Page 8 of Hitched to my Boss

As I drive down his winding driveway toward town, I catch myself glancing in the rearview mirror at his cabin until it disappears behind the trees. This contract is going to be more complicated than I anticipated, and not just because of Jason's trust issues.

I'm attracted to him. Really, genuinely attracted in a way that could seriously complicate our working relationship. The smart thing would be to refer him to another consultant and walk away before things get messy.

But I've never been one to back down from a challenge, and Jason Wallace is definitely that. The question is whether I can help him achieve his goals without compromising my professional standards.

Or my carefully guarded heart.

I point my SUV toward town and start planning my strategy for transforming a reluctant mountain man into the kind of professional Marcus Hartwell can't afford to ignore. It's going torequire all my skills, a lot of patience, and a serious commitment to keeping my hands to myself.

The first two I can handle. The third might prove more challenging than I'm willing to admit.

3

JASON

Natalia's SUV disappears down my driveway, and the silence that follows feels different than usual. Not the comfortable solitude I've cultivated for four years, but an absence. Like something important just left.

Which is ridiculous. I've known the woman for two hours.

I clear our coffee mugs from the table, noting how she'd arranged her materials. Everything had its place, nothing wasted, no unnecessary flourishes. Professional efficiency that I can respect, even if the idea of having someone dissect my business practices makes my skin crawl.

The truth is, Natalia Santos isn't what I expected when Jude described a PR consultant who specialized in difficult clients. I'd braced myself for some slick city type who'd try to turn me into something I'm not, armed with buzzwords and fake enthusiasm.

Instead, she'd seen through my defenses in minutes, identified exactly what my problem was, and proposed a solution that actually made sense. She'd treated my preference for solitude as a professional characteristic rather than a personality flaw.

And she's beautiful in a way that makes it hard to think about business.

I push that thought away as I boot up my laptop. My online presence is practically nonexistent. My current website is a single-page site that features basic contact information and a brief description of my services. No photos, no testimonials, nothing that would give a potential client confidence in hiring me.

I'd spent years building expertise that could solve Marcus Hartwell's problem, but I'm struggling to communicate that expertise to anyone who doesn't already know me.

My phone buzzes with a text from Jude.

Jude: How'd it go with the PR lady? Still planning to disappear further into the mountains?

I stare at the message, considering how to respond. Jude knows me well enough to recognize when I'm avoiding something, and my usual pattern would be to find an excuse to head out on a multi-day scouting trip rather than deal with anything that feels too complicated.

Me: She's competent. We're moving forward.

Jude: That's it? "She's competent"? Zen said she was smart and attractive.

Me: I hired her to fix my reputation, not to date her.

Jude: Who said anything about dating? I'm just surprised you didn't immediately find reasons why her plan won't work.

He's not wrong. My first instinct when anyone suggests changing my routine is to find logical reasons why their approach is flawed. But I hadn't done that with Natalia. Instead, I'd actually considering her suggestions, even agreeing to let her spend weeks here observing my work.

Me: Her approach makes sense. And I need this contract.

Jude: Well, that's progress. Try not to scare her off before she can help you.

After Jude signs off, I spend the evening reviewing my existing business materials, seeing them through the lens of what Natalia had pointed out. She's right that everything focuses on technical capabilities without conveying any sense of personality or approach. A potential client reading my current materials would know I'm qualified, but they'd have no idea whether I'm someone they'd want to work with.

The next morning,I'm up before dawn as usual, taking care of the basic maintenance tasks that keep my property running smoothly. By the time eight o'clock arrives, I've already split and stacked wood, checked my equipment storage, and reviewed the weather forecast for the coming week.

Natalia arrives exactly on time, her SUV navigating my driveway with the same confidence she'd shown yesterday. This time, she's dressed more casually in dark jeans and a cream-colored sweater that brings out the warmth in her skin, though she still looks polished in a way that makes me aware of my own worn flannel shirt and work boots.

"Good morning," she says as she approaches the cabin, carrying what appears to be a much larger bag of materials than yesterday. "Ready to dive into this?"

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