Page 5 of My Favorite Boss

“Who says I need my calendar revised or that there is anything wrong with my files?”

“Why would you be looking for an assistant again so soon?”

“So soon?” I repeated.

“I have applied for this job four times. This is the first interview I’ve gotten. I assume none of the other hires have met your exacting demands.” She lifted her chin, the light catching on her lovely hair. “You’ve been waiting for me.”

I liked her spunk, although I preferred my assistant less exuberant. I pulled a sheet of paper from a file, handing it to her. “You have a minute to tell me what is wrong with this budget.”

I studied her as she looked over the paper. Her lips moved as she read it, her eyes darting from line to line quickly. She bit one corner of her mouth, drawing attention to the shape of her lips. Pouty. Full. Sensual. She ran a finger along the columns, narrowing her gaze, then tapping her cheek. Her skin was creamy and looked soft—much like the petals of the tree she was named for.

Magnolia.

It was pretty.

So was she.

She was different. She wore little makeup, allowing her natural beauty to shine through. Her long, straight hair was chestnut colored. Reddish in the light. Dark in the shadows. Her eyes were a deep brown—so dark it was hard to see where the iris ended and the pupil began.

Her skin was smooth, kissed with a pinkish undertone. My gaze dropped to her mouth again. Her lips were full and soft-looking.

Inviting, if I was interested.

Which I wasn’t.

But it was the band of freckles across her nose that caught my attention. Gold in color, they were a perfect symmetry that swept over the bridge and diluted to a fan of dots along each cheek in flawless alignment. I could easily see that when she blushed, the band would be brighter than anywhere on her face.

Some would call it enchanting.

Not me.

I didn’t do enchanting. Or sassy-mouthed women who wanted to work for me. No matter how pretty they were. I’d drawn that line in the sand a long time ago, and I never stepped over it.

I didn’t date at all, to be honest.

Especially this woman.

Never.

This wasn’t a good idea. I would let her finish the interview and get Laura to start a new search next week. She could gloat, and I would keep my end of the bargain.

Ms. Myers’s throat clearing made me realize I had been staring. She slid the paper in front of me, tapping the third column. “I don’t know much about pricing, but this plant price is listed incorrectly. I doubt it’s that much cheaper than the other ones. That would throw the budget off completely.”

I had to say, I was impressed. No one else had spotted that. I had tried to make it simple, but she was the only one who’d noticed the price discrepancy.

I handed her a spreadsheet. She said she rocked Excel.

“Error,” was all I said. I studied her as she looked over the columns.

It took her thirty seconds. “Incorrect sum in the fifth column.”

I sat back, nodding.

She had been late, seemed like a bit of a disaster, but she was the best of all the candidates.

Dammit.

“The salary isn’t negotiable.”