“I do have a job and I am grateful for that. It’s not exactly on the management track, but I guess I’ll have my chance to impress my new boss in a couple of weeks.”
* * *
Wisps of cirrus clouds played peekaboo with the early June sun. A steady wind, blowing in from the east, brought warming temperatures, and Addison Evans was looking forward to the summer. But for now, she needed to complete preparations for her new hires that were starting today.
She paced back and forth in her office. Why was she so nervous? Kellen Alexander was just another employee. He was on her team. The fact that she was anticipating his arrival with such emotion came as a complete surprise.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the rug,” her assistant said. She walked into the office with a stack of documents. “This is what you’ve been waiting for. They arrived late yesterday after you’d gone home.”
“Thank you, Devin.”
“I have everything set up in the conference room for the new-hire orientation. Samantha from human resources should be arriving any moment. She called from the car.”
“Great,” Addison murmured. “Thanks for getting everything ready.”
She sat down at her desk. “Let me know when the new hires arrive.”
“Will do,” Devin responded with a smile.
Kellen was the first to arrive.
“I’m Addison Evans.” She smiled and extended her hand, which quickly disappeared into his large one. She made a point of keeping her grip firm and looking Kellen in the eye, a habit she’d acquired early in her career, and one that had always alerted her about what kind of man she was dealing with. “Welcome aboard.”
“Thank you,” he responded politely.
Kellen held her gaze and didn’t seem surprised by the firmness of her grip. More important, he didn’t try to grind her hand into dust with his superior strength.
Both marks in his favor.
Addison studied him, poised there so straight and tall in his sharply tailored, black, designer business suit. He was devastatingly handsome, but she crushed that thought as soon as it entered her mind. His dark-eyed gaze made the already hot day sizzle.
She forced herself to look away from Kellen. The man had broad shoulders, slender hips and long legs that would easily turn a woman’s head in his direction. Addison released a soft breath of air before turning her attention back to him.
He was easily the sexiest man she had ever met, but it wasn’t just his looks that attracted her to him; it was the mystery and the intrigue that she found intoxicating.
She could not read him.
Kellen was smiling, but she silently noted that his smile did not quite reach his eyes. Addison had heard that Kellen was reputed to be very personable; however, she was not seeing this side of him at the moment.
“Where would you like me to sit?” he asked her.
She tore her gaze away and concentrated on his question. “Your office is two doors down. I’ll have someone take you there after a brief orientation.” Addison resumed control of her emotions. “I’ll walk you to the conference room. I have two other employees starting today, as well.”
“Great,” Kellen murmured.
She stole a peek at him. He did not look as if he really wanted to be there.
“How long have you worked here?” he asked suddenly.
“I’ve been with ADDG for almost five years. I interned here during grad school and was hired permanently after I graduated.”
“Where did you attend college?”
“Stanford,” Addison responded. “Here we are,” she said with a soft sigh of relief. “Your orientation will last until noon. We have a welcome lunch planned for one o’clock.”
Addison walked briskly away from the conference room longing for the safety of her office. She was far too aware of Kellen as a sexy man, when she needed to look at him objectively like an employee. Still, it was hard to stay objective when he focused those gorgeous gray eyes on her, when the clean male scent of him eddied in the air around her and his energy filled every corner of the room.
She had to find a way to block out her intense awareness of this man.
* * *
Kellen had not expected to be struck down by Addison’s beauty. The image formed in his mind was of a “plain Jane” type. Instead, her features were classic. Addison had high cheekbones that emphasized the slenderness of her face and her straight, perfect nose. She had a generous mouth, which he found incredibly sexy and her lips inviting.
She looked of average height; her curvaceous figure covered in a navy pencil skirt and jacket. Not a hair was out of place. Kellen admired the healthy glow of her butternut complexion.
While in her office, he glimpsed the many awards and accolades Addison had received throughout her career. Combined with the conservative navy suit she wore, he got the message. This woman was smart, dedicated and professional.
She had thrown him completely off guard. Kellen mentally shook himself and forced himself to pay attention to the human resources rep who explained the benefits of being an Alexander-DePaul employee.
Later, a walk through the open workstations revealed collaboration in action, which excited Kellen. He couldn’t wait to get started on his first project. He intended to impress Addison with his skill. Kellen noted there were groups of associates gathered in one area or another throughout. Although he had group projects during his college years, he preferred to work solo when it came to a project.
“ADDG employees participate in a wide variety of activities—from fun to philanthropic—the annual golf tournaments, charity fundraisers and local office parties, just to name a few,” the HR rep stated.
Afterward, Kellen joined the rest of the associates in a large area he assumed was the break room. For just a moment Kellen gazed at Addison, observing her as she interacted with her staff. She was a natural beauty, a woman comfortable in her own skin. Normally, when he glimpsed into the eyes of the women he came into contact with, he saw a hint of vulnerability in the depths of their eyes, but not in Addison’s gaze. She obviously didn’t need anybody to rescue her and besides, that wasn’t his role here. Kellen knew without a doubt that she could stand her ground and hold her own against just about anybody.
“So what do you think?” she asked when she joined him by a table laden with food.
“I notice that everyone seems to work in teams. Collaboration seems to be the theme throughout.”
“Collaboration means teamwork, and our integrative approach to project design is apparent in our staff relationships. Working with a variety of different professionals who share a common goal allows us to enjoy what we do and celebrate the satisfaction that comes from a job well-done.”
“I tend to work better alone.”
She
