After a night of tossing and turning, Calum arrived at the office in a foul mood—which got a hell of a lot worse when he found Laurella Ricci sitting behind his desk. For fuck’s sake. First she’d stolen his chair in the boardroom, and now the damn woman was pissing all over his office, metaphorically speaking.

“What do you want?” He slammed his briefcase on top of his desk and walked around to where she was sitting. He glared down at her, hands on his hips.

Laurella uncrossed her legs, the movement drawing his attention. With considerable effort, he forced his gaze upward. It didn’t matter how shapely her legs were or how good they looked in heels. She wasn’t going to be in her position long enough for him to care one way or the other.

Laurella eased to her feet and stepped aside. “To talk to you.”

Calum sat in the recently vacated chair, and the heat from Laurella’s body warmed his ass—almost as if they were touching. A slight tremor ran through him. Disgust… or desire? Cole’s words from the previous night came back to haunt him. He was not attracted to Laurella Ricci. Sure, she had a smoking figure. Even a monk would give a second glance at a woman with a body like hers, but what use was physical attractiveness when he couldn’t stand the woman?

He painted on a bored expression. “About what?”

She sat in his guest chair and refolded those slender legs finished off with expensive-looking shoes. He had to hand it to her—she oozed class and style.

“I feel like we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. I’m here to suggest a fresh start.”

Calum narrowed his gaze. “What makes you think we got off on the wrong foot?”

She smiled. “You honestly want me to answer that?”

When he remained silent, his eyes hooded while he waited for her to make her next move, she quietly sighed. “I know that marketing and sales often have a… tempestuous relationship. But it doesn’t have to be that way. At my last company, the sales team and I found a way to work together toward a common goal. Can’t we agree to that for Zane’s sake? For the sake of Necron?”

“Why did you leave?” he asked, ignoring her plea for peace. If she thought he was going to make it easy for her, she was living in la-la land. “How can Necron possibly hope to compete with a company with the size and history of Spirito?”

She brushed at an imaginary piece of fluff on her stylish suit before raising her head. Her eyes held an emotion he couldn’t read, but when he peered closer, her gaze became shuttered. “I needed a new challenge.”

He snorted. “That’s it?”

She jutted her chin, clearly annoyed by his dismissal of her reasoning. “Yes. That’s it. I’d been at Spirito since I left Harvard seven years ago. I could have stayed, waited for the current marketing director to leave, but that might take years.” She leaned toward him. “I’m good at what I do, Calum. Actually, I’m better than good. If we work together, rather than in direct competition, we can really take this company places.”

He raised his eyebrows at her confident play. He, too, leaned forward, mirroring her posture, except that he also placed his hands flat on the desk in an assertive manner. “This company was going places before you. It will still be going places after you’ve gone.”

Realization of his underlying threat swept across her face, and then her features hardened. She pressed her lips together. “If that’s how it’s to be.” She flicked her midnight-black hair over her shoulder, rose from her chair, and smoothed a hand down her shirt. “You want a fight, Calum?” She rested the tips of her fingers on his desk. “You’ve got one.”

Calum’s lips curved upward. He picked up his empty mug and raised it to her. “I look forward to it, sweetheart.”

She straightened. A ripple of excitement surged through him as he met her furious gaze. Sparring was in his blood. He lived for it. And although Laurella Ricci was clearly going to be a worthy opponent, there would only be one winner.

“Stronzo,” she muttered before spinning on her heel. She left his office, slamming the door behind her. The glass on either side rattled.

He tried for a triumphant grin, but for some reason, his lips wouldn’t move. What the fuck did stronzo mean? He’d bet it wasn’t complimentary, especially considering the way she’d almost spat the word. He typed it into Google and waited for the search engine to return the results. When it did, he ground his teeth.

She’d called him an asshole. Still, he’d been called worse.

A tightening sensation gripped his chest. Must be heartburn. He reached into the drawer to his right and took out a bottle of Pepto-Bismol, drinking a dose straight from the bottle.

Zane’s head poked around Calum’s door. “Got a minute?”

“Sure,” Calum said, replacing the bottle of pink liquid and shutting the drawer.

“Everything okay?” Zane asked with a concerned head tilt.

“Yeah, fine. I must have eaten something that disagreed with me.”

Or you want to eat something that disagrees with you.

Zane took a seat as Calum forced the unsolicited thought from his mind.

“I just saw Laurella stomping down the corridor. What gives?”

Calum ruffled the top of his head. “She is one frustrating woman.” But oh so hot when she’s angry. He shifted uncomfortably. For fuck’s sake. His dick needed to take a goddamn vacation.

Zane laughed. “She’s Italian. You’ll get used to her.”

“Don’t bank on it.”

The laughter drained from Zane’s eyes. “Is there something I should know?”

Calum hesitated. Zane might be his best friend, but he still owned the company. Best to go for a half-baked response.

“She’s a marketer. You must have known when you brought her in that she and I were going to clash.”

Zane expelled a frustrated breath. “Give her a chance, Calum. You’ve been a fantastic support to me and helped grow this company these past five years, but you and I both know we’ve taken Necron as far as we can without bringing in new talent.”

“If you want to bring in new talent, then why don’t we hire some young, hungry interns? They’ll work for a pittance and slave away like dogs.”

“Because I need experience. Laurella was responsible for some phenomenal achievements at Spirito throughout the last seven years. If she replicates even a fraction of that success here, this company will grow exponentially.” Zane rubbed his thumb over his fingertips. “You’re a shareholder. Think of the money.”

Calum grinned. “You always did know how to motivate me.”

Zane stood. “Try to get along with her, for the well-being of Necron if not for my sanity. Undoubtedly, there will be times when you’ll disagree, but you’re a professional, as is she. Work it out.”

“I’ll do my best not to kill her,” Calum said, softening his tone for Zane’s benefit.

Zane laughed then crossed to the door. “I’m more worried that she’ll kill you.”

Calum stared at the closed door for a few moments then leaned back in his chair and glanced out the window. He was going to murder Cole for putting stupid thoughts in his head, because now he couldn’t shut them off. He needed to think about Laurella differently. Perhaps he could think of her as an attractive sculpture that he could look at and admire for its external beauty—even if it was the last thing he’d want next to him in bed.

He tongued his top teeth. Working with her was going to be the equivalent of having pins pushed underneath his fingernails. Fucking torturous.