Surprise Seduction (3 page)

“George Weston may be in cahoots with Drew.
 
You do realize that?”

“I don’t think so.
 
Even though dad took over Weston years ago, George’s family has remained involved in operations.
 
Dad and George were friends from Harvard.
 
If anyone is in with Drew, I suspect Chase or one of the vice-presidents.”

“I find that hard to believe.
 
Chase has always held everyone to such high ethical standards.
 
Besides, your father handpicked him to run Weston.
 
Why would he team up with Drew?”

She shrugged.
 
Why did anyone do anything in the business world?
 
“Money.
 
Power.
 
Take your pick.”

Adrienne’s comment was cut off by Sheila’s secretary interrupting via the phone’s intercom speaker.
 
“Mr. Aaron is here and would like to speak with you.”

Adrienne’s gaze met Sheila’s.
 
If Chase found her in Sheila’s office, he’d know he’d been had.

Sheila pressed the button.
 
“I’m busy at the moment.
 
Could Mr. Aaron come back later?”

“No, he can’t.”
 
Sheila’s secretary didn’t answer, Chase did.

Adrienne glanced around the office looking for a place to hide.
 
No closet.
 
No bathroom.
 
Her gaze dropped to Sheila’s desk with its solid front covering.

Her friend nodded.
 
“Hurry up.
 
He’s liable to barge in.”

She hurried around the desk and scrambled beneath the desktop, crouching in the opening at Sheila’s feet.

The office door opened and Chase’s presence swept in with the force of a hurricane.

“What the hell was this afternoon about?”

Adrienne stared at Sheila’s feet, holding her breath, praying she didn’t sneeze or cough or something else just as stupid.
 
They’d never be able to explain her presence under Sheila’s desk.
 
The only explanation that might be halfway plausible, she wouldn’t use, not in a million years--even if she was supposed to swing the other way.

“What are you talking about?”

She had to give Sheila credit.
 
Her friend sounded clueless.

“Blinky, Snarly, and Miss Man-hating Mouse.”

Adrienne almost snickered.
 
He’d summed up the two actresses she’d hired quite accurately.
 
The two women had obviously played their roles well.
 
And, maybe she hadn’t done such a bad job herself.

“What are you talking about?
 
You told me you didn’t want someone likely to hit on you.
 
I thought I’d done a great job of screening the applicants.”

“You’re kidding.”

Sheila tapped her foot and remained silent.
 
Seemed her long time friend had a bit of actress in her as well.

“Aw, hell.
 
Those were real applicants?
 
You weren’t having fun at my expense?”

Sheila’s foot tapped again, and Adrienne’s shoulders shook with silent amusement.
 
She could almost picture the look that would be on Chase’s face.
 
His gorgeous face.

She closed her eyes.
 
No, she couldn’t think about him that way.
 
Maybe before her father’s death she could have, but her carefree days to do as she pleased were over.

A spasm shot through her lower back.

Darn, she couldn’t risk attempting to get more comfortable.
 
Chase would undoubtedly pick up on her movements.
 
She pushed the events of the past few months out of her mind and focused on the conversation taking place above her.

“I have to admit if those three were your idea of a joke, I didn’t find anything about this afternoon humorous.”

“They were the most suited to your needs.”

“My needs?”
 
He groaned.
 
“You have no idea.”

“Actually, I do.
 
You gave me a list of what you required.
 
All three met and exceeded your specifications.”

Oh, she’s good
.
 
Maybe she’d take Sheila with her to the corporate office.
 
If she succeeded.
 
And she would.

“The last one was too young.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem under the circumstances.”

Her heart raced as Chase sank into the chair she’d previously occupied.
 
Could he still feel where her body had warmed the chair?
 
She rolled her eyes.
 
She should be more worried about his picking up on the volcanic heat radiating from her rather than if he noticed she’d warmed his chair.

Following Chase’s lead, Sheila sat back down, kicking Adrienne in the shoulder as she did so.

Ouch
.
 
She bit her tongue to hold in her cry.

“I’m supposed to believe you’re serious about those three?”

“You could always keep Kelly for a few more weeks if you want me to start over.”

He groaned again.
 
Loudly.

Startled, Adrienne jerked, bumping her head against the top of the desk.
 
