Fiona knocked and stuck her head around the door. “Willow is here for you, Mr. King.”

“Show her in.” His voice was smooth and rich but didn’t give away his mood.

I entered the office and Fiona slipped away, closing the door behind herself. I looked around, better able to take in the details that I’d missed last night. The wall opposite the door was entirely glass, and the view beyond it was even more spectacular during the day than it had been at night. To the left, Ronan’s desk faced out into the room, and to the right, a narrow table extended along the wall with a couple of chairs tucked beneath it—presumably for visitors.

I wandered to the glass wall and gazed out, feeling small and insignificant.

Ronan cleared his throat, and I turned back to him. He was striking—even more so than the view—and I hated the way my heart sped up at the sight of him. I’d once thought he was pretty close to perfect, and I’d never quite kicked the attraction. Today, his expression was carefully blank. The indifference somehow felt worse than the active dislike from yesterday. It made me nervous. If I couldn’t read him, then I didn’t know what he was planning.

“Did you change your mind?” I demanded. “Are you going to press charges?” I madly tried to think of any bargaining chips I might have, but they were pitifully few. My stomach sank.

“No. That’s not why I called you here. Sit down.” He gestured at the seat opposite him. “I have an idea I think you’ll be interested in.”

I moistened my lips, nerves crowding my stomach. Despite everything, the part of me that used to fantasize about him couldn’t help but wonder what he thought of me. My skirt and blouse were more flattering than the uniform I’d been in when he’d caught me snooping. Did he like what he saw, or would I always be a little girl to him?

“I have a proposition.”

Unexpected arousal jolted through me.

Don’t be stupid, Willow. He doesn’t mean it like that.

Although what would it be like if he did?

I was inexperienced when it came to men. I’d only met up with the ones Tom tried to set me up with, but I was never interested in them. And I didn’t have the time or motivation to scope out the dating scene myself now. I’d tried when I was younger, but I was never sure if guys were interested in me or my last name and the money they thought I had. I also had a bad habit of comparing them to Ronan and they never seemed to reach the standard he’d set.

It had gotten a little depressing.

“What makes you think I want to hear it?” I asked, my voice uncharacteristically husky.

His eyes flashed with awareness. Or was that my imagination?

“Because you’re smart, Willow. Much more so than Tom. Probably more than anyone gives you credit for.”