on earth was she going to work for the man when she couldn’t keep her wits about her in his presence? She’d be out of here in two seconds flat if she couldn’t perform. He had a real reputation for being a hard-ass. She could deal with that. He hadn’t gotten where he was at the age of thirty-one without that particular character trait, she was sure. Focused people didn’t scare her—she admired them—but in his case she had to admit that she admired him just a little bit too much.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“No, not exactly. Perhaps a little surprised at my appointment—not that I’m complaining about it.”
“I was merely commenting on your length of service with Worth Industries. You’re what, twenty-eight, and you’ve been with Worth for eight years?”
Even his voice was a distraction. Rich and deep and with a texture that sent a tiny shiver of longing down her spine. And his accent. A little bit Upper East Side and a little bit Kiwi. The combination and inflections in his tone did crazy things to her insides.
“Yes. My whole family has worked, or does work, for Worth.”
“Ah, yes, your brother—Jason, is it?”
She nodded. “And my parents, too, when they were alive. They were both on the factory floor.”
“That’s quite a loyal streak you’re showing there.”
Maggie shrugged. “Not really. Especially when you consider that Worth Industries—I mean, Cameron Enterprises—is the major industry and employer in Vista del Mar.”
This promotion to Mr. Tanner’s executive assistant, even in its temporary capacity, since he’d been seconded to Vista del Mar short-term only to complete financial viability studies, was not only unexpected, but the increase in income would prove very welcome. Paying off her brother’s college tuition was an ongoing cost for both Jason and her, and one they looked forward to seeing the end of. Even with Jason working here for the past two years and contributing to their monthly expenses, including the payments on the small house that had been their home from childhood, the college loans had remained a yoke around their necks. Maybe now, with her promotion, they could plan for a few luxuries for themselves—within reason, of course.
“Have you never wanted to branch out? Go further afield with your work?” he asked, leaning back against the edge of his desk.
Go further afield? She was afraid if she told him the truth he’d laugh at her. Ever since she was a child she’d had a map of the world pinned to her bedroom wall—a round red pin pressed into every city or country she wanted to visit. For now, she contented herself with travel books and DVDs. But one day she’d fulfill those dreams.
William Tanner awaited an answer. Wow, way to go on impressing the new boss, she thought. So far she’d let her mind wander, what, how many times?
“Travel isn’t my priority right now,” she said firmly, and sat a little straighter in her chair.
He gave her another one of those smiles and she felt it all the way to the pit of her belly. She’d travel to the ends of the world with him, she thought and allowed her lips to curve into an answering smile.
“There may be some travel involved in your position with me. Will that be a problem?”
“No, not at all. I have no dependants.”
While that was technically true, and she and Jason shared their family home, the habits of ten years were pretty darn hard to break. Besides, she still felt a deep sense of responsibility toward her younger brother. He’d gone through a very rocky time after their parents died. Guiding his decisions had become second nature, although she knew he sometimes resented her continued interest in his whereabouts and friends.
“I’m glad to hear it.” He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and pushed up off the desk edge, pacing over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the Cameron Enterprises corporate campus. “You mentioned you were surprised to be given this position. Why is that?”
Maggie blinked several times behind her glasses. Surprised? Of course she was surprised. For eight years she’d been virtually invisible to her peers and certainly invisible when it had come to her previous applications for promotion.
“Well …” She chewed her lip for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “As you said, I’ve been here quite a while. I guess I thought that no one ever saw me as capable of rising to a position such as this. That’s not to say that I don’t think I am capable—nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve worked in several departments here and I believe my experience makes me a valuable asset to any of the executives.”
He laughed. “You don’t need to convince me, Margaret. You already have the job.”
She felt a heated blush rise from her chest to her throat before flooding her cheeks with color. Now she’d be all blotchy. She forced herself to remain calm and focused instead on the fact he’d called her Margaret. No one called her that. Since she was a little girl everyone around her had called her Maggie, and she hadn’t really minded much. But hearing her full name from his lips made it sound special, particularly with the way he spoke with that slightly clipped intonation. Yes, as the executive assistant to the CFO of Cameron Enterprises, she would be called Margaret. She replayed the syllables in her mind and let a small smile play across her face in response.
“Thank you, I do know that. I just want you to know you won’t be sorry you chose me.”
“Oh, no, I know I won’t be sorry,” he replied.
Will looked across his temporary office at the woman he’d specifically requested be brought to him. It was almost impossible to believe that behind those owlish, dark-framed old-fashioned glasses and the poorly fitted suit lay the siren who’d infiltrated his dreams every night since the masquerade ball. But it was definitely her. Even with her long black hair scraped off her face and dragged into a knot that was tight enough to give him a headache, there was no denying the delicate line of jaw and the fine straight nose were those of his Spanish lady.
His gut tightened in anticipation. He’d waited quite long enough to revisit that kiss. Tracking her down hadn’t been the easiest thing he’d ever done, but he wasn’t known for his tenaciousness for nothing. The trait had stood him well over the years and gave him an edge that saw him succeed where others failed. And he would succeed with the delectable Ms. Cole—he had no doubt about it.
She’d done a runner on him the night of the ball, but not before enticing him in a way no other woman had—ever. He wasn’t a man to be denied, not under any circumstances— especially not when his reaction to her had been very obviously mirrored by the object of his attention.
And here she was. He blinked. It really was hard to believe they were one and the same woman. She fidgeted in her chair—a reminder that it was up to him to do something about the silence that now stretched between them.
“Tell me about your time here. I see from your file that you spent some time in the factory before moving into office work?”
“Yes,” she replied, her deceptively prim lips pursed slightly as she appeared to choose her next words carefully. “I started in the factory, but the shifts made it difficult for me to be available for my brother before and after school. I requested a transfer into admin and learned what I know now from the ground up.”
“Available
