Page 320 of The Donovan Dynasty

With her foot, she shoved the door closed behind her.

She moved through to her desk and put down the drinks and keys before dropping her purse and bag on the carpeted floor.Then she turned to open the blinds so that she could see the upcoming sunrise reflect off the nearby skyscrapers.This had to be one of the biggest perks of her job.A spectacular view of Houston, from forty stories up.

As she turned, she noticed a potted yellow hibiscus in the corner.It hadn’t been there when she’d left on Friday evening.While it was beautiful, it wasn’t something that Samuel Newman would have brought in.

“Hello.”

Startled by the very masculine, very sexy bass that sounded nothing like her boss’s voice, Kelsey glanced up.

A man she’d never seen before filled the doorway and she sucked in a panicked gasp.His shoulders were unbelievably wide.He had on a white long-sleeved shirt with turned-back cuffs.A light gray tie was loosely knotted around his neck, and he stood with arms folded across his chest and a slight frown on his face.

Fear and uncertainty slammed her pulse into overdrive.“Can I help you?”She reached toward her phone so she could alert security about an intruder, though how anyone could have gotten past the guards in the lobby puzzled her.

“You’re Kelsey Lane.And I promise you, you don’t need to call for help.”

Kelsey scowled.“You seem to have me at a disadvantage.Mr…”

“Donovan.Nathan Donovan.”

She exhaled in a rush and moved her hand away from the phone.Of course.Though she’d never met any of the Donovan brothers, she knew their reputation.Cool.Fearless.Calculating.

Nathan, if she remembered correctly from the numerous articles she’d read in Houston’s weekly business newspaper, was the youngest son.He reportedly had an uncanny eye for numbers, for investments.As the financial brain behind the family dynasty, he’d ruthlessly acquired business after business, streamlined them, sold some of them off and made others operate on thin margins, exhausting the remaining employees while terminating the rest.But one thing they all had in common after he was finished with them was profitability.

“I see you’ve heard of me.”

“Who hasn’t?”she returned.He was rumored to be outwardly friendly in a way that disguised his true Machiavellian personality.He wasn’t a man to be underestimated.But the bigger question was, what the hell was he doing in Samuel Newman’s office before seven o’clock in the morning?

“Was any of it good?”he asked.

“Any of…?”

“The things you’ve heard about me.”

He looked at her through shockingly green eyes, and his gaze was so intense that she had to resist the impulse to squirm.His voice was a rich, deep baritone.Though she imagined his words were meant to keep things light and invite conversation, ribbons of unease gripped her stomach.

Rather than answer directly, she hedged, “Is Mr.Newman in there?”She leaned her head to the side, but she was unable to see past Nathan’s body and into the office beyond.

Nathan scowled.“I assumed you’d be expecting me.”

A moment earlier he’d seemed at ease, welcoming.But now he looked ferocious.His jaw was locked and he took a step into the room, narrowing the distance between them.

“He didn’t call you?Contact you in any way?”

She shook her head.

He cursed, low and vicious, making her wince.

“Newman was supposed to tell you,” he said.

“Tell me what?”Her legs no longer seemed able to support her and she sat on the edge of the polished desk.

“He no longer works here.”

“But…” She grabbed for her purse and dug out her cell phone.This simply wasn’t possible.“What do you mean he doesn’t work here?It’s his company.”Newman Inland Marine had been battling some legal and financial issues, but nothing insurmountable.Or so she’d thought.She’d stayed late on Friday going over some paperwork, and she’d told her boss she had no plans over the weekend and that he should feel free to call her if he needed help with anything.

He’d looked at her over the rims of his glasses and given a tight smile before sending her on her way.When she’d said goodbye, he’d given no hint that anything unusual was happening.

She keyed in her phone’s passcode then checked the display.There were no messages or missed calls.