to take an inopportune hiatus.
“Dance with me,” he said.
Her eyes widened and his pulse quickened in anticipation. She looked familiar but he wouldn’t forget a woman like her if he’d met her before. He held out his hand and she stared at it, her head cocked like a curious bird. After a pause, she placed her hand in his. It was warm, smooth and delicate. The thrill of their connection gripped him by the shoulders and shook him alert.
As their feet touched the dance floor, Garrett wrapped his arm around her waist, cradling her right hand against his chest. They swayed softly to the music while the crowd gyrated around them. He brushed his fingertips against her bare back. Her skin was like warm silk. As a gnawing hunger filled him to the brim, Garrett laid his palm on her lower back and pressed her body flush against his. A tremor ran through her.
God, she feels so good. He struggled to make sense of her—the stark contrast between innocent wide eyes and a body that radiated raw sensuality.
“Who are you?” he rasped.
Her eyelids fluttered at his question as though he had awakened her from a dream. She shook her head briskly and a veil shifted across her face. Suddenly, he recognized her and his arms fell to his sides.
“You...you really don’t know who I am?” she said, unease crossing her lovely features.
That thrill. He’d only felt it once before, and he belatedly realized this was the same woman who’d made him feel it the first time.
Was her voice this velvety when she barged into my office?
“Should I know you?” He stalled to figure out what her game was.
Samantha had been his first lesson in gold diggers, but she certainly hadn’t been his last. Naturally, Garrett considered himself something of an expert on the issue, and Natalie Sobol didn’t fit the profile. He trusted and respected her. She had backbone and integrity, which made her damn good at her job. Even so, she must’ve orchestrated their run-in to get something out of him.
“I’m...” She cleared her throat and drew back her shoulders. Regrettably for him, the small adjustment managed to thrust her glorious breasts forward, nearly derailing his focus. “It’s Natalie Sobol, Mr. Song.”
“Call me Garrett,” he said, leading her by the arm to the relative privacy of the outdoor balcony. “While we’re getting familiar, care to tell me what you’re up to?”
He couldn’t make out her expression in the moonlight, but he heard a sharp intake of breath. To his surprise, she didn’t pretend their run-in was a coincidence.
“I came here to ask you for a second chance.” She spoke quietly, but her words carried the weight of determination.
“A second chance at what?”
“VP of Human Resources. I missed my interview because of a family emergency, but I’m confident I could do the job better than anyone else.”
So that was her game. His lips twisted. “How do you suppose I fit into that?”
“Please. All I ask for is a chance to get my interview. You’ll soon be our new CEO. The hiring committee would listen to your request.” She swallowed, hesitating for a second. “Please believe me when I say I would never dream of imposing on you like this if I had any other choice. I need that job.”
She was good. He’d long outgrown any disappointment at being used for his money or connections. But he almost believed this woman. Sympathized with her. Garrett hadn’t allowed anyone to manipulate his emotions since Samantha, and his brief slip infuriated him. It made him want to test her.
“And are you offering something in return?” He didn’t bother disguising his disdain.
She gasped and her hands clenched into fists. He watched through hooded lids as pride, anger and mortification splashed across her features. Then, she breathed slowly through her nose before replying in measured tones.
“I’m offering to be the best VP of Human Resources Hansol has ever had.” She arched an eyebrow in cold challenge. “Do I need to offer anything beyond that?”
When he didn’t respond right away, Natalie turned her back on him and strode toward the door with the poise and dignity of a queen. Damn it. He caught up with her and grasped her arm, trying not to notice her warmth.
“Wait.”
It was true. She was a perfect fit for the position, especially with her experience as the interim VP. She wouldn’t have needed his help if she hadn’t missed her interview. Maybe he’d misread her. It was difficult to think with so much of his blood pumping away from his brain.
“Are you willing to consider my request?” Her tone was clipped, but at least she was talking to him.
He understood the hiring committee’s refusal to reschedule her interview—reliability was the bare minimum requirement for an executive position—but Garrett respected her decision to put her family before her promotion. He was only too familiar with putting his family ahead of his own needs.
Garrett froze. It couldn’t have been more than a few hours since his declaration of independence. What if the key to his freedom stood in front of him? Natalie’s appearance was timely enough to be eerie. She was intelligent, pragmatic and desperate—maybe even desperate enough to accept his unconventional proposal.
“Yes, and you can help me in return.”
“You need my help?” Her eyes widened in surprise, but not alarm. He was gratified she didn’t jump to an unsavory conclusion despite his earlier brutishness.
Garrett scanned their surroundings. They had some privacy in their corner of the patio, but a popular nightclub wasn’t the place for a lengthy discussion of his plans.
“I need a wife.”
“You want me to find you a wife?” Her eyebrows scrunched together as though she was struggling to untangle an intricate knot.
“No. I want you to be my wife.”
Her eyes grew impossibly wide, and he was struck once more by her alluring beauty. Her contrasting layers—demure and sizzling, uptight and witty—intrigued him. She was intoxicating. But for this arrangement to work, he couldn’t go there. Something told him sex would mean more than an enjoyable pastime to Natalie Sobol, and messy emotional entanglements could make even the most rational people reckless. No matter how tempting, she was off-limits.
“In exchange for getting me an interview?” she asked.
“You won’t need one. The job is yours if you accept my offer.”
“I don’t need you to hand me the position.” She lifted her chin, narrowing her eyes at him. “I could get it on my own if I get my interview.”
“I wouldn’t hand you the job if you weren’t qualified. Why don’t we say your performance as the interim VP was your interview and you passed?”
“I could have the job? Just like that?” She arched an elegant brow, communicating both her skepticism and distaste.
