All He Really Needs by Emily McKay Read Free Book Online

she’d never
been the type to vomit words when she was nervous. So what was up now? She blew
out a breath. This was just another first day with a new boss. Nothing to worry
about.
    Except, no matter how she sliced it, this was not just another
new boss. This was her lover. A man who knew her body intimately. A man who’d
driven her to the heights of passion over and over. She’d been vulnerable with
him in a way she’d never been able to be with another man. She’d only allowed
herself that vulnerability because he wasn’t a part of her real life. He was
part of her nighttime fantasy world. Now, the two disparate parts of her life
were becoming inextricable intertwined and, frankly, it terrified her.
    “Sir—” she began, thinking of Mr. Thornton “—just tell me what
you expect from me.”
    Griffin slowly leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs
out in front of him and bringing one hand up to stroke his thumb thoughtfully
across his mouth, giving her the impression he was trying to hide the fact that
he was laughing at her expense.
    “Sir, huh?” he asked in a mocking voice.
    She ground her teeth. He was definitely enjoying this. “How
would you like me to address you?”
    A slow smile spread across his face. “I’ll think about that and
let you know.”
    “Shall I come back later?”
    “It’s fine. Come in whenever you want.”
    “I can knock first. Next time I’ll just knock first.” Again
with the babbling! What was wrong with her?
    “Whatever makes you comfortable.”
    Humph. If only that were possible.
    She flipped open the cover of her iPad, causing it to flicker
awake and reveal the page of notes she’d made at her desk.
    “First off, sir, there are—”
    “Okay, I’ve thought about it. Stop calling me sir.”
    She gritted her teeth, swallowed and tried again for the formal
professionalism. “Whatever you wish, Mr. Cain.”
    As if he was purposefully baiting her—and he probably was—his
smile broadened. “I’d like you to call me Griffin.”
    “Fine. There are some things we should go over to ease the
transition.”
    “Okay. Hit me.”
    He flashed her another one of those amused smiles and she
cringed. She wished now that she hadn’t made such a big deal about the name
thing. Instead of impressing him with her efficiency and professionalism, she
was acting like a total dork. “First off, I’d, um…like to go over Dalton’s
schedule for the week.”
    “I thought Dalton had been focusing on finding our sister.”
    “He was, but he still had to run the company.” She looked down
at the calendar app. “The weekly officers’ meetings and the—”
    “But,” Griffin interrupted her, “I don’t have to be able to do
everything Dalton did. No one’s going to expect that of me. At least not at
first—and maybe never.”
    Sydney had to swallow a laugh. He was right, of course;
everyone would expect less of him because of his reputation as a dilettante and
playboy.
    As if he could read her mind, he flashed her one of his
charming grins and gestured modestly to his chest. “ I wouldn’t even have this job if it wasn’t for my family
connections. So nobody is going to expect much. Everyone knows I’ll need help,
especially these first few weeks. I can hand off most of the daily running of
the company to someone else while I focus on finding the heiress. Once we find
her, the pressure will let up a bit.”
    She’d only been thinking about Dalton’s resignation in terms of
how it would affect her. She hadn’t skipped ahead yet to the broader
ramifications of how it would affect the whole company. When she did think about
it, it terrified her. Cain Enterprises was a billion-dollar company. It employed
countless people. He’d not only thought about all those ramifications, but also
had thought of them quickly enough to start working on a plan.
    She nodded. “Okay. In that case, shall I arrange a meeting
between you and…” She let her words trail off as she waited for