The Back-Up Plan (19 page)
He could see why others might think her cold and reserved. But the red lipstick was a dead giveaway and corroborated her statement in the shop.
This woman
, he thought,
desperately wants to be kissed
. She was gorgeous, and from that moment, watching her standing by her desk with hands on hips and those luscious red lips pursed, Felix wanted her.
It was a pity that the absolute last thing he could indulge in considering his reason for being at the branch was an office affair.
Rob knocked on the door, timidly enough to make Felix bite his lip so he didn’t laugh.
She looked up at them over the top of her glasses. “Yes?” Her voice was crisp and said
Are you sure you want to bother me? I’m really not in a good mood.
Her eyes met Felix’s. They widened, and he was sure he heard her inhale sharply.
Rob said, “Sorry to interrupt you, Miss Stark, I know you’re very busy, but I thought I’d bring Felix Wilkinson along to meet you. I’ll leave you to it if that’s okay. I’ve got lots to do.” He winked at Felix and made a quick exit.
Felix watched him go before turning to see her studying him. She’d smothered her initial shock and replaced it with cool control.
“So you’re the infamous Mr. Wilkinson.” She beckoned him into the office and held out her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
“And you’re the infamous Miss Stark,” he said. They shook hands. She had a firm grip, and up close he could see her eyes were a startling green behind her glasses. “Very nice to meet you—again,” he said, giving her a warm smile.
“Hmm.” She didn’t return the compliment, or the smile. “Please sit.”
Felix lowered himself to the other seat in front of the desk, noting with amusement that she didn’t join him but perched on the edge of her desk, looking down at him. A position to intimidate. Clearly she was going to pretend their previous meeting—and her unfortunate admission to her friend—hadn’t happened. Leaning back in his seat, he rested an ankle on the opposite knee and linked his fingers, adopting the most un-confrontational pose he could.
“I’m the office manager,” she said, “and—”
“Yes,” Felix interrupted, “I hear congratulations are in order.”
She blinked. “Thank you.” The icy stare said
Don’t interrupt me again.
“Anyway, as I was saying, I’m in charge of those who aren’t lawyers here—the word processor operators and the legal secretaries, the librarians and service clerks and all the other litigation support staff. If you need something done, you come to me first, understand? I know everyone’s workload and everyone’s skills, and I can assign you the best person for the job.”
Felix nodded. “Understood.”
“In a minute I’ll show you where you put your general files for the typing pool, but I’ll probably be assigning you your own secretaries as you’re working on a special case.”
Had he imagined it, or had there been an underlying hint of sarcasm on the word
special
? “Okay.”
“Do you prefer a secretary with shorthand skills or do you use a digital recorder?”
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d given dictation to a shorthand secretary. He really had travelled back forty years. Next thing she’d be asking him if he wanted a cigar. “I’m used to digital.”
She nodded sharply. “Okay. I’ll give you the abridged version of the general tour in a minute as you’re only going to be here temporarily.”
Okay, so now he definitely wasn’t imagining it. She was annoyed with him, and he’d only just walked through the door. Was that because of their previous meeting? Because he’d seen behind the icy facade she wore in the office? “Sure,” he said easily.
She crossed her arms. “Lastly, while you’re here you should know that I expect a certain level of behaviour from lawyers in the Wellington branch.”
His eyebrows rose. “Oh?”
“Yes. There are a lot of young women here, both in the typing pool and throughout the rest of the office. I’m not stupid—I know relationships occur in the workplace, but I expect them to be discreet, and I expect you to use your common sense. I do
not
expect to come into work to find half a dozen twenty-somethings crying over their keyboards because you haven’t returned their phone calls.”
His eyebrows stayed somewhere around his hairline. “I see. I feel I should point out that it would be a bit crass to have an office affair considering I’m here to investigate allegations of sexual harassment.”
She fixed him with her steely stare. “You may be a hotshot at the Auckland branch, Mr. Wilkinson, but while you’re here in my office, I’m top dog. Got it?”
Felix met her green-eyed gaze and nodded. “You like to be on top. Check.”
The words were out before he could stop himself, and he nearly groaned out loud.
Great, Felix. Sexual innuendo. Didn’t you just mention you’re here to investigate sexual harassment?
There was a stony silence for a good ten seconds.
She stared at Felix with a look that could have frozen lava, and then, very slowly, ran her gaze down to his feet and slowly back up, taking in every inch of his appearance. Felix bore the appraisal, knowing he’d deserved it, but couldn’t resist doing the same to her. He admired her sexy high heels, slim calves and narrow waist, checked the hands that rested on her arms for a wedding ring, but didn’t find one—and his gaze lingered on her generous, pert breasts before meeting her eyes again.
For the first time, a hint of smile curved her lips. “Are you going to be trouble?” she asked softly, tipping her head slightly at him.
Seeing the smile, he opted for humour. “I sincerely hope so.”
To her credit, she gave a short, sharp laugh, pushed herself off her desk and walked to the other side to shuffle some papers. “I’ll show you around the office. Do you have any questions so far, Mr. Wilkinson?”
He got to his feet. “Yes, quite a few, but let’s start with: what shall I call you?”
She glanced up at him over her the top of her glasses, a look he found so sexy that, if the door hadn’t been open, he might have pushed her up against the desk and kissed her senseless. “Miss Stark will do just fine, thank you.”
“I can’t call you Veronica?”
“Nobody calls me Veronica.”
He frowned at that, watching her tidy her desk and lean forward on it to check her emails. In spite of the fact that her white shirt was buttoned well above her cleavage, from his high vantage point he got a splendid view of her breasts encased in white lacy half-cups.
Nice
, he thought, before politely averting his gaze.
The phone on her desk rang, and she said, “Excuse me,” before answering it. She listened for a moment then walked over to a filing cabinet and pulled out a manila file. Her back to him, she balanced it on top of the drawer and started to flip through it as she discussed the contents with the caller.
Felix took a few steps to the side of her desk and perused the items. At the edge nearest to him, she had a photograph in a frame, and he picked it up and scanned it quickly. It was of her with an older woman in a wheelchair. Her mother? The office manager’s hair hung around her shoulders in golden waves, which made her look younger and softer. And he could just see that around her neck, she was wearing a gold chain with a word hanging from it. It said
Coco
.
Hmm.
The Back-Up Plan
Mari Carr
Just how legally binding
is
a promise made on a cocktail napkin?
Second Chances, Book 4
Kristen Grey has always been married to her work, but as her fortieth birthday looms, she begins to wonder if that’s all there is to life. When her friend Zoey suggests she come up with a goal for a second chance at happiness, the first idea to pop into Kristen’s mind falls out of her mouth—to find a husband.
One night, after a few too many shots of vodka, it falls out of her mouth again, in front of the last man she wants to hear it. Her annoying, cocky law partner, Jason Mitchell. She’s shocked when he vows to help in her quest to find a man.
After all, he has a vested interest in her success. Years ago, they foolishly made a pact that if they hadn’t found “the one” by age forty, they’d marry each other. Time is running out.
Problem is, as Jason and Kristen try to help each other find love, it becomes more and more apparent that maybe the back-up plan isn’t such a bad option after all.
Warning: The heroine in this story has no objection to how her law partner likes to recess. Legal eagle? Nope. Spread eagle.
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Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
The Back-Up Plan
Copyright © 2014 by Mari Carr
ISBN: 978-1-61922-095-9
Edited by Imogen Howson
Cover by Kanaxa
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: May 2014