Chapter Two
Artimus
My eyes were glued to her perfect form as she walked away from me. Tall, lean, and with just the right amount of curves, Julia Bengal was a walking heartache. Shiny black hair hung bone-straight down her back and bangs hung to her dark brows, framing her face, accenting high cheekbones. Coffee-colored eyes shone out at me as soon as I faced her. It felt as if she could see all the way through me, right to my very soul.
She wore sensible business attire—a black skirt that went below her knees, and a white satin blouse that she’d tucked into the waist of the skirt. A short black jacket made out of the same material as the skirt rounded out her outfit. Her lack of jewelry and her sensible flat black shoes told me she wasn’t trying to show off her phenomenal looks to get the job she’d just interviewed for, but was simply being true to her style and herself.
As a matter of fact, she hadn’t acted like any of the other people I had interviewed at all. I could tell nerves were coursing through her, but she’d managed to keep them mostly under control. Hell, the girl was just happy to have gotten an interview, being new to the workforce and lacking experience with the whole process of getting a job.
I knew I couldn’t hire her though. Even though I’d looked through her application and found she’d graduated with perfect grades and even made the dean’s list all four years of college. She’d been in the running from the start with those grades. But once I saw her and felt my body react in a way it never had before, I knew I couldn’t have her around me as much as I would have to if she became my assistant.
And I found that to be a damn shame.
But my company had rules. Rules I’d come up with myself in the hopes of setting a better standard for our industry. Sexual misconduct wasn’t tolerated. Dating between employees wasn’t allowed either. And I knew the moment I saw her that I’d want to do more than just date that young woman.
A knock came at my office door. “Ashton here, Artimus.”
I hit the button under my desk, opening the door for the producer of all our news shows at WOLF. “Come in.”
He jerked his head back a bit. “Did I just see a woman coming out of your office?”
“You did.” I leaned back and put my feet up on my desk. “I’ve just finished interviewing her. I have to say she’s perfect, but I won’t be able to hire her.”
Ashton took a seat as a crooked smile filled his face. “If she’s perfect then why can’t you hire her?”
“Because I had an instant attraction to her is why.” Looking up at the ceiling, I wished things could’ve been different. But they couldn’t.
“Wow, how unfair is that?” Ashton drummed his fingers on my desk. “I think you need to think about what you’ve just said, Artimus.”
I had no idea what he could be talking about. “And why is that, Ashton?”
He pushed his hand through his dark hair as he let out a long sigh. “You can’t not hire her simply because she’s attractive. It’s not fair, not to mention a little sexist. That’s almost as bad as hiring her just because she is attractive. Bottom line is, if she is the right person for this job, then you should hire her. And what is it that makes her so right for this job anyway?”
It was hard to figure out how to word it, but I gave it a shot, “She’s raw. Willing to be molded.” I rubbed my forehead as I thought about that. “In more ways than one, I’d bet.” I looked at my friend for help. “See, I can’t stop myself from thinking sexy thoughts about her. It would be disastrous to be around her as much as I’d have to be if she were to be my assistant.”
Ashton seemed unfazed by my admission and he sighed once more. “Artimus Wolfe, would you please listen to yourself? You would deny that woman the job of a lifetime just because you think she’s sexy? Hell, we’ve got tons of sexy women working here. You hired all of them. I’ve got to call this an unfair decision, boss-man.”
I didn’t like to be called unfair. I strove to be fair as much as I possibly could, at all times. What my esteemed friend and employee was saying got to me. So, I pleaded my case a little more, “Ashton, how could I work so closely with her without violating my own rules?”
“I do it all the time. You’ll adapt.” He winked at me, telling me he had the hots for someone he worked with.
My bets were on the cue card girl, Nina. The two often ate meals together, and I always seemed to find them laughing about something together. I’d even caught each of them sending some longing looks from time to time while the other wasn’t watching.
But Ashton was a professional and knew his limits. He’d never jeopardize his career for a woman. And personally, he wasn’t ready for a relationship; I could tell that. His past still held too much space in his mind and heart. A woman would only complicate things for him until he sorted that out.
My friend had something that held him back from making advances on any woman for the time being. I didn’t have a single thing stopping me from doing that.