She bit her lower lip, the metallic tang of blood souring her tongue.
 
How stupid
.
 
Her heart pounded as she huddled into as small a shape as she could.

“What was that?”

Of course, he’d ask.
 
That thump had probably reverberated around the building.
 
It certainly echoed through her head.

“That?
 
Oh, I banged my knee against my desk.
 
No big deal,” Sheila covered.
 
“Now, tell me, do you want me to call the agency and have them send over a new batch of prospective employees?”

His sigh touched Adrienne’s heart, almost making her feel guilty for using him.
 
Then she recalled that he might be in on whatever scheme her stepfather was up to, and she pushed all feelings aside.

“Hire the mouse.”

Adrienne sucked in air.
 
Her plan was working
.

“The mouse?
 
Which one would that be?”
 
Sheila’s foot nudged her.

“If you interviewed them, as you claim to have done, you know exactly which one I’m referring to.”

“You must mean Miss Morris.”

“I must.”
 
He didn’t sound overly happy with his decision.

“She was interesting.”

What was Sheila doing?
 
Adrienne stared at her friend’s ankles and considered pinching her.

“To say the least,” Chase said.

“She should make an appointment with my hairdresser.”

That was it.
 
She flicked Sheila’s ankle.
 
She had seen Sheila’s hairdresser
.
 
Yesterday.
 
The man freaked when she told him what she wanted done to her long curly blond hair.
 
He’d thought she was joking when she said she wanted to go to the dullest shade of brown he had.
 
She’d drawn the line at cutting her hair short, but she’d straightened, dyed, and trimmed to give herself a totally different look.
 
The glasses, baggy clothes, and new persona completed her disguise.

“You think?”

“I’ll call Miss Morris this afternoon and let her know the good news.”
 
Adrienne could almost hear Sheila’s smile.

“You do that.”
 
Chase’s chair scraped across the floor.
 
“And, Sheila, Miss Morris better know her stuff.”

Footsteps crossed the room and the door opened and closed.
 
Adrienne let out the breath she’d been holding.

“Better know my stuff,” she mimicked as she crawled out from under the desk.
 
“I’ll have him know he works for me.”

“Uhm, you had best forget about that.
 
You aren’t Adrianna Morrigan, daughter of the late business scion Ted Morrigan.
 
You’re Adrienne Morris, personal assistant to the charming playboy president of Weston Pharmaceutical.”

Adrienne dusted her dress.
 
“I won’t forget, but I have a feeling I’ll be biting my tongue quite a bit around Chase.”

“Better than biting his.”
 
Sheila winked.
 
“Well, only because of your current sexual status.
 
Speaking of which, did you enjoy the view?”

Adrienne arched her brow in question.

“Under my desk.
 
I can’t believe you didn’t use your position to take advantage of me.”

Adrienne’s mouth fell open.
 
She picked up a paperclip off Sheila’s desk and playfully tossed it at her friend.
 
“I can’t believe you said that.”

Sheila waggled her brows.
 
“You just better hope Chase doesn’t want you to produce proof of your claim.”

“He won’t do that because regardless of his issues, ultimately, he is a professional and isn’t going to risk sexual harassment or discrimination allegations.”
 
Adrienne walked to the window.
 
“I know pretending to be gay was a long stretch, but I couldn’t let physical reactions cloud the issues.
 
Chase infamously goes for blondes and who better than a woman who could give him control of the company?”
 
She reached up and touched her dyed brown hair.
 
“This way, he won’t even see me as a woman--much less as a prospective date.
 
I’ll be like a useful piece of office equipment.”

“I think I’d trade you in for an updated model.”
 
Sheila’s gaze ran over her.
 
“Even in that get-up, you’re kinda cute.”

Adrienne sent Sheila a horrified look.

“Not Adrianna Morrigan chic, but something kind of cuddly and a fixer-upper.”
 
Sheila’s face broke into a grin.
 
“
Miss Man-hating Mouse.”

The following Monday morning, Adrienne stared into the employee bathroom mirror.
 
Dull, that’s the only word she could use to describe herself.

She’d spent her entire life making sure she was dressed to the ‘T’ and presented the perfect image.
 
If only her father could see her now.
 
Would he be proud of the initiative she was taking to grab the reins of Morrigan’s?
 
Or would he find her plan a joke?