“Sit.” He indicated the chair on the right with a tilt of his chin, and she didn’t argue. She perched on the edge and watched him take the one directly across from her, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands loosely clasped together in front of him.
“After I saw you in New York,” he began, “I did some digging to find out why you were at TarMor. Natalie forwarded me a copy of your resume, and the following day, a rundown on how your interview went—”
Eva held up a hand to stop him, her mouth dry as dirt. “The CEO I’m to work for is Alekzander—”
“You met Alek last night, and you’ll be working for me, not him.”
Her adrenaline production increased at that, her eyes widening as one puzzle was solved. That’s why Alek had looked so familiar to her; she’d seen his picture online when she was researching her new boss.
“Okay. I’m…” She tried to organize her thoughts. “Okay. So, when we met at the hotel the other night, you knew who I was? You knew I’d already interviewed for…? You knew the job I was talking about was this one.”
“Yes.”
The blood drained from her head at his affirmative. “And last night? You knew…when I said I’d been hired…” Holy…shit.
“Yes.”
At no time in her life had Eva ever felt so stupid. So gullible. Like such a fool. From minute one, this man had done nothing but lie to her. He’d played her like a sucker. He’d charmed her, taken her to his home, into his bed, had sex with her…and all the while, he’d known they’d be working together.