Her heart kept stuttering with apprehension at the power he now had over her. It was bad enough he could axe her job with a word. Worse was the fact she was reacting to him as ferociously as she had that night. Her nerves were attuned to an awareness of him, ears pricked for the sound of his voice while a mortifying coal of sexual heat sat in the pit of her belly.
Work saved her to a point. It was a very busy day, but she stole one quick search of him online. It was another form of self-torture. She learned he’d been engaged at the time his brother had died eighteen months ago. The engagement had been broken off shortly after, but learning he’d been so close to another woman so recently made her feel…unsettled. He might not be married, but he’d been planning to marry. Knowing that added to the undercurrents between them as the day wore on.
After their altercation first thing this morning, she did everything she could to prove herself competent and reliable and professional. He only acknowledged her in a work capacity, which was to say, barely at all. She told herself that was a relief, but his brisk tone left a mark on her nerves. He’d spoken the same way to everyone, though. Things were very tense on all sides. She knew better than to take his attitude personally, but it felt like a fresh rebuff.
Not that she wanted his attention. Did she?
She didn’t know what she wanted. She hadn’t had a chance to process any of this, including the awe she’d felt as she watched him seize the leadership role. She had a lot of really strong men in her life and Joaquin could hold his own with any of them.
In a series of rapid-fire orders, he had delegated various tasks to her and Oladele, then brought them in to witness a battle royale in the meeting room. Joaquin had outlined to the LVG executives that the board had voted to allow his company, ProFab Worldwide, to assume LVG’s debt. In exchange, he had gained controlling interest in the company. Lorenzo had been ousted. Joaquin was the king of the castle and restructuring began now.
Some department heads had sighed in relief. Others had been as outraged as Lorenzo.
Joaquin knew what he wanted, though. He had stated it clearly and didn’t flinch under pushback. The first man who refused to carry out his instructions was dispassionately invited to leave and not come back.Does anyone else wish to waste my time?
Through it all, he hadn’t acknowledged her with so much as a glance while she’d been riveted by him.
After a few more highly charged meetings, Joaquin had left for the day, but the building had continued to reverberate as the news traveled to all corners and his own team began meeting with the department heads. Siobhan and Oladele were some of the few people who got any work done. The rest were gossiping or responding to media requests. Others were frantically putting the word out that they were seeking alternate employment.
“It was a big day,” Oladele said, stopping by her desk and startling her out of her reverie. “Expect the rest of the week to be the same.”
“I’ve been thrown into the deep end before.” Siobhan smiled weakly. “I don’t mind.”
“I can tell. You handle pressure very well.” She cocked her head to give her a more penetrating look. “Including the concerns around your security clearance.”
“They were understandable, given all that’s going on. I didn’t take offense.”
That wasn’t what Oladele was asking. She knew darned well more than a security check had prompted Joaquin’s interest in her new EA. Siobhan wasn’t about to admit she’d slept with their new boss, though.
“I have a million questions,” Siobhan said. “But I’m sure things will clarify as the merger completes.”
That’s the language you will use, Oladele had told her this morning, even as Joaquin had been swinging in here like a pirate with a cutlass clenched in his teeth, taking the ship by force.
“Don’t stay too late,” Oladele warned.
“I’m leaving right after I send this. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Ten minutes later, Siobhan hit Send and got a text from an unknown number before she had finished belting her coat.
Are you still at the office? We need to talk.
Her pulse skipped. She knew exactly who it was, but replied,New phone, who dis?
Her phone rang immediately.
“Hola.”She glanced around to ensure she was the only one in earshot. The floor was deserted, save for a janitor wiping down the break room. Even so, her nerves prickled as though she was doing something illicit yet titillating.
“I’m in my car.” Joaquin’s crisp voice abraded her nerves while fanning the heat in her middle. “I’m at least twenty minutes from the office. Traffic is a nightmare.”
“That’s why I take the metro.” She forced a laissez-faire tone that was a complete fabrication.
“To where? Chamberí? That’s where I was headed. I thought you would be home by now. I’ll book you a car.”
“You just said traffic is a nightmare.”
“It is.” He hissed out a curse. “I’ll find a restaurant and text you the address.”
“Why? No.” There was a part of her that was…flattered?Don’t be stupid, she quickly scolded herself. He didn’t want to see her for romantic reasons. Today’s acquisition had been very hostile. From what she’d gathered, Lorenzo had disowned Joaquin years ago. Joaquin probably still had doubts about her loyalty. “We’ve agreed nothing happened.” It felt like a small victory to throw that in his face. “There’s nothing else to say.”
