Caught Between Three Billionaire Tycoons - Willa Hart Page 0,3

Yes. No! You tell them they must make room. I don’t care. You can’t leave that piece out in the weather. For fuck sake! Where’s the manager? He didn’t come in? Fuck, I’m surrounded by idiots!”

I heard the phone slap the desk. My hand was frozen on the doorknob. I wanted to pull the door open and walk out, but I just couldn’t.

“What happened, Mr. Dragos?” I turned around slowly, coming back to the desk.

“A pharaoh’s sarcophagus came in today at warehouse three. They claim they don’t have enough room to store it, so they left it in the parking lot. Too much sun or even a little rain, and it’ll be ruined. I don’t know what those dicks think they are doing! When I find that manager, his ass is toast.”

I leaned on his desk, just gently as I peeked at his documents and paperwork. My mind ran over time as I think this through.

“Wait.” I pointed at a file folder, then picked it up. I leaned across the desk, and I was very aware of how my hair brushed his cheek and how heat built between us as our bodies drew closer.

“This is the ledger from warehouse five. It's right around the corner from three. This file hasn’t been updated yet, but a statue was moved from there yesterday, a big one.”

“Yes!” He nodded enthusiastically. “One of the angels from the very first Catholic churches built in Greece!”

“Yes, that’s the one. They’ll have plenty of room for a sarcophagus.”

He nodded again. “Brilliant, Whitney. Absolutely brilliant! Can you take care of that for me?”

I picked up the file, watching his devices still going nuts. I shook my head a little. “Happy to, Mr. Drago. I’ll come back through soon and see if you have anything else you need before I prepare for the trip.”

“How did I get ahold of a woman like you?” His smile widened. “Smart and beautiful. Everything a man could want, wrapped in one neat package.”

My cheeks flamed as I backed out of the room. Whatever it was between us, it was all in my imagination.

Men like him did not fall for women like me. If I got my hopes up, I’d only get crushed. Far better to focus on work and forget this feeling. Whatever I experienced, I was entirely sure it was one-sided.

2

Whitney left the room with her usual shuffled stride. She always seems to be looking down as if she didn’t want to meet anyone’s eyes. I found it adorable.

All of my devices were still flashing, pinging, and buzzing. As I stopped to look out the window, the urgency of the work vanished from my mind. The artifacts were ancient. They weren’t going anywhere. The rich people who wanted to buy them weren’t going anywhere either. They always wanted everything right now. If I tried to answer every single phone call, I would have died of stress a long time ago.

The sun glints off the nearby buildings as it climbs into the sky, and I let my mind linger over Whitney. I can't believe that the perfect woman exists at all. Even more impossible to accept that she appeared right under my nose.

I had accepted I would never find my mate. That I would wander alone and lonely, never knowing the comfort of that warm body beside me, one which would make me whole.

When she came for her interview, she wore a smart business suit and heels. She tripped and broke one of the heels on her way in, and when she sat, she tore a split in the skirt. She apologized profusely, telling me she borrowed the clothes from a friend especially for the interview. I struggled not to seem too amused while we went over the details of the job.

I knew from the first moment she walked through the door she was my mate. I struggled against that knowledge for the entire interview. I tried to talk myself out of the truth. I tried every argument I could imagine. My human side might even have been fooled by some of my excuses.

My bear didn’t have a moment of doubt, though. It raged in my blood and demanded that we take her. Immediately! It was a constant effort to keep myself in my chair when Whitney was near.

Her knowledge of antiques and ancient cultures impressed me. Her skills in essential office work were also exceptional. The one thing I told her to do was, please wear your own clothes! She should be