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Charlotte didn’t hesitate. She picked up the glass and let the thick juice slide down her throat while touching the fewest tastebuds possible. It was like sour grass and pickles had a baby.

“What do you think?” Alexandra asked, her face brightened by her obvious amusement.

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever had,” she replied, choosing her words carefully to avoid lying to Alexandra’s face. “It’s really . . . invigorating.”

Alexandra’s throat bobbed when she chuckled. The sight made Charlotte’s chest light even as the sludge sunk into her stomach.

Alexandra leaned over. Her soft, citrusy perfume invaded Charlotte’s senses. “You can be honest,” she whispered, her breath warm against Charlotte’s cheek. “It’s gross.”

The admission was so unexpected, Charlotte wanted to laugh, but her body was too busy reacting to the woman’s proximity. She was a magnet being pulled closer as she lost all sense of time and place.

“It’s just unique,” Charlotte countered after wrestling her wits back to her.

Alexandra cocked her head to one side. “I didn’t know accountants were so good at spin.”

“I have a variety of talents,” Charlotte replied, knowing she was crossing the line into unambiguous flirting.

“What an asset,” she countered without missing a beat.

Heat climbed between them, sticky and humid, but Charlotte wasn’t sure it could be blamed entirely on the weather. Alexandra’s dark eyes were as hypnotic as they were intimidating.

Was she reading Alexandra correctly? Was she feeling the same attraction? Paola’s words haunted her. Most people found Alexandra attractive; she was undeniably gorgeous.

Did she even notice the allure that dripped from her?

“Alex, Ms. Stern is here,” her assistant called, prompting Alexandra to step back.

“Duty calls,” she said, taking the glass stained red with her lipstick. “Enjoy all those antioxidants.”

Charlotte lifted her glass in mock toast before taking another hearty sip of the vile creation. “I will.”

Alexandra o ered a final momentary smirk before disappearing, leaving Charlotte cold in her absence. She’d never met such an imposing presence. Charlotte had always considered herself a dominant energy, but Alexandra oozed easy authority. She wished it wasn’t so exciting. So dangerous.

Taking the glass with her, Charlotte marched back to her o ce. She stopped in the bathroom first to get rid of the drink without o ending anyone.

AS SOON AS Charlotte opened her apartment door, a voice floated out of the darkness.

“Don’t freak—”

“What the hell are you doing here?” she shrieked before hitting the lights.

Jayson jumped o the couch. “Shh. Don’t call anybody’s attention.”

“Call anybody’s attention ? What the hell are you talking about? You scared the crap out of me. You’re lucky I stopped carrying that mace around in my bag.” She threw her keys at his head to punctuate her point, but he caught them before they hit him.

He pulled her into a hug and closed the door behind her.

“I’m sorry, Charlie. I didn’t mean to freak you out. Also, you should still have the mace. I’ll get you another one.”

Charlotte put her hand over her pounding heart when she broke away from the embrace.

“I wanted to see how it was going at the job,” he explained, helping her with the grocery bags in her hands.

“And you couldn’t warn me you were going to be here why?” She followed him to the kitchen but let him put her groceries in the fridge as punishment for scaring her half to death.

“I didn’t want to risk calling you. I can’t use my phone, and if she ever gets her hands on your call history, burner phone calls

will look suspicious.”