She