Surprise Seduction

Other books by JANA MERCY:

Seducing the Old Flame

Touched by a Thief

Published with Ellora’s Cave:

Her Last Fling

Strip or Treat

Underground Pleasure

Published with co-author McKenna Chase:

Her Big Bad Wolf

Copyright 2012 Jana Mercy

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the author’s imagination, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names.
 
They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown by the author, and all the incidences are pure invention.

All rights reserved.
 
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by the law.

Surprise Seduction

“I don’t schedule meetings for after hours. I don’t make coffee. I don’t do take out. I don’t work overtime,” the latest interviewee ticked off one by one, pointing to a different finger with each item.

Just what did she do?
 
Chase Aaron leaned back in his oversized leather chair as he eyed the thin woman he interviewed this early February morning.
 
Was she really the best applicant to work as an assistant to the company president?
 
Her resume sure couldn’t prove it.

She offered him a big-toothed smile from across his desk and he cringed at the mental image of her saying, “I’ll get you my pretty!
 
And your little dog Toto, too.”

If he threw his bottled water on her, would she melt right where she sat?

Surely, they’d had more qualified applicants than this shriveled up reed who eyed him as if she’d like to pluck him apart for dinner?

He picked up his water.

Just in case.

The previous candidate he’d interviewed hadn’t been any better.
 
She’d annoyed the hell out of him with her lack of skills and incessant blinking.
 
He’d caught himself blinking his own eyes more than once.
 
How the hell had Blinky the Underqualified made the final cut?

Currently, Kelly, a secretary borrowed from the secretarial pool, filled in until another assistant could be hired.
 
She’d taken to leaning over and giving him a generous view of her assets.
 
He didn’t need that kind of complication.

That was Chase’s number one rule regarding women.
 
He did not get sexually involved with women he directly worked with.
 
Period.
 
That rule had been the downfall of numerous assistants.
 
But the last one had taken things too far when she’d stolen a shirt from his private office bath—-so she could sleep in it.

He’d put in specific orders for his next assistant.
 
Someone married or over forty.

Perhaps he should have requested a man.

Of course with the luck he’d had lately, any man who applied would turn out to be gay.

Please let candidate number three be a secretarial version of Mary Poppins
.
 
Someone who would do her job to perfection, have the patience of a saint, and never under any circumstances view him as a piece of male prime beef.

He flinched under the woman’s gaze as she continued to recite her “finer qualities”.

“I don’t make excuses to girlfriends. I don’t pick up dry cleaning, and I expect the last Friday of each month off in addition to my regular vacation time.”

He’d had enough.

“Thank you for coming by,” he consulted the resume lying flat on his desk for her name, wondering how she’d ever gotten past human resources, “Miss Blake, but I’m looking for someone with a little more job flexibility.
 
Thank you for taking the time to apply.”

“Job flexibility?
 
Hmf,” she heaved with a twitch of her scrawny face.
 
“I’ve heard all the stories about you.
 
It would only have been a matter of time before I’d have to sue you for sexual harassment anyway.”

The woman stomped out of his office in a whiff of Eau de Repulsive.
 
Sexual harassment his hind-end.
 
He’d rather be neutered.

Now for contestant number three.
 
Who was left?
 
Cruella Deville slash Captain Hook?
 
He looked at his watch.
 
She should be arriving in her furs and eye patch any minute.

He shook his head at the lack of quality in the first two applicants.
 
Quite certain his human resource manager was having a bit of fun at his expense, he walked to the door Miss Blake had left open on her broom ride from his office.
 
He glanced around the reception area and saw only Kelly with her low cut, thigh-riding dress.
 
She batted her eyelashes.

Oh God.
 
Please be third time lucky.

Just as he started to go back into his office, a mousy looking woman stepped into the reception area.
 
Nervousness clung to her like a second skin.
 
Her loose gray suit with its white shirt buttoned high up her neck and the shapeless skirt that almost covered her ankles did nothing to accent her body.
 
She might be stick straight or hiding luscious curves under the coarse clothes.
 
Good.
 
He considered that a major improvement over Kelly’s peek-a-boo outfit.
 
And she wasn’t sporting black and white spots and wielding a hook--that counted for something.

His gaze moved higher, taking note of plain brown hair pulled unattractively away from her face, tightly pinned to her scalp.
 
He couldn’t begin to guess its length.
 
She did have nice skin, although a bit pale.
 
She had yet to look up from beneath thick lashes partially hidden behind the black, heavy-framed glasses she wore.

She paused in front of Kelly’s desk.

This shy mouse was number three?
 
He’d talk to Sheila Downey in human resources before this day ended.
 
She’d set him up.
 
He was sure of it.

“Can I help you, mous-miss?”

Startled, the woman pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and glanced at him.
 
Apparently, she hadn’t noticed him watching her from his office doorway.
 
Big hazel eyes widened in surprise as she stepped back, bumping clumsily against the desk.

He fought the urge to step back as well.
 
The intensity in those eyes tugged at something deep within him, something foreign and totally different.
 
He stared, not bothering to hide his curiosity about the feelings she stirred.
 
Especially since she’d done nothing to try to improve her looks—quite the opposite.
 
A beauty who slept beneath the curse of bad fashion and obvious lack of trying.

After a moment of silence, he wondered if she could talk.
 
Maybe Sleeping Beauty just squeaked.
 
Would his kiss awaken her?

He blinked, shocked at his thoughts.
 
She wasn’t his type, despite that light in her blue-green gaze that demanded a response.
 
He shook his head to clear his crazy thoughts.
 
He was fairly certain she hoped to get a job working for him.
 
If she needed kissed, someone else would have to do the honor.
 
Co-workers and kisses didn’t mix.
 
Not in his office.

“I’m here for the interview with Mr. Aaron.”

Her voice hadn’t been much louder than a squeak.
 
He was having difficulty shaking the mouse image from his mind.
 
Despite his mixed emotions about his unusual reaction, he repressed an amused smirk.

“That would be me.”
 
Not wanting to chuckle in front of her, he turned and walked back into his office.
 
From the looks of his slumbering princess, it wouldn’t take much to send her into a fit of tears.

Lord help him, tears got him every time.

Adrienne stood at the desk and mentally picked her lower lip off the floor.

That was Chase Aaron?

The photos she’d studied over the past few weeks hadn’t done him justice.

No wonder women lost their heads around him.
 
Actually, clothes seemed to be what most women lost while in his company according to her dear friend and his human resource manager, Sheila Downey.