Gray Quinn's Baby by Susan Stephens Read Free Book Online Page B

yes, sir,’ Magenta spat out crisply, stopping just shy of a salute.
    This was novel. This was annoying and confusing. And, alarmingly, it was pretty amazing too. Quinn was pretty amazing, with all that dark hair escaping his best attempt to tame it from falling over his brow. And those eyes, steely and fierce—not to mention the body currently concealed beneath some pretty sharply tailored clothes. Here at last was a man who was really worth taking on. Had she met her match at last? Forget all that nonsense about not wanting to add him to her workload; she would gladly put Quinn on her ‘must do’ list.
    â€˜Please accept my apologies.’ She wanted to keep the job, such as it was, didn’t she? ‘I forgot you intended making such an early start. And I’ll be sure to remember my, er, “must do” list in future.’
    â€˜Be sure you do. Just remember, this might be your first day on the job, but it gets you no special favours from me. I expect you up to speed by the end of the day. And any thoughts you might have had about taking time off before the holidays, cancel them.’
    She had to swallow her pride. She’d been doing a lot of that recently, but it would only be until she found her feet downthis complicated rabbit-hole—or, better still, until she woke up. ‘I’ll get the coffee, shall I?’
    â€˜Yes, you do that,’ Quinn agreed. ‘And take that dead rat with you.’
    â€˜Of course.’ She was only too happy to drop the horrible hairpiece in the first bin she found.
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    The men filed in and sat around the boardroom table as Magenta set the coffee down in front of Quinn. Her team, nearly all female, could have run rings around them, she concluded five minutes into the meeting. What were the women doing sitting outside typing? Surely some of them had flair?
    She glanced at Quinn as he rubbed a hand across his eyes, as if he had forgotten something. Was it too much to hope he had intended to include some of the women in the meeting?
    â€˜I should have asked for coffee for everyone,’ he apologised—to the men. ‘Magenta?’ he added brusquely, shooting an impatient glance her way.
    She wasn’t going to snap back in front of the men, she decided. Quinn might have lost all sense of business protocol by speaking to her so rudely, but she hadn’t. ‘No problem at all,’ she said pleasantly, sweeping out of the room, surprised by the openly admiring glances she was attracting. She would gladly exchange those looks for a return to the casual acceptance of her gender she was used to. The men’s gazes burning a hole into her back made her really uncomfortable, though she was pleasantly surprised when one late arrival rushed to hold the door for her. Were her sensibilities changing too?
    No. She bridled outside the room, hearing some very male laughter erupting behind the door. Quinn barked a command and there was silence, but Magenta got the distinct impression that the laughter had been directed at her.
    She made the coffee and took it into the men, but held back from serving it. If they wanted a coffee, then one of themwould have to pour it. She left the room and returned with her notebook as instructed. She didn’t know shorthand, but she could write fast.
    And she had to. Quinn wasn’t short of ideas, most of which she agreed with, but it would have been nice if he consulted his team along the way, rather than issuing instructions. He ignored her completely. She might have been invisible. ‘Can I ask a question?’ she said at one point.
    â€˜If you want to leave the room, you don’t have to be coy,’ he said while the men sniggered and Magenta’s cheeks flamed red.
    â€˜I don’t want to leave the room,’ she said, conscious of the other men looking on with interest as the little drama unfolded.
    â€˜Then please be quiet,’ Quinn rapped impatiently.