Claiming Callie: Part two (21 page)

She glances up to see Mr. Bucek, but he
’
s not alone. He
’
s standing next to who is quite possibly one of the most impressive examples of the male specime
n she has ever seen. One glance busts through all thoughts of Dean and the impending dinner.

Her mouth drops open before she has the sense to snap it shut. His perfectly tailored suit—which is of impeccable quality—paired with a pink dress shirt and stripe
d tie somehow enhances his masculine features. With thick blond hair, bright green eyes, a square jaw and a perfect tan, the man is the epitome of hot.

Of course he is.

“Uh, Callie, I was just telling Mr. Galveston here how you
’
re our most promising intern
.” Mr. Bucek raises one brow at her while managing to widen both eyes, letting her know she indeed looked as crazy as she imagined.

Okay…act professional. Forget they saw you seconds ago, brainlessly banging your head against your desk.

Forcing a smile, C
allie stands and reaches her hand out to Mr. Galveston, whose intent gaze makes her cheeks burn even more. “Hi. I
’
m Callie Cartwright, intern, and soon-to-be GGF employee of the year,” she quips, praying this man has a sense of humor.

The gorgeous man
’
s li
ps spread into a slow smile and the sheer perfection of his choppers could be an ad for a toothpaste commercial. Taking her hand in his, he says, “Please, call me Brian. And I
’
m disappointed to hear that. I was hoping maybe you
’
d consider Paramount Financi
al. I thought we could woo you with our sunny, amenable California weather.”

Mr. Bucek steps in, eyes bright. “Brian
’
s from our sister company, Paramount. They
’
re based in California and deal with smaller accounts, but they actually have a larger client
base. We work hand-in-hand with them, and I thought it might be a good choice for you…you know, if you decided on something a bit smaller and cozier than GGF.”

Callie
’
s smile falls. What Mr. Bucek means is
if she lost the job at GGF
. She has heard of Param
ount before, but never paid much attention. She knew a smaller sister company existed with branches out of California and Chicago, but GGF has always been where she wanted to be. Mr. Bucek mustn
’
t think her credit history and debt will be a problem for the
smaller company if he
’
s recommending them to her.

Callie clears her throat and forces the smile to reappear, despite the disappointment squeezing her chest at the thought of Mr. Bucek sending her to work for anyone but him.

Shake it off, Callie. Be your c
harming self. This is business. Never squander an opportunity. You need to show Mr. Bucek that you
’
re a true professional.

“
Hello, Brian,
” Callie says, meeting his eyes. His grip is firm and he squeezes her hand lightly before releasing it. “You came at a
good time of year, then, if you
’
re planning on wooing me with your temperate weather. Mid-February in Pittsburgh is far from a balmy seventy degrees.”

“So maybe the idea of winning you over isn
’
t lost after all.”

“I think maybe a change of pace is just wha
t Callie needs.” Mr. Bucek winks at her, then adds, “
Well, I
’
ve gotta make a conference call, but I
’
m sure Miss Cartwright can see you out. It was great seeing you, Brian.” He shakes Brian’s hand, wishes him well, then turns and leaves Callie alone with
him.

Alone. With this Adonis!

It irks her a little bit that Mr. Bucek practically just threw her under the bus. Either that, or he
’
s trying to send the hint that Callie has no chance of redeeming herself at GGF. Regardless, the urge to run after him and in
sist that he explain himself is easily overcome by the handsome man standing before her. She
’
s not sure she can move her feet if she tries.

Callie turns her attention to Mr. Galveston—er, Brian. She
’
s unsure of what to say. With the way he
’
s staring at her
and without Mr. Bucek as a buffer, she suddenly feels awkward and her nerves are ramping up her spine.

Brian leans back against the opening to her cubicle, perfectly at ease in the situation. “I suppose it
’
s a lost cause.
”

“What is?” Her thoughts have dis
tracted her and she must force herself to concentrate.

“Getting you to trade Pittsburgh for California. You see, I met the other two interns, and the rest of the staff. But Mr. Bucek speaks very highly of you. And now that I
’
ve met you myself, it
’
s clear t
o me that you
’
re not only the best prospective employee, but also the most beautiful.”

Callie swallows, the burn in her cheeks spreading to include the tips of her ears. She hasn
’
t had a guy flirt so shamelessly with her since… Hell, she doesn
’
t even know
when.

“
I don’
t know about that. I mustn
’
t be too coveted here. Seems to me Mr. Bucek
’
s trying to pawn me off.”

Brian grins. “No. Not really.” He shoves his hands in his pockets and leans toward her, whispering, “I
’
ll tell you a secret. I
’
m actually his nep
hew. And he just knows that I have a penchant for highly intelligent blondes.” He leans back.

“Oh, really? Is that so?” Callie can
’
t help the smile that spreads over her face.

He raises two fingers in the air. “Boy scout’
s honor.
”

“You don
’
t look like the
boy scout type.”

“Okay, I
’
m not. I wasn
’
t. But I do know how to make a mean s
’
more.”

Callie grins. “Well, that
’
s all that matters, then. Perfect s
’
more-making is Essential Camping 101.”

“Precisely.”

Callie relaxes her stance, enjoying the flirting probably
more than she should, considering she
’
s at work and Brian is an associate far above her rank.

“So, this whole working at Paramount pitch… Is that for real? Or is that just a part of your attempt at seducing highly intelligent blondes?”

Brian tips his head
back and laughs. “Nope. That is legitimate. We
’
re in need of a couple new people and Mr. Bucek suggested you to me. He said that he thought a move and some new scenery might do you good.”

Callie frowns. She
’
s not sure what to make of that, but she listens
as Brian continues. “It just so happens that I
’
m in charge of recruiting a few new members to our team, and what can I say? I
’
d rather have the pleasure of sharing office space with you than Steve over there.” He twists his mouth and hooks his thumb back
toward Steve
’
s cube.

She should stop. She really should stop flirting with him. It’s unprofessional. But let’s face it, she hasn
’
t worried about tonight since he interrupted her fretting. “
I don’
t know. The nerdy glasses and the
Star Wars
shirts
over
the t
op of his dress shirts have a certain charm about them. And sometimes,” she cups her hand around her mouth and whispers, “he even wears suspenders.”

“Ah, yes. I do love my
Star Wars
T-shirts. Especially paired with formal attire and suspenders.” He taps hi
s lips with his finger, then lets his gaze roam up and down her once. “I
’
d be completely crazy to prefer, say, little black skirts, a woman in heels, and legs for miles. Yep, crazy.”

Holy crap, but he
’
s hot!

“Certifiable.” Callie laughs.

“Damn,” he says,
and snaps his fingers. “Well, now that you
’
ve effectively destroyed my ego, I should be going. Would you care to walk me out?”

“I
’
d love to.” She steps around her desk and walks with him to the elevators, listening as he talks about the California office a
nd what differentiates them from GGF.