But now? Now my pulse is skittering all over the place and my breakfast is reconsidering its home in my stomach right as my nervous system reconsiders the is impossible part of this situation. I’m watching the curves of Brendan’s moving lips as he gives Elaine his coffee order, and I’m noticing the muscles flexing right beneath that expensive wool jacket, and every part of me is sensing his bulk, his strength, his proximity, and all those filthy things I glibly signed up for suddenly feel shockingly real. Terrifyingly imminent.

I won’t even get started on all the things he mentioned, because I absolutely will not be able to focus on selling my tenuous assistant skillset in a pleasant and convincing manner if I think about the fact that he wrote ANAL in capital letters on his questionnaire.

Capital letters.

I have strong and easily digested—haha—views on anal. In a nutshell, that hole back there is an exit hole, not an entry hole. I value my digestive health, thank you very much. In fact, it’s the one sodding area of my life where everything is shipshape. It all runs like clockwork. Never will a man get back there, and definitely not a man of this guy’s size. No, sir.

Ten bottles of wine wouldn’t have been enough to make me tick that box. If Mr Brendan Sullivan wants to stick it up the wrong ‘un, he’ll have to do so out of office hours with someone who categorically isn’t me.

‘So, Marlowe,’ he says, settling into the opposite end of the couch with casual confidence after Elaine’s left us, ‘tell me what brings you to Seraph after your time at the Royal Academy.’

His tone is conversational, but those blue eyes are assessing me with an intensity that makes my skin prickle, because the way he’s checking me out is most definitely outside of the remit of this interview. He’s not playing fair, and I have to remind myself that nothing about this situation is fair. If I’m going to get flustered the second my potential future boss eye-fucks me, I won’t last a day in this job.

‘I was there for five years,’ I say as steadily as I can. ‘It felt stagnant. It’s a wonderful place to work, but it’s quite set in its ways. I’m looking for a new challenge.’ This may be my first job interview in years, but even I know that I’m looking for a new challenge is as desperately cliché as it gets. I clear my throat and channel my inner Athena.