Seductive Memory

Budget. The word made her smile. Money was required for a budget and she hadn’t seen much of that until she landed her first associate’s job.

That was after she met Linus though. She’d only been an intern then, with no business talking to clients, so she had kept her distance when he had visited her firm in those days. But keeping her distance hadn’t meant she couldn’t admire him from afar. And admire she had. The dark, sexy entrepreneur with the arresting eyes and dimpled chin had caught the attention of every female intern there, and an impressive number of the male ones as well.

He’d had to know he was to die for. Paula recalled thinking no man could be that beautiful and not realize the effect it wielded over others. Still, it had been important to look beyond the outer flash to what was less apparent. Miranda Bormann had taught her that. Paula had found herself using the technique to get a read on Linus Brooks back then. Rumor had been he was there on business for his construction outfit. Little had anyone known that business involved wooing several of the firm’s associates to come work for the Joss legal department.

Linus’s offer had been an impressive one, and he had wound up spiriting away new lawyers from firms all over the city. Though she had observed him from a distance, Paula remembered sensing something—a ruthlessness that was both subtle and intense. She’d supposed one needed such talents to be a success at most endeavors. She hadn’t held it against him, especially given she had also sensed there was integrity at work. It had said a lot that he’d come right into the firm to speak with the associates he was interested in.

Later, Paula had learned he’d even spoken to the firm’s partners. He’d only sought associates from firms with healthy intern pools. The hope had been that the partners would put some of those eager beavers in the newly vacated positions.

Paula had been one of the lucky recipients of those opened positions. She’d also been the one to interrupt Linus’s meeting with the partners. Her immediate supervisor had asked to be notified when a dossier was ready for his signature. Her interruption had been viewed as a sign that Linus’s plan had merit. One of the other partners had pointed her out as one of their brightest stars.

When Linus had left the meeting, he’d made a pit stop by Paula’s cubicle to ask her out to dinner. She hadn’t hesitated to accept. From there...well, her life had consisted of decadent pastries and...other delights far removed from bakeries. It had been obvious that Linus Brooks came from money, but he didn’t wear it with an elitist air. Moreover, he was generous, thoughtful and compassionate about the welfare of others. It hadn’t taken Paula long to fall hopelessly in love.

“Damn you, Linus,” she murmured again, tossing willpower aside and indulging in another of the pastries.

Memories—some of them, at least—were beautiful, but they had their place. It was now the present, and she had to consider the fact that he could be into something shady with the likes of Hayden Bormann. She couldn’t disregard Miranda Bormann’s law school teachings then. She was to look beyond into what was less apparent. Compassion and generosity aside, she believed that what she’d sensed of his suave ruthlessness was still spot-on. Did it take precedence over the integrity she’d also sensed?

Paula shook off the thoughts in favor of gorging herself on more of the pastries. She was happy to discover they still worked wonders on calming busy minds. The miniature pastry cups were flaky, buttery and filled with either strawberries, apple slices or raspberries. How the baker managed to cut them so small yet detailed lent to their novelty and priciness.