Page 6 of Twice as Forbidden

“Whatever,” Noah mumbles, shaking his head. He gets up, follows the man out, and I raise my eyes to Mr. Blake. He walks over to his desk and sits, leaning back in his chair, studying me. “So, Georgia, tell me about yourself.”

My heart thrashes. Blood whooshes in my ears. I wipe my palms down the sides of my skirt. It’s a simple question, so why am I so nervous? “What would you like to know?”

“Everything. Where are you from? What brings you to Chicago? Why were you really in my bedroom?”

His last question blindsides me, and for a second, I forget how to speak. “What—I—”

“I won’t have you pulling anything in my home, Miss Price. You aren’t the first of Noah’s girlfriends to find themselves ‘lost.’ Don’t think for a second you’re the exception.”

I straighten, my hackles rising. I work to keep the fire out of my voice as I say, “Respectfully, as I mentioned last night, I was lost. And I don’t appreciate the judgment you’ve formed about me. It’s downright insulting.”

He gazes at me, amusement in his eyes. “Is that so?”

“Yes. First of all, I’m not like his other girlfriends. You don’t have to worry about me falling into whatever trap you left for them.” He raises an eyebrow. “And not that it matters, but Noah and I broke up last night.”

He leans forward, linking his fingers on the desk. “Broke up?”

“Yes…” Maybe I shouldn’t have admitted that. If I’m not dating his son, will he fire me? I can’t risk losing this job. If he asks me to leave, I have nowhere to go. “It’s… complicated.”

“What happens between you and my son is your business. What happens in my home and with my company is mine.” He pushes his chair back and stands. “Now, I’ll give you a tour.” He rounds the front of his desk, and suddenly, I’m acutely aware of how imposing he feels up close. He extends his arm toward the door. “After you,Peach.” Once again, he catches me off guard, and I find myself unable to help but stare up at him. I stand slowly, and shamelessly, my gaze drops to his full lips, remembering how close they were to being against mine only hours ago.

“Yeah. Sure.” I shift directions, and the unexpected pressure of his palm against my lower back throws me off balance. I stumble, and his hand wraps around my waist to steady me. Heat blossoms along my spine, stirring something inside me.

“Easy there. We don’t want you to injure yourself on the first day.”

My cheeks flush with embarrassment at my sudden reaction. I straighten and step back, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I catch the dark smile on his lips as he says, “This way.” He leads me out of his office and down a long hall, introducing me to staff at each open door we pass. It takes some time for my brain to shake off the ridiculous idea that he’s flirting with me. He’s Noah’s father, for heaven’s sake. A grown man. Why would he be interested in someone like me?

He’s not, you crazy girl!

We enter another office, and I pull myself out of my mental spiral.

“Chris, I’d like you to meet Georgia. She’s interning with us for the summer.”

The man stands, extending his hand with a firm grip. “Hey, Georgia. I’m Chris Morrison, head of sales. Nice to meet you. What department are they assigning you to?”

I open my mouth to say sales—though I still have no idea what that entails—when Mr. Blake interjects, “Sales. She’ll be shadowing cold calls, attending client meetings, and gaining hands-on experience with our process.”

Chris nods his approval, shifting his gaze back to me. “Sounds like they’re throwing you right in. Who will you be working under?”

“She’s going to shadow me this summer,” Mr. Blake announces, his tone leaving no room for debate.

Chris lets out a low whistle. “That’s awesome. Great opportunity, Georgia. Mr. Blake mentored me when I first joined the team. Hard as hell. I had a few choice words for him when he wasn’t listening.” He chuckles, giving me a knowing look. “Hope he takes it easy on you.”

Mr. Blake glances down at me, his expression unreadable, but the sharp glint in his eyes makes my stomach flip. His smile is slow, calculated. “Oh, I don’t plan to.”

We say our goodbyes and continue down the hall, so many questions running through my head. What does he mean he won’t go easy on me? Why am I suddenly working with him? Why do I feel this overwhelming attraction to him? Instead of asking, I focus on calming my racing heartbeat and mindlessly follow him until I realize we’re back at his office. “Take a seat.”

I hesitate. “I’m good standing, actually.”

“Sit down, Georgia.”

His voice is firm, authoritative, brooking no argument. Reluctantly, I take a seat across from him as he settles behind his large desk. “If I hadn’t pressed, would you have withheld the fact that you were no longer dating my son?”

Dammit, not this again. “I’m a hard worker. Reliable. Trustworthy. I possess all the necessary qualifications for this position. I don’t think it matters.”

“And this morning? You two looked cozy. Far from broken up.”

“It’s—he… he came into my room sometime during the night. Just to sleep. We were together for ten months. Habit, I guess.”

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