did she bother? “Never mind. Are those the latest data points?”
Her assistant nodded and handed her the thick pile of folders. “I printed them like you requested. The electronic file is in your inbox.”
“Thanks. You know where I’ll be for most of the morning. These numbers are going to take a while to get through. And I’m already behind.” Due to an unexpected project I was just given this morning, she added to herself. A project for the sole purpose of getting Justin Hammond up to speed on the latest business figures.
“Well, you can’t be working on them all morning.”
Carli lifted an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
“Mr. Hammond just called and asked me to schedule yet one more meeting. We have an unexpected guest coming in.”
Oh, no. Carli could venture to guess who it might be. “Please tell me it’s not Justin Hammond.”
Jocelyn gave her a curious smile. “I could do that. But I’d be lying to you.”
Great. Just great. Was the man sent here just to vex her at every turn? Apparently, she was supposed to jump whenever Justin Hammond needed anything.
Jocelyn studied her, the amused smile still on her face. “Something wrong?”
Carli tried to shake off the frustration. “I just have a lot to do. And he happens to be the reason I’m late to begin with.”
“Aha! So I was right.”
“Right about what?”
“You were indeed late because of a sexy man.”
Jocelyn just didn’t know when to let up. “Only because I had to prepare a report for him at the last minute and then deliver it before I got in today.”
Her assistant waved her hand in dismissal. “Details.”
“Honestly, Jocelyn. I barely met the man for a few scant moments.”
“So tell me. Is he as handsome as he appears in all the photos?”
“I didn’t notice.”
That earned her a disbelieving look. “See. This is why I worry about you. Justin Hammond is one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet. He’s on the celebrity sites weekly. Wealthy, successful and handsome. And you didn’t even notice his looks?”
“Not really, no.” She could fib quite well when she had to.
Jocelyn slammed her hands on her hips. “That’s just disappointing. Most of the female staff around here are breathless with anticipation at his arrival. And you act like it’s an ordinary day. You gotta give me something. Some small detail I can throw to them.”
“That’s just silly. He’s just the other Hammond heir.”
“Right. A mere handsome millionaire who not only has claim to half the largest retail toy company in North America but also made gobs of money on his own.”
She did have a point there. Justin’s life story so far was a bit on the exceptional side. She was about to begrudgingly admit to that when a small commotion outside her door drew both their attention. Looked like Jocelyn was about to find out firsthand what she was so curious about. Justin had arrived. And he was causing quite a stir, no doubt with most of the female staff. Carli heard “can I get you anything, Mr. Hammond” more than once.
Jocelyn jumped to the door. “Ooh, he’s here.” She gasped. “And he’s heading right to your office.”
A strange sensation spread through Carli’s chest. Despite seeing several photos of him throughout the years, she had to admit he wasn’t what she’d been expecting. All the pictures hadn’t really done him justice. They hadn’t captured the soft, tawny hue of his eyes. Or the way his hair fell sloppily over his forehead. She hadn’t realized she’d noticed so much of him during those brief moments in the Hammond foyer earlier.
A quick knock on the door, and then Justin stepped into her office. He blinked in surprise when he saw her. “You?”
What was that supposed to mean? Did he want her out already? Genuine surprise registered on his face. Was he here to lay claim to her office, having expected her to vacate it for him already?
Too stunned to speak, Carli was relieved when Jocelyn stepped up to him. “Mr. Hammond, I’m Jocelyn Sumner. We weren’t expecting you so early. The meeting isn’t until nine thirty.”
He hadn’t taken his eyes off Carli. She resisted the urge to look away from the intense stare.
“I figured I’d get started,” he answered Jocelyn. “I’m looking for the person who put this together.” He held up the file of papers Carli dropped off less than an hour ago. “I was told this is their office.”
Carli finally found her tongue. “It is.”
He blinked at her. “Can you tell me where to find him now?”
Him. “You have,” she answered, deliberately omitting further clarification. Let him hang in the wind a bit.
He lifted an eyebrow.
“I’m the one who put it together. I was dropping it off this morning when we...met.” She added some emphasis on the last word.
Justin’s eyes grew wide as understanding clearly dawned. Jocelyn stood between them, her gaze switching back and forth as if she were watching an exciting tennis game.
Justin cleared his throat. “You did this?” he asked, indicating the file in his hand. “It’s, uh, very thorough. Very impressive.”
Carli tried not to bristle at his surprised tone. How very insulting. This man didn’t know a thing about her. But he’d made his initial judgment already. She wasn’t surprised. Men like Justin always came to the most obvious conclusion when it came to her.
How disappointing that he was so typical.
GREAT, JUSTIN THOUGHT as the woman across the room shot daggers at him. He hadn’t realized this morning that she worked for the company. He’d managed to offend one of Hammond’s employees on his first day back in town. No, make that his first hour back.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Well, you needn’t look so surprised. I’m a project manager at Hammond. I can put together a business report.”
“That’s not what I meant.” But what was she doing coming down from his father’s suite at that hour? He couldn’t be blamed for having jumped to the most obvious conclusion. And he still wasn’t sure he was totally wrong. But clearly there was more to the circumstances. “I’m just surprised to see you here, that’s all.”
“This is my office. Of course, I’m here.”
“Not here, in this room. Here at the company.”
