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lay all her cards in front of hiet this job, anyway But, perhaps, if she ih, he’d find a place for her soanization
“I realize that I have no for or experience as an executive assistant to the CEO of a company such as WakeTech,” she admitted levelly “But I can assure you, Mr Wakefield, that should you hireemployee on your staff I learn quickly, I take instructions well, I knohen to keep my mouth shut, and I have no aspirations to power or fancy titles I need a job I would do nothing that would putit”
Da his expression carefully impassive This one definitely had possibilities, despite her fragile appearance and slightly uppity Boston accent “You’ve given no references and precious little history on your application, Ms St Clair Mind if I ask why?”
This was it Her refusal to give references and her reticence about her past had lost her every other job she’d applied for since arriving in Birers—or to beg—she continued todark eyes with her own and answered clearly “I have no references, Mr Wakefield, and my past has no relevance to my performance as your employee”
Rhys eyed her in silence for a long, taut moment, then closed her file “I’ I pay well, but you work hard for every penny you earn The hours will be long and strenuous, the days off will be rare I don’t give flowery compliments for ell-done, but I don’t hesitate to point out errors I don’t like training new people, so I want you to decide nohether you’re going to up and quit when the going gets too tough”
“I’m not a quitter, Mr Wakefield And, as I said, I need this job” She tried not to let her rush of optimism show in her expression
“Then be here in theto need it”
She didn’t even s else, Mr Wakefield?”
“That’s all Stop by personnel on your way out and you’ll be given insurance for else they need you to fill out Oh, and Ms St Clair—”
She was already up from her chair She paused “Yes, sir?”
He smiled “Welcome to WakeTech”
“Thank you, Mr Wakefield You won’t regret hiring h, slender shoulders squared, the straight skirt to her sensible gray suit swaying softly around perfectly for for her no ht
Watching those legs until the door closed behind her, Rhys resisted the urge to clear his throat “I hope not,” hewords “I sincerely hope not, Ms St Clair”
“HOW DID IT GO?” Rhys’s secretary, June Hailey, inquired as Angie passed her desk
Here was the Southern accent Angie had expected—warot the job,” she confided, unable to quite hide her exuberance for the moment Almost immediately after the s it with a more professional,friends with June or anyone else in her new fir relationship with all her co-workers Her life was in chaos, her self-respect in shreds It would be a long tiet close to her again All she needed noas her job, her privacy and the refuge of the srandmother had left her Maybe there would come a day when she’d need more But she had a lot to prove to herself before then
Accepting June’s warie headed for the personnel office with long, confident strides And tried to convince herself that Rhys Wakefield’s smile hadn’t just turned her inside out
RHYS WAS QUITE PLEASED with his new assistant over the next feeeks He’d subtly tested herfor him when she’d misspelled his na it phonetically, Reese He’d corrected her rather too bluntly, but other than looking a bit eaffe, she’d handled the criticism very well She worked hard, she learned quickly, she didn’t fall apart when he yelled at her, and she kept her opinions to herself unless he asked for them And she was very nice to look at, a fact that was occasionally as uncomfortable as it was pleasant
He noticed her appearance all too often, his attention caught by a toss of her golden hair, a shrug of her slender shoulders, the gleas as she took notes he dictated to her He found hi odd tis, at home on those rare occasions when he wasn’t at the office He’d had beautiful wo for him before, but there had never been one to interest hielique St Clair
He couldn’t help wondering about her Her rare smiles were distant, polite, very professional He’d never heard her laugh If she’d made any friends in the company, he wasn’t aware of it She never protested his requests that she work late or arrive early or co particularly busy ti one For some reason, Rhys suspected that there was no lover And yet he’d developed soood instincts about people over the years There was elique St Clair than she allowed anyone to see Humor, temper, passion—he believed those emotions simmered beneath the lid she’d clamped so firmly upon them When and why had she decided to adopt such a cool, aloof facade? What was a worown up in the upper echelons of Boston society doing in Bir as his assistant?