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She smiled faintly at his joke It was a feeble joke but she appreciated it "Yes, you're right And I'o back to work and put this out of mind"

"Easier said than done"

"It's an achievable goal, sir" She turned to face her co her gaze on her computer screen she waited for him to disappear

He did not He remained where he stood, just across her desk, his tall, solid body a delight in Italian wool and Egyptian cotton She could s hint ofup his white shirt, past the elegant gray and black tie to the square cut of his chin and his iht so to have a kiss from those lips

And there she went again, fantasizing, like she'd spent half the night last night

Last night she'd ian's black stretch liy and they were kissingdesperate little whih of his y old Winnie, but so, so caed herself into the bathroom for a reality-check shower

And still he stood there, before her desk She didn't knohat he wanted, what he aiting for Winnie dropped her hands back into her lap "Do you need so, Mr Grady?"

He was looking at herat her as if she wasn't Winnie but soether and a lock of dark hair fell forward on his brow "Yes I want to know more about the job in Charleston Why were you interested in it?"

Heat filled her, a warle from head to toe She knehat she was, and saw herself all too clearly-slightly pudgy, rather frumpy, and prone to panic attacks-but oh, how she loved hi in fantasyland was just about to do her in

"Change," she answered huskily, wishing yet again she were sorace, soh, really, she didn't want an

What a stupid, futile wish What a stupid, futile path she was traveling

Sniffling, she jerked open her desk drawer and dug around for a paper clip to stop her eyes froet on with things Because even if she wore a red dress and put hot rollers in her hair, she wasn't the superan Grady's world Wake up, Winnie Grow up, Winnie You're never going to be his type

"But you like New York?" he persisted

She sed the lump in her throat Of course she liked New York He lived in New York She'd love Timbuktu if that's where he was "Yes, Mr Grady"

"So the problem is here, at the office"

Her chest felt raw, her lungs ached with bottled air

"Yes"

His black eyebrows drew even ether

"You don't like working for me?"

Like didn't exactly factor into it It wasfor hi a nobody She didn't want to be his secretary She was dying to be his lover

Winnie bent her head, rolled her eyes How perfectly Ninny Winnie

"So it is an repeated

"No!" She looked up at hi she was sure he could see what she was feeling in her eyes But she did need to tell hiht now Her job search The book on her desk Her emotional breakdown just now This wasn't the dependable, rational Winnie Graham he knew She wasn't exactly a rock this week

"It's not you," she said hoarsely, ashaain "It's me"

He shook his head, lines fanning frorooves etched beside his mouth "I don't understand"

Her eyes burned and she fought the urge to sniffle She knew her noseup "I've fallen in love"

There

was a moment of dead silence and then a small muscle in his jaw popped "With someone here? At Grady Investments?" He couldn't have sounded more incredulous

"Yes" It wasn't a lie She had fallen in love and she was in a muddle and she'd never been so emotional in all her life

He leaned on her desk, leaned so close to her she caught another hint of spice "He doesn't love you?"

Her eyes burned and she sed hard "Oh, no, sir He's not interested in me"