Page 24

What he sent back didn’t surprise me, but it still ticked me off.

“You bitch!”

My comeback was childish, but necessary.

“That’s rich coming from someone with the nickname Sir Hands-a-Lot you creep!!!”

My only regret is the three exclamation marks. I should’ve added at least seven.

I glance at my new boss’s closed office door as I pass and feel a pang of disappointment. He’s either not here or busy. I really want to meet this man. I don’t even know him, but I already admire everything he stands for.

Bronson Kingsley, CEO, stands proud in bold black lettering on the shiny brass sign.

I round my desk and move straight towards the floor-to-ceiling window that sits behind it. I can’t believe I have my own view of the majestic Sydney Harbour from my desk. Somebody pinch me.

A few days ago, I was in total despair, and now look at me. I’m barely one minute into my new job, and I’m already smiling like a lunatic. At the last place, they shoved me into a dark corner, surrounded by faux-panelled walls. Not a window in sight.

My grin wavers slightly when I spin around and notice a bowl full of oranges sitting on my desk. I’ll have to keep a close eye on my new boss. If he really is going through some kind of crisis, I’m more than willing to help him through it.

I think that’s why I’ve always enjoyed being a personal assistant. Mum says I have a mothering nature. I like taking care of people, anticipating what they need, and making their lives easier. I’ve always been that way.

Pulling out my chair, I take a seat and bounce a few times, testing out the comfort before sinking back into the leather with a satisfied sigh. I’m going to slay the hell out of this job.

I take my glasses case and notebook from my handbag and place them beside the keyboard before stowing my bag in the bottom drawer. I switch on my computer and turn to the first page of notes I jotted down yesterday.

I unzip the case, pull out my thick black-rimmed reading glasses—my Dad refers to them as my Buddy Holly specs, while Mum says they make me look smart—and log on, using the details Violet gave me.

Something moves in my peripheral vision, and I look up to see a huge bunch of roses approaching. My stomach flips when I take in the pastel colours. Pink, mauve, cream, lemon and peach. They’re eerily similar to the ones I recently received.

The person holding them stops on the other side of my desk, and I gasp when the flowers lower, revealing the man behind them. “Not-Brendan,” I murmur as I narrow my eyes.

He smiles, and goddamn it, my heart trips over itself. He’s even more infuriatingly gorgeous than I remember. The bright morning light pouring through the window behind me only highlights every chiselled feature, making it damn near impossible to look away.

“Good morning, Rose … like the flower. These are for you. Something to commemorate your first day on the job.” He extends his free hand. “I don’t believe I’ve officially introduced myself. My name is Bronson Kingsley. I’m the CEO of Kingsley Holdings, and your new boss.”

I continue to stare, blinking once, then twice, as my jaw lands in my lap. My flabber is officially ghasted as I mumble, “I’ve been hoodwinked.”

That damn smile on his face only grows as he arches a brow. “Hoodwinked?”

“Yes. Deceived … tricked.”

“I know what the word means, Rose,” he says as his eyes scan my face. “I didn’t know you wore glasses.” I push them higher up my nose, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “They frame those exquisite emeralds perfectly,” he says it with such sincerity that I forget how to breathe for approximately three seconds. Which is annoying.

I snap out of my daze quick-smart when he thrusts the flowers towards me. I leap to my feet, snatch them from his hand, and start looking around.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“Looking for the bin,” I growl.

“You’re throwing them out?”

“Yes. I threw away the other ones you sent as well.”

“No, you didn’t,” he says, his grin spreading into a full, toothy smile.

I pause, staring at him for a moment. “Yes, I did,” I lie.

“I saw you carrying them to the bus stop, Rose.”