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HARLEY

It was the day after Thanksgiving, and the espresso store was already in full-on Christmas mode. Vacation tunes blasted via the audio system, and brilliant crimson and inexperienced have been in every single place. However I used to be too nervous to note any of it.

“Harley Baxter?” a voice referred to as out from someplace off to my proper.

It was a male voice. It was the voice of Nic Brooks, a man I’d heard my dad grumble about for years.

I sucked in a breath and turned, plastering a smile on my face. That smile froze once I received a take a look at the person who’d mentioned my title.

How was it potential Nic was that handsome? I’d glanced at his image on-line, but it surely had been some grainy black-and-white headshot that was clearly taken a great decade earlier. It hadn’t revealed the sturdy set of his jaw and people melty chocolate-brown eyes. It additionally did not seize the broad shoulders and clear muscle definition I noticed beneath that forest inexperienced sweater.

Professionalism, Harley. Don’t blow this.

I walked immediately towards him, hand outstretched. “Harley Baxter,” I mentioned, groaning inwardly the second the phrases have been out of my mouth. He knew my title. He’d referred to as it out. “Thanks for agreeing to satisfy me.”

He slid his massive, sturdy hand round mine and gave it a shake, however he didn’t launch it. As an alternative, he stood there, our palms clasped, staring immediately into my eyes.

“You’re Reed Baxter’s daughter,” he mentioned.

Reed Baxter. Sure, he was my father. He’d based an organization that put in out of doors Christmas decorations. It began domestically and step by step expanded all through the area, though it had by no means fairly made it to nationwide standing.

Seven years in the past, once I was nonetheless in highschool, he’d give you an thought for everlasting set up with lights that could possibly be modified utilizing a smartphone app. Pink and inexperienced for Christmas, orange and black for Halloween, etcetera.

“I’m his daughter.” I withdrew my hand, however for some odd cause, it felt mistaken not having it inside his. What was up with that? “However I’m my very own individual.”

His smile faltered barely at these phrases, and I couldn’t blame him. What did that imply, precisely? He hadn’t accused me of not being my very own individual. I used to be the one who was defensive about it.

Earlier than I may give you a great rationalization, Nic gestured towards the desk simply behind him. “Have a seat. We’ll talk about the chance.”

Alternative. Attention-grabbing phrase for it. I used to be the one who’d proposed coming to work for his firm, however I’d completed it on a whim after getting a take a look at my dad’s books. He had no concept that I used to be on to him. He little doubt thought he was cleverly hiding that his enterprise seemingly wouldn’t be round a yr from now.

However I wasn’t the naïve twenty-three-year-old he thought I used to be. Not when it got here to enterprise, anyway.

I’d barely settled onto the seat throughout from Nic when a server appeared on the finish of the desk. She set a cappuccino mug in entrance of Nic. It had a kind of foam hearts floating on high of the sunshine brown liquid.

“I’ll have a kind of.” I pointed to his drink. I wanted some caffeine proper now, and that appeared simply nearly as good as the rest. “And water with a straw.”

Nic appeared to be battling a smile as he lifted the mug to his mouth and took a sip. However when he set it down, he was all enterprise.

“You wish to go into gross sales?” he requested. “However your dad gained’t take you significantly.”

I stared at him, by some means managing to maintain my jaw from dropping. I wished to enter gross sales. I’d informed him that a lot on the telephone. However no method would I’ve informed him the remainder of it.

“I’ve sources,” he mentioned. “Pleasure Valley is a small city.”

He may say that once more. It was a small suburb of Seattle that had been reworked by the tech corporations dashing to find right here. It had turn out to be dear due to that. I may solely afford to dwell within the metropolis as a result of I shared a three-bedroom condominium with my finest pals.

“He believes everybody ought to begin on the backside,” I mentioned. “The entire thing is simply awkward. If he exhibits me even the slightest little bit of desire, it’s seen as nepotism.”

“‘Nepo child,’” he mentioned. “That’s what my niece calls it.”

Niece. Not daughter. I snuck a peek at his left hand and noticed no marriage ceremony ring, so I may solely assume he wasn’t married.

Why did I care about that? As a result of I discovered him disturbingly enticing, that was why. It was one thing I shouldn’t take into consideration my dad’s greatest rival. He was completely off limits, even when he was not less than 5 years youthful than my dad.

“I’ve to work 5 occasions as arduous as everybody else simply to justify my wage,” I mentioned. “It’s exhausting. However that’s why I reached out to you.”

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