He lifts his head and stares at me while continuing his workout. I can’t help but notice the definition of each of his muscles in his upper body as he effortlessly powers through the set.
“That doesn’t give your gender the right to ogle me.” He grins mischievously.
Get it together, Ursula.
“You’re about to conduct an interview. Put a shirt on.”
“I’m a football player. I always have my shirt off. If she can’t handle a little skin, then this isn’t the job for her. And remember, if you can’t find someone to take over for you then you can’t leave. That’s in your contract,Miss Owens.”
“I don’t remember reading that.”
“That’s because you had a shitty lawyer. I remember her. She was sliding me her number on a business card during your contract review. Big thighs. Soft mouth.”
“That’s a lie! She wasn’t flirting with you.”
“Actually, she was. I definitely hit that.”
“You’re disgusting.”
Coop finishes his set of push-ups, stands up, then watches me closely as I reluctantly follow the line of sweat that drips from his throat down to the V of his abdomen.
“I thought you didn’t like sweat?” he asks with a smug look on his face.
“I’m gagging as we speak.”
His voice deepens. “Does it make you angry that I slept with your lawyer?”
“That woman is from my church,” I snarl.
“Praise the Lord.”
“I’ll buzz you when my replacement gets here. It can’t be soon enough for me.”
I storm out in a blaze. Tito doesn’t say anything when I whiz by him in the common area without saying hello. I already know what he’s thinking. It’s written all over his face.
Since when have I cared who Cooper Barnes sleeps with?
Chapter Fifteen
URSULA
The man at the front desk of the building lets me know once my applicant has arrived, so I go downstairs to meet her in the lobby. Her name is Jane Perez, and she looks exactly as I desperately hoped she wouldn’t. She’s freakin’ gorgeous.
A beautiful woman with honey colored skin and plenty of brunette hair that hangs in soft waves to her bra line. She has an hourglass figure, a gentle smile, and I stare at her with envy for a moment because her breasts are definitely not like my teacups—they’re jugs.
I should have hired a man.
“Miss Perez?”
“Hi, Miss Owens. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you.”
We shake hands and I can’t even find fault in that either. Her hand is warm but not clammy, slender but not fragile, and her nails are painted the perfect nude tone. I’m lucky if I can fit in a manicure on the holidays.
“Thank you for coming in. I’ve reviewed your qualifications and checked your references and I think that you may be a good match, but obviously the final decision comes down to my boss. We’ll go straight up to meet him unless you have any questions for me.”
One of the great things about the head-hunting agency we use is that they fill positions for high profile employers anonymously. The applicants don’t get to know who’s doing the hiring until they come for the final interview which is exactly what we’re doing today.
The big reveal.
