Kiss Me When the Sun Goes Down by Lisa Olsen Read Free Book Online Page A

take orders and lead others.  Anything else I should know about him going into it?  Do you have any questions prepared or talking points about the position you want to go over with him?”
    He stared at me blankly. 
    “I’m over planning this, maybe?”  To my way of thinking, a job interview required questions to the guy’s character, his experience, his qualifications.  What did he want us to do, smile at him across from the desk and talk about the weather?
    “No, see, I knew you’d be on top of all that stuff.  Most of the hires ain’t been that formal.  I meet the fella over a beer or coffee, see if he’s strong and got the right temperament.  If I like the look of him, then I hire him.  But since this here’s management, I reckon I’m out of my depth.” 
    “Hey, I’ve never done the formal interview thing either.  Most of the people who end up working for me sort of fall into the position.”  Even my appointment of Leander as Magistrate had been based more on gut instinct than experience.  Maybe Lee’s way of hiring was the way to go, but I couldn’t jump into the interview blind. 
    “Okey doke, give me five minutes to prepare, and then I’ll come out and invite him in.  I guess feel free to bring him a beer out there if that’s what you usually do.”
    “If you’d rather not invite him in...” he started to say, but I cut him off.
    “No, it’s as good a test as any as to his character, right?”  The house magic wouldn’t let in anyone who intended me harm.  Not that it guaranteed he’d be a model employee, but it was a step in the right direction. 
    Quick like a bunny, I Googled the best interview questions to ask, and scanned a couple of articles like – 14 Ways to Identify a Toxic Employee During an Interview .  With some hasty cut and pasting, I cobbled together a short list of questions and printed out a copy for myself and for Lee if he wanted one.  I’d never interviewed anyone before, but heck, I’d faced down titans in vampire society.  This should be easy peasey.
    From the moment I opened the door, I was struck by how big the guy was.  His six foot plus frame filled the doorway, brawny arms crossed beneath massive shoulders that bulged with muscle.  His eyes were dark, and so was his hair, which fell in a tousled disarray around his ears, devoid of any product.  The close cropped beard covered a chiseled jaw, his nose long and straight, but not overpowering his face.  He wore jeans and a red checked shirt over a white t-shirt, rolled up at the sleeves, his forearms covered in a dark dusting of hair.  Overall, he looked like he could break me in half if he wanted to, but there was no menace in the eyes that looked me up and down boldly, the tiniest of smiles curving the corner of his mouth.
    “Nice to meet you, Mr., ah...”  Damn, I probably should’ve asked for his name before I opened the door. 
    The smile twitched a little higher.  “It’s Kane, and thanks for seeing me, ma’am.” 
    “That’s Your Grace to you, boy,” Lee prompted, and Kane shot him a rebellious frown. 
    “Why?  She ain’t my grace.” 
    “We talked about manners.”  Lee’s arms crossed, staring him down until Kane’s shoulders slumped. 
    “I called her ma’am,” he muttered, as if that should be good enough.  Kane’s eyes briefly closed as he schooled his features into a polite smile.  “Sorry, Your Grace,” he tried again, with more deference to his voice.
    I watched the power play with interest, wondering what Lee had told him about me beforehand.  “No, it’s fine.  Please, come in.”  Kane stepped over the threshold with no problem, and I smiled.  “You can call me Anja.” 
    “There we go, all friendly like.  See, nothin’ to worry about, old man,” Kane beamed, lightly swatting at Lee’s chest with the back of his hand in passing.  “Where we going, through here?”  Without waiting for a response, he led the way to my study, and I