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1
CANDACE
The night air is cold, frigid even, and like a fool, I hadn’t worn any sort of jacket, my mind so distracted by what was supposed to be an incredible night.
When I first held the cardstock invitation done in shades of gold and cream in my hands, I felt like this was the first sign that I had really made it in life, and that my career was going to take off. Now, though, I’m so painfully nervous as I walk into the Mayflower Hotel, hoping that my boss, Cannon, either won’t recognize me right away or that our earlier incident will be meaningless to him and he won’t acknowledge it at all.
Even in the chilly air, I feel my cheeks heat as I pass from the darkened outdoors into the warmly lit lobby of the hotel.
The lobby is huge and opulent, and the employees are all too happy to greet me and point me in the right direction. I can tell that this is going to be an unforgettable evening—for better or worse. Heels clicking on the hard polished stone floor, it isn’t hard to find the ballroom where the event is being held.
Standing outside the wide-open double doors, I take a few deep breaths, letting the goosebumps on my skin dissipate in the generous warmth. And with my head held high, I enter the ballroom. I hear the soft sounds of music and laughter coming from inside, and once I enter, I look upwards and around in quiet appreciation.
The ballroom is absolutely gorgeous, with soaring ceilings, sparkling chandeliers, and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer stunning views of the city. All around me, the decor is elegant and sophisticated, with lush floral arrangements, gold accents, and plush furnishings.
I keep my eyes fixed ahead of me, even ignoring the waves from some of my coworkers, intent on finding my table and blending into the background so I don’t have to face the object of all my anxieties.
But, of course, it’s pointless.
Right in front of me stands Cannon, bright, piercing blue eyes locked on me as if I’m a gazelle and he’s a lion. I take in his chiseled jaw, set stubbornly as he turns all his attention towards me.
Cannon’s mere existence is intimidating, and it doesn’t help that he’s gorgeous. Tall, with a strong build and broad shoulders, Cannon doesn’t look like the usual business type. His hair is a deep, rich brown that looks almost black in low lighting and is always styled in a way that looks effortless yet put together. His sensual mouth is paired with a hint of stubble on his chin that gives him a bit of a rugged look.
There's something about him that I can't resist. A slow, indulgent smirk plays over his face, full of promises that my brain can’t even compute. That smile is infectious and reveals a perfect set of white teeth. I pause, gripping my clutch purse hard, and think wildly about fleeing the gala altogether, but Cannon’s gaze holds me in place like my heels are glued to the floor. And to my horror, he’s stalking toward me now.
There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. But…a part of me doesn’t want to, even if I could.
My heart sinks as he makes his way over to me, and even worse, once he’s in front of me, his eyes rake me from head to toe so thoroughly that I can almost feel his eyes like a physical touch.
“Candace,” Cannon says, his voice dark and smokey. I’m in so much shock that I don’t even react when he reaches to grab my chin and leans forward so his words are only loud enough for me to hear. “I have to say, I like the dress even better in person. I hope you aren’t still feeling self-conscious because, in my opinion, you look like a walking wet dream.”
Heat rushes over me. First, it’s unwelcome arousal, followed by mortification as I realize everyone around us is sneaking glances in our direction. I can feel the eyes of my co-workers on us, making this my worst nightmare. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m getting ahead in the company because I’m sleeping with my boss, and sexual energy is pouring off Cannon like a fountain. How can my coworkers be thinking of anything else?
"Please, Cannon," I beg. "Don't do this in front of everyone."
But it’s too late. The damage has been done, and I know that I will be dealing with the consequences for a long time to come. Even if Cannon is the head of the company, since he was the one to found it, after all, it won’t change the way I’m treated. I start to spiral into worry, still held by Cannon’s hand on my chin, but his next words make my focus snap right back to him and only him, the crowd around us fading into the background.
“Sweet Candace, I plan to do plenty with you. But rest assured, it won’t be in front of everyone.” He releases me and takes a single step back. “I will see you later tonight. Enjoy the event.”
In a daze, I watch him walk away before going to find my own seat. Maybe if I was better established at the magazine, I wouldn’t be as on edge as I am right now. But I’ve only been working atElite Editionsmagazine for two months, and I barely know the writers on the floor that I’m interning on, let alone the CEO, Cannon Croft.
The only reason his number is even in my phone, sitting there like a ticking time bomb, is because we did a video chat interview before I had been approved for the job. It’s well known in the local industry that Cannon likes to handpick his employees—from his Vice President all the way down to the baristas at the on-site cafe. Saving his number had been an impulsive decision, but I never expected that it would come back to bite me in the ass quite the way it had.
As I watch the event unfold around me, my thoughts are dragged back to the incident that put me directly in Cannon’s crosshairs.
It had just been hours ago, as I prepared myself for the dinner, tugging at my brand-new dress and nibbling at my lip. As I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection, I couldn't help but feel both underdressed and out of my league, all at the same time.
The silver dress I had just received in the mail was unlike anything I had ever worn before—a shimmering silver color with spaghetti straps and a silhouette that hugged my body in all the right places. At first glance, Ilovedthe way it made me feel, but after thinking about where exactly I was supposed to wear it, the nerves set in. I had ordered it online, hoping that it would be the perfect thing to wear to the work event I had coming up, but I hadn't realized just how short it was until it arrived. Just to make the situation harder, the dress had arrived two days late, so I had nothing else to wear to the gala.
After taking the dress off and putting it back on three different times, I decided that a second opinion was needed.
My best friend Cara, who still lived in Florida, was always brutally honest, so there was no one better to give me the truth about my new dress. I’ve put on a few pounds since arriving in Seattle, my new job and classes making it impossible to do the yoga I used to do all the time back home, and Cara wouldn’t pull punches if I looked too out of line.
I quickly snapped a picture of myself in the dress and sent it to Cara, barely looking at my phone screen as I did so, distracted by pairing the right shoes and jewelry. But as I hit send, I realized with a sinking feeling that the text history was totally blank, which was completely wrong, since Cara and I speak every day.
My eyes shot up to the contact name, and cold terror hit me like a freight train. I accidentally sent the picture to my boss instead…and now Cannon Croft has a picture of me in my bedroom mirror.
My heart began to race as I realized what I had done. Even though Cannon was older than me, I had always found him crazy attractive, but I knew that it was completely inappropriate to send him a picture of myself like this, even if it was an accident. What kind of airhead must he think I am now?
