The car stopped in front of my building. She tapped on the partition and held up a palm, directing her driver to stay in his seat. Turning back to me, she appeared relaxed but restrained. “I’ll allow you some exemptions with your questions since the situation with Victoria is a special case.” She perched her arm on the seat behind me, her fingers dangling near my shoulder. “I was like an older sister to Victoria. When she went to England for her last year of college and decided to stay there after she graduated, we drifted apart. She came back a very different woman a few years later. She cut ties with many friends. I reached out to her several times to reestablish our relationship, but she refused.”

  The sadness in her voice showed me a vulnerable side I had yet to see from her. Now the reason why she pushed me to speak with Victoria made better sense. Maybe she thought I could bridge the gap and help reestablish a relationship between them. It was humbling but a lot of pressure on my shoulders. If I failed, Colette would be unforgiving. A shiver ran up my spine at the idea she could destroy my career before it began.

  “What’s wrong? You’re cold?” she asked with real concern.

  “I’m moved by what you said about you and Miss Nox.” I patted her knee, much the same way she’d done to me in the car earlier. “During my interview, I’ll slip in how great a person you are, and how your employees, including me, look up to you.”

  She dropped her arm around my shoulder and hugged me. “Thank you. Maybe you’ll be the one to break through the barriers she has constructed.” She knocked on the glass partition, and the driver got out and opened my door. “Once the interview is finished, hurry back to the office and see me.”

  The command was all I needed to get moving. With a final goodbye, I left the car and walked up my front steps then unlocked the door. In the foyer, I closed the door then sat on the bottom step leading up to the next floor. My heart pounded, and there was a buzzing in my ears. I survived the night in my new role as a cosmopolitan reporter but barely.

  In less than seventy-two hours, I would have to impress a person who had rattled me in a way no one had ever done before.

  It was scary, thrilling…and arousing.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  At ten to nine on Monday morning, I arrived at the Nox Media Holdings Headquarters on Broadway with a notepad, portable recorder, and a handful of pens just in case one ran out of ink. Clutching the strap of my messenger bag, I peered up at the forty-story building, the sunlight bouncing off the windows.

  I was like many other women starting their workweek, or so I thought. I wore my one suit, a violet, single-button blazer and a pleated tweed skirt with the hem right at the knee, and wedge pumps I found in back of my closet. I didn’t wear my hair like I did on Friday night. I smoothed it back in a French braid that had taken me almost an hour to perfect. I had applied my makeup with a shaky hand, hoping I would look more mature, confident. But what I felt on the inside was very different. I’d slept poorly over the weekend and was up before dawn. I then made the mistake of drinking a full pot of coffee. At least the caffeine jitters had finally disappeared. Eventually I would crash. I just hoped it happened after my interview.

  Rolling my shoulders back, I strode into the building and up to security. I said my name and showed them my driver’s license. They created a name tag for me then talked to someone on the phone to confirm my appointment. I started to stick the name tag on the lapel of my jacket but paused. My name was spelled Linsey, instead of Lindsay, on the tag. Great, just great.

  According to the large round clock on the back wall, it was nine o’clock on the dot. I should be with Victoria at this very moment.

  I started to sweat, and a shrill whistle vibrated in my ears. I was near meltdown mode. As I tried grabbing the attention of one of the guards to tell them I had to hurry and go up to whatever floor Victoria was on, a woman about my age with shoulder-length blonde hair appeared at my side.

  “Lindsay Pinke?” she asked, showing a picture-perfect smile.

  I ran my tongue over my slightly uneven, not as white as her teeth and smiled in return. “Yes, I’m her, I mean she.”

  “I’m Annette, Miss Nox’s executive assistant. Please, follow me.”

  I trailed behind the woman whose skirt was much shorter than mine. “Does Miss Nox know I was here before nine? Security took too long, and then they spelled my name wrong.”

  “Miss Nox is fully aware of what time you arrived.” She waved her badge over an electronic turnstile and it opened, allowing us to walk through and toward the elevators.

  “I don’t want her to think I’m running late,” I said while we waited for the doors to open.

  “She doesn’t like tardiness.” Annette sent me a side-glance and then swiped her badge over a silver pad on the wall next to the elevator.

  I smoothed my palms down the sides of my skirt. We were the only ones at this elevator while others had groups of people waiting. Very strange.

  The doors opened and we walked inside. There was one button marked fortieth floor.

  “This is the elevator that goes to the top floor where Miss Nox’s office is located. Only she, authorized guests, and her personal staff are allowed entrance.” She pressed the button. The doors shut with a soft swoosh.

  The nervous fluttering in my stomach started again as we rose. Annette didn’t offer any small talk. The silence amplified the beating of my heart in my ears.

  “Miss Nox’s office is on the top floor?” I asked.

  “Yes. Her family has owned the building for over two decades,” she said.

  “Wow. That had to cost a lot of money.” It must have cost Nox Media at least a billon to own a building on Broadway near Central Park.

  “Very.” Annette typed on her cell. “Nox Media brings in enough revenue each year for the upkeep on this building. Miss Nox can show you the company’s portfolio and last quarter’s earnings if you request them. She has nothing to hide.”

