weeks early. Sabrina told me she had a boy. I brought her this.” She raised her left hand to show him the pink and blue bag dangling from her fingers. She’d bought the gift for his assistant weeks ago and was disappointed she wouldn’t get to see Andrea’s expression when she opened it.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was supposed to meet with Andrea.”
“You’re with the employment agency?”
She whipped out a business card and extended it across the three feet that separated them. “I own it.” She made no attempt to disguise her pride at what she’d accomplished.
He rubbed his thumb over the lettering on the business card before glancing down. “Rachel … Lansing?”
“My maiden name.” She wasn’t sure why she felt compelled to share this tidbit with him. It wasn’t going to change how he felt about her now, was it?
“You’re divorced?”
She nodded. “Four years.”
“And now you run an employment agency here in Houston?”
She’d come a long way from the girl who was barely able to support herself and her sister on the tips she made waitressing in a beach restaurant in Gulf Shores, Alabama. And yet, how far had she come when no matter how well her business did, she never felt financially secure?
“I like the freedom of running my own business,” she said, pushing aside the worry that drove her day and night. “It’s small, but growing.”
And it would grow faster once she moved into larger offices and hired more staff. She had the space all picked out. A prime location that wouldn’t have lasted on the market more than a few days. She’d signed the lease yesterday, gambling that the commission she’d get from placing a temporary assistant with Case Consolidated Holdings would give her the final amount she needed to move. Maybe then she could stop living day to day and start planning for the future. However, now that she’d run into Max, that fee seemed in jeopardy, and just to be safe, she’d better back out of the lease.
If only Devon had been able to come here in her stead. A skilled employment specialist, he was her right hand. Unfortunately, his mother had gone to the hospital yesterday with severe abdominal pain and had been rushed into surgery to remove her gall bladder. Rachel had told Devon to stay with his mother as long as she needed him. For Rachel, family always came first.
“How many assistants have you placed here?” Max’s piercing stare didn’t waver from her face as he slid her business card into his breast pocket. The effect of so much icy heat coming to bear on her was starting to unravel her composure.
“Five.” She dropped her hand into her jacket pocket to keep from plucking at her collar, lapel or buttons and betraying her disquiet. “Missy was the first. Sebastian’s assistant.”
“That was your doing?”
Rachel blinked at the soft menace in his voice. Did Max have something against Missy? She’d been with Case Consolidated Holdings for four years and had worked out great. In fact, it was that placement that had jump-started her business.
“I heard she recently got promoted to communications director.” And married Max’s brother, Sebastian. Surely that proved how good Rachel was at her job.
“That means you’ve been in Houston four years?” The question rumbled out of Max like a guard-dog growl.
Anxiety spiked. “About that.”
“Why here?”
When she’d left him in the Alabama beach town, he’d never wanted to see her again. Was he wondering if it was fate or determined stalking on her part that she’d shown up at Case Consolidated Holdings?
“I moved here because of my sister. She went to the University of Houston and has friends here. It made sense for us to settle in Houston after she graduated.”
Inferring that Rachel hadn’t had friends where she’d lived before. Curiosity fired in Max’s eyes. The intensity of it seared her nerve endings. Five years had passed since she’d last seen him and her physical response to his proximity hadn’t dimmed one bit.
“I have three clients in this building,” she told him, her tone firming as she reclaimed her confidence. She’d been dealing with executives for over ten years and knew exactly how to handle them. “The fact that I’ve placed five assistants here and we’ve never run across each other should tell you that my interest in your company is purely professional.”
He surveyed her like a cop in search of the truth. “Let’s talk.”
“I thought that’s what we were doing.” She bit the inside of her lip as the smart-ass remark popped out.
Once upon a time he’d liked her cheeky banter. She doubted he’d say the same thing today. Five years was a long time to stay mad at someone, but if anyone could manage, it would be Max Case.
“In my office.”
Pivoting on his heel, he strode away from her down the hallway that led into the bowels of Case Consolidated Holdings. He didn’t look back to see if she was following. He expected obedience. He’d always been bossy that way. Telling her where to put her hands, how to move her hips, the areas of his body that needed her attention.
Her skin flushed. Desire found a warm and welcoming home inside her. She couldn’t move. What was she doing? Her memories of those four days with Max belonged in the tomb with all her girlish hopes and dreams. Her moratorium on men and sex remained in full force. Indulging in lusty thoughts of Max was the height of stupidity if she hoped to cultivate a professional relationship with him.
Max disappeared around a corner. This was her chance to run. She should make some excuse. Send Devon to do the interview tomorrow.
No. Rachel squared her shoulders. She could do this. She had to do this. Her future required this placement fee.
Five years ago, she’d learned a hard lesson about running from her problems. These days, she faced all difficulties head-on. Lansing Employment Agency needed this commission. She would do a fabulous job for Max, collect her money and treat herself to a bottle of champagne and a long bubble bath the day the agency moved into its bigger, better office. It all started with this meeting.
Rachel forced her feet to move. Step by step she gathered courage. For four years she’d been scraping and clawing her way upward. Convincing Max that Lansing was the agency for him was just one more hurdle, and by the time she reached the enormous office bearing Max’s name, she had her chin set at a determined angle and her eyes focused on the prize.
“Did you get lost?” he asked as she crossed the threshold.
A long time ago.
“I stopped at Sabrina’s desk and asked her to send the baby gift to Andrea.”
Rachel glanced around Max’s office, curious about the businessman. During their four days together, she’d learned about his family and his love of fast cars, but he’d refused to talk about work. In fact, until she’d met Sebastian four years ago, and noticed the family resemblance, she didn’t know he was Max Case of Case Consolidated Holdings.
The walls bore photos of Max leaning against a series of racecars, helmet beneath his arm, a confident grin on his face. Her heart jumped in appreciation of how handsome he looked in his one-piece navy-and-gray racing suit, lean hips and broad shoulders emphasized by the stylish cut. A bookshelf held a few trophies, and books on muscle cars.
“You cut your hair.” Max shut the door, blocking her escape.
She searched his expression, but he’d shut all emotion behind an impassive mask. His eyes were the blank stone walls of a fortress. Nevertheless, his personal comment aroused a tickle of awareness.
“Never liked it long.” Her ex-husband had, however.
A softening of