She grinned. “I like short and sweet.”
“And where was the ring? Every good proposal needs a good ring.”
She laughed. “That proposal was the longest twenty seconds of my life. All those butterflies in my stomach were for nothing since I got shot down.”
“Maybe all those pesky butterflies are from all the sexual chemistry we’re both feeling.”
“Wow! That’s pretty forward for a boss to say that to his employee.”
He stepped closer. “As forward as a stranger asking me if she could be my wife?”
“Fake wife. Can’t emphasize that enough.”
He laughed. “Throwing my words right back at me. I like you, Paige. It’s truly been a pleasure meeting you.”
“Likewise.”
She surprised him again, shrugging and turning away to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“Back to work. Gina’s waiting for me. She’s probably wondering what happened to me. Besides, there’s no point standing here. I offered to help you out. You objected to my employment status or social status, or just to me in general, and declined. So, best of luck to you, Mr. Conners.”
“Wait,” he said, “perhaps I was hasty in my assessment of the situation. I’m concerned with engendering office drama if I were to become involved, even on the surface, with someone from the company. You look presentable enough to keep from raising suspicions, and you understand the circumstances because you overheard the conversation. I may wish to reconsider your offer.”
“‘Raising suspicions,’ I guess means that people wouldn’t freak out and know it was fake because I’m such an ugly mutant that I couldn’t possibly attract your magnificence, right?”
“No. Simply that anyone with whom I’m connected romantically is scrutinized in the press. Her eligibility will be discussed—attractiveness, level of education, career success, family connections. It’s something I’ve come to expect. If I were to become engaged to someone whose eligibility is vastly different from my now—”
“There’s really no way to finish that sentence without sounding like a total snob. Just quit while you’re ahead, sir.”
“It’s not snobbery. It’s reality. I went to Exeter. I graduated summa cum from Wharton. Cut my teeth on the London office. No one would believe I was serious about, say, a waitress or a—”
“A cleaning lady? A secretary? You sound like a douche. No offense,” she smirked.
“No offense?” he said, stunned.
She didn’t hasten to apologize, didn’t seem to remember that he was head of t
he corporation that employed her, and she had been rude and insubordinate. She giggled. Like an equal who had gotten in a good jab.
Also, she wasn’t intimidated by the fact he was the CEO, or by his condescending attitude. In short, she wasn’t taking any crap from him. That got his attention immediately.
She took a step closer. “What I mean is, if you were really a total douche, you wouldn’t bother to be offended because you’d continue thinking you were made of awesomeness. And if you’re not a complete d-bag, then you’ll stop and think about the crappiness of your conceited remarks and do better. So, I hope it’s the second one, and I wasn’t hoping to insult you. Just—instruct you.”
“You’re teaching me social skills?”
“Maybe one or two. Someone ought to do it. Anyway, have a good night. I have water to deliver. Bye.”
She turned and left. He stood there, not sure what to make of her. She was presumptuous. She was opinionated. She was nosy. It would be easy to mark her down as a secretary with bad manners and no sense of her place in the hierarchy. Except she was funny and smart and scrumptious.
He resisted the urge to get a bottled water and pour it over his head to cool down. Because Paige Waters had him on edge. She’d been right—he wasn’t insulted. He was intrigued. He was turned on. He was completely focused on her. Not her specifically, of course. Just on his problem and the need to find a suitable woman to pose as his wife.
Surely Magnus could manage it for him. He should just forget about Paige. About her bare feet and electric pink nail polish. About her generosity—she’d offered to help him. Sure, there was money involved, but also pressure, scrutiny, and plenty of inconvenience. So, it had been rather kind of her to offer, he supposed. One part of him was sure it would stir up too much office drama. And the other part wanted to dive straight on in.
Chapter 4
PAIGE COULDN’T STOP thinking about the gorgeous CEO. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him, to have his lips against hers.