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market. As much as he loved a good one-nighter, he was tired of always playing the field, constantly searching and hoping to find the right girl.
    Julia wasn't a one-nighter. She'd been interested in him for who he really was, not who she thought he was because of his last name. Hell, even when he'd pointed out he was the owner of the store, and therefore a Bloom, she didn't seem to care. Everyone always cared. Julia didn't even seem to recognize the name, and her lack of recognition made him feel more alive and free than he could ever remember feeling before.
    He'd been hoping he'd get to see her again and now that he had, he wasn't even able to do anything about it because she was his employee. Their forbidden relationship was like a steak dangling in front of a starving tiger. She was close enough to stoke the flames of desire, but still just out of his reach.
    Maybe he could fire her?
    Nope. He couldn't do that. It wasn't fair to her. She obviously needed or wanted the job; it wasn't his right to fire her for his own selfish desires. He needed to ignore his attraction to her, be professional, and get on with life—even if his life was plagued with longing for the one thing he wanted but couldn't have. Julia.

    * * * *

    "You must be Julia," the redhead behind the checkout counter said with a distinct hint of disdain in her voice. "I'm Rebecca, the day manager."
    "Nice to meet you." Julia took off the light sweater she wore over the branded store T-shirt she'd received when she was first hired and tied it around her waist.
    Rebecca looked her up and down with a scowl on her face. Rebecca's emerald green eyes evaluated every inch of Julia, making her feel almost as if she were standing there naked. "Jason warned me you weren't from around here. Boy was he right."
    Warned you? Like she was a threat or something? Julia tugged at the shirt Jason, the other—and she'd mistakenly thought, nicer—manager had given her after the job interview. She thought she looked just as good as Rebecca did. It wasn't as if the T-shirt was especially flattering on Rebecca's curvy frame either. But Julia kept her mouth shut and took a deep cleansing breath instead of defending herself. The last thing she needed in her first fifteen seconds of work was to annoy her new, rather snobby manager. So much for the staff liking her.
    "What gave it away this time?" She hoped making a joke and laughing would help ease the tension already brewing between herself and the manager.
    "I don't even know where to begin."
    Wow. Rebecca was going to be a really fun boss—an absolute joy to work for. She took another steadying breath and chanted in her head. She only had to suffer a few months until the semester ended and then she'd be able to find a more permanent position somewhere else. As far away from the bitchy people in Meadow Ridge as possible.
    "So, what should I do first?" She plastered on the happiest smile she could muster.
    "I'm going to have you start right into stocking books. That job's the best way to get to know the store's layout. The work's a bit tricky, but you're probably smart enough to figure out where everything is by the end of the day, right?"
    Ooh, nice. You could go pro with a backhand like that.
    Rebecca slid a tall stack of books across the counter toward her. "You can start with these; come back for more when you're done. If you need a cart, there's one over there." She pointed to the small wall space beside the counter, against which sat a large cart overflowing with books.
    Julia suspected she was looking at her work for the day—possibly the week. Good thing she'd decided against heels and had opted for comfortable flats instead. "I'll just take this for now."
    "Whatever. That's your problem now."
    Rebecca began ringing through a customer standing at the counter. Dressed in a crisp tailored suit with his salt and pepper hair trimmed short and tight, he looked distinguished. As she rang his purchases into the register, he slid