Anna

This was not how I had wanted to spend my first day of work.

Standing in the women’s bathroom, I blotted at the coffee stain on my white satin blouse. Damn the guy who’d bumped into me on the bus this morning! Thank goodness my coffee had cooled since I left the house—the thought of a burnt nipple was more than I could imagine.

I rubbed my shirt a few more times with the wet paper towel, and then tossed it and propped my hands on the granite counter in front of me. “Just great.”

I turned and looked at myself in the full-length mirror mounted on the wall near the door. How bad was it?

My black pencil skirt hit mid-thigh on my bare legs. I had ripped not one, but two pairs (my only two pairs) of stockings, trying to get them on that morning. I wasn’t sure if women were expected to wear pantyhose at work anymore, so maybe I was off the hook on that one.

My black pumps looked okay. The rain had poured down on me after I left breakfast yesterday and hadn’t let up until late last night, but I’d managed to avoid all the muddy puddles on my way to work.

But what would I do about my blouse? There was a horrible, brown wet blob over my boob. Sure, that wouldn’t draw too much attention to my breasts.

I released a breath of pent up air, grabbed my purse, and stalked toward my image. I gave myself one last look—more like a scowl—and then swung open the door to the gray, two-story lobby.

My office was inside the McGregor headquarters. I wondered if I’d meet the owners, or the “pricks” as Adam had referred to them, while working here.

I walked to the center of the massive lobby and looked up at the huge fan. Each slowly rotating silver blade was shaped like an airplane wing.

Glass cases throughout the lobby displayed products manufactured by McGregor. They made everything from tools to parts for cars.

I approached the elderly security guard who was sitting behind a shiny white desk not far from the front entrance. “I think I’m all set now.” My cheeks bloomed red as his eyes darted to the stain on my shirt and then wandered back up.

“The rest of the interns have yet to arrive—you’re early. But you can go on up.” He pointed to a set of elevators on the other side of the lobby. “Third floor. The receptionist is due in at eight. You can have a seat in the waiting area up there until she comes.”

I glanced at the large face of my silver watch. It was seven thirty. I had hoped to spend some time with the other interns before my day officially began, but apparently, no one else had planned the same. Well, they’d probably start arriving any time now.

“Thanks,” I said, and tipped my head. My heels clicked in the empty lobby as I made my way to the elevators. I diverted my attention away from the mirrored doors and to the floor, unwilling to face the embarrassing stain.

When I stepped out of the elevator on the third floor, the lights began to click on, row by row, the darkness cascading away like dominos. A few chairs and side tables accompanying each were scattered about the space. The receptionist desk was a sleek black metal with only an Apple screen displayed on the flat surface. And beyond the receptionist desk was a frosted glass wall—the rest of the office, an opaque blur.

I wondered where my office would be. Or would I even have an office? Sparks of excitement stirred inside of me as I thought about the next twelve weeks. I would work hard, and I’d prove myself. Maybe they would hire me at the end . . .

I crossed the seating area and approached the large, expansive window. Through it, I glimpsed trees, thick and full. The burnt copper color of the leaves swayed in the breeze and a few flitted down to join the sparse carpet of leaves on the grass. I had always loved making leaf piles when I was a kid and diving into them.

I missed my family already, but I didn’t regret my decision to come.

I sighed and walked over to the wall on the other side of the room, checking out the framed black and white images that graced the gray painted wall.

There were five pictures, each with text captions below the frames.

The first image was of an old building—the caption said it was the original McGregor factory. I’d had no idea the company dated back to the mid-1800s. Each photo showed the company’s growth and expansion over the years. The last image was a photo taken in 2005 with a group of kids out front of this building. Apparently, following the Irish Potato Famine, the company had started the McGregor Foundation, which distributed food worldwide to those in need.

The sound of the elevator doors dinging had me looking over my shoulder. A group of five or so people came out—four guys and one girl. They looked similar in age to me—they had to be the other interns.

