Love On My Mind by Tracey Livesay Read Free Book Online

thankful.
    “Is that about work?” she asked, trying to disguise her excitement.
    He turned and leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why would you reach that conclusion?”
    She shrugged as if it didn’t matter whether he answered her question or not . . . and as if she wasn’t distracted by the material stretching over his biceps. “I heard you mention an interview and that’s usually about work, so . . .”
    She trailed off, hoping she hadn’t jumped the gun and ruined the advantage she’d managed to obtain. She needed this to work. She had three weeks. She wouldn’t have time to regain any ground she’d lost.
    He exhaled heavily and looked out the window. The sharp angles of his face stood out against the gray canvas of the thunderstorm.
    “They want me to do an interview for a magazine, but the questions . . . They’re asinine, juvenile, pointless.” The volume of his voice increased with each word. Then his lips twisted and he shook his head. “I’m unsure how to proceed.”
    Those last words were issued haltingly, frustration at admitting a shortcoming staining every syllable. That sudden expression of his vulnerability caused an ache to lodge in the back of her throat and she wrestled with a moment of guilt.
    Maybe she should approach him in a different way. She could send him an email offering her services or call him and request a meeting. Hell, she could try a little honesty and admit that Computronix hired her and trust that she could get him to understand the importance of the product launch, for him and his company.
    Then she remembered what was at stake. Her partnership depended on a successful launch and her life’s happiness depended on that partnership. Mike Black assured her that Adam wouldn’t get through a presentation with the media, and after watching his last press conference, she knew they’d devour him alive. That wouldn’t be good for him, Computronix, or her.
    Even if she was slightly uncomfortable with the subterfuge, she needed to trust the opinion of the man who’d hired her. Mike Black knew Adam and seemed to believe a ruse was their only option. She’d follow the instructions of the man who had years of history with Adam versus her scant ten minutes. And when it was finally revealed, she was confident he’d understand they’d done what they thought was best.
    Hoping she’d made the right decision, she said, “Maybe I can help you.”
    “How?”
    “I can tell you how to answer the questions.”
    He narrowed his dark eyes. “Why would you assist me?”
    “Because you’re helping me. You’re giving me a dry place to wait out the storm.” She smiled. “And you haven’t murdered me. Please. This is a way I can repay you.”
    She worked hard not to shift from one foot to the other while he stared at her. Why did he make her feel as if he could see straight through her? He didn’t look at her—he studied her, like she was a frustrating puzzle he couldn’t solve.
    Finally, he nodded once and waved her over to his impressive workstation. She’d never seen anything like it in real life, only on TV or in the movies. His desk was shaped like a horseshoe, surrounded on all three sides with monitors the size of large televisions. Centered on a separate, higher back tier, were three smaller monitors like the ones that typically came with computers. She didn’t see any system units, so she assumed those must be hidden behind the wooden cabinet doors beneath the desk.
    Adam placed his hand on the leather chair and pulled it back. The coasters scraped against the floor. “Have a seat.”
    She did. The buttery soft material hugged her body, while the structure forced her spine to straighten and provided a supportive frame for her lower back.
    She sighed in pleasure. “This is the most comfortable chair I’ve ever sat in.”
    “It’s my design. There are days when I spend twenty hours in that chair.”
    “You designed your own