He held out a hand, a broad grin stretched across his face. “Great to meet you, Melissa. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
She shot a wry glance toward Kyle. “Yeah. I imagine you have.”
“So where’d you two meet, anyway? And you actually got him to go out of his way to change a tire? I’m impressed. I didn’t think he was that chivalrous.”
Where did they meet?She turned her attention back to Kyle. So he hadn’t told his friend she was a thief. Interesting.
She turned back to Brent, her smile wide. “Actually, Brent, heisthat chivalrous. In fact, he was just about to save me once again by offering me a job.”
Kyle glared, but she only smiled sweetly.
“Yeah?” Brent said. “Well, if he’s going to insist we waste money on an assistant, then I guess a little eye candy is a good thing.”
Kyle rubbed his temples. “Sorry,” he said to her. “My partner isnotthe chivalrous type.”
“Oh, come on,” Brent said. “She knows I’m just kidding.” He flashed a charming grin in Mel’s direction. “Or maybe not. You reallyareone hell of a looker.”
Mel blinked, not at all sure how to respond to that. “Um, thanks. I think.”
Kyle just shook his head. “Go,” he said. “Get your stuff and get out of here. I’m in the middle of an interview.”
“I thought you’d already hired her,” Brent said as he walked into one of the back offices.
Kyle’s eyes never left hers as he answered. “Yeah, well, that remains to be seen.”
Brent came back out holding a stack of file folders, a leather laptop case slung over one shoulder. “Well, I trust you to work it out. Melissa, Grace, whatever you go by, it was nice to meet you.”
Brent was halfway out the door before she managed to say, “You, too. He’s…interesting,” she said to Kyle.
“He’s brilliant,” Kyle said. “And I’ve known him forever. He takes some getting used to, but I couldn’t have built this business without him.”
“Speaking of…” She licked her lips.
He shook his head, and her heart sank. “Sorry, Melissa. I can’t do it.”
“So much for chivalry,” she mumbled.
He ran his fingers through his hair, then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I can’t do it. I don’t have a job for you.”
She gestured around the room. “Typing. Filing. Phones.” She leaned back in the chair and looked up at him. “I dunno. Sounds like a job to me.”
“This is a security company. How would it look if I had a thief doing my filing?”
Mel flinched. There it was. The tone. The accusations. She’d never escape her past with people who knew her past. Hell, she should know better than to try. She should have turned around and run out the door the second she’d realized who he was.
She hadn’t, though, because this was the only job on the horizon. And, damn it all, she still needed it. She drew in a breath, determined to convince him. “No one knows I’m a thief,” she finally said.
“I do,” he said.
“Yes, but you also know I’m retired. I told you so. And besides, if you’re the only one who knows—”
“Can’t do it. This company means too much to me. I can’t risk the scandal.”
“Kyle, come on. I don’t see how—”
“Since I’m the one doing the hiring, it really doesn’t matter how you see it. Does it?” He stared at her for a moment and then got up and moved back around the desk to the guest chair. The oak desk between them was only about two feet wide, but to Mel it seemed like an infinite chasm.
“I can’t hire you for the assistant job, Melissa. I’m sorry.”
