Non-Refundable Groom. Patty Salier

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СКАЧАТЬ moment Elena entered Stanley’s office, she came to a sudden halt.

      “Stan, I—” a deep male voice began and then stopped.

      He was standing by the window with a brown calf leather briefcase in hand. She instantly took in his curly black hair and six-foot, solid frame dressed in a gray suit, pressed white shirt and pale blue print tie.

      “You’re definitely not Stanley,” the man said, his twinkling gaze appreciatively taking her all in.

      His visual caress sent a tingle straight down to her toes. “I’m Elena Martin,” she stammered, caught off guard by her sensual reaction to him. “I’m a property manager here at the Santa Monica branch.”

      His warm charcoal eyes held hers. “I’ve heard Stanley mention your name, but I can’t believe I’ve never met you before,” he said. “I’m Garrett Sims, a property manager at the Sherman Oaks branch.” He stepped closer and extended his hand to her. She noticed that he wasn’t wearing a wedding band.

      His large hand covered hers, and she felt a jolt of electricity that completely overwhelmed her. She hadn’t allowed herself to feel close to a man since what happened with her ex-boyfriend, Ted.

      She quickly released her hand from his, trying to focus on her promotion goal. “I have a meeting with Stanley.”

      “So do I.”

      “Right now?”

      “Well, yeah.”

      “That can’t be,” she said. “You must have your appointment time mixed up.”

      “I don’t think so.”

      “I’m sure Stanley will explain your time confusion,” she said.

      “My time confusion?” he repeated with a warm twinkle in his eyes.

      “That’s right,” she said, trying to ignore her strong attraction to him. She unconsciously set down her files on the coffee table. “You’ll need to reschedule.”

      When Garrett didn’t immediately respond, she noticed his gaze drift to her blouse. She looked down and saw that her button had reopened, and her bra was showing slightly.

      She quickly grabbed the folders to her chest, feeling heat rise to her cheeks, not only from embarrassment, but from the spark of playfulness in his eyes that instantly turned her on.

      Just then, Stanley walked in, rushed and preoccupied as usual. In his early sixties, he was stocky, graying and his face was always in a frown.

      “I’ve got a lunch meeting right after this,” Stanley said, sitting behind his desk, motioning them onto the sofa.

      Superaware of Garrett beside her, Elena tried to ignore her ignited reaction to him.

      “Stanley, could I talk to you alone?” she asked.

      “Elena, I purposely scheduled you and Garrett together,” her boss went on. “You want to be promoted to vice president, and so does Garrett. The problem is that I’ve only got one opening.”

      Elena’s stomach tensed as she glanced at Garrett. She had to get that job. She desperately needed the salary raise to financially help out her younger sister, Jan, and Jan’s two school-aged sons. Ever since Jan’s husband had died of a sudden heart attack six months ago, her sister’s job as a caregiver of elderly women had barely covered the bills. Jan’s husband’s small insurance policy had only covered the funeral costs and some unpaid bills.

      She moved to the edge of the sofa. “Stanley, I’m very qualified for the position.” Straggling to keep one folder against her blouse, she pulled out another folder. “On every expense report for the properties I manage, the budget is balanced. I’ve never exceeded the property owners’ cap on expenses.”

      “Fine work, Elena,” Stanley said, glancing at her expense reports, nodding, pleased. “You’re doing an excellent job.” He turned to Garrett. “Can I see your budget figures?”

      Garrett glanced at her, and she thought she saw him hesitate before opening his briefcase. “Sure, Stan,” he said, handing him a set of papers.

      “Superb, Garrett,” Stanley said, flipping through the sheets. “On every building you manage, the expenses are the lowest I’ve ever seen. You’ve saved our clients substantial sums of money. In fact, just today I received a call from one of our building owners praising your work.”

      Elena nervously bit the inside of her mouth. She could see Stanley leaning toward Garrett, and she didn’t know what to do.

      Stanley’s telephone rang. “Excuse me.” He took the call, swiveling the chair so his back was to them.

      Garrett leaned closer to her. “Elena, if you want to talk separately to Stanley,” he whispered, “I’ll tell him I want that, too.”

      She could feel his warm breath against her hair. She could smell his musky aftershave. His sensitivity to her feelings surprised her, but she couldn’t allow herself to focus on him if she wanted that job.

      “Garrett, is the pressure of competing with me too much for you?” she daringly asked, needing to feel more in control.

      His eyes held hers, almost in an embrace. “As a matter of fact, Elena, I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”

      So was she, but she didn’t dare tell him!

      “Garrett,” she began, “I really need this job, and I’m going to get it!”

      A grin spread across his handsome face. “Are you challenging me?”

      “Well, yes,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. “Yes, I am!”

      His gaze remained steady on her. “I completely accept your challenge.”

      Her body grew heated at his words as she fantasized that he meant more than just the promotion.

      Stanley hung up the phone. “You’ve both put me in a dilemma,” he said, turning back to them. He pulled out a folder from a file cabinet. “I’ve got your résumés in front of me, and they’re top-notch.” He flipped through the paper. “Elena, your credits are very impressive. Three prior years of experience with Drexler Property Management, two years at my company. Now you’re successfully managing ten properties for me.”

      She confidently glanced at Garrett with a silent, I told you! But when he smiled and nodded with genuine appreciation, she felt totally thrown off by him again.

      “And you, Garrett,” Stanley went on, sifting through the two-page résumé. “You’ve worked as a property manager for ten years, including three at my company. You’re currently managing sixteen properties. And you’ve won the company award for Top Manager of the Year at the Sherman Oaks branch three times in a row.”

      Elena suddenly felt ill. Garrett had tons of advantages over her. Experience, more accounts, company awards. And he was a man.

      She knew that Stanley had only once hired a woman as vice president, and it was a disaster. She had learned from Grace СКАЧАТЬ