And Julia stirred me in a way that no one had since … well, since ever. And if she could do that with just her presence for a few minutes, then what else could she stir in me when we were working closely with each other for hours and days at a time?
My assistant’s primary work space was at my desk, just to the side of me. That way we could look at the computer together and see the ratings and things of that nature.
I knew that if I had to be that close to Julia for any length of time, it would become harder and harder to keep my hands to myself. And I’d have to do that if she were my employee.
It wouldn’t be right to hire a person to work that closely with me, knowing that I have a hunger for her that might make me do things I normally wouldn’t. Even as I sat there, trying to make a case for myself, I envisioned her lying on one of the sofas in the office, her skirt hiked up and exposing a creamy thigh as she bit her lower lip.
Shit, stop that!
“I can’t hire her, and that’s that.” I slammed my fist down on the desk as if to punctuate my sentence.
“Wow.” Ashton just sat there, looking at me with his mouth ajar. “How in the hell did she make that much of an impression on you with just a short interview?”
I had no idea. “You’ve got me. I felt some kind of physical spark run up my arm and through my body like lightning when I shook her hand. It took everything in me not to gasp out loud and throw her hand away like it was on fire. It was the weirdest shit ever, man. And she smelled so good—I feel like I can still smell her shampoo. I know I won’t be able to control myself around her.”
Ashton got up and walked over to the mini fridge, grabbing a couple of bottled waters. “Well, you might get mad at me, but I’ve got to say this.” He tossed one of the bottles to me before taking his seat again. “You’re being a hypocrite.”
Okay, first he called me unfair and now he’s calling me a hypocrite. This is too much.
“I’d love for you to explain to me why you think that, Ashton.” I readied myself to take what he said into consideration before denying any such accusations against my person.
He took a drink of the water before saying, “You expect every single one of your employees to do what you don’t expect yourself to do. That makes you a hypocrite. It’s just that easy, Artimus.”
Damn, he’s right!
“So I am being unfair for not hiring a person who would be a great fit for the job as my assistant. Along with that, I’m being hypocritical by not hiring a person I have an attraction to because I’ve hired other gorgeous and great people to work here and have made rules that don’t allow them to form relationships.” My friend might be onto something, when I put it that way. I was being unfair and a hypocrite—two qualities I didn’t like in other people. Those were also qualities I’d never realized I’d been harboring myself.
I supposed Ashton could see by my expression that the realization was hitting me, because he laughed as he got up. “Seems I’ve gotten you to see the light, but I’ve got to get back to work now. I just wanted to come see how the hunt for the perfect assistant was going. Seems the hunt is over. You’ve found her. All you have to do is get the hell over yourself the same way the rest of us have had to.”
“Seems so.” I watched him leave and put my head in my hands as I rested my elbows on the desk.
It wasn’t easy to admit to myself that I wasn’t the man I thought I was. I knew I had flaws. Everyone does. But I never knew I could be so blind to them.
There were more interviews to do. Julia Bengal might not make the cut if one of them made more sense to hire over her. Somehow that thought left me with a knot in my stomach.
I felt a smile creep over my lips as I thought about getting to see her beautiful face every workday. Hearing that soft voice—deep for a woman, with a side of sultry that I was sure she had no idea sounded so damn sexy and feminine—would be nice too.
Could I do it?
Could I hold back and maintain my self-control the way I demanded my employees do?
Shaking my head, I knew it would be hard. But I also knew that Julia Bengal was just the right kind of person to help me take WOLF to where I wanted it to be. The very top.
I wouldn’t settle for anything less than that, and I needed the perfect person by my side to help me get it there.
Lots of late nights would be expected. Long hours, too. Hell, I was getting ahead of myself. She might not even accept the job once I offered it and let her know all that the position entailed.
But I knew I’d offer her the job. I knew she’d stay on my mind through the remaining interviews.
She’d already cemented herself in my head, it seemed. I prayed she wouldn’t do the same thing in my heart.
A cloud of doubt surrounded me where my will and determination were concerned. But what could I do? I expected that out of everyone else. Time to face the music myself.
Why does that sound so damn scary?