He pulled off the headphones and looked up.
“I need to speak with Hayden. Text me if anything comes up?”
“No problem,” he said. “I’m working on the backups you requested. I’ll have those finished by the end of the day.”
“Oh…okay, thank you.” God, she wasn’t used to working with nice guys. Mark was in his early thirties, married, with a toddler at home. He was competent and respectful. And so opposite from the men who used to work for her.
Ireland walked down the hallway toward Hayden’s office, grateful for this place and all it had done for her these past few months.
She rounded the corner, and caught Hayden outside her office door, smiling at something Adam was whispering in her ear.
Ireland rolled her eyes.These two.
Hayden looked up, and Ireland mouthed,Get a room.
Hayden smirked. “How’s your day going?”
“Fine and dandy,” Ireland said, “until my boss called to tell me I have a new consulting job. What’s that about?”
Hayden looked at Adam. “I’ll come by your office later to discuss that merger we talked about.”
Adam grinned. “I’ll be waiting.” He nodded at Ireland. “Good to see you, Ireland.”
Adam swaggered down the hallway, and both Ireland and Hayden shamelessly watched from behind.
Hayden sighed when he turned the corner.
“You two are not the least bit discreet,” Ireland said.
Hayden entered her office, and Ireland followed.
“Merger?” Ireland said. “I don’t even want to know what innuendo that represents.”
Hayden smiled. “You have a filthy mind.”
“Possibly,” Ireland agreed. Considering all the unwanted fantasies she’d been having about Bran and bodies of water, she was convinced he’d unleashed something in her. A filthy mind seemed about right. Still… “How long has it been since you two got married? A year? Shouldn’t the newlywed phase be cooling by now?”
Hayden sat behind her desk. “Not likely. You’ve seen my husband. You think I could say no to that man?”
Good point. Those Cade men were a menace. Ireland was conflicted as hell when it came to Bran.
“And for your information, thereisa merger going on with the company that owns Blue, and it has nothing to do with horizontal desk acrobatics.”
“Riiight.There may be a merger going on, but that hushed whispering in the hallway was not sly, nor was it about a merger.”
“We’re sly,” Hayden said.
“No you’re not!”
“Fine. We’re discreet when others are around. You don’t count because you’re a friend.”
Ireland threw up her hands. “I could have been anyone walking down that hallway.”
Hayden sent her a pitying look. “I caught you from a mile away. I have eyes in the back of my head. It’s how I survived when this place was a cesspool.”
“Thank God management changed before I started,” Ireland said. “I’m convinced my boss is the nicest human alive. He just gave me permission to do consulting work. And he doesn’t care if I leave early for it. What kind of boss agrees to that?”
Hayden shuffled paperwork. “A generous one?”
