4

His eyes focus on my wrinkled nose and become a little unfocused, then he smiles, nodding thoughtfully, and, although the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes, the frown is gone.

"What do these little squiggles mean?" His hand rests on the back of my chair and he leans closer to me, motioning to the clipboard as his body heat radiates through my shirt.

It feels too much like a teacher looking over my shoulder as I draw diagrams rather than do English homework. I failed all inspections. I resist the urge to rip the paper off the pad and throw it across the room, and instead run my hand over the map.

"Well, some determine the types of protection at each node and each layer of the network, based on a rating system that we developed. The colors also indicate certain security levels..." I stop.

"That's good," he said.

Is sarcastic? My head whips around to meet his gaze, but his gaze lands warmly on mine. The grip of his fingers on my chair tilts it slightly towards him. Janus Phillips thinks my diagram is good? Rest easy, my heart.

"THANKS." I swallow hard, dizzy. This is officially the most surreal conversation of my life. "I can't figure out what's going on unless I have a map. I don't go anywhere without my colored markers. I try to smile as I tap the pens at my elbow. "Definitely a bit low tech but..."

"I'm a big fan of paper." He gives me that full-on smile again, the one that makes my insides vibrate like I'm on a roller coaster. I admire his still white teeth, his thick eyelashes around his dancing eyes. "I've tried for ages to put together a clear picture of our systems, and this one (he taps the keyboard in front of me) does it simply, and you've just produced it in three hours of conversation with us.

I frown a little, not quite ready to accept that my little diagram is anywhere near up to date or accurate. "Well... of course it won't be quite right..."

"I bet it's 80-90 percent true." He scans the paper, body leaning forward, chest brushing my shoulder, and I can't move because if I did I'd rub against him. He smells like soap and a warm, fluffy male. His hand is right there, and I'm fascinated by his high-tech watch, the slight ridges of his nails, the protrusion of his thumb. The way his hand flexes on the paper. My breath pushes against my ribs like water. Is the contact deliberate?

He taps the card. "This one here. Hong Kong. I think that's not entirely true, but I'm not sure we have the full picture to tell you exactly what the situation is. The office is new, recently established but growing. He turns his head and his face is inches from mine. "For that, you may need to talk to people on the ground. Travel there.

I'm so out of breath that all I can do is nod and smile like an idiot. He must think I'm a weirdo. I can see where he missed a little shaving this morning. Someone coughs and he straightens up, returning to his place at the table and looking around at the waiting faces. I sit there feeling empty, like someone has cut the cords tethering me to the room. He nods towards the table, avoiding my gaze.

"Okay, everyone! Have we done enough yet? he said.

Janus is finished so the meeting is over, over, over. I blink as people start moving, closing notebooks, clicking closed laptops. I get up, gather my things and pack my bag like I'm on autopilot. Janus nods at me as everyone heads towards the door.

"Thank you, Joe. Can you scan and send this card to the team? » he said.

"Yes, and I will send you a plan to quickly address the immediate issues and then start tackling some of the other weaknesses."

"Matt's taking care of it, so pass it on to him. Can you start tomorrow? He glances at his wrist and his lips quirk in a half. "Even today?"

I nod, almost falling into my chair. "I will need an upfront payment, so we can put resources into it quickly." I hold my breath.

"No problem." Janus' gaze turns to Matt. "Make it happen," he said before striding out of the room, pulling his phone out of his pocket. I can't help but take a quick look at his ass. It's as delicious as the rest of him.

When I shake hands with everyone in the elevator, I am still in shock at how quickly the decision was made. But inside, I'm cartwheeling around his fancy office. Janus Industries security! Fucking moly ! I'm jumping up and down at the thought that I've landed this job and, crossing my fingers, enough money to cover my paycheck .

As my eyes scan the offices, Janus appears in the passage, head down, absorbed in something on his phone. The back of my neck tingles as a hot sweat begins on my chest. I focus on my phone trying to appear busy and not at all upset, or worse, gawking at him like any woman must. I'm scrolling through Slack, not even reading, when sneakers appear on the gray carpet at my feet, and my eyes travel over his body to find him looking at me with this lopsided grin on his face.

"We meet at the elevator twice in one day," he says, slipping his phone into his back pocket and pulling his shirt tighter over his chest. He rubs his hands. "What are you doing right now? Want to get coffee and a sandwich? I'm starving and the opportunity to talk about software would be cool. I'm always surrounded by marketing people. He scans my clothes and makes a grumpy face .

I am surprised by his obvious kindness. Does he want to talk technology with me? Janus Phillips asks me? He certainly doesn't have time. I've never met anyone who's actually appeared on gossip sites, and with that thought comes another: Their reputation is terrible. Even Bob knew this. Would people have misunderstood that I was leaving with him? I examine the wide open space, but it seems deserted. Unfortunately, he's too keen not to notice what I've done, and he leans in and raises an eyebrow.

"Afraid, Jo? Tut tut." He looks me up and down. "Where is the rebel I saw on the way up here? The woman with the smart mouth and smart clothes who tries to confuse the poor unsuspecting business owners? Their making it look like she's in marketing, maybe?" He tilts his head and smiles squarely at me now My face heats up, and as I open my mouth, the elevator dings and I inhale: saved by the bell.

Pulling through the opening door, I roll my eyes. "I have a reputation to protect, you know," I said, "unlike you. I can't be seen having a sandwich with the biggest wolf in the area. For effect, I lean towards the door with an exaggerated check, then I turn and turn my lips towards him.

He laughs, leans forward to press the lobby button, and the doors close behind me.

"If this is my reputation, then I want to protect it," he said, playing with a silver ring on his finger. "Wolf, huh? Who knows what kind of interesting women such a reputation might introduce me to? He raises an eyebrow. If he gets even cuter, I think I'll spontaneously explode. I'm not surprised models are falling all over his smart mouth and crazy hair.

"I wouldn't exactly classify you as a poor, unsuspecting general manager." I wrinkle my nose as his eyes scan my hair, my face. He shakes his head slightly.

"Well, you certainly managed to stop me in the elevator. I don't forget these kinds of things and I don't take them lightly, so you'll have to watch out for me getting mine back.

"Is this sandwich invitation one of those times?" I feign a worried frown. "Should I be worried? Are you going to put laxative in my coffee?

"You mean the invitation you haven't accepted yet is causing me untold stress because I asked a girl out for the first time in a long time, and she didn't say yes? "

"Did you ask me out?" My voice is about two octaves higher than normal, my heart jumping into my throat at his choice of words. God, does he... does he... No. He's a player – they all come out with lines like this. I straighten my face and adopt what I hope is a nonchalant expression.