They poured into the waiting area, and I held my hand up and waved, turning my back to the wall. Oh God, did I look like an idiot? I snapped my hand back down and lowered my head. My throat grew warm, and I shivered with nervous anticipation. “Hi,” I muttered and took a step closer to the pack.

“Hey,” the girl said, nodding my way. She had short, wavy brown hair and a friendly smile.

The neighboring elevator opened a moment later, and a few more people stepped into the room. The waiting area officially began to feel crowded.

“I’m Kate.” The friendly brunette held out her hand.

“Anna. Nice to meet you.”

“You excited?”

“Excited and nervous, I think.” The crowd of people murmuring around us made me all the more tepid. I didn’t want to be intimidated by them, but how could I not be? Only two people would be selected from this group for permanent positions.

I can do this. I forced myself to chat with the other interns and learn their names. There were two who stood out to me immediately. Kate, of course, because she’d been the first to say hi. I had discovered she was from New York, which was about as foreign to me as Ireland. The other was Narisa, who was also super nice. She had just arrived from Thailand.

“Wow, look at you all. What a lively group!” a female voice—Irish—floated through the room.

I turned to see who was speaking as the rest of the interns silenced.

“Well, let’s get you to the conference room. You are jam packed in here.” The woman had black hair cut in a pixie style and deep blue eyes that glowed behind hip, red-framed glasses. And she was tall—Amazonian tall.

“My name’s Bella, by the way,” she said while glancing over her shoulder as she led the way through the door in the middle of the frosted glass wall. On the other side was a large room filled with cubicles, and I wondered why all of them were empty. Did everyone arrive at eight on the dot?

“Mr. McGregor likes to keep things a bit more relaxed here,” Bella said before stopping outside a door and facing us. “We don’t schedule meetings before nine, and workers are encouraged to build a schedule that works well for them.” She smiled at us and propped her hands on her hips. “Which is why we had you come in early, so he could focus on you guys without interruptions.”

“We’re meeting the owner?” Kate asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“One of the McGregor sons, in fact,” Bella said, waving her hand in the air toward someone and grinning.

“Good morning, Bella.” The deep voice moved slow across the room, and my knees almost buckled. “Good morning, everyone.”

I shut my eyes for a moment, unable to turn, unwilling to verify the voice. But that wouldn’t change the facts. The initials from Adam’s wallet yesterday flashed to my mind. That third letter was M. Adam Freaking McGregor. Although I was pretty sure the ‘F’ stood for something different.

When I opened my eyes, Adam was standing next to Bella, his hands casually tucked in his gray slacks pockets. He wasn’t wearing a blazer, but over his black dress shirt and black tie was a buttoned gray vest.

He cocked his head to the side and a smile teased his lips for a brief moment when our eyes met. Why the hell did he not tell me yesterday? Did he think it’d be amusing to see the look on my face today?

And did he normally make an appearance with the interns, or was he purposefully doing it just to get a rise out of me? Oh God. His gaze shifted to the stain on my blouse, and his eyes crinkled at the edges before he looked away.

Jeez. I’d seen him half naked.

My body became hot, and I tightened my grip on my purse strap as I lowered my head, staring down at the floor.

“Are you coming?”

I looked up, blinking a few times in confusion as I stared into Adam’s intense blue eyes. I glanced over his shoulder to where everyone had gathered inside the conference room. I hadn’t even heard them walk by me.

Should I admit that we had already met or not? I decided it was best to act like we hadn’t slept under the same roof the other night. “Yes,” I said in a low voice and brushed past him, hating the feel of his muscular arm grazing mine.

Of course, nothing had actually happened between the two of us. So I’d seen him without a shirt on, and he’d bought me breakfast. It was innocent. I didn’t need to get all bent out of shape about it.

I sat in the remaining seat at the long oval table. A few of the other interns were eying me, but I couldn’t jump to conclusions. They didn’t know anything, right?

Stop! There’s nothing to know.

