Running From Fate (11 page)

She felt a vibrating tingle in her own body and realized that he was examining her just as intently.  With her breath held she raised her head. 
His deep blue eyes locked onto her
green ones
and time suspended for a
seemingly
endless moment.
  Mary cleared her throat and the spell was broken.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” James
muttered suddenly.  “Must have forgotten something.”
Turning, he
re-entered the office and shut the door behind him.

Mira gasped and realized that she had forgotten to breath. 
Released from her paralysis, she bent down and placed her hands on her knees, gulping in air.  She hadn’t expected this.
  The c
onnection that she had first felt as a young child
was still there, but it was stronger
than
ever and strengthened by a
healthy
dose of lust.  It
had been
incredibly
difficult to st
op herself from touching him.  Suddenly
she
realized
that she was no longer holding
her portfolio.  I
t was lying open on the floor with papers spread around it.  Chagrined, she knelt down and started gathering
them
.

“Are you ok?” Mary asked with amusement evident in her voice.

“Fine,” Mira mumbled.

Mary knelt down to help her.  “Don’
t worry about it, dear, all wome
n act like that when they first meet him.”
She picked up a drawing and studied it.  “This is really
good work,” she said.
“
I can see why James decided to interview you
.
Try to keep your cool,
” she advised, “and
don’t let him intimidate you
.  You’ll
do just fine.”

**********************************************
************

In the inner office
James pressed his forehe
ad against the door and
forced himself to breath
.
  He felt like he had
just
been hit by a truck.
 
What the hell happened in there, he asked himself.  He had finished the
conference
call, walked into Mary’s office
, seen her
standing there,
and …what
? 
For a moment he had felt like this was
what
his life had been building up to
,
this moment, this one woman, but that was crazy. 
True
, she had been pretty with her silky brown hair and emerald eyes and h
er legs had sure looked good in
that short skirt
, but
he had seen and
dated more beautiful women.

Kimberly, the woman he was currently seeing,
was
gorgeous
.  Men
regularly
stopped and stared when she walked by
. 
She was more his type since
his preferences usually ran to tall, willowy
blond
s
with pampered skin and impeccable taste.  Best of all, she wasn’t interested in messy emotions
and she didn’t expect any from him.  He liked his relationships like that, mutually satisfying, but nothing else.

He took a deep breath and tried to think of a rational explanation. 
His reaction to the woman
, he finally decided,
was just an aberration
probably
caused by too much work and not enough
sleep.
Mira Anders was a talented designer who would make a great addition to the company, nothing more.  Composure restored, he stepped back and opened the door.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting Ms. Anders,”
he
said as he walked toward the conversation area where Mary and Mira were seated.  As he approached, both women stood up.

“Is everything ok Mr. Kelly?” Mary asked.

James pulled his eyes from Mira and realized that
, once again, he had lost focus. 
He flushed slightly and turned toward his
secretary
.  “Everything is fine, Mary
,
just a small matter that needed taken care of.”

With James’ attention focused on someone else
, Mira allowed herself a
shaky breath and forcibly
pulled herself together.  The first shock of
seeing
him
after so many years
seemed to have passed.  She still felt a pull, but it was fainter now
. 
She
could handle it.  She would handle it, she
told herself.  She
needed this jo
b badly
and losing the ability to speak when the boss came around wasn’t going to help her.

“Mr. Kelly,” she said with on
ly a slight quiver in her voice.
“I’m Mira Anders.
Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”  When he turned toward her, she held out a hand.

“It’s nice to meet you Ms
.
Anders.”
He reached out and gingerly t
ook her
proffered
ha
nd
.
Considering his earlier reaction he expected something
. 
He
wasn’t disappointed.
T
heir palms touched
and
a flood of pleasure shot up his arm, tightening his muscles.  He brought his considerable control into play and schooled his features
to show nothing
.

As quickly as possible h
e pulled his h
and away
.  If she thought he was rude so be it.  It might even be for the best.

Mira
stumbled
when he pulled away, but managed to stay upright.  Her pal
m
still tingled from the brief contact and she scrubbed it against her
skirt.
Her reaction to the simple touc
h had been
extreme, leaving her in the grip of an arousal so intense that, if it hadn’t been for Mary, she might have jumped him.

She was starting to get annoyed by her unruly body, but she
wasn’t really surprised.  James had always engendered a strong reaction in her. 
She was irrationally irritated that he didn’t seem to be affected by her at all.  Oh well, she thought philosophically, nothing had changed.  She would just stay out of his way and hope the feelings passed.

“Ms. Anders, if you’ll follow m
e to the conference room please,” James interrupted her musings.  “I believe
we have a lot to discuss.  Mary could you please bring us some coffee?”

“Yes sir,” Mary replied.  “
I’ll be right in.”

It seemed strange
to have their meeting in the conference room when his office was much closer, but
she
was grateful
. 
The
more breathing room the better.  She picked up her portfolio and followed him.

The room
that he led her to
was bright and airy with a wall of windows that flooded the
area
with light
.  There was a large flat screen
television
on
the back
wall.  Presumably
,
it could either be used as a TV or a monitor.  A large table dominated the rest of the space.  It was to the table that James directed
her
.

He pulled out a chair
for
her and walked around
to sit
opposite
.

For several moments a heavy silence hung over the room, both of them seemingly waiting for an acknowledgement from the other.  It didn’t feel like the start of an interview, Mira thought, but like the awk
ward beginnings of a first date.  T
he situation was making her uncomfortable.
  She shifted in her seat and opened her portfolio. 
If James wasn’t willing to start things off she would just have to do it.  “Mr. Kelly,” she began.

The door opened and Mary came in carrying a tray.
She sat it on the table and turned to James.  “Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked him.

“
No
Mary
that will be all
,
thank you.
Please close the door on you
r
way out.”

After politely asking her if she would like a cup of coffee, which she declined, James leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers
.
  He stared at the woman sitting across from him and tried to figure out what it was about her that fascinated him.
Even with the extra space in the conference room he could still feel the tension vibrating in the air.  Would it really be such a good idea to hire someone who played such havoc with his hard-won composure?

With his eyes boring into her, Mira resisted the urge to s
quirm in her seat and, instead,
shuffle
d
her papers.
  One particular drawing caught her eye
. 
It
was the original sketch she had done for the solar powered office building in California.  The drawing reminded he
r of who she was and her reasons for being here.  She was an experienced professional and she
desperately needed this job
.  S
he couldn’t let any
lingering
feeling
s
for James ruin her chances.

Pulling her professional demeanor into place, Mira straightened her shoulders and looked a
t
James.  “I appreciate this chance,” she said.
“I’m not sure ho
w much of my work
you’ve seen
s
o I brought some samples
.”