It didn’t seem possible, so she didn’t even try. She simply shoved the papers forward.
“Fill these out,” she said curtly.
He took the papers, staring at her intently.
She could feel that her cheeks were still flushed, Her whole body was burning with heat.
To make matters worse, his handsome good looks had filled her senses again, and she felt her heart flutter as she looked up and met his eyes again.
He’s sexy, she thought reluctantly, hating herself for even thinking it.
She looked away quickly, but she could sense that he did not.
She straightened the collar of her top, suddenly feeling fidgety and restless. She looked up and sure enough he was still staring at her.
He hadn’t moved.
She stepped towards the desk and reached for a pen out of a little jar by her computer. She handed it to him, and for an instant their fingers touched. The brief instant sent a shockwave of electricity through her.
She did not meet his eyes, but instead backed up, away from him.
The heavy, awkward silence filled the room, and she was keenly aware that the man had not yet gotten over the shock of seeing her in the office.
He’s probably deciding whether or not he wants to keep the appointment at all, she realized. He might just turn around and walk away. What would I tell Dr. Norden?
She clicked her mouse and tried to look busy as she sat back at her desk.
Suddenly she was aware that the handsome man had walked to the desk.
He was looking down at her.
She looked up at him.
“For what it’s worth,” he said, his voice deep and sincere. “I’m sorry to cause you this inconvenience.”
Inconvenience? fumed . This is more than an inconvenience! This is the end of the world!
She met his eye. “It’s not worth very much,” she said.
She glared at him for a moment, refusing to back down. I may be a secretary in this office, she thought. But I am your equal, no matter how much money you have. I’m not going to accept your apology just to make you feel better.
Martin did not back down either. He didn’t leave the desk’s edge and he didn’t look away from her.
To her amazement, found her anger swerving into a sense of heated attraction as Martin stood in front of her.
She hated him for what he was doing to her life, yet found him irresistibly handsome.
Dr. Norden broke the face-off, stepping out from the back hallway and into the waiting room.
Sandy was right behind him.
“Ah!” Dr. Norden said. “Martin. You made it.”
Martin looked away from finally, and greeted the doctor and then Sandy.
saw Sandy look from Martin to with surprise and something else, wasn’t sure what.
returned her gaze to the computer, her heart beating fast.
What just happened? she wondered. She was amazed at how mercurial her feelings were, vacillating quickly from hate to lust.
He was so damn sexy.
*****
Four hours later, as sat at a high topped table with her coworkers, drink in hand, she was still reeling from the exchange.
“And then what did you say?” Sandy asked, pulling the pastel lime green margarita drink up through the plastic straw. She already had her happy hour tone of voice on, slightly loopy and slap-happy.
had guzzled her first drink, and was trying to pace herself on the second.
It wasn’t going well, and she drew in frosty liquid through her own straw before answering. It felt good to numb the problem that faced her with alcohol. The day had been an especially tense one. She wasn’t used to feeling so fried.
“I told him ‘Your apology is not worth anything to me!’” said. “And I meant it! He can’t just say he’s sorry and expect me to forgive him, like he took the last grocery cart or something. He’s taking my damn home away from me!” she said. She sucked more strawberry margarita up before she could get too upset.
“You said that?” squealed Olivia. “You are so brave!”
“He’s a very handsome man,” Dustin, the office’s lab technician said slyly. “I don’t suppose he’s…?” he asked.
Sandy shook her head. “He’s as straight as a doornail,” she said. “Sorry Dusty, honey.”
Dustin made a show of pouting.
“Besides,” Sandy said, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she looked around the round table. “He has a thing for .”
“What?” said.
Sandy laughed. “Oh, don’t act like you didn’t pick up on it,” Sandy said. “When Dr. Norden and I walked into that waiting room, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.”
“That’s because I’d just yelled at him at Starbucks!” said.
Sandy shook her head. “It was something else, too,” she said. “He wants you, girl. I could tell by the way he was looking at you.”
shook her head, but on the inside, her heart was doing summersaults as she contemplated this new information.
She had sensed her own attraction to the billionaire, between the layers of hatred that she clearly felt, but she hadn’t even considered that it might be a two way attraction.