Read Boudreaux 01 Easy Love for Free Online Page A

mad, your Irish shows through.” Her lips twitch, but I’m not done being mad at her yet.  
    “I’m here to do a job, not start an affair. I won’t be here that long.”
    “You like him,” Van murmurs with narrowed eyes.
    “I don’t know him!” I repeat in exasperation. Yes, I like him! He kisses like a dream, and I want to climb his hot body and have my wicked way with him!
    Not that I’m going to tell her that.  
    “I just didn’t want him to set his sights on you and have you eventually hurt. I know you’re still—”
    “I’m fine.” I shake my head, not wanting to go down this road with Van, not today. I have a long day ahead of a new job, and bringing my own baggage into it won’t be productive. “I promise, I’m fine. Now, I need to get down to HR. I don’t want to be late on my first day.”
    “I’ll walk you down.” She stands, but I shake my head.
    “No thanks. No favoritism, remember?” I shoot her a grin and walk toward her door.  
    “Kate, if you want to talk about—”
    “Do you want to talk about Lance?” I ask without turning around, and the room is suddenly filled with a heavy silence as I shake my head and open her door. “I didn’t think so. Love you.”
    “Love you, too.”
    ***
    “This is Hilary,” Linda Beals, the head of HR informs me as she leads me to my new office. “She’s been promoted to another position here in the company, but is going to stay with you today to show you the ropes.”
    Hilary, a woman who looks to be a few years older than me smiles and stands, offering her hand to shake. “Pleasure,” she says.
    “Hello,” I reply and smile at Linda, as she assures me that I’m in good hands, and leaves me with Hilary.  
    “So, you’re taking over as Mr. Rudolph’s assistant,” Hilary says, stating the obvious.  
    “It seems so,” I reply and sit in the desk chair next to hers behind my new desk. “How long have you been with him?”
    “Oh, gosh, about twelve years now, I guess.” Hilary leans in as if she’s about to tell me a big secret. “He’s really very easy to work with, as long as you make his coffee just so.”
    “You make his coffee?” I ask with a raised brow. “That’s a little old school.”
    She shrugs and starts pulling files out of her drawer. “I don’t mind. Now, let’s get started. You only have me for today, but I’ll just be one floor up, so if you ever have questions, don’t hesitate to call me.”
    “Thanks.”  
    “Did Linda show you around?”
    “No, she just brought me down here after she went over my paperwork.” I glance around my small, simple office, and see exactly why Van put me here. It’s a corner space, and I’m able to see down two corridors of offices, and into the windows of said offices.  
    “Sounds about right,” Hilary replies with a roll of the eyes. “After we go over these things, we’ll take a break, and I’ll give you a grand tour.”
    “Sounds good.”
    “Are you new to town?”
    “Yes, very new.”
    “Well, I think you and I will be good friends.” She smiles and then stands when a man walks in, looking harried and busy. “Mr. Rudolph, this is your new assistant, Kate.”
    “Hello,” he says with a distracted smile and shakes my hand, his grip firm. He’s probably in his early forties, with thinning hair over a handsome face, with a nose just a couple sizes too big, and he wears thick-rimmed glasses on his face. He’s not terribly tall, but he’s wiry thin. “Hilary will show you the ropes, but let me know if you have any questions.” And with that, he disappears into his office just off of mine and shuts the door firmly behind him.
    “He’s a man of few words,” I remark with a smile.
    “Yeah, he’s not terribly chatty,” Hilary confirms.  
    “Miss O’Shaughnessy?” A man asks as he walks into my office, carrying a large bouquet of happy sunflowers.
    “Yes,” I reply with surprise.
    “These are for you.”
    I gape in surprise as he sets the