  She had a defensive tone when she spoke of her boss. It made me wonder if she took her role as Nox’s executive assistant seriously, or perhaps their relationship was more than just professional.

  “You’re very dedicated to Miss Nox. How long have you worked for her?” I asked.

  “Almost three years. I started here right out of college. She’s amazing to work for.” The elevator pinged as we reached our destination. She shot me a curious glance. “Why do you ask?”

  “Just information for my article,” I said in a breezy manner. The doors opened, saving me from explaining further.

  We stepped out into the hall in front of two glass doors. Annette held up her badge in front of a pad like she had done downstairs, and a green light blinked. She then pushed on the doors and held them open for me to enter.

  “The office doesn’t open until nine thirty, although I arrive at nine. Miss Nox is here between seven and eight,” she explained as we passed a group of empty cubicles and offices enclosed in glass.

  “Does she always come in that early?” I asked.

  Annette stared down at her cell. “Monday through Thursday. She works from home on Fridays.” We came to another set of glass doors, and she swiped her badge over another pad on the wall. “She’s free to see you now.”

  I’d expected Victoria would see me since she told me to be here at a specific time. But I kept my comment to myself and matched Annette’s long strides with my own.

  We stopped in a small seating area furnished with leather couches and chairs. A few feet away was a large brown door with Victoria’s name imprinted on a gold plaque.

  Annette didn’t knock. She walked away from me and held her phone to her ear. She said something I didn’t catch and nodded. Finishing the call, she faced me again.

  “It’s unlocked. You can go in. But knock first.” She indicated the large, imposing door.

  “Thanks.” I rapped. A muffled voice told me to enter. I glanced back over my shoulder, but Annette had disappeared. I grabbed the handle and turned, opening the door. I entered but didn’t venture more than a few steps.

  The woman standing in the middle of the room was the only vibrant and colorful addition. Victoria wore a tight, cherry-red A-line dress and matching heels, accessorized with the same pearl necklace and bracelet on as Friday night. Her hair lay in waves over her shoulders. She didn’t appear a hard-nosed businesswoman or the rude and almost condescending one I had met three days prior. But I still found her intimidating. Something sharp stirred deep within my belly, causing my pulse to speed up.

  “Good morning, Miss Pinke.” She walked toward me.

  “You may call me Lindsay.” I swallowed hard.

  Her eyes dropped to my chest, and the corner of her mouth twitched. “An interesting way to spell your name. Some type of nickname?”

  I covered my name tag instead of shaking her hand. “Security misspelled my first name.”

  “But they spelled your last name right.” She dropped her arm at her side. “Do you always wear some type of pink to go along with your name?”

  “Not usually.” I wore the pink blouse because I thought it looked nice with my suit, and not because I was trying to be clever.

  I couldn’t say if she believed me or not. A shuttered expression covered her face. “I like the color red, as you can see from my dress.”

  “But not in your office?” The room felt clinical and cold, although it was spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows on one side. Black-and-white photos of city landscapes hung on the opposite wall, which was an understated beige. Even the carpet was a bland color.

  “I’m in the process of redecorating. New carpeting and furniture should arrive next week. Let’s sit near the windows. The light is perfect there.” She moved in that direction.

  “You don’t want to sit at your desk?” I’d assumed she’d want to show her power by sitting behind the wide desk while I sat across from her in a smaller chair. The glass table near the windows would be personal and intimate.

  “I sit behind my desk almost every day for more hours than I can count. My chair has a permanent indentation of my ass imbedded in the seat.”

  A laugh erupted from my mouth. “Oh my god, I can’t believe you said that.”

  With more refinement than I would ever have, she sat down on one of the chairs facing the room. “Why?”

  “Because you’re being too nice to me,” I blurted, wincing. Ugh, me and my stupid mouth!

  Her eyes widened and she sputtered…or maybe it was a snort. Whatever it was, she held back laughter.

  “I’m nice most of the time. I’m leery of you because of who you work for.”

  “You mean Colette?” I sat and extracted my notepad and recorder from my bag.

  She crossed her legs. “Has she told you about her connection to my family?”

  “She said she was once friends with your aunt and uncle, and she met you when you moved in with them after your parents’ death. She said she was like your big sister, but you lost touch after you moved to England.”

  “Big sister?” Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the chair arms.

  “You see it differently?” I cleared my throat, wishing I had changed the direction of the conversation away from Colette. I started to press the button on the recorder, but she set it aside.

  “Before we begin, I’m going to establish some rules. Any questions about my former relationship with Colette are off-limits. You can ask me anything about my company and my position as CEO, as well as some personal questions about my likes and dislikes and mundane things like that. But the years prior to me living in England are something I won’t talk about.”

  “Is it because your parents’ death still hurts to talk about?” It was hard to ignore the shift in the air. The easygoing atmosphere had been replaced with a stifling tension.

  She loosened her grip and folded her hands on her lap. She kept her gaze on my face. “The events surrounding my parents’ death and the outcome of my life after are common knowledge. If you respect my wishes, I’ll give you new information that should interest your audience.”

