“Okay,” he simply said.
Did he like it? The question burned at the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t voice it. If she did, she’d make it obvious that she wanted him to like her. According to Andrea, the idea was to seduce him and make him think it was all his idea.
Even though her cousin didn’t know Nate personally, Manuela agreed.
Nate rarely followed advice he wasn’t fully onboard with. He wasn’t fickle. He was a strong, stubborn, sometimes cranky man—and if she played her cards right, he’d be all hers.
2
“Do you want more?” Manuela asked, strolling into his office.
Nate popped his knuckles, feeling his every vein expand with tension. She’d been back for only two hours, and while he expected Manuela’s return to restore some peace, the opposite had happened. He caught himself looking at his assistant whenever she was busy typing or answering calls.
He told himself that he was getting reacquainted with her new look. Though, really, had she changed that much?
A new sultry hair color, make-up applied in a way that highlighted her pretty face and hazel eyes. Clothes that accentuated her lovely, curvy body. He hadn’t gotten lost in her eyes before or drooled when looking at her ass because he had a girlfriend, and she’d been his assistant. She still is my assistant, he reminded himself.
“Nate, do you want more?” she repeated, pointing at the coffee mug on his desk. “I’m going to the break room.”
“Oh. No, I’m good.”
She shrugged. “Okay.” She left his office, and he watched her, her ass swaying from side to side.
He felt his pulse skitter, and a coat of sweat formed on his forehead. Damn it. He was at the top of his game, healthier than many guys half his age. He ran, he kickboxed, and he lifted weights. Why did her mere presence increase his heart rate?
The novelty of her looks should have weaned by now. Then why did it not? None of it made sense.
He shook his head, and focused on the new listing popping on his computer screen. Later on, he’d call one of his clients about the multimillion property, and—
“Hey, Nate,” said Isaac, one of his top sales agents. “Got a minute?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know if the annual party will have the same caterer from last year? I was wondering.”
Nate frowned. Why would Isaac ask him a stupid question like that? Isaac just didn’t pop into his office and small talked. “I guess,” he answered without an ounce of enthusiasm.
Isaac scratched his long chin. “Okay, great. Also, what happened to your assistant?”
He narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?” he asked, silently hoping Isaac meant Rae, the temp, and not Manuela. Rae would still work for a couple more days, to bring Manuela up to speed to whatever happened during her absence.
“It’s like her sexy twin sister took Manuela’s place.”
“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that,” Nate said, curling his fingers into a ball, ready to land it on Isaac’s stupid face. A strange sense of protection, of red-hot possessiveness came over him. The idea of any man looking at Manuela the way he did burned a hole in him. “You’re aware that flirting with her is unprofessional and against our policies, right? Last thing I want is a lawsuit.”
Isaac shook his bald head. “Damn it, I almost feel like resigning. I mean wow.”
“Should I just fire you then, and save us both the trouble?” Nate said, crossing his arms.
Color drained from Isaac’s face, and he lifted his hands in surrender. “Sorry, man,” he said in a defensive tone. “Just playing around.”
“Well, don’t play with her. She’s here to work and to be respected,” he said, inwardly repeating the same words to himself. Just because Manuela got a makeover and embraced her new self, didn’t mean she was in the market for an affair or relationship.
“You got it,” Isaac said. “I meant no disrespect.”
But I did, he thought. Oh, the things he’d do to her… only in his mind. There was no room in his life for complications.
“I’ll catch you later,” said Isaac, leaving his office.
