Page 33 of The Merger

Me: Yes.

“You damn fool,” I mutter.

Carys: This is so great, Gannon. Thank you SO MUCH. I owe you.

I turn my phone off and toss it on the counter before I can continue this conversation. We need to keep things clean. Straightforward. Professional.

“You should hire me because I’m passionate about what I do, and I’m going to transform the energy in your office for pennies on the dollar.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” I groan, my body tightening.

I grab my water and head back to the gym.

Chapter Eight

Carys

“Hey, Carys,” Amanda says brightly. “Did you get everything figured out?”

I exit the elevator and step onto the executive level for the second time today.

Amanda was surprised to see me this morning, especially considering Tate is still in Portland and Gannon left his office just moments before I arrived. He left no instructions for me, and I was afraid to text him. So Amanda called Keisha in human resources, and off I went.

“Kinda,” I say, my arms wrapped around a potted snake plant. “Gannon hadn’t mentioned me to Keisha either, but she managed to get ahold of Tate before his plane took off to come home.”

“Oh, good.”

“Yeah. I’ve spent the day on a scavenger hunt around the office, cataloging every plant I can find.”

“How’d you do?”

I set the pot on the floor and sigh. “Not too bad. I’m about ninety-percent sure I found them all.”

“Did you find the ones in the conference room downstairs? Those are practically dead.”

“Yeah, I found them. Some guy with short light brown hair and an olive-y colored suit pointed me in that direction. Everyone I met today was super helpful, actually.”

“I’m glad. Everyone here is pretty nice.” She glances over her shoulder. “Really, Gannon is the prickliest out of the whole staff.”

“Must come with being the boss.”

She laughs. “It must.”

My stomach tightens at the thought of Gannon and his prickliness, and I look away from her.

I spent the entire weekend trying not to think about him. It turned out to be one of the hardest tasks I’ve had in a while. There’s no topic that doesn’t somehow lead back to the stunning businessman with the sexy smirk.

If I think about my business, my thoughts go to working at Brewer Group. If I think about food, my mind races back to the breakfast we shared. If I think of hanging out with friends, my brain reminds me that Tate is Gannon’s brother, and then I’m imagining Gannon’s hidden grins and the feel of his palm on the small of my back.

More than once, I’ve let my mind wander through a dangerous little game of what-if.What if he wasn’t Tate’s brother? What if I wasn’t on their payroll? What if he wasn’t a grumpy asshole and willing to lean into the attraction that I’m pretty certain he feels for me?

Because I see the wicked sparkle in his eyes. I notice how he unintentionally blurs the line between professional and personal—and then pulls himself back again just before he crosses the line. I hear the mischief riding just beneath the surface of his innuendos.

I’d ride that man like a horse.

“Mr. Brewer is back in his office,” she says, bringing me out of my reverie. “Want me to see if he’s available?”

I clear my throat. “Yes, please. Keisha asked me to check in with him before I leave, and I’ve finished up for the day.”