ra'

ce was t

ool, late-afternoon light. Luckily, he gave me food which made

his desk sat like an altar between us. He leaned back in

ulous in this still-too-fancy dress and absolutely illegal lingerie undernea

tic,

ed at the file

I know your bio by heart. Every damn interview, article, Wikipedia edit, charity g

, knowing smir

d, not looking at him.

il about my boss, right? I wouldn't be working fo

he said, softer, "Al

ook a

ve-one with all the nerves I've got in my stomach." I gave a breathy laugh, then pushed on. "I was born in Ly

upt. His attention was quiet and steady-somethi

cally raised me. If I have anyone I could ever call family, it's her." My fingers twisted around the hem of my dress. "She'

as still.

ness at a community college in New Jersey. Transferred, worked my butt off. Took night sh

bly didn't even notice

n't de

ories. Just work, study, survive." My voice dropped. "I guess I didn't have t

d slightly-not c

sk me about scars or marks, there's a red mole on the side of

," he said, his

"Don't g

ock surrender. "Just sa

"That's me. In a nutshell. A tired, overworked French orpha

just want to humor it all down s

until he was beside me. He didn't sit. Just looked

ed. "But you're the only one who's e

rt knocking against my

ed down sligh

r thic

athless. "God, Lysander. That was almost

lap. "We'll survive the interview. Yo

muttered. "I'm just

ing a hell

his desk, I watched h

cé. The most infuriating, unrea

de me feel like maybe I was more t

ow about you?" I leaned over the tab

you asking m

ook up. "Because

" I said, smirking. "B

ce up. Sharp blue

in my chair, s

pa

nd crossed his arms. "Alright,

Six foot six. You're b

in faint amusem

just what shows under artificial light. In sunlight, they shift

a slow, im

sport?"

Olympic trophy in your third-floor penthouse doesn't exist. 2

bli

back straight, exhale before the release. You practice every

sta

f that lean crap. You hate when chefs try to make it healthy. You nearly fired

in. "You were

I read the gossip column, an

uiet for

id, "Favor

t I've seen the dog-eared copy of The Little Pri

h parted

sing my arms. "You're not hard to rea

er to me, hands in his pocket

ching me," he mu

ng," I c

e th

The other is survival when you

layed on his lips. "Anything els

or, well, eye to collarbone, beca

om breaking it when you were thirteen-skating accident, wasn't it? And that you wear two different

ng anymore. "Which on

closer. "Y

like gravit

d slowly, a sound li

angerous,

no idea,"

r beat

rp and sudden, grab

clipped. "Mock interview.

expect any

ething less..

less you'd buy me another lav