When I looked up, Adam’s arms were crossed over his chest, and he was standing at the opposite end of the table. I tried not to remember the ink that covered the back of his shoulder and the inside of his forearm as the fabric of his dress shirt strained against his biceps.

Well, I tried, in any case, but all I could think about was his damn body.

I wanted to bury my face in my hands or, better yet, cross my arms over the stain on my shirt. But I also didn’t want to look like a total nitwit.

“I’m Adam McGregor,” he said, dropping his hands to his sides, “as most of you know.” Adam circled the table, making eye contact with each and every one of the interns—except me. “Welcome to McGregor Advanced Communications. This division of the company is responsible for handling the major media outlets we own, which include newspapers, a few cable channels, and two talk shows.”

This was no surprise to me—I had specifically applied to internships in this field.

“Will you be leading our team?” asked one of the Irish male interns—I think he’d told me his name was Craig. I focused on Craig’s bleached blonde and very gelled spiky hair. This, I figured, was better than gawking at my new boss.

Adam pushed his hands back into his pockets and braced his legs in a casual stance. “I’ll be checking in on you from time to time, but I won’t be able to dedicate my full attention.” His eyes immediately went to mine, and I swallowed. “Your project manager is John Allen. He’ll be here soon.”

I ripped my gaze from him and observed the other interns. I could sense some of the disappointment from the group. Of course they’d want Adam running the show. Who wouldn’t want to work directly for one of the owners of the company? As for me, I was breathing a major sigh of relief.

“In a moment, I’d like to invite you all to breakfast in the cafeteria just down the hall. I want everyone to get to know each other since you’ll be working together for the next three months. After breakfast, John will explain your assignments.” Adam nodded at the group and started for the exit. “You can all come this way.”

I waited for everyone to leave the table before I stood. When I turned to face the door, I found it shut, with Adam standing in front of it, his eyes on me.

“Sorry I didn’t come clean with you yesterday, but I couldn’t bloody believe it when you told me you were working at my company.”

I forced a smile. “And you couldn’t resist a joke, huh?”

He tipped his head and looked at me with narrowed eyes. “You forgive me?” His brows rose as his lips quirked at the edges.

God, the man was sexy as hell. “Of course. It’s not like—you know . . .” I waved my hand in a wheel between us, and then pulled my arm back down and blinked a few times at my sheer stupidity.

“Like what?” Adam took a giant step closer.

He was too close—so close that I could smell him again. I thought of my mother’s kitchen, trying to detect the herbs and spices that made him smell so freaking good. “I just, um.” Wow. Brilliant. The guy had me speechless.

“What happened to your shirt?”

His eyes were focused on my blouse, and my fingers darted to the V of my top before shifting up to my collarbone. “Not the best first impression, huh?”

His head tilted back as he smiled. “Considering today isn’t your first impression, I think you’re safe.” He shrugged. “Besides, I’ve held your knickers in my hands. If that doesn’t embarrass ya, a little stain on your shirt shouldn’t.”

I wasn’t sure if I was mortified or ready to crack up. My cheeks heated, which seemed to be the effect Adam had on me every time we were within a few feet of each other. There were so many reasons why I needed to stay away from him, but the fact that he was my boss just topped the charts.

“Did you, uh, talk to Leslie?” I tried my hand at diversion.

The mention of Leslie had him dragging a palm down his jaw and throat. “Yeah, I reassured him that his new roommate isn’t a crazy person.”

“A gobshite?” I perked a brow.

He squinted at me a little, and I got the feeling he wanted to respond, but his lips remained tight.

“I really do need to make other arrangements for a new place, though.”

His gaze found my eyes again. “Don’t worry about that right now.” He moved over to the conference room door and pushed it open. “Just focus on kicking arse at your new internship.”

I shot him a half-smile and allowed him to lead the way to rejoin the rest of the group. He didn’t say anything else as we walked.

A few interns looked up as we entered the large eating space, side by side. I could see it in their eyes—they were wondering how I had managed to snag one-on-one time with the boss. I hoped to God they couldn’t tell it was because he’d already seen me wearing nothing but a T-shirt. The last thing I wanted was some rumor to taint my image in my first real career opportunity.