  “I appreciate that, in light of your…turbulent relationship with Co—”

  “We don’t have a relationship to speak of. She knows why, and using you to find out what I think of her won’t help her cause.”

  “Cause? What do you mean?” I tried not to squirm in my seat.

  “You can’t think you’re the first sweet young thing she has thrown at me.” She leaned forward with a brittle smile. “Why do you think she sent you to me?”

  I refused to back down or submit to this woman with the massive chip on her shoulder. She’d learn I wasn’t a pushover or some silly twit. “She believes in me and wants me to prove I’m worthy—”

  She slapped her hands on the table and jumped up from her seat. I jerked back as she leaned in close enough for me to smell her coffee-scented breath. “She’s not testing you. She’s testing me, Miss Pinke.” She flicked the tip of my nose and then went to the windows and stared out of them.

  I sat frozen, other than my chest rising with each inhale and exhale I took. My eyes stung with held-back tears. The worst possible thing would be to break down now.

  She finally turned back around. The bravado she easily flashed had vanished. “She knows my weaknesses too well. You could end up being one of them.”

  “M-me?” My voice came out as a squeak, and my throat tightened.

  She rolled her head and walked back to the table. Instead of taking her seat, she stood behind me and dropped her hand on my shoulder. I tensed, watching our reflection in the window, paralyzed in my seat. My heart quickened, and my stomach reeled.

  She tugged on my braid and twisted it around her hand. I bit down on my bottom lip, my breath escaping through my mouth in short pants. Heat spread up from legs and along my sides to my torso.

  She bent down low, mouth brushing the edge of my ear. “It would be too easy to seduce you right now. But I’m not going to do that.”

  Why not? I mouthed, barely swallowing back a moan.

  “Unlike the others before you, I believe you’re an innocent. Plus.” She pressed her cheek to mine. “I don’t want to be your downfall and ruin your life. Think of it as my birthday gift to you.”

  I spun around in my seat, flinching from her hold on my hair. “Le-let me go.”

  She backed away with her hands raised.

  Jumping out of my chair, I snagged my bag, flustered and confused. “How did you know it’s my birthday?”

  “I had you investigated over the weekend, so I knew who I’m dealing with.” She moved behind her desk.

  I made my way to the door, trying not to hyperventilate. “You need help.”

  She lifted a small remote, and the door behind me buzzed. “It’s best if you go now.”

  I wrenched the door open. It banged against the wall. I didn’t run, but I bolted down the hall and toward the door that would lead me to freedom. Annette, typing on her cell, opened the door.

  “I’ll take you back to the elevator.” Sympathy lined her voice.

  I held a trembling hand to my pounding forehead. “You don’t want to know what happened between me and your boss in her office?”

  “Miss Nox’s business is her own and not mine.” She studied my face. “I take it the interview didn’t go as you had planned?”

  We reached the elevators, and, with a tap of her badge, the doors opened. I marched inside and shot her a look of disgust. “Your boss is a bitch.” I jabbed the button, and the doors shut on Annette’s disbelieving face.

  The tears I’d kept in check fell down my cheeks. I scrubbed them away, angry at myself. I cursed both Colette and Victoria in my head over their sick game I’d been coerced into.

  When I hurried out of the building, no one seemed to notice my tears as I walked down the street, utterly defeated.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Dragging the pillow over my face, I ignored the knocking on my bedroom door. My shades and curtains blocked the rays of the afternoon sun. I didn’t go back to the office to face Colette. Instead, I ended up at my apartment, nauseous from a wicked migraine. It had been years since I had one of those. I swallowed pain meds, thanks to Jayden, who always had some around, and then I fell into a deep sleep.

  The loud knocking continued. “Go away!” I groaned into my pillow.

  “I’m coming in,” Jayden announced and opened the door.

  I waved him away when he jostled the bed to lie down.

  “Happy twenty-fifth,” he said.

  “This is the worst birthday ever.” I blinked away a series of flashbacks of Victoria in her office, as if it would erase everything that had happened earlier in the day. I wished the entire day had never existed.

  “Are you in a crappy mood because you’re a quarter-century old, or do you have your period? Want me to rub away your cramps?” He lowered his hand to my stomach.

  I shifted onto my side, facing him. Even though there was a teasing lilt to his voice, concern wavered in his tender expression.

  “You know how I had to leave before you this morning because I had to work on an assignment Colette gave me?”

  “Yeah. Before I left the office for the day, she stopped in my department and asked to see me. I was surprised she knew we were roomies,” he said, causing a ripple of discomfort in my belly. “She asked if I had seen you. When I said no, she got upset and said you never saw her after your assignment like she wanted. Then she stomped out. It was very weird.”

  “I didn’t go back to the office. I came home and went to bed.” I rested my cheek on the middle of his chest. “It’s stupid on my part but I’ve been ignoring her calls all day. I-I…” My breath lodged in my throat as I held back tears. “I had an important interview, and I failed miserably.”

  He ran his fingers through my hair. “How bad was it?”

  “Horrible. Colette is going to let me have it the next time I see her.”