In reality, Garrett Song, Hansol Incorporated’s VP of Business and Development, was just a man. A creature of flesh and blood. Yet from everyone’s awe and fascination, he might as well have been the Dark Knight.
His grandparents had founded Hansol Incorporated, and it was now one of the top fashion retailers in the country. It was the Song family’s hard work and dedication that accounted for its success, and Garrett was a Song through and through. His workaholism was renowned in the industry, and Natalie Sobol had witnessed it firsthand. Well, not in person, but through emails and phone calls.
Prior to transferring to Los Angeles a month ago, he’d worked out of the New York office. When the VP of Human Resources there had gone on medical leave last year, Natalie was appointed the interim VP to manage her key duties. She’d worked remotely from the LA office, and reported to Garrett Song for eight weeks. He was exacting but unerringly fair, and she respected his keen intelligence and dedication to the company. And she could swear there was a wicked sense of humor beneath his curt, dry words.
Now that he was in LA, Natalie couldn’t fathom why he couldn’t find half an hour to review and sign the HR documents to finalize his transfer. A pang of disappointment and anger jarred her equilibrium. Did he think his royal status put him above ordinary employees? Had she misjudged him so abysmally?
“Well, tough,” she muttered, tapping her pen against his empty personnel file. Everyone had to abide by the company’s policies and procedures. Even the company’s heir apparent.
It was a good thing she was skilled at putting arrogant executives in their places. She hadn’t become the youngest HR director at Hansol by cowering from her responsibilities. Hell, no. She would lay down the law this minute. After placing a neat stack of unsigned documents into his folder and tucking it under her arm, Natalie headed for his corner office. No matter how entitled he felt, he should be able to sign documents placed right under his nose.
After the briefest of knocks, she stepped into his office and shut the door behind her with an audible click. From the slim metal-and-glass desk to the single abstract painting on the otherwise bare wall, it was a great deal more stylish and far less pretentious than his counterparts’ offices.
His head was bent over the desk, dark hair glinting in the sunlight from the window. Her heart stuttered with the sudden awareness; she was finally meeting Garrett Song in person. This isn’t a social visit, Nat. She marched up to his desk, her sensible pumps clacking on the floor like the beat of a battle drum, but he didn’t bother looking up. Ugh. Is he waiting for a formal announcement of my arrival? She raised a fist to her mouth, but the “ahem” never made it past her throat.
“Yes?” Garrett Song raised his head and his dark brown eyes locked on hers. She felt hot and cold at once, her heart tripping over itself. The grapevine had been on fire due to his renowned good looks, but she hadn’t been prepared for his magnetic presence. The man was breathtaking and she was reminded, with shocking intensity, that she was very much a woman.
You didn’t come to drool over him. You came to reprimand him.
“Mr. Song, I’m Natalie Sobol.” She stuck out her hand, relieved to see how steady it was. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”
“Ms. Sobol.” He nodded, accepting her proffered hand. “The pleasure’s all mine. I haven’t forgotten your invaluable work as the interim VP of HR. You’re truly an asset to our company.”
His compliment brought color to her cheeks, and sparks skipped along her skin as her body responded to the warmth of his hand. She noticed how his broad shoulders and muscular arms strained against the confines of his dress shirt. His upper-class polish barely contained his raw strength and sexuality. Did he ever let his control slip? Let his powerful sensuality burst through? Natalie suddenly wanted to be the one to shatter his control.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
Startled out of her reverie, she tugged on her hand to break contact. For a second, it felt as though he tightened his grip, but then she was free. With her expression restored to polite indifference, she placed the folder on his desk. It didn’t matter that he made her blood rush; he was an executive of Hansol and she was its HR director. It would be unprofessional of her to so much as smile too warmly at him.
“What’s this?” His eyebrows drew together and his gaze turned glacial as he scanned the papers inside.
“Your personnel file.” Natalie cleared her throat and drew her shoulders back. “And a written warning for violating company policies.”
“I can see what it is, Ms. Sobol. What is it for?” He enunciated each word with care.
“All employees are required to sign their employment documents within two weeks of hiring, or in your case, transfer. You’ve been here over a month, but you still haven’t signed them. As the HR director, I have a duty to write you up for violating a company policy.”
He stared at Natalie as though she’d sprouted a third eye on her forehead. Then, he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest, making everything bulge and strain against his shirt. Gah. It was so much easier to work with him when she didn’t have to look at him.
“Of course, if you sign the documents here and now, I won’t put the written warning in your personnel file.” Her words tripped over each other. She’d taken on many executives as part of her daily dose of kick ass, but none of them had melted her bones before. She stomped down on the lust raging low in her stomach.
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Garrett drawled, “but that sounds curiously like a threat.”
“I don’t see how doing my job comes across as a threat to you.” Her words were laced with iron. “It’s imperative I enforce company policies consistently across the board.”
“If you want to insist on going strictly by the book, you’re violating a company policy right now. Employees are entitled to a verbal warning prior to a written warning. Isn’t that correct, Ms. Sobol?”
She already knew he was well versed in the company policies, but she was impressed nonetheless. Unfortunately for him, she knew them better.
“HR gave you countless reminders. Those were more than adequate preliminary warnings. But if you prefer the process to be more official, I’ll be sure to invite you to my office for your next verbal warning.”
“I appreciate your dedication to Hansol.” His full lips quirked into a sexy grin in an abrupt shift in mood. Or tactic. “Why don’t I sign the documents now? Please have a seat.”
Damn it. She was dying to get out of his office—she didn’t understand her reaction to him and she didn’t like it—but he’d effectively trapped her. Gritting her teeth, she sat down and clasped her hands on her lap.
Virility radiated from him. She’d seen good-looking men before, but she hadn’t