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She sounded like hi to persuade his dad to let hi his arms, he heard her out "You can?" The look on her face told hi response, as she collapsed all enation What had he said? Why the sudden change?

"I an, cheeks bright red and eyes narrowed in anger Ah That's what he'd said

"I wasn't i – "

"Yes You were," she retorted, establishing control once again Accusto the upper hand in every business situation as Michael, he found himself unsure as Matt Should he let her win this one? With ca,like that wouldn't get hi about Lydia right noouldn't help hiht

"Don't tell h He waved his hand, knowing it would piss her off, wanting to see how much fire she had in her belly

It worked

"Don't snow ," she answered back, voice steady, jaw clenched, standing raht now The business suit she as more formal than her normal dress, which tended toward tasteful V-neck sweaters, dressy skirts and leather heels Why the heathered grey wool suit and silk shirt? Lilac suited her, the blouse's shi attention to her rich hair, those dark eyes, and adding a femininity to her carefully-cultivated professionalism Quite different from her frumpier, casual look on his first day at the job He liked both

What he'd preferat all Those curves, that ass, the ample body that see The outer packaging of ato respect A body that he wanted to savor

The resemblance to Catherine Zeta-Jones was uncanny Did she ever do any nudes scenes in her films? He'd have to check No, he'd have to ask Jeremy – he would know

His khakis and cheap oxford see, he told himself that this was one for Mike – not Matt – to handle It was safe to stand now, so he did, taking a few steps around his desk and facing her, two feet feeling like fivesweet, like vanilla, tickled his nose

"You're projecting your insecurities onto ht "Just because so an adrade your intelligence doesn't mean I'm one of those people" He huffed, a bit incensed on her part, for no reason he understood "That's the lazy way"

The slope of herin theof victory waved inside until she said, "I hadn't thought any of those thoughts, Dr Phil, but apparently you have projected the was suddenly white Shit Not the reaction he expected Lydia began scooping up her files,to herself

He stopped her with a hand on her forearm Frozen, she didn't ender politics?"

Sputter Smirk Eyeroll "How isn't it? Dave's known for more than a year – no, two years – that I wanted a chance at the sociallike the CEO's nephew and ba to tellto do with that?"

He frowned "You're conflating two issues Am I here because of perceived favoritism or because I'm a man?"

"Both, apparently So you are his nephew!"

"Whose?"

"Michael Bournham" She raised her eyebrows in a look of contempt "You know The owner of this company?"

At the mention of his real na off her tongue and lips like some sort of answered prayer He wanted to hear her hiss it in his ear, riding hi onto –

Shake it off, Mike "I's are girls who didn't o Girls Unless they're all prepubescent females, you sound like Don Draper from Mad Men"

"I've been called worse"