Five Star Seduction. Jacquelin Thomas

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СКАЧАТЬ they had had lunch together yesterday, Zaire had noticed that every now and then Tyrese displayed what she could only consider a secret expression. He was kind, professional and passionate about his work, but extremely private when it came to his personal life. He had been dubbed by the press as elusive, which contrasted with his choice in profession.

      A couple of times, she’d felt the heat of his gaze on her, but Tyrese had been careful to avoid being caught looking at her for any long period.

      He was attracted to her. Zaire was sure of it, but she was also pretty positive that Tyrese would never act on that attraction.

      She felt a certain sadness at the thought.

      * * *

      Tyrese remained in his office long after everyone else had gone home, which was not unusual for him. He was normally the last one to leave and the first one to arrive.

      The telephone rang.

      He picked it up without taking his attention from his computer monitor. “Hello.”

      Silence.

      “Hello,” he repeated.

      Tyrese waited a moment for a response. When there was none forthcoming, he was about to hang up.

      “Ty...it’s me.”

      His mouth took on an unpleasant twist. “What do you want?”

      “I want you to give me a chance to explain.”

      “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say,” he snapped. “I’m tired of this. I told you to never call me,” he said, his mouth thinning with displeasure. “You need to respect my wishes.”

      “Please,” the woman pleaded on the other end of the line. “Please don’t hang up on me. Ty, I know that you loved me and I want you to know that I never lied about loving you. I meant every word. I—”

      He cut her off by interjecting, “No, I’m not doing this with you. Do me a favor and never call me ever again.”

      “It’s been five years, Ty. There is something you really need to know. You don’t know what I had to go through to find you.”

      “You needn’t have bothered,” he replied. “I thought I was clear. I never want to see you again.” His face felt tight with strain. “Just leave me alone.”

      “It’s not that simple, Ty.”

      “You ruined my life with your lies and manipulations. What’s done is done. I would say that’s pretty cut-and-dried.”

      Tyrese hung up.

      Although he hated to admit it, even to himself, the call had unnerved Tyrese. He wanted no reminders from the past. Instead, Tyrese wanted to focus on the present and the future.

      His mind centered on Zaire. She represented the future of his company.

      Tyrese took a deep breath and exhaled, adjusting his mood.

      He admired Zaire and her enthusiasm. She had entered the spotlight after publishing her thesis highlighting the unique approaches M.G. took with brand marketing. One of Zaire’s professors had attended college with Pilar and had sent her a copy of the paper.

      Tyrese was surprised initially that Zaire had decided not to follow in her father’s footsteps. It was fortuitous for his company that she had come to him with her proposal.

      Even now, he could feel the warmth of one of her infectious smiles. He was extremely attracted to Zaire. Tyrese cautioned himself to be careful around her. The last thing he wanted was to have to face a sexual harassment charge.

      Chapter 3

      “How are you enjoying your new career?” Sage asked as she and Zaire sat down to eat lunch a couple days later.

      “I love it,” Zaire said. “There’s a lot to learn, but everyone has been so great. This is such a great opportunity to partner with someone like Tyrese Moore straight out of grad school.”

      “I’m kind of surprised at that,” Sage said. “Not that you’re not qualified. We are now a part of that world that you’re catering to, so you do have firsthand knowledge.”

      “I think that’s why I’m perfect for it, although we weren’t raised with silver spoons in our mouths. But I think it takes a person familiar with privileged lifestyles to lead a program like this.”

      Sage nodded in agreement. She took a sip of her water before asking, “So, what do you think of Tyrese Moore? Ryan says that he’s nice but keeps to himself mostly.”

      Zaire broke into a grin. “He’s so handsome, Sage. I have to remind myself all the time that he’s my partner. He’s been in New York for the past couple of days for meetings with prospective clients. I have to tell you—I’m glad he’s gone. I need some time to gather myself.”

      “Yes, you do,” she murmured. “Especially since you work with this man. But at least he’s not your boss. That would definitely be frowned upon.”

      Zaire’s expression stilled and grew serious. “You and Ryan fell in love when you thought he was just some guy you’d found on the streets. That was a workplace romance. Look at Livi and Blaze. Same thing.”

      “Our relationships were different, Zaire,” Sage said. “You and Tyrese will have to work closely together.”

      “I don’t see a problem with that,” Zaire commented.

      “Zaire, I’m just saying that you have to be careful. That’s all. Tyrese has his other employees to consider, as well. The last thing you want is to be the subject of workplace gossip.”

      “I don’t care what other people think,” she uttered. “But I get what you are saying.”

      “Keep your relationship out of the office,” Sage advised.

      “I hear you.”

      Zaire finished up her meal.

      As they walked out of the restaurant, Sage said, “I hope I didn’t upset you.”

      “You didn’t,” Zaire assured her. “You gave me something to think about.”

      “I’ll support you no matter what you decide.” Sage checked her watch. “I need to get going, sis. I have a prenatal appointment, and Ryan’s meeting me at the doctor’s office.”

      Zaire placed a hand to her sister’s round belly. “Take care of my little niece or nephew.”

      They embraced.

      “I’ll see you this weekend,” Sage said.

      “Family cookout,” Zaire responded with a smile.

      “I really want you to be happy, sis.”

      “I know that.”

      After СКАЧАТЬ