Chapter 2
Lucas
Sophia Dawson sat across from me. I’d expected to hate her on sight. Instead, I found I could look at her all day. Her auburn hair hung loosely around her shoulders. Her wide brown eyes held mine, her expression careful. I sensed she wanted to look away, but she wouldn’t. I’d seen the stupid ad Danny drafted, so I knew she must assume she needed to hold her ground with me. The moment my thoughts spun in that direction, annoyance flashed through me.
“Danny tells me I should call you Lucas. Is that so?” the tempting Sophia asked.
I leaned back in my chair and nodded. “Yes. I find it obnoxious to have the people I see daily call me Mr. Chandler.”
She swallowed and crossed her legs. I had to force my eyes away from her legs. I considered what to say. I hadn’t the least interest in PR. In fact, I’d have been content to tell the media to go straight to hell.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I'm sure it's been made clear to you that I don't really want you here,” I said.
I wasn’t one for wasting time dancing around uncomfortable topics.
Sophia didn’t miss a beat. “I’m aware of that,” she said smoothly.
Danny shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I told her I wrote the ad. She was crazy enough to apply, so obviously she's aware,” he said with a grin.
I didn’t know what I’d do without Danny. Not only was he a fantastic personal assistant, he was a friend and had been for years. I trusted him completely. I couldn’t help but smile at his comment. “You made me sound like an asshole.”
“Well, you can be when it comes to the press,” Danny countered quickly. “That's why you need Sophia.”
I glanced to Sophia and leaned back into my chair. “So I do. Need you, that is. My board doesn't appreciate my attitude with the press. I keep trying to tell them we have plenty of money, but they're greedy and they want more. Normally, I would ignore them, but I’m starting to realize perhaps it might be better if I had someone else take care of the media for me.”
Sophia watched me quietly. I could’ve lost myself in her eyes. A rich, chocolate brown, her gaze was almost hypnotic.
Restless, I stood abruptly. “I'll send you the details of an upcoming interview. I'd like a summary of your recommendations. I'd also like you to vet any interviewers in advance and ensure certain questions are off-limits. My personal life and that of anyone in my family is completely off limits.”
I started to turn away, but her voice spun me back.
“Excuse me.”
When I turned, she was standing. “You do understand that your refusal to discuss your personal life only creates more curiosity about it, correct?” she asked.
I beat back the anger rising inside and nodded sharply. “I do, but I don't like it. If you can’t manage that, then what’s the point?”
She didn’t back down, although I could see a flicker of anxiety in her eyes. “No one likes it, but perhaps if you let me help, you can control the narrative rather than allow the press to spin their own.”
“Perhaps. But I don't want to talk about my former fiancé and that's the only thing anybody ever asks about. That and my father. I’m sure you’re aware we don’t speak,” I explained, not caring that my words came out sharp and staccato.
“I understand, but perhaps if you answer a few questions, people will stop asking them,” she added.
I was momentarily distracted at the sight of her blouse stretching across her breasts when she took a deep breath. So distracted, my cock twitched.
It was like a hitch in a step for my brain before it kicked into gear again. That annoyed the hell out of me. Focus wasn’t one of my problems.
I stared at her for a moment before spinning around and stalking to the windows. I fixed my gaze on the ocean in the distance, its waters ruffled by the breeze. Despite the fact I had enough sense she was probably right, I didn’t care to answer just now.
Danny murmured something and then started to escort her out.
***
I listened to the rhythmic click of Sophia’s heels on the floor as she walked out of my office. I turned before I heard the door open. Because I needed to see her once more. She was beautiful, her auburn hair swinging back-and-forth where it fell halfway down her back. She'd worn a fitted blouse and skirt. Perfectly respectable. Yet, on her, the utterly unremarkable outfit was somehow naughty. She had curves for days, and I could hardly keep my eyes off of her. Her hips swung with each step.
“Sophia,” I said, her name coming out unbidden from my mouth.
She paused by the door as Danny held it open for her and glanced back to me. My instinct to speak her name had been drawn forth because I wanted to see her face once more. But now I needed to say something. Fuck.
“Thank you,” I managed, letting myself soak in the sight of her.
With her wide brown eyes paired with her auburn hair and fair skin, she was beyond alluring. She had a scattering of freckles across her nose, and her face was heart-shaped with full lush lips and a slightly crooked smile. My willful eyes lingered over the full curve of her breasts pulling the buttons tight across them. Hell, I did not want a PR Consultant, and I certainly didn't need one who made me hard simply by existing. Apparently, that's what I had though. I should've told Danny to put in the ad that the applicant needed to be someone entirely boring in looks. The absolute last thing I needed was a gorgeous woman here all the time.
Sophia’s eyes locked with mine, and I could’ve sworn I saw a flash of desire in them. “Thank you. I'll wait for the information from you.”
Danny gestured her out, and I called to him at the last moment. “I'll see you in a few minutes please.”
Danny nodded and then left. I turned back to the windows, willing my hard cock down. I took a few deep breaths and stared out over the skyline of Manhattan. After a moment, I heard my door open and close again. I spun back, sinking down into the chair by the windows.
“Jesus, Danny. What the hell am I gonna do with her?” I asked.
Danny grinned. He was savoring the fact that the board had insisted I hire a PR Consultant. He strode across the room and slid into the chair across from the table.
“You're going to let her help you. You have an image problem. Namely, the world thinks you're an asshole. It would be one thing if you were, but you’re not. Let her clean things up. For what it's worth, she's right. If you want people to stop asking about Kayla, you need to set the narrative and then move on.”
I picked up a slinky from my drafting table and idly rolled it back and forth between my hands, shifting my shoulders to ease the tension in them. “I know. I just hate the whole story.”
Kayla Hanson was my former fiancée. The media thought I was hung up on her. I wasn't. I was well over her. I dumped her because it became clear all she wanted was my money. She also cheated on me. She viewed me as so many other executives, thinking all I wanted was arm candy. I didn’t give a damn about arm candy. I'd been stupid enough to think she cared.
“We'll have to see how it goes. Who hired her anyway?” I asked. “She's going to be a distraction around the office.”
Danny’s mouth fell open and then he burst out laughing. “Suzanne and I hired her. I don’t see why she’d be a distraction.”
I glared at him. “Are you blind? She’s fucking gorgeous.”
Danny arched a brow. “I’m not blind, and I can see she’s beautiful. I'm gay, so she’s no distraction for me. The engineers won’t even see her since they’re on the other end of the building. It's you, me, and Suzanne who will deal with her. That's it. Unless it's a problem for you, I don’t think it’s a problem,” he said with a wink.
I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t about to admit she’d gotten to me, but I was fairly certain any straight man who wasn’t dead would have a hard time staying focused around her.
Danny returned my eye roll and then sobered. “She was the best candidate by far. A number of them were clearly applying because they wanted to get close to you. Aside from her, no one had the background, or the attitude, to stand up to you. Suzanne likes her, I like her, and she's got a fantastic resume. She's done PR consultations for a number of major corporations.”
“Fine. Let's give her month and see how it goes.”
Danny stood and cocked his head to one side. “You know. It’s nice to see you notice a woman.”
“Oh fuck off,” I muttered.
Danny flashed another grin and turned to leave.