Faking Forever (First Wives #4)(78)

Stephanie nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

“I’m guessing the staff has been up on their reading.”

“Hard not to when your private boss’s personal life is splattered on the front page.”

“Don’t believe a word of it,” he told her. “Shannon is nothing like what these people say.”

With a timid smile, Stephanie left his office.

He tapped a pen against his desk in thought. He had an eleven o’clock board meeting to discuss China.

Lunch would have to be quick, maybe a sandwich at the café across the street.

“Acknowledge the elephant in the room.”

His decision made, he picked up his phone.

Shannon’s voice made him smile.

“Hey, sexy. Do you have plans for lunch?”





Chapter Twenty-Nine

Victor heard her laughter when he opened the door from the board meeting.

“This one is my favorite,” he heard Shannon say when he rounded the corner. His executive staff followed him down the hall that led to their row of offices.

She half sat, half leaned on Stephanie’s desk, pointing at an open magazine. She wore a dress that went past her knees with a kitten heel that looked like she was working in the office instead of visiting.

He’d hinted that he needed her help dispelling some of the office rumors and would she mind coming by so they could go to lunch together. Obviously she didn’t need any more coaching than that.

She caught sight of him and stood. “There you are,” she said as she crossed to his side.

He caught her kiss on his cheek and placed a hand on her waist.

“You’re early,” he told her.

“No, you’re late,” she teased.

He looked at his watch. Two minutes past twelve.

“Now you’re just being picky.”

She smiled and turned her attention to the audience standing beside him. “Stating facts, hon.” She reached out her hand to Andrew, standing at his side. “I’m Shannon.”

Victor jumped in to make the introductions. He could tell by the expressions of his staff that she’d charmed them all with a smile. To seal the unity, she turned to a stack of articles on Stephanie’s desk and handed it to Andrew. “I brought some fun reading material for the water cooler. I especially like the one about how my anorexia is back in full force after Victor and I met.”

Laughter, and lots of it, filled the hall.

She turned to him. “Since you said you had to have a quick lunch, I brought some from that deli you mentioned. I thought we could eat in your office, if that’s okay with you.”

“Great idea.”

Shannon turned to his staff. “Lovely meeting all of you. Sorry I took some of your lunch time away.”

Victor pushed her toward the open doors of his office and closed them inside.

He turned to her the second they were alone and removed her lipstick the best way he knew how.

“We are not doing this in your office,” she said five minutes later, when it became obvious that he had every intention of doing this on his desk, against the wall . . . in his office chair . . . the couch.

“Give me one good reason why not.” He bit her ear.

“Because you asked me to come to make a good impression with your employees, not become the heroine of your own Fifty Shades of Grey novel.”

She made him laugh. “I missed that one.”

Shannon pushed him away, slightly. “You should pick it up. It’s very . . . inspiring.”

Yeah, so he’d heard. “Maybe I will.”

She wiggled her eyebrows. “I’ll look forward to it.”

With reluctance, he put some space between them, took the sack holding their lunch, and moved to the sofa. She sat beside him and helped him spread out their meal.

“Your office is bigger than I pictured. Your staff seemed very nice.”

He opened the wrapper on a sandwich, smelled tuna, and handed it to her. “Everyone does their job.”

“Are there happy hours with the boss?” she asked.

“No. I haven’t made time for that.”

She shrugged. “Any reason why?”

“I never felt the need.” He took a bite of his ham and cheese.

She picked up her tuna, nibbled. “You know, having a good relationship with some of your key staff outside of the office will help dispel anything they might find on the front page of the papers. Not that I think all of this is going to continue, but it might be something to consider.”

Victor nodded. “Except that up until a couple of months ago, before I met a certain someone, I was labeled an asshole.”

Shannon grinned. “Yeah, but Justin called you a loveable asshole.”

Victor wiped his mouth. “I’ll have to thank him for that half-ass compliment.”

“Just a suggestion.”

He thought about the article he’d read about her and her relationship with the household staff at the governor’s mansion. “I’ll see what I can do.”

He took another bite of his sandwich, and she kept talking. “So, uhm . . . I got a call from Corrie the other day.”

Victor stopped midbite. “Why is she calling you?”

“I’m sure it will blow over.”