Fresh Temptation

the long haul. And we offer excellent benefits as well, to ensure we keep our best people.” He put the paper down and looked at her. “Are you planning a move back to Chicago, or would you like to stay in the area?”
    “If I can find a decent job here, I’ll gladly stay.”
    “Great.”
    Her eyebrows lifted. “If you don’t mind, could you tell me more about the position I’m being considered for? I couldn’t find any job listings on your company website.”
    “Yes.” He breathed deeply, trying to remember the vague job description that he now realized he should have written down. “It’ll be called Public Relations Liaison. You’ll work with each division as needed to help us streamline our overall business marketing plan.”
    “Who would I report to?”
    He glanced down at her resume. “This office. So, do you have any experience in finance at all?”
    “You mean, I’d report directly to you?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’ve never heard of a job like this before. The duties sound awfully vague.”
    “They’ll firm up as we go. It’s one of our newer positions. Like most companies, we have openings we don’t advertise because we wait till we meet the right people to fill them. It usually happens through networking.”
    “But you don’t know me at all, yet somehow you think I’m the right person for the job because your girlfriend got me fired the other night?” Cara crossed her legs.
    Victor inhaled a rush of air, his heart pounding a fierce new rhythm. Her dark skirt ended just above her knee and contrasted perfectly with her light, silky skin. Her legs looked completely bare, like she wasn’t wearing pantyhose. He imagined sliding his hand along her thigh to see if her skin was as soft as it looked.
    After a few seconds she began pulling at the hem of her skirt, trying to cover her knee.
    Victor felt his cheeks flush; she’d obviously caught him staring. He cleared his throat and decided not to draw attention. “I’m sorry, what was your question?”
    Cara swept a lock of her blond hair onto her back. Her cheeks were getting red as well. “I was just asking what made you think I’m the right person for this job? You don’t even know me. Is it because your girlfriend got me fired the other night? Are you that motivated by guilt?”
    Victor’s jaw almost dropped, but he caught himself and began to chuckle instead of getting angry. He should kick her out of his office for her snarky attitude about his generous offer. But he quickly remembered what her mother told him about her independence. Cara was the type of woman who’d rather live on the street than find herself beholden to a man. He was now seeing it for himself, and it only piqued his interest even more. “First off, that woman is not my girlfriend. And second, this isn’t about guilt. I can read people pretty well from a first impression and I can tell you’re a hard worker and a fighter. Exactly the kind of person this company needs.” He cocked his head to the side. “And by the way, I called your references, the ones I found on the second page of your resume. The only bad quality anyone mentioned was your stubbornness.” The part about her being stubborn was the only thing he made up, but he wanted to see if she’d squirm.
    Cara’s lips pursed in defiance. “So, there really is a job and you’re not just some rich psychopath who’s decided to stalk my family for no reason?” She uncrossed her legs and brought her knees close together, but folded her arms over her chest.
    Before he could respond to her question, his eyes went to her cleavage, which was now more prominent with the way she was sitting. Her tight beige blouse peeked out from under her black blazer, the material straining against those full mounds. He looked into her eyes, hoping he’d stopped before making an ass out of himself this time. “Yes, there’s really a job. And it’s yours.” He smirked, making sure his voice oozed sarcasm. “That is, unless you have another high-level receptionist job lined up at another shady construction company. I’d hate to take you away from that.”
    Cara narrowed her gaze at him, her tone slightly subdued. “No, I have nothing else lined up.”
    “So you’ll take the job then?”
    Cara’s eyes rolled. “There’s something weird about this. You must have an angle. This is all a little too…convenient.”
    Victor shrugged. “Sometimes things are convenient. Life doesn’t always have to be so