Chapter Two
My fingers shook as I flicked my pen against my notepad. Joseph was due any minute, and for some bizarre reason, I was nervous as hell. I’d spoken to my boss on the phone about work almost every day in the last three months, there was no reason for my hands to be shaking.
“Lola.” His deep voice made me jump and I spun around in my chair before gliding into a stand.
He’d somehow appeared without me knowing, he must have been some type of ninja. There he stood, taller than I’d imagined, beside the door. I gulped as I admired his thick-set muscular frame and strong square jaw. The dappled grey and black of his short beard drew my attention. Something about his age made him super-hot.
“Joseph,” I squeaked, almost tempted to bow .
A smile pulled at my lips as I resisted. Stupid woman, he was just a man. My boss. He wasn’t a king or knight of the realm. He wore dark green cargo trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, the sleeves still rolled up to his elbows. He dressed perfectly for a creative designer who didn’t actually go to any of our clients’ homes.
“It’s good to meet you.” His drawl echoed into my ears as he wandered around the small office, not coming near me until he’d circled once. There wasn’t much to see in the small room, but it seemed as if he were looking everywhere else but at me.
“It’s about time.” I laughed, coughing when his gaze snapped to me.
The narrowing of his bright blue eyes made me freeze to the spot. My sarcasm wasn’t appreciated by the older man. Maybe I should reign it in a bit, he was still technically my employer and I’d need a good reference going forward, even if it had been a strange job.
“Remind me how old you are, again?” he said.
Flutters danced in my stomach, and I shrunk under his heated gaze, swallowing the nerves that surged. “Twenty One.”
He nodded a couple of times before gesturing for me to sit. I did as he said, instantly lowering myself to the chair and crossing my legs. His gaze followed the movement, his eyes flaring when my skirt slipped to reveal my thighs. Heat warmed my skin and my throat went dry.
“Show me your work,” he said, sitting on the only spare chair in the god-forsaken place.
“Oh.” Turning to my desk, I took out his drawings and my digital copies.
His heavy hand fell over mine and I glanced up, my eyes wide. The slow shake of his head made my mouth open slightly.
“No,” he murmured, his bright eyes delving into mine. “Your papers. I’m sure you’ve been working on something.”
A frown pulled my eyebrows as I licked my lips and nodded. How did he know I’d been working on my own designs?
Cocking his head, he raised his eyebrows. “Most people who come straight out of university are wannabe designers, are they not?”
His wink settled my nerves, and I smiled, taking out the folder I’d secreted away every day since joining the company. I had no idea why I’d been so scared of leaving it out, considering no one ever came into the office.
“You inspire me with your designs, so I study them closely. I don’t ever steal your ideas,” I added, “so don’t worry about that. ”
His chuckle put me at ease as he took the paper and started to study the digital images. There were a couple of kitchen layouts in my portfolio, but my speciality, my passion, was baby nurseries. I’d won accolades at University with my intricate and pretty designs.
As he flicked through them, Joseph remained stoic. His hands were steady, unlike mine. His concentration fierce, also unlike mine. Why was I so nervous about my boss seeing into my world? That had been the whole point of joining his company, surely?
“What drives you?” he asked, jolting me out of my thought diarrhoea.
The intimate question sucked the air from my lungs. So, one minute, I’d been on my own, left to my own devices. The next, I was up close and personal with the boss man, who I’d completely read wrong. I’d assumed he was lazy, someone who couldn’t be bothered to utilise his talent. Someone who sat at home most of the time, watching kinky cult classics and chugging on a beer. And yet… his energy was anything but sappy. His strong light eyes bore into mine, willing me to answer. And fuck me, I didn’t have the strength to refuse.
“I’m a box baby,” I blurted .
He lifted his head and tightened his jaw, nodding once to encourage me to continue.
What was I doing? Why was I spilling my life story to my middle-aged boss? His enigmatic energy almost forced the words out of my mouth.
“I was found in a box outside the hospital doors, almost dead. They managed to save me, but they never did find either of my parents.” Keeping my gaze on the desk, I bit my bottom lip. “I was placed into care and shared a rundown nursery with several other kids until I was put into a permanent foster home.”
He stayed quiet, not making a sound other than the shallow tone of his breath.
“I suppose…” Shrugging, I waved at the papers in his hands. “…I’m a sadistic person who wants to make gorgeous areas for babies and toddlers to enjoy.”
“That’s commendable,” he finally spoke, his voice low. “You’re a talented girl.”
“Girl?” I laughed, pleased that he’d given me an excuse to lighten the mood. “Sorry, I suppose… I am...”
Lifting my gaze, I froze. He stared at me, his jaw tight and his eyes intensely delving. The sound of my hilarity faded as we watched one another, somehow trapped in a strange staring contest. What the hell was going on?
“Sorry,” he said, handing back my designs. “You’re a beautiful woman.”
I scoffed and fumbled with my folder, taking my papers back and stuffing them in until he glared enough to make me stop. Before he’d walked into my office, I’d been confident and comfortable, knowing full well that I’d worked my arse off to get to where I was now. For some bizarre reason, his praise sent a thrill down my spine and my cheeks grew hot. He hadn’t ever shown any interest in my work before. In fact, he’d hardly spoken to me, too busy hiding away. It was as if my threat to leave had made him realise how important I was to his operation. Well, good, that had been the point.
“Take care of those.” He pointed at my work. “You might have need for them.”
Clearing my throat as he got to his feet, I nodded and placed them back in my hiding place. My insides were wobbly as he started to walk towards the door. Just before he reached it, he looked over his shoulder with a smouldering stare. “Please, reconsider your position here at Hunter Designs. I’ll show you exactly what you can achieve over the next week. What do you say? ”
My throat went dry as my head nodded of its own accord. “Very well,” I replied, suddenly feeling bold. “Show me what you’ve got.”