A Daring Affair (3 page)

Victoria had long ago given up on making her niece a fashion diva like herself, but she was grateful that Mandy had graduated from wearing colorful macramé shawls and gaucho pants to sweatpants and hoodies. Mandy had conceded to her aunt’s wishes that she at least wear sporty sweatpants that hugged her legs and the occasional yoga pants.

Victoria had developed the habit of always muttering “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” whenever she became frustrated with her niece’s fashion choices, referring to Mandy’s mother’s own simple fashion style.

Victoria’s younger sister Bethany had been and still was a tomboy. She preferred wearing jeans and T-shirts, and would rarely be caught wearing a dress or skirt. It was why Victoria had named her boutique
So Not My Sister’s Closet
.

Mia knew that her mother and aunt loved each other deeply. It was unfortunate that Bethany’s career took her to far-flung places most of the year, but whenever Bethany was back in Edmonton, the two sisters bonded until Bethany had to travel to a distant locale again.

“How do you know Eric is hot?” asked Mia curiously. “You’ve never met him.”

“Elaine told me, and according to her, he’s the ultimate crush-worthy boss,” Mandy replied with a grin before taking a sip of her cocoa.

“You and Elaine gossip too much.”

“We can’t help it. Besides, I don’t gossip…she does. Remember, I worked with her for three years.”

“Too bad you don’t work there anymore,” said Mia, crossing her legs while she tossed a red fleece blanket over them.

“I couldn’t stand those hotel uniforms,” said Mandy with a grimace. “If they had allowed me to wear my sweatpants and sweatshirts, I would’ve gladly stayed.”

Mia laughed and remembered the day when Ben had looked horrified when Mandy had suggested a new uniform style - uniforms made out of sweatshirt material. Even though Ben disliked the look of the hotel uniforms; as manager, he was allowed to wear his own stylish suits. He loved his suits so much that last Christmas, everyone chipped in to buy him a zoot suit and a matching fedora.

“How is it that when I wish for something, I usually don’t get it, while you don’t even have to make a wish, and you get something wonderful placed on your lap?” asked Mandy.

“It’s been a fairly brutal winter so far. Maybe my fairy godmother took pity on me and decided to fly me to Hawaii.”

“I think my fairy godmother went somewhere tropical and forgot all about me,” grumbled Mandy. “Tell me again why you’re not jumping at the chance to leave this frozen tundra?”

“I’m hesitating because I’m sort of attracted to Eric,” Mia admitted reluctantly. “My imagination would make a porn star blush.”

Mandy’s eyes widened at her cousin’s statement. “Whoa, easy girl. It’s kind of dangerous to have X-rated fantasies about your boss, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I know, it’s really stupid, but I can’t seem to help myself. Eric is just too attractive and sexy. I wish I had more time to sort through my feelings, but he said he wanted my answer by tomorrow afternoon,” Mia said, gulping down the rest of her cocoa. “Besides, what about the store?”

“What about it?”

“If I’m not around, who is going to manage the store during the weekends while you’re in class?”

“Don’t worry about the store, Mia. Your mom will be back in two weeks and I doubt she’ll mind closing it temporarily on the weekends until she returns. I can handle the store during the week until she comes home.”

“Are you sure?” asked Mia, feeling guilty.

“I’m positive,” reassured Mandy. “Just go. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

“Will I? These fantasies have been plaguing me lately. I know I need to stop them somehow,” Mia said with a sigh.

“Your fantasies might just turn into reality. Be careful. Never underestimate the power of attraction.”

Mia bit her bottom lip. “See? This is why I’m hesitating. You know I sometimes plunge into situations without thinking.”

Her cousin nodded but sighed. “Like the time, right after college graduation, when you quit your first job and decided to take off to Europe for a month. You came back home completely broke.”

Mia grinned. “But it was such an eye-opening experience - better than that desk job.”

“
Anyway
,” continued Mandy, “you’re a big girl, and I trust you won’t get into too much trouble. Right?”

“Right,” said Mia, brightening. “I’m going to act professionally but dream wildly.”

Mandy laughed. “Bring back some Hawaiian warmth and sunshine.”

“I’ll bring you back a tiki keychain.”

“Just please don’t order anything from the Air Mall magazine on the way there.”

