Romance Warfare: a Tigress' Guide to NOT Secure a Mate(3)

He never thought seeing her again would bring all those feelings rushing back. He’d thought he was over her. He’d certainly tried to crush out the image of her face over the years the only way he knew. With other women. But over the past couple of years he’d mostly sworn off women all together. He didn’t want a woman who only wanted him because of his family name and connections or because of his money, he wanted a woman who wanted him.

Just him.

Adam ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, exasperated at the thoughts tumbling around in his mind.

He finally figured out two things. First, he’d have Dean’s head for a midnight snack for pulling this frivolous little stunt. And second, Miss Eva Carey was still heartbreakingly sexy and still a massive pain in his ass.

***

Eva was still in shock from her unexpected encounter with Adam.

After Dean showed her to her new office, she dropped into her desk chair and stared at the computer without really seeing it. How did that happen?

Adam was her boss.

Her ex-fiancé Adam was her boss.

Her cheating, heartbreaking, ex-fiancé Adam was her boss.

I should leave, there’s no way for this to turn out okay, she thought impulsively. She grabbed her bag and pushed back her chair before she realized there was no way she could turn down the job. The pay was too good. The benefits were too good. Now that her little sister, Bella, was going to attend NYU this fall and was living with Eva, she felt the added pressure of responsibility. Another mouth to feed and an apartment in New York City were no small things. The weretigresses of the Carey clan took care of their own. Their parents were retirees and had done a lot over the years for her. Eva felt that Bella was her responsibility now.

Eva sighed and dropped her bag back into a desk drawer. There was no way for her to get out of it. She had to stay and make the best out of it. She’d never find another job that would pay as well as being Adam Frost’s executive assistant. For the time being, she was stuck.

She turned on the computer and started to familiarize herself with the company system and set up her email account when she noticed two women standing just outside the glass doors that led into her office. They were giggling like schoolgirls and talking behind their hands. Eva huffed, annoyed at what she knew was coming. Still, she felt like she needed to make friends in the office so she lifted a hand and wiggled her fingers at them. That was all the invitation they need. They pushed open and tripped into the office.

“Hi!” a bleached-blonde chirped. “I’m Irena.”

“Hello. Eva.” She gestured to herself.

“I’m Andrea. Nice to meet you, too,” said the brunette with steely blue eyes as she offered her hand to Eva.

“Eva,” she said again, and gave Andrea a polite handshake.

Irena perched on the edge of Eva’s desk, grinning at her like an overly perky cheerleader. “Soooooo, you’re the new girl, huh?”

Eva eyed her new co-worker carefully. “I guess I am.”

“You meet the boss yet?” Andrea joined Irena on the edge of the desk. They were both staring at her, anticipating her response. Eva fought the urge to roll her eyes. No need to alienate her officemates just yet.

“Yes. I’ve met him,” she said, keeping her voice as neutral as possible.

Eva did roll her eyes when she saw Irena nudge Andrea’s foot with hers. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yeah, how about your boss’s social calendar? I’d love to know where I can ‘run into’ him,” Andrea snickered.

“I don’t think I can do that. And I should get to work. Don’t want to make a bad first impression.”

“Oh, come on! We just want to know what you think of Daddy McHotpants.”

“Excuse me?”

Irena giggled. “Just one of our many names for Mr. Sex-on-a-Stick. Along with Stud Muffin, Honey Lips, and Tiger.”

Eva raised her eyebrow at the last nickname.

Andrea sidled up to her. “You’ll have all the inside info on him. You get to organize his calendar, arrange his travel, make his schedule. You’re the perfect person to get all the gossip from.”

“And you get to spend all day just looking at him. Mmm. All. Day.” Irena sighed at the thought.

“I’m not really interested in that kind of stuff,” Eva said.

“Yeah, right. Honey, every straight female from here to San Francisco is interested in him. You did meet him, right? Adam Frost? CEO? Titan of industry? Ass like steel? Face like a god? Body made for sin? Whoo, I have to go to confession twice a day for thinking about the things I’d like to do to that man.” Andrea licked her lips and grinned.

“I’m here to work.”

“I don’t think I’d get much work done with him around all day,” Irena said with a dreamy look on her face.

Eva’s lips tightened into a thin line. She’d had enough of listening to these two fawn all over Adam. Suddenly, she wasn’t as interested in having friends at work as she was earlier.

“I wouldn’t mind being the meat in an Adam-Frost-Dean-Woolsey sandwich, either.” Andrea wiggled her eyebrows lasciviously, making Irena burst into giggles again.

“Excuse me, I have things to do,” Eva snapped.

“We’re only kidding, honey,” Andrea drawled. “You have to admit, the man is very, very attractive. And very, very rich. Every woman in this building would give her left ovary to spend a little time with him and here you’ve got him all to yourself. Practically.”