Eclipse of the Heart - By Carly Carson Page 0,3

from a tough-looking, no-nonsense businessman into a genuine, grade-A stud. The kind who could snap his fingers and get any woman he wanted. She had to tell herself to close her mouth.

"I have a new employee here, Letty." His cool eyes flicked over her. "I’m going to send her down to do some paperwork. But I’ve authorized her to add her sister and mother as family for health insurance purposes."

He stood, the phone held to his ear, and turned around to look out the window behind his desk. But he made no effort to lower his voice. "The sister has a preexisting medical condition, a serious one. Be sure you let them know."

Amanda tensed on her seat while her new boss rubbed the back of his neck.

"I realize they won't be happy," he snapped. "But if they’re happy to have my business, they’ll cover it."

He nodded in response to whatever Letty was saying. "Oh, and listen, Letty, this one goes on my personal account."

He punched a button on his phone to end the conversation.

"Your personal account?" Amanda spoke up. What did he mean by that?

"Tax stuff." He turned around to face her and dropped his phone on the blotter. "I don't mess with the IRS."

She hadn’t thought of that. Was it against some tax law for siblings to be given health insurance? That was the reason her mother had transferred legal guardianship, since Amanda had the better chance of getting a corporate job.

"You don’t have to pay for my insurance out of your own pocket, do you?"

"Amanda." His thighs pressed against his desk as he looked down at her. "I own this company. Everything comes out of my pocket in one way or another. But I keep things orderly for the tax guys. You don’t need to worry about that."

"Now—" He stepped around his desk, walking with a controlled grace. His perfectly tailored wool slacks hinted at muscular thighs and, well, she couldn’t help herself. Her eyes went straight to his crotch as he came around the side of the desk.

He caught her.

Just that one fleeting glance, but he saw.

His gaze met hers and she flushed.

He flashed her the ghost of a wink.

"Don’t look so worried," he said. "We’ll be good together."

"Good together?" What did that mean?

His eyes narrowed. "Nothing personal. This is a job, nothing more. It's important for you to accept that fact." He gestured toward the door. "Let's go get the paperwork done."

Annoyed that she'd added a personal element to the interview, and further annoyed that he thought she might pursue him romantically, she followed him out to his assistant's desk.

"Rosie," he said, "please take Ms. Thompson down to HR. Tell Felipe to be ready to drive her home in about an hour so she can pack a bag and then come back here to meet me. We’ll ride to the airport together."

Rosie swiveled toward him in her chair. "Yes, sir, Mr. Winter, I'll get right on it. But your pilot, Jack, called and said to tell you a storm is comin' in. If you can leave a couple hours earlier, he thinks that would be good."

Logan paused. "Amanda, is it all right with you to postpone the visit to HR until Friday? We're only taking an overnight trip."

"Of course." The way her head was spinning, all she really wanted was a few minutes out of his overwhelming presence so she could collect her thoughts.

"Thank you." He turned back to Rosie. "Ask Felipe to pick up Ms. Thompson immediately, and take her home to pack a bag. Then call Jack and tell him we'll be at the airport at three."

"Okay." Rosie had her head down as she concentrated on taking notes.

"Amanda." Logan nodded at her. "I'll need to work on the plane, but we can discuss your duties in more detail when we get to the hotel."

He took two strides toward his office and turned back once more.

"Oh, and Rosie, call the agency and tell them I’ve filled the position."

"Your next interview is waiting." Rosie pointed to a voluptuous redhead sitting in front of the windows. Her long legs were crossed, and slanted sideways to show off their form and length. Amanda understood instantly what Rosie had meant about women dressing provocatively to get the job. The woman's mini skirt barely covered her butt, and her shirt was open almost to the navel.

Logan glanced at the woman. "Cancel all the other interviews," he said to Rosie. But he stopped to watch as the redhead strutted across the