Larenzo's Christmas Baby. Кейт Хьюит
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and had the strong, muscled physique to match.
Her eyes slid greedily down his chiseled body. His shoulders filled out every inch of his lightweight suit jacket, his sky-blue shirt showed off the powerful definition of his upper chest, and his tailored pants hung just so. The man knew how to rock a suit, and smelled as debonair as he looked. He was cool, suave and hot—just like she remembered. He wasn’t the kind of man a woman forgot, and as he crossed the room toward her, Jariah felt a rush of panic. Her palms grew slick with sweat, and if her knees shook any harder her legs would give way.
“We meet again,” the stranger said in a velvety smooth voice. “Jariah, right?”
Taken by his smile and his dreamy scent, all Jariah could do was nod her head. Is this really happening? she wondered. Am I actually standing face-to-face with the guy I blew off two days ago? He was too close, but Jariah didn’t move. Couldn’t, not when he was openly staring at her. The Italian hunk was the sexiest thing on two legs, but something about him still rubbed her the wrong way. Jariah didn’t know anything about the attractive stranger, but she could spot a player a mile away, and this guy was definitely that. His cocksure stance said it all: I’m handsome and charming and I can have any woman I want.
Not me Casanova, so back off!
“I thought that was you. I glanced into the conference room, and there you were.” He slid a hand casually into his pocket, stood there as if he had all the time in the world to shoot the breeze. “Shouldn’t you be at the gym teaching the morning Bootie Camp class?”
“Are you stalking me?”
His eyes gleamed with mischief. “No. Would you like me to?”
Jariah couldn’t think of a witty comeback to put him in his place, so she said nothing.
“I’m just kidding,” he said, holding his hands up in the air, as if he was surrendering to Miami’s finest. “I work here. What’s your story?”
“If you must know, I’m here for a job interview.”
“That’s really great news.”
Baffled by his statement and his enthusiasm, she said, “It is?”
“Absolutely. This place is filled with a bunch of boring, stuffy suits, and it’ll be a nice to have a woman like you around for a change.”
“A woman like me?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve got moxie, and I find your honesty refreshing.”
“You don’t know me.”
“Not yet,” he shot back. “But I’m working on it.”
He smelled of expensive cologne, and when he raked a hand through his hair, Jariah wondered what it would be like to play in his dark, thick curls.
“How’s your daughter? Did everything go okay at the dentist on Friday?”
Stunned by the question, Jariah eyed him closely, trying to recall their previous conversation. What is this guy up to? Is it possible that he is stalking me? He didn’t give off that creepy, peeping-tom vibe, but he made her nervous. His questions put her on edge, made her uncomfortable. Before she could put him in his place, the door opened and a skinny brunette wearing designer eyeglasses and a stylish gray pantsuit marched briskly inside.
Stopping abruptly, she said, “Good morning, Mr. Morretti. Is there a problem?”
Jariah didn’t hear the gasp that escaped her lips, but it must have shot out of her mouth in surround-sound because the brunette gave her a funny look.
Touching a hand to her scalding-hot cheeks, Jariah choked down the lump in the back of her throat. This young, ridiculously hot guy owns Morretti Incorporated? Hell, no. No way. It couldn’t be, she argued, refusing to believe it. He was the boss’s son. Had to be. Remembering their conversation on Friday made Jariah wince. I am so screwed. There’s no way I’m getting this job. Not after the way I spoke to him at the coffee shop.
“Please, Mrs. Reddick, call me Nicco.” His eyes were narrowed, as if he was pissed off, but his mouth held a teasing grin. “Save the formalities for Rafael and my father. I’m far more laid-back. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”
Jariah wanted to roll her eyes but didn’t. The HR director was wearing a wedding ring the size of a jaw breaker, and was likely in her mid-forties, but she giggled like a kid watching Finding Nemo.
“Mrs. Reddick, if it’s okay with you I’d like to sit in on this interview.”
No, it’s not okay! Jariah screamed inside in her head. She prayed the brunette would show Nicco Morretti the door, but when he flashed one of his wide, panty-wetting smiles at the HR director, she eagerly nodded her head.
“Of course, by all means.” Mrs. Reddick gestured to the conference room table with more flair than a model at the Miami Car Show. “Please, pull up a chair and join us.”
“Can I get you something to drink?” Nicco asked, sliding behind Jariah and holding out her chair. “Coffee? Tea? A glass of wine?”
Jariah felt the compulsion to laugh, but didn’t. Who drinks wine at nine-thirty in the morning? she wondered. I bet he does! Nicco was testing her, but Jariah refused to let the hot-shot businessman unnerve her. Guys like Nicco Morretti—rich, arrogant, womanizers—were a dime a dozen in Miami and hardly her type. It didn’t matter that he had dashing good looks, or more swagger than a championship winning bull fighter. He was just a man, and like her ex, not someone she could ever trust. Nicco Morretti was a charmer, a guy who got off on seducing women and no one could tell her otherwise. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”
Girl, you better lick those lips and hike up that skirt!
Jariah was appalled by the thought that entered her mind. Yes, Nicco Morretti was attractive, and flirting with him certainly wouldn’t hurt her cause, but Jariah wanted to the get the account manager’s job on her own merit. Not because she’d flashed some cleavage at the boss’s son. She wouldn’t do it. No way, no how.
All business, the HR Director sat down with a flourish and opened the manila file folder she’d put down on the round, mahogany table. “Welcome to Morretti Inc., Ms. Brooks. I’m Mrs. Reddick. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
To conceal the fact that she was shaking, Jariah crossed her legs, and clasped her hands around her knees. Taking a deep breath didn’t calm her nerves, and Jariah feared if she tried to speak nothing would come out.
“Tell us about yourself, Ms. Brooks. What would you like us to know about you?”
Releasing the breath she’d been holding, she sat up straighter in her chair. This was her time to shine, to prove that there was more to her than met the eye, and Jariah held nothing back. She told the HR director about her education, her past work experience, and the joy she found in volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program.
“What makes you stand out from your peers?” Mrs. Reddick asked.
“I’m dependable, trustworthy and responsible. I take great pride in my work, and I’m committed to being the best account manager I can be.”
The HR director continued. “What’s your worst character trait?”
That depends on who you ask. My parents think I’m irresponsible, my ex says I’m unreasonable, and his mother is convinced I got pregnant to trap her beloved son. The accusation stung, even after all these years, but Jariah didn’t have time to dwell on her troubled thoughts. “I can be stubborn at times, especially when I’m very passionate about a project, but I’ve never allowed my shortcomings to interfere with my ability to do my job.”
Mrs. Reddick folded her arms rigidly across her chest, and Jariah knew she’d said the wrong thing, but before she could revise her response, the HR director spoke.
“Why should we hire you, Ms. Brooks?”
“Because