Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104471 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
It’s one of the most beautiful smiles I’ve ever seen, and that’s not my exhaustion talking. Miss Starling radiates an energy that could clear every cloud out of the sky.
I’d never admit that to her, or anyone else for that matter, but she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.
“Good morning, Mr. Hunt.” Her voice hits me from the left.
I glance in that direction to see her holding a plate with a toasted bagel, a few berries on the side, and a small square dish containing what I assume is cream cheese.
My stomach takes notice since I didn’t have time for breakfast this morning. I spent too long dragging my ass out of bed before shaving and showering.
“Good morning,” I respond in a way I don’t typically, but she did hang around until the wee hours of the morning.
When I left the conference room, my assistant was right where I expected her to be. As she stood up from the bench she had settled on, a soft yawn parted her ruby red lips, and it was too captivating a sight for me to ignore.
I stared at her.
I have no idea if she noticed or not because her gaze was pinned on the conference room behind me.
That’s when she asked if she could do her usual walkthrough this morning instead of the middle of the night. I agreed with a nod. That lit up her face, and I carried that image home with me.
“Your coffee is right where you like it.” She motions toward my desk. “I also prepared a small breakfast for you in case you didn’t eat this morning.”
I drag my gaze away from the plate in her hands to focus on her.
She’s pinned her hair up, so only a few strands are falling around her face. The olive-colored dress she’s wearing fits her like a glove. As always, her lips are coated with the same crimson shade of lipstick that complements her perfectly.
I looked at myself in the mirror before leaving for the office. My gray suit is impeccable as always, but I look like shit. It’s obvious I barely slept, but no one would guess that Miss Starling likely got fewer hours of shut-eye than I did, considering she not only beat me to the office, but she took the initiative to seek out a well-rounded breakfast for me.
“Did you eat?” I ask without thinking.
A smile forms on her lips. “Yes, sir.”
I’m sure she’s stunned by the question since I’ve never inquired about any aspect of her personal life, including whether she eats breakfast before coming to work.
I take the offered plate from her hand, noting the small silver ring that circles her thumb and the light pink polish covering her nails. “I’ll need a minute to compile your task list for the day.”
“All right.” She twirls the ring around. “I know it’s early in the day, Mr. Hunt, but I’m wondering if you have any idea whether we’ll be staying late tonight.”
“We won’t,” I answer without hesitation because I need sleep more than I need another deal at this point.
“Good.” She smiles again, but this time, it’s wide and lights up her entire face. “I have plans tonight.”
With a man?
That question almost leaves my lips, but I halt it because I don’t care who the hell she has plans with.
I can’t care. She’s my assistant. That makes her off-limits.
“Pull up the detail sheet for the Lightfoot deal,” I say, even though we are days away from closing that deal, and there’s no reason for me to review it again.
“I’ll do that,” she says without questioning why I’m asking her to do something she knows is a waste of time. “I’ll email it to you straight away. Look for the subject line that is marked Lightfoot deal.”
It takes effort not to laugh at the slight jab since I’m the one who blew a fuse when she forgot to fill in the subject line on an email months ago.
My frustration had nothing to do with her at the time, but she bore the brunt of it like the professional she is.
“I’ll keep my eyes open for it.” I have no idea if that’s the truth because I may end up taking a power nap with my head in the middle of this breakfast plate if I don’t chug the coffee waiting for me on my desk.
“I didn’t congratulate you on the Bandello deal, Mr. Hunt.” She sighs. “It’s a wonderful acquisition for Vidori. The potential to make a profit is certainly there.”
“It is,” I agree before taking the conversation further. “Are you familiar with the vineyard?”
“I’m a fan of full-bodied red wines,” she admits. “Bandello’s has a lot of promise, but there’s an underlying bitter note. With a few tweaks, I think it could rival any of the big name west coast brands.”