of Lucien's office, turning the glass walls pale gold

tly centered on his imma

thing in the disjointed, utterly ordinary résumé explained how a woman with a scattered adminis

ght beside it. Lucien picked it u

The work wasn't merely attractive. It understood human vul

, it had caught

résumé. On paper, she was entirely unremarkable. But he was b

t through the a

me

side. "Ms. Hale h

fectly aligning it with the e

ny door opened w

mask securely in place, but the rigid set of her jaw and the deliberate pa

from his desk. Out of arm's rea

ured toward the leather cha

s the imposing office before locking back onto him. She was bracing herself for a corpora

t her believe that fo

her closed file. "You've worked

es

ore

ral p

He didn't need to. "Receptionist. Cashier. Adminis

d by how much he already knew without looking at the pa

hy

carefully weighing the

er answer. No desperate attempt to dress it up or s

ly, leaning back slightly. "Do

answer came

er ignited in his chest.

s piercing stare. "Bec

like your pr

them we

not what

on, her chin lifting just enou

aught his undivided

ng anything I

rest against the edge of the Sweetheart prop

d, but he caught it. The guarded caution in her ey

his project t

se it'

hers. "Your idea. You weren't assigne

es

He simply waited. The heavy, suffoca

hed her lips as she broke the

ngerously s

as no corporate polish in her voice, no calculated attempt to impress the

n't seen in any of Declan

mé to the far corner of his d

rease appeared between her brows. "Is

N

en.

rporate executive to something entirely predatory.

nished wi

urvival instinct in her body

eel-gray eyes pinning her in place like a butterfly o