Mia laughed and felt excitement course through her body at the decision she had made. She didn’t know if she was making a mistake, but it was impossible to say no to Eric. She just hoped he wouldn’t suspect how attractive she found him. That would be downright humiliating.

Mia went to work the next morning and immediately asked Ben about the assistant job. Ben assured her that she was qualified for the position, and that Eric was a good boss. Still uncertain about her decision, she asked Elaine for her opinion. Elaine was thrilled for her, although she admitted to being slightly jealous.

“I’ve been here for six years. Why didn’t I get the offer?” asked Elaine plaintively.

“Because you whine too much,” Ben answered.

Elaine playfully stuck her tongue out at Ben, who just rolled his eyes.

“I’ve never been to Hawaii before,” mused Mia as she scanned the guest lists on the computer screen. Ben and Elaine stood next to her at the front desk counter, re-arranging tourist destination flyers.

“I’ve been to Oahu but not to the other islands,” said Ben. “I’ve heard that Maui is beautiful. It’s awesome that Bliss Hotels is opening a hotel there.”

“Will Eric, I mean, Mr. Greyson be managing the hotel in Maui?” asked Mia curiously.

“I’m not sure, he’s just overseeing the opening as I understand it,” answered Ben. “But they can transfer
me
over there any time. I wouldn’t mind living in a tropical paradise. Beats living here with snow seven months out of the year.”

“Imagine the hunks you’ll see walking around with no shirts on, especially one particular hunk,” Elaine said slyly, winking at Mia.

“Which hunk?” asked a smooth voice from the lobby, making Mia, Ben, and Elaine snap to attention.

Eric stood behind them, looking as handsome as ever. His piercing gray eyes honed in on Mia and he gave her a lazy smile that made her toes curl.

“Good morning, sir,” Ben said politely. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, Ben. Mia, may I speak to you alone?”

Mia’s pulse leaped at his question.

“Of course, Mr. Greyson,” she answered coolly, masking her excitement.

Striving to maintain a look of calm, Mia left the front desk area and followed Eric down the lobby to a half-furnished office space. She watched him sit behind a large metal desk, and she looked dubiously at an old office swivel chair that had seen better days, placed in front of the desk.

“Please, have a seat. I apologize for the state of this office. It’s only temporary, and I’ve instructed Ben to make it more of a storage room.”

Mia sat on the chair, her posture straight and her hands clasped in front of her.

“Have you decided about the job offer, Mia?”

“Yes, I have,” she said, nodding. “I’ve decided to accept your offer.”

“Good,” Eric said, and Mia noticed the look of deep satisfaction in his eyes. “I’m sure we’ll work well together.”

“I hope so, sir,” she said. She just hoped her fantasies wouldn’t get too X-rated in his company.

“Now that we’ll be working closely, why don’t you just call me Eric from now on?”

Mia cleared her throat nervously. “Of course. Eric it is.”

“By the way, how old are you, Mia?”

Mia stared at him for a few seconds before answering.

“I’m twenty-six. Why? Do I look like I need parental consent to go to Hawaii?” she asked half-jokingly.

“No, I was just curious,” he answered, an unreadable expression in his eyes. “I’m leaving Thursday morning, so you only have two and a half days to pack and get ready. I assume you have a passport.”

“Yes, I do,” said Mia, thinking about the multiple stamps on her passport. She traveled to the States frequently.

“Good. I’ll ask Ben to give you tomorrow and Wednesday off, so you can prepare and pack.”

Surprised, Mia said, “You don’t have to do that.”

“You need time to get ready Mia. This is a six-week trip,” he said smoothly. “Ben will understand. I have to wrap up some business now. We have a noon flight, so I advise that we meet at the airport at ten. I’ll have Ben hand you your plane ticket at the end of today.”

Eric stood abruptly and Mia did likewise.

“This is going to be a great trip, Mia,” Eric said confidently, his eyes looking deeply into hers. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“So am I, Eric,” she said softly.

As she reached for the doorknob, so did he and their fingers touched, causing her senses to leap into overdrive. He opened the door for her, but before she stepped through it, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, startling her.

“Don’t worry. It won’t be all work and no play. Hawaii is too beautiful to spend indoors in a conference room all day.”

Mia’s eyes widened. She was completely disconcerted by his hand on her shoulder, but she said nonchalantly, “I’ve heard it’s gorgeous there.”

