Copyright © 2008 Penelope Friday
All rights reserved, Freya's Bower.
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Campion entered, striding into the room in his usual fashion. It’s so unfair. He shouldn’t have such physical presence to go with all that intelligence. Not to mention, he’s sexy enough to have girls falling at his feet…. She stopped, horrified by her thoughts, and looked away. Realising she still held Isaac’s hand, she squeezed his fingers and let go.
“I’m so glad you’re keeping busy,” Cam said, the sarcasm clear in his voice.
“Health and Safety guidelines say that you should take a break every so often,” Sylvia threw back at him, grateful for the excuse Isaac had presented her with earlier.
“Many of them, apparently,” he said dryly.
Overwhelmed by his presence, Sylvia stood up. “What can I do for you, Cam?”
His gaze met hers, and she found herself powerless to stop thinking of all the things she might like to do for Campion. Her senses heightened; she could hardly resist the temptation to run her hands over him, to kiss him until her head spun, to…. She swallowed, running a nervous tongue over her lips.
He raised an eyebrow sardonically and looked over at Isaac. “Haven’t you things to be getting on with, Isaac?”
Isaac stood up in a hurry. Clearly, he didn’t want to precipitate another discussion with his brother.
“Yes. Just going.”
He moved towards the door and opened it, casting one anxious look back into the room. Sylvia smiled at him.
“See you,” she said.
“Yeah. And you. Thanks, Sylvie.”
He shut the door behind him, leaving Sylvia alone with Campion. She walked over to her desk and sat down, hoping that it would make her feel more in control—more like the efficient programmer that she knew herself to be. If only she found it a little easier to be rational around her boss!
“What do you want?” she asked him.
He strolled over to the desk, leaning on it with one muscled arm. His mouth quirked at one corner. “What a very leading question, Sylvia,” he said. “Now, what do you think I might want?”
She swallowed again. It didn’t matter where she sat, he still had the ability to take her mind off computing. Desperately, she tried to halt the erotic nature of her thoughts. “I—I….” She pulled herself together, outwardly, at least. “Perhaps you could tell me that.”
“Are you sure you would like to hear it?”
She took a deep breath. He was hinting at something, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what.
“Perhaps not, but you are my employer, and of course I abide by what you say,” she said coolly, forcing herself to meet his gaze.
He smiled sardonically. “But of course,” he murmured.
She looked away and shuffled some of the papers on her desk. Before he could speak again and unnerve her, she said, “I’ve done these tests.” She pointed them out on the sheet of paper. “And these here.” She pulled another sheet of paper hurriedly from the pile. “And I’ve just started this section. I’ve removed a bug in….”
“So, no doubt it is going to be ready by tomorrow,” Campion inserted.
Sylvia looked down at her hands. “No,” she said quietly. “Not if I complete all the checks.”
Her speech gave way to a telling silence, and guilt ran through her again. Whatever she said, however she tried to defend her decision, she had let Cam and the company down. God knew that she didn’t have any choice, but Sabre Tooth wouldn’t be ready on time, and she could blame no one but herself.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could say it will be, but it won’t.” She glanced up at him for a second. “I’ll do evenings, weekends, anything. I’ll make up the hours that we lost.”
“Oh, you’ll make them up?” Campion seemed to feign polite interest.
“Yes!” she stormed. “I will. Whatever is necessary.”
“Oh, good.” He cut her off once more. “Then you agree that some extra work is going to be needed on this project?”
What answer could she give to that? Of course she knew it needed extra time. Why did he torment her like this? “Yes.”
He sat on the corner of her desk, totally at ease. “I have told David the program will be finished—signed, sealed and delivered—by Monday.”
Available May 6, 2008!