office. Vania shook her head and shoved her purse in her desk drawer.
Evan walked up to her desk, lifted her hand, and placed her hair clip in her palm. “You dropped this.”
“Thanks.” She appeared unkempt with hair tumbling around her shoulders. But Matt demanded it stay long, lost his mind when she’d once mentioned cutting it. “It’s unprofessional this way.” Twisting it, she gathered a large chunk inside the clip and fixed her up-do the best she could without a brush.
Evan’s eyes hardened to onyx when he reached out to finger a loose curl. “Vania.”
“Mr. Easton?”
Right then, Cora snapped from her Julian trance and faced Vania. Evan eased back his hand without Cora noticing and stepped away.
Vania grabbed her flip-flopping stomach.
“You look flustered,” Cora whispered.
Yeah, as if she’d really discuss this with Cora. Instead, Vania made a discreet brushing gesture in front of her mouth, reminding Cora she’d eaten grilled alligator tacos and onions.
“Oh.” Cora pressed her fingertips to her mouth, and then called to Drake. “I’ll be right back, Sir.”
Drake nodded without looking at her. “I need the schematics for our Palacio Nazarenas location, and I haven’t spotted that Singapore contract on my desk yet. Was due before lunch, I believe.”
“I’ll get to legal, Sir, and shake them up.”
“You do that.”
Cora made an I’m-screwed face at Vania and marched back to the elevator.
“Miss Lange?”
Vania pushed her glasses up her nose with the tip of her index finger, giving her a better view of Drake. She found him staring her down with those glinting tiger-eyes. “Yes, Mr. Easton?”
“My office in five, please.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Drake walked into his office while lifting the phone to his ear. Her eyes dropped down his back, staring, wishing she could peel away the suit and lick what was beneath. When she turned around, Evan was next to her, studying Vania the way she was probably studying Drake.
Vania’s cheeks grew hot, but she held Evan’s penetrative stare as he planted his ass on the corner of her desk.
“ Vania .”
“Yes, Mr. Easton?” She sighed while grabbing a pen, a legal pad, and an electronic tablet. Vania knew what was coming.
“It’s hard to miss the obvious.”
She wished this day was long over. As Avery Easton’s PA, Vania needed eight arms and four brains to keep this corner of The Easton Company rolling on all axles while Avery was away. “I don’t need this right now.”
“Because you’re in denial.”
Vania lifted fingertips to her right eye, soothing the corner with tiny circles. “I have a tic that started today.”
“Caused by tension, no doubt.” A lock of jet-black hair slid against his forehead when Evan leaned and traced a finger over Vania’s engagement ring. “You are beautiful as always, but miserable. Considering the way you just looked at my stepbrother, well, maybe you should give Dr. Lambert his walking papers.”
Could her face get any hotter? She pulled back her hand, sensing the guilty weight of her diamond. “I took a damn glance.”
“A glance, huh? With your breaths puffing from your parted lips,” Evan whispered, “like little gasps.” His eyes flicked across her face and neck. “You’re flushed, worse than that night at my club.”
“I’m not flushed.” She curled her shoulders inward and smashed her legal pad against her stiff nipples. “Don’t exaggerate —"
“I can see what you need.” He loomed over her, showing no mercy. “And I can give it to you better than any other man.”
“I’m sure you can.” Evan was nothing short of hot. But where he was concerned, Avery had warned her to stay away. She needed this job, so pissing off her boss wasn’t a smart move. “From this moment forward, however, I’ll keep my eyes upward, at a respectable level. Mr. Drake Easton’s ass is no longer my concern.”
“Make me your concern,