“Hey. So, boss man is hot, huh?” Kate twirled a lock of brown hair around her index finger and nudged my hip with her own. “What were you two talking about?”

I looked over at Adam as he talked to one of the male interns. His mouth opened and he tipped his head back and laughed at something Craig said. When he caught me looking at him, I immediately shifted my attention to the muffin that I’d grabbed from the table of food in front of us.

“So?” Kate pressed again.

Shit. What lie could I come up with? I bit into the blueberry muffin, buying myself some time. “I asked him about the McGregor Foundation,” I said after swallowing.

“The what?”

I explained what I’d learned about the McGregor Foundation and how they provided food to those in need, and she started bobbing her head up and down before I had even finished.

“Too bad we don’t get to work with Adam every day. I wonder what his brothers look like, and how many of them there are.” Kate’s big brown eyes were focused on Adam’s ass as he bent over to pick up a piece of trash on the floor. It seemed strange. Here we were, a group of ten interns all ignoring the trash on the floor, and the company’s billionaire owner had stooped to pick it up. I felt a little embarrassed.

But I couldn’t blame Kate for staring. The man’s ass was like none other. Tight. Hard. Perfect. It was probably a good thing I’d only seen his top half naked. How often did he work out, that he could eat all the crap he ate yesterday for breakfast and still look like that?

“Anna?” Kate snapped her fingers in front of me. “You in McGregor lalaland?” she teased.

“What?” I gasped. “No. I would never—” My eyes went wide as I dusted the crumbs from my fingers onto a paper plate on the table by my side.

“You wouldn’t?” She shook her head, and I followed her gaze back over to Adam. He was stuffing a piece of bacon in his mouth. Him and bacon. “I would.”

“You would?” I said a little louder than I meant to.

My stomach became nauseous at the thought, which was completely absurd. I barely knew him. Plus, I had absolutely no business getting to know him further. Unless the topic was about work, or he had an update on my MIA roommate, I didn’t need to talk to him. And I didn’t need to fantasize about what he looked like completely naked, either.

“Oh come on. I’m in Ireland, babe. I took this internship to get away and have some fun. And what could be more fun than him?”

I thought about her words, surprised that someone who barely knew me would admit that. But hey, to each her own. I wondered if she would really go after Adam, or if it was all just talk. And would he be interested in her?

I groaned on the inside, hating myself for allowing the scenarios to run through my head. “He’s not my type.”

“What?” Kate wiggled her brows. “I thought tall, dark, and handsome were everyone’s type.”

“Nope.”

“Are you into women?” She elbowed me. “Because Narisa’s hot.”

“Huh?” My cheeks paled. “No. No, I’m just not into arrogant men.”

“And who says Adam’s arrogant?”

I faked a laugh and shook my head. “Name a rich man who isn’t.” I couldn’t believe I was even having this kind of conversation. It wasn’t something that happened where I came from. Then again, nothing happened where I came from.

Well, at least nothing anyone openly talked about.

“Arrogant can be sexy.” Kate popped up her right shoulder and fanned her face a little. “Give me an alpha any day. I’m gonna go talk to him.”

I watched Kate stride Adam’s way in her copper red heels and fitted black dress. She was definitely attractive. I couldn’t imagine Adam not being interested. Of course, he probably wasn’t even available. And then, there were likely to be workplace rules against fraternizing.

These possibilities didn’t seem to disturb Kate. It wasn’t even nine in the morning yet, and she’d already set her sights on the owner.

I looked to the door as a tall, lithe man with white hair, a sharp, pointed nose, and greener than green eyes clapped his hands and rubbed them together as he moved to the center of the room. “Is this my new group?” he asked Adam.

Adam held a coffee mug to his lips, his eyes capturing mine. I cleared my throat, and he released his heated gaze, raising his mug toward the white-haired guy.

“Well, I’m John,” the man said. “You all ready to get started?”