it’s helpful if the machine contains all the items necessary to fulfill your request.”
With that he pressed the start button, and the machine whirred to life. A minute later, the first neatly-bound report spat out into the holding rack.
Catrina wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She didn’t have to look at him to know he was smiling. A fresh scent wafted past as he leaned to inspect the results of his handiwork, a masculine blending of soap and cedar that was well suited to his casual, outdoorsy appearance.
Clearing her throat, she angled a glance, realized to her shock that he’d retrieved one of the budget reports from the holding rack and was idly flipping through it.
She immediately plucked it out of his hands. “Are you a member of the budget committee?”
He stared at her as if she’d suddenly sprouted antlers. “Not exactly.”
“Then I can’t allow you to see this. It’s a confidential document.”
“I don’t think the committee would mind if I took a quick look at the preliminary projections.”
“I’m sorry, but company policy forbids the review of budget documents by anyone other than accounting personnel or the budget committee.”
“It does?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to give the policy manual another look-see.”
“That might be prudent.” She stacked all of the reports, scooped them into her arms, giddy with relief. Her task was complete, and with five minutes to spare. Life was good. “I suppose I should get these to the conference room.”
“Yes, I suppose you should.”
She hesitated. She didn’t know why. “Thank you again for your help.”
There was something incredibly appealing about the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. “You’re welcome again.”
After another moment, she sucked a breath, managed a smile and stepped from the copy-room alcove, nearly colliding with a gray-suited man carrying a thick document tucked under his arm. She stiffened instinctively, snapped to attention as she recognized the company finance director, her boss’s boss.
The fellow dodged, spun, touched her shoulder to steady himself. He didn’t favor her with a second glance. Instead, his gaze darted around the bustling accounting department with preoccupied verve. “Have you seen Rick?”
“Rick who?”
He blinked, then laughed as if she’d cracked a joke. “That’s a good one—” He glanced past her shoulder, toward the copy alcove from which she’d just emerged. “Ah, there you are. Look, the city lawyers are in your office, and I need a signature on these contracts posthaste.”
A chill slipped down her spine as the man who’d just witnessed her embarrassing ineptitude with the office machine accepted the proffered documents, flipping through them with practiced skill. “Has the legal department reviewed these?”
The finance director nodded. “Yes, all we need is your approval, and the deal is done.”
“Let me give them a quick read first. I’ll have Marge hand-carry them to your office when I’m through.”
Catrina steadied herself on a metal file cabinet. During the past week of her employment, she’d met dozens of company employees, including most department directors and top managers. She’d met only one person named Marge. She was the personal assistant to the head honcho, one of the few people to whom she had yet to be introduced…the elusive Rick Blaine.
Rick glanced up from the contract long enough to see the color drain from the young woman’s face. He’d realized moments earlier that she hadn’t known who he was. That hadn’t bothered him, actually.
Having just returned from a boring round of golf with the dull-as-dirt CEO of a national conglomerate in need of a new headquarters complex, Rick realized he looked more like a mail-room employee than the founder of a multimillion dollar architectural firm. He’d always made a point of personally knowing each and every employee of his company. He wondered how this breathtaking young woman had escaped his notice.
The embarrassment in her eyes was quickly replaced by a snap of anger, barely visible before she spun on her heel and marched toward the conference room. A thick gather of toffee-colored hair spilled to her shoulders, bouncing with each hurried step, and the torn hem of her skirt dangled as a reminder of the earlier accident. For some odd reason, the minor disarray of her clothing made him feel strangely protective.
Beside him, the finance manager continued to drone on about the particulars of a contract he’d be reading himself in a few minutes. He interrupted with no particular grace. “Who is that woman?”
“Which woman?” Frank Glasgow blinked, followed his gaze. “Oh, that’s our new accounting clerk. Jordan, I believe…Catherine, Caitlin…something like that.”
“Find out.”
“Find what out?”
Even after the clearly aggravated Ms. Jordan had disappeared into the conference room with her hard-earned stack of budget reports, Rick kept his gaze glued on the vacant doorway, awaiting her return. “Her name. I want to know her name.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s rude to refer to one’s employees as ‘hey, you.”’
“Oh.” Frank shot a quizzical look, cleared his throat. “Now about the completion clause and non-compliance penalties, I think we should attempt to negotiate a more favorable—”
“Yes, yes, you’re quite right,” Rick mumbled as the gorgeous Ms. Jordan reappeared in the doorway.
She hesitated, noting his presence with an annoyed sideways glance before hurrying across the spacious open area to a neat desk in front of the management cubicles. She seated herself stiffly, deliberately turned her back on him, a subtle signal that she’d noted his visual interest and rejected it.
“Rick, have you got a moment?”
A vaguely familiar feminine voice caught his attention. He glanced around as a portly, middle-aged woman rushed toward him. “Good afternoon, Sandra. I hear your son’s football team won the league championships. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. He’s up for a sports scholarship at U.C.L.A.”
“Really? That’s quite a coup. You must be very proud.”
“Oh, I am.”
“You’ve done something different with your hair.”
“Why, yes.” She patted her chic, scissored coiffeur, gave him a grateful smile. “Even my husband didn’t notice. Do you like it?”
He flashed her a smile that
