“It’s way too early to put up with you.” She wedged her barefoot against the bottom of the door and sent up a prayer that he couldn’t see too much of her shabby apartment.
Theo grinned and tucked the sunglasses in the collar of his shirt. Two undone buttons revealed the strong, tanned column of his neck. His hair, perfectly swept back in place, revealed the sharp contours of his cheekbones and proud nose. A face that probably hadn’t seen many closed doors.
“Hello, Amber. May I come in?”
“No,” she said, attempting to close the door in his annoying face again. No one needed to look that perfect on a weekend. It wasn’t natural. He had probably slept like a baby in a perfectly air-conditioned bedroom. The thought further soured her mood.
Theo's gaze swept over her, assessing. "Nice outfit.”
Amber glanced down at her cutoffs and tangerine bikini top with the oversized gold buckle holding the two skimpy triangles together. The top was a touch too small over the girls, but she wasn’t naked. Besides, this was her apartment.
“This is a vintage de la Renta.” She had stalked the eBay listing forever to win it for a steal at the last possible second. “My AC is broken,” she muttered. “What do you want, Mr. Mayor?”
He sighed. Deeply. “Call me Theo. May I come in?”
“Still no.”
He looked at her strangely. “I’d like to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“I have a proposition for you."
Amber's eyes narrowed as a flashback of other well-suited businessmen with shady offers came to mind. She couldn’t help the flicker of disappointment that the mayor was a mere mortal, after all. Somehow, his cool manners and elegant facade had fooled her. “If you’re here for some kind of ‘special services,’ you’ve got the wrong idea.”
A flush crept up his neck. "That's not what I meant,” he said stiffly. “I would like to offer you a job."
“Doing what?” Suspicion laced her tone, and she crossed her arms.
“My assistant unexpectedly eloped last week. I need someone to fill her position, and you were highly recommended.”
Ah. Now it made sense. “Ford put you up to this?”
Theo nodded once. “Ford suggested that you might be interested.”
She thought about it for less than a second. Did she need the cash enough to be at the beck and call of those icy blue eyes all day? “Yeah, no thanks.” She started to close the door only to find Theo’s foot still wedged at the bottom.”
“May I ask why? You are looking for a job after last night’s...misfortune. Right?”
Amber narrowed her eyes. “This might come as a shock to you, Mr. Mayor, but not everyone jumps to do your bidding or wants to. I’m not interested in working for you. You’ve done your duty to Ford. Now you can leave.”
“You don’t even know what the job entails,” Theo said.
“Let me guess, fetching your coffee? Please. I have better things to do than be your glorified maid. The answer’s no.” Had she served coffee and taken dry cleaning for employers in the past? Absolutely. But the thought of working for the mayor chafed in a way that made her tone sharp.
The scales were already alarmingly tipped in his favor and had been for a long time. Something in his knowing eyes made her feel like he could see all the way inside her, where she didn’t even want to look herself. Besides, the last thing he needed was yet another woman at his beck and call. She wasn’t that desperate.
“Excuse me,” Theo said, looking utterly bored. “I thoughtyou might be interested, but I can see I was wrong. Good luck on your future endeavors.”
Good luck, indeed. She stood in the doorway until the slam of the heavy outside door jarred her and she jumped.
How ridiculous to find herself staring after a man when she’d spent her entire life making sure she was the one who left first.
Chapter Five
“Are you losing weight?”Lily asked, looking her over critically.
“Yeah, your boobs look smaller,” Allie said enviously. The blond cherub in her arms giggled. Sisters. They could be brutal, but Amber loved hers.