“Yes, it’s very beautiful,” he said thoughtfully, as he held her gaze.

Mia couldn’t help staring back at him. It was as if they had an invisible connection, and there seemed to be an electrical charge between them. She felt like she was drowning in his gaze. Eric Greyson affected her on a level that no other man had ever achieved in her life.

Finally he grinned, took his hand away from her shoulder and nudged the door open.

As she walked out of the makeshift office, she forced herself not to look back at him, but she could feel his eyes on her back all the way down the hallway.

The next two days passed in a blur as Mia was caught in a haze of excitement over her upcoming trip. The prospect of spending the next six weeks with Eric sent her mind whirling and her heart pumping. She constantly had to remind herself that she was his assistant and that she had to be professional and business-like in her attitude; not infatuated.

When it came time to choosing swimwear, Mia was undecided about whether to bring bikinis or one-piece bathing suits. She shook her head at her dithering. What did it matter anyway? It wasn’t as if she would go swimming with Eric. In the end, she decided to bring bikinis, but she couldn’t suppress her daydreams of swimming with him while his hands roamed her body.

By early Thursday morning, Mia was ready for her trip. She had tried to pack lightly, but ended up filling two large suitcases, mostly because her mother had insisted she take plenty of clothes. In a phone conversation they’d had the day before, her mother had been upset when Mia had told her that she planned on bringing mostly shorts and T-shirts, along with business attire.

“If you’re going to Hawaii,” said Victoria, “I insist you get some clothes from the new summer shipment.”

“No, Mom, those are your best labels. You need them on the store rack, not on me,” protested Mia.

“Mia Serena Connelly, you will not be wearing just shorts and T-shirts after hours. I insist you bring some cute summer dresses. You can’t go gallivanting around a tropical island with your boss, looking like a beach bum.”

“Mom, I won’t be gallivanting with my boss,” Mia said in exasperation.

In the end, Mia had capitulated, and had taken a few pretty summer dresses from her mother’s store. Mandy dropped her off at the airport and helped her remove the luggage from the car.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Mandy teased mischievously. “Knowing you, though, you’ll probably just go ahead and do whatever you want anyway.”

“Ha! I’m not that impulsive,” Mia protested as she pulled the handles out of her luggage.

“I beg to differ. I don’t know how many times I said ‘I told you so’ when we were kids.”

Mia rolled her eyes. “Well, we’re not kids anymore, and you, dear cousin, even encouraged me to take this trip.”

“Only because your drop-dead gorgeous boss is going with you. Who wouldn’t?”

“He’ll be the reason I’ll get into trouble,” Mia said, smiling impishly. “Don’t worry. I’ll call you before I do anything completely outrageous.”

“Sure you will,” replied Mandy with a laugh.

Mia gave her cousin a hug, and as she did so, she heard Mandy let out a low whistle. Mia looked behind her and felt her blood surge.

Eric was standing a few feet away, watching them intently. He wore black slacks that hugged his muscular legs, and a black leather jacket that emphasized his inherent sexiness. The terminal was crowded with travelers, but Mia didn’t see anything or anyone else. Her focus was solely on Eric.

Mandy elbowed her side and asked, “Is that him?”

“Yep,” answered Mia, her gaze captured by his.

“Wow, Mia,
crush-worthy
is not an accurate description of your boss. I have to say that he’s the epitome of male perfection,” Mandy gushed. “And that is no exaggeration.”

Mandy’s statement snapped Mia out of her staring contest with Eric. She looked at Mandy with amusement and said, “This coming from a girl who rarely stops writing long enough to notice any available men around her.”

“Not true. I noticed the FedEx guy the other day. Besides, this one is kind of hard to overlook,” Mandy said dryly. “You’d have to be six feet under not to notice him.”

“Tell me about it,” mumbled Mia with a frustrated sigh. She hoped she didn’t look as discombobulated as she felt, especially since Eric was fast coming toward them. Why couldn’t the man have at least one imperfection, like a pimple or two?

“Mia,” he said.

His deep voice always managed to send a sliver of excitement through her nervous system. She was suddenly glad that she had picked out a pretty dress for the trip. A blend of light blue cashmere and wool, it protected her from the frigid cold. Tall, dark brown leather riding boots completed her outfit.