“I’ve got so many leads,” I stammer. “I can’t keep up.” “Don’t worry. It’s fine,” he comforts me. “What if I miss a really important story?”

“You won’t—it’s fine. I’ll go through yours while you’re gone.”

“Really?”

“Of course it is. You aren’t expected to know everything on day one.”

“Oh no, you have to go to the top.” Ava grimaces.

“What’s the top?” I ask.

“Upper-management offices.”

“They’re not nice?”

“No, they’re fucking horrible, and you have a good chance of being fired on the spot.”

“What?”

“Oh, bullshit.” Aaron rolls his eyes. “They just don’t . . .” He screws up his face as he chooses his words. “They don’t fluff. If something is going to be said, they just say it how it is. They don’t take any shit from anyone.”

“Who are they?” I whisper.

“Well, Mr. Miles won’t be there. He never is. I think he’s in London.”

“Mr. Miles?” I ask as I feel my nerves dance.

“The CEO.”

“Yes, I know who he is. I think everyone does. Although I’ve never seen a picture of him. It’s him and his brothers, right?”

“Yes, it’s the Miles family who owns everything. He and his three brothers.”

“And they’re all upstairs?” I whisper as I quickly take out the bright lipstick I bought at lunch and reapply. I need some courage here.

“Just don’t say anything stupid up in the management levels,” Ava says.

My eyes widen. “Like what? What do they consider stupid?” I’m really beginning to panic.

“Just keep your mouth shut, take the tour, and don’t tell HR anything.”

“Why not?”

“Because they’re on speed dial to the management levels. This whole tour you’re taking now is just so they can do a personality assessment on you in the two hours it takes them to show you around.”

“Oh my God.” I sigh.

“Hi, Emily, is it? I’m Lindsey.”

I turn to see a beautiful blonde, and I stand immediately and put out my hand. “Hello.”

She smiles at my coworkers. “Let’s get started. We will go down to level one and work our way up.”

I give my new work friends a nervous wave and follow her out of the office and into the elevator.

Here we go.

An hour and a half later

“And this is the gymnasium, for our staff’s own personal use.”

I look around at the expansive and swanky-looking gym on level sixty. “Wow.”

“It’s open from six in the morning until six thirty at night. It’s busiest before work, obviously, but you can come here on your lunch break also. A lot of people take a late or early lunch so that it’s not as busy when they come.”

This place is ridiculous. A cafeteria on level two that is the entire floor, a movie theater, a gymnasium, a mailroom floor, a computer geek floor. Everything has been thought out with such care.

“Okay, let’s get going.” Lindsey smiles. “We will head up to the management floors now.”

My stomach dances with nerves as we head back into the elevator.

She gets in and looks at the buttons. “Oh look, you’re in luck.”

I frown in question.

“Mr. Miles is here.”

I fake a smile.

“I’ll take you to meet him first.”

Oh God.

Don’t speak. Don’t say anything stupid, I remind myself. I twist my fingers in front of me nervously as we ride to the top floor. The doors open, and I step out of the elevator and stop still.

What the hell?

White marble for as far as I can see, floor-to-ceiling glass, and luxurious white leather furnishings. “Hello, Sammia.” Lindsey smiles as I look around in awe. This place is insane.

A beautiful woman looks up from her computer at reception, and she smiles warmly. “Hello, Lindsey.”

“This is Emily. She’s new and started on level forty today.”

Sammia comes around and shakes my hand. “Lovely to meet you, Emily.”

“Is Mr. Miles taking visitors?” Lindsey asks. “He is.” She smiles. “I’ll just announce you.”

Announce me . . . jeez.

Lindsey hunches her shoulders as if she’s nervous too.

Sammia picks up the phone. “Mr. Miles, we have a new staff member to meet you in reception.” She listens for a moment and smiles. “Yes, sir.” She puts the phone down. “Just go in.”

“This way, Emily.” Lindsey directs me across a huge boardroom, and my heels click on the marble. Why don’t Lindsey’s shoes click?

Okay, buy rubber-soled shoes tomorrow.

We get to the end of the huge room and down another corridor, and my heels are clicking like I don’t know what. They’re even annoying me. I sound like a horse. I feel like taking them off and throwing them in the trash. Just be quiet. I’m trying to appear professional here.

We get to a set of black double doors, and Lindsey knocks as my heart pounds in my chest.

Just . . . don’t say anything stupid.

“Come in,” a deep voice calls.

Lindsey opens the doors, and I step into the office.

Familiar blue eyes rise to meet mine from behind the large mahogany desk, and I stop dead still.

What?

“Emily Foster, I would like to introduce you to Mr.

Miles,” Lindsey says.

I stare at him, unable to speak because there’s no air in my lungs.

His eyebrow rises, and he sits back in his chair as he smirks. “Hello, Emily.” His big eyes hold mine, the same

beautiful deep-blue eyes that hypnotized me twelve months ago.

It’s him.

Oh my God. Chapter 3

He stands and walks around to my side of the desk and holds his hand out to shake mine. “Jameson Miles.”

It’s him, the layover guy who never asked for my number.

I stare at him as my brain completely misfires.

I can’t believe this. He’s the fucking CEO?

“Emily, tell Mr. Miles all about yourself,” Lindsey says, as if to prompt me to speak.

“Oh.” I catch myself and shake his hand. “I’m Emily Foster.”

His hand is strong and warm, and I’m instantly reminded how it felt on my skin. I pull my hand out of his grip as if he’s given me an electric shock.

His mischievous eyes hold mine, and he keeps his face straight. “Welcome to Miles Media,” he says calmly.

“Thanks,” I croak. I look over at Lindsey. Oh God, does she know I’m a dirty-talking whore bag who fucked our boss’s boss’s boss?

“I’ll take it from here, Lindsey. Emily will be out in a moment,” Mr. Miles states.

Lindsey frowns and looks over at me. “I’ll just—” “Wait outside,” he says as he dismisses her.

Shit.

“Yes, sir,” she says as she scurries for the door. It closes behind her, and I drag my eyes back to him.

He’s tall, with dark hair, and he’s wearing the most perfectly fitted navy suit in the history of all suits. His blue eyes hold mine. “Hello, Emily.”

I twist my fingers in front of myself nervously. “Hi.”