I should’ve flat out said no. “I-I don’t know,” I stuttered.
“Come on. I could use a smart-mouthed, hot babe like you to keep me in line.”
“Is that what you really think of me? A smart-mouth?”
Tyler grinned. “Among other things, but yes.”
He could insult me and make me love him for it. “Jerk.”
“Seriously, though. I don’t make offers like these lightly.” By the tone in Tyler’s voice, I could tell he was dead serious. He really was offering me a job. “In fact, I’ve never offered anyone a job without going through the proper channels.”
I paused, pondering the gravity of the situation. Though I’d love nothing more than to march into to Christine’s office and tell her off, quitting my job with her would mean the end of my career in fashion. She would see to it. One didn’t simply up and quit on Christine Finnerman.
“But my career . . .” I began to protest.
“I could help you with that.”
I placed a hand on my hip and raised my brow skeptically. “How? What could you possibly know about fashion?”
“Not much.”
“Okay then.”
“But I don’t need to. That’s what you’re for. I have the money to fund any projects you might want to work on to get your name out there.”
The breath left my lungs. “You’d do that?” I asked in disbelief. “For me?”
Tyler nodded. “If you do as I ask.” He scratched absently at his abs. “The way I see it, with my resources and your brains and knowledge of the industry,” he shrugged, his voice gaining excitement as he continued speaking, “who knows? Maybe we can start a new company and I wouldn’t need my father’s approval. I could leave Armex and let it collapse in on itself.”
I nearly swooned as the endless possibilities rolled through my mind. I can’t believe it, I thought. This seems too good to be true. And you know what they say about that.
“We’ll obviously have to work out the details,” Tyler said, watching me intently while I stood there involved with my thoughts. “But I think we can make it work.”
“So in the meantime, let’s say I do come work for you. How much will you pay me?”
“Double whatever you’re making now.” Tyler paused to glance down mischievously, “and there are benefits.”
My heart began pounding inside my chest. This has to be some sort of a dream, I thought, ready to pinch myself to see if I was truly awake. Tyler was offering me everything I could ever hope, or dream of . . . my own career and the man of my dreams.
“What about our parents?” I managed to ask through the turmoil rolling through my mind. “Won’t my coming to work for you complicate matters even further?”
“Don’t worry that pretty little head of yours. I’ll take care of it,” Tyler said with utmost confidence. He got up from the bed, rising like Poseidon from the sea, his magnificent body robbing me of breath. He walked over to me, wrapping his powerful arms around me. “Trust me on this,” he breathed as he delivered a peck on my neck, causing the internal heat in my body to shoot up, his breath hot on my neck. “I’ve got it covered.”
Walking through that door and never coming back is the best thing that will ever happen to you.
Jonathan’s unbidden warning screamed at me to run out and never look back.
The next kiss nearly made me melt into his body, making me want to beg right then and there for him to take me again.
Run! Run far, far, far away, an errant thought cried.
And I almost did. I almost gathered the strength to push away and run. But another seductive nibble and a deft caress of my side melted any rational thought of defiance away, and I swooned as I allowed him to dip me backward and he covered my neck with passionate kisses.
Who do I think I’m fooling? He’s a god. My God.
Tyler had me, hook, line and sinker.
“I’m in,” I breathed.
Chapter 12
Victoria
After leaving Tyler’s, I practically burned rubber to make it to work. One, because I couldn’t wait to see the expression on Christine’s face when I told her to eat shit and die, and two, I was thrumming with excitement over Tyler’s proposal.
I can’t believe it. That door that I’ve been waiting for has swung open! Not quite the way I’d planned, but I’ll finally be free to live out my dreams!
I quickly found my usual parking space and rushed on my way. Jubilation swirled through me as I strutted inside Christine’s swanky building, a giant smile on my face, my heels clicking against the floor.