.

First he would see what strategy Elise came up with. Every employee had their uses. He’d found hers. No reason not to see how she fared for a few more days.

      Resolutely, he got back to work. Only to find his gaze straying with annoying frequency to the clock on his desk. An hour later, he snatched up the phone.

      ‘Margo, do I not recall paying for an efficient time management seminar recently?’

      ‘Umm...yes. Two months ago.’

      ‘Great. So is there any reason the HR team are taking over an hour to send Miss Jameson back up?’

      ‘Oh, yes, sorry. She called to say Mr Michaels was ordering lunch for the department and that he would be adding her order in so she could eat and get the papers signed at the same time. That’s super-efficient, don’t you think?’

      Alejandro gritted his teeth. ‘Exceedingly.’

      ‘Shall I order your lunch now, sir?’ Margo asked.

      ‘No.’ He started to lower the phone. ‘Gracias,’ he tossed in before slamming down the handset.

      He told himself he was irritated because he wanted her working ASAP. Time was of the essence.

      So why was he eyeing the door, listening out for the click of high heels?

      With a vicious curse, he refocused on the extensive list of products his marketing team needed his approval on before offering it through SNV in the next quarter. He was halfway down it when her laughter echoed through the door.

      He knew it was her because the charge through his blood was hauntingly familiar. And thoroughly unwelcome. His PA joined in the laughter, as did a male voice.

      Alejandro continued reading. More laughter filtered in.

      He didn’t recall moving. Or turning the door handle.

      ‘So lunch was great, then?’ Margo asked.

      ‘Gosh, yes,’ Elise enthused. ‘The club sandwich was amazing! Thanks for recommending it, Oliver.’

      Alejandro watched, unobserved, as Oliver Michaels, his head of HR, delivered a smile that made Alejandro’s hackles rise.

      ‘My pleasure. Although it’s wickedly sinful, it’s more than worth the extra hour at the gym.’ He patted his abs.

      Elise smiled. The act was slow, measured. A revelation. As if she didn’t do it often, so was taking time to draw her companions’ attention to the extraordinary gift she was bestowing on them. Alejandro’s breath strangled in his throat. He watched Michaels and Margo stare as her smile transformed her face from visually stunning to exquisitely entrancing. ‘I call that a win, then.’

      Oliver Michaels was the first to recover. ‘Uh...yeah. I like to think—’

      Alejandro stepped into Margo’s office, achieving instant silence. ‘If you’ve quite finished rhapsodising about culinary delights, perhaps we can all get back to work?’

      Margo’s eyes widened; no doubt she was realising what Alejandro’s chilled voice represented. With a quick nod, she refocused on her keyboard.

      Elise met his gaze, her smile now non-existent, tension in her body as her nostrils flared slightly. Alejandro’s gaze dropped to her lips. She’d lost some of her scarlet lipstick since she’d left his office. The result was a softer look that made him imagine what she’d look like after being thoroughly kissed. Those lips would be much plumper than they were now, of course. And she would have more natural colour in her cheeks—

      Suficiente!

      He redirected his attention to Michaels, who was holding out a folder. ‘I brought Elise’s contract down for you to countersign—’

      ‘Leave it with Margo.’ He glanced pointedly at Elise.

      She took a few steps forward, then paused. Looking over her shoulder, she let loose a smaller smile. ‘Thanks, Oliver. See you around.’

      Michaels jerked out a nervous nod.

      Alejandro waited until she stepped into his office, and slammed the door. ‘See you around?’ he repeated.

      She stiffened. ‘What?’

      ‘I didn’t stammer.’

      ‘No, you didn’t.’ She sighed. ‘You’re clearly having a bad day. I get that. But do you really need to drag everyone down just because you’re in a mood?’

      ‘Excuse me?’ Alejandro bristled.

      ‘On second thought, don’t answer that. I’m here. I’m ready to work.’ She walked away from him, taking the subtle scent of her perfume with her. After retrieving her briefcase, she stopped in the middle of the room. ‘Margo said you haven’t assigned a desk for me to use yet?’

      ‘No,’ he answered shortly, his mind still fixed on the fact that she hadn’t answered his question to his satisfaction.

      ‘Is there one I can use?’ she pressed.

      He inhaled deeply, dismissing the smile, the exchange. Everything that had happened in the last few hours.

      Going to his desk, he grabbed the substantial file that was always within reach. ‘Come with me.’

      He led her to a side door across the room from where she’d done her work that morning. Throwing it open, he walked to the desk directly opposite from the door. Unlike his office, it was sparsely furnished, the only thing besides the desk and chair was a floor lamp set against the single glass wall. He set the file down.

      ‘You’ll work in here. I use this office when I don’t want to be disturbed. Margo is excellent at keeping physical intrusions away when I need it, but even I can’t resist checking my emails when I’m in the middle of a deal.’

      Her smile was tight and false. Alejandro willed himself not to wish for the genuine one he’d caught a brief glimpse of. ‘It’ll do great, thanks.’ She pulled the file towards her. ‘Anything in particular you want me to watch out for?’

      Alejandro shrugged. ‘Read up on the merger. I have a conference call with the Ishikawa brothers tomorrow. You’ll sit in on it with me. You wanted to be my extra pair of eyes. My Japanese is adequate but not expert. You can be my eyes and ears.’

      ‘Okay.’

      She dropped her case on the desk and removed her jacket. The second button of her blouse had come undone. Alejandro shoved his hands into his pockets, irritatingly caught between the need to point it out or ogle the creamy silkiness of her skin.

      Several seconds passed.

      Elise sat down, opened the file and glanced up. ‘Was there something else, Mr Aguilar?’

      ‘Leave the door open. There’s no phone or intercom in here. It’ll save you having to get up and come to me if you have any questions.’

      Her gaze flicked past him to his office. Her eyes widened a touch.

      ‘Yes, I can see you from my desk,’ he confirmed.

      A whisper of a smile touched her lips. ‘I’ll resist the urge to chew on my nails or burp loudly, then.’

      ‘That would be very considerate of you, gracias.’

      Her eyes widened further and Alejandro suppressed a rare smile. He’d lived so long in the States that most people forgot he was of Spanish origin. And more than one past conquest had been enthralled by his occasional lapses into his mother tongue.

      ‘I...I didn’t actually mean that, Mr Aguilar. That was just a—’

      ‘Joke? It may not seem that way to you, but I do know what those are. I’ve occasionally been known to make one or two of them myself.’

      One shapely eyebrow lifted. ‘But not recently?’

      The reminder of why this deal was going sour