“All right.” Testing herself, she sat up, linked her hands around his neck. The sheet slid away to her waist. Pleased, she watched his gaze skim down, felt the tensing of muscles, saw the heat flash. Slowly, waiting until his eyes had come back to hers, she leaned forward. Her lips brushed his and retreated, brushed and retreated until she felt his quick groan. Satisfied she had his full attention, she flicked open the buttons of his shirt.

“Sydney.” On a half laugh, he caught at her hands. “You’ll make me late.”

“That’s the idea.” She was smiling as she pushed the shirt off his shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll put in a good word for you with the boss.”

Two hours later, Sydney strolled into her offices with an armful of flowers she’d bought on the street. She’d left her hair down, had chosen a sunny yellow suit to match her mood. And she was humming.

Janine looked up from her work station, prepared to offer her usual morning greeting. The formal words stuck. “Wow. Ms. Hayward, you look fabulous.”

“Thank you, Janine. I feel that way. These are for you.”

Confused, Janine gathered up the armful of summer blossoms. “Thank you. I…thank you.”

“When’s my first appointment?”

“Nine-thirty. With Ms. Brinkman, Mr. Lowe and Mr. Keller, to finalize the buy on the housing project in New Jersey.”

“That gives me about twenty minutes. I’d like to see you in my office.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Janine was already reaching for her pad.

“You won’t need that,” Sydney told her, and strode through the double doors. She seated herself, then gestured for Janine to take a chair.

“How long have you worked for Hayward?”

“Five years last March.”

Sydney tipped back in her chair and looked at her secretary, really looked. Janine was attractive, neat, had direct gray eyes that were a trifle puzzled at the moment. Her dark blond hair was worn short and sleek. She held herself well, Sydney noted. Appearance was important, not the most important, but it certainly counted for what she was thinking.

“You must have been very young when you started here.”

“Twenty-one,” Janine answered with a small smile. “Right out of business college.”

“Are you doing what you want to do, Janine?”

“Excuse me?”

“Is secretarial work what you want to do with your life, or do you have other ambitions?”

Janine resisted the urge to squirm in her chair. “I hope to work my way up to department manager. But I enjoy working for you, Miss Hayward.”

“You have five years experience with the company, nearly five more than I do, yet you enjoy working for me. Why?”

“Why?” Janine stopped being nervous and went to flat-out baffled. “Being secretary to the president of Hayward is an important job, and I think I’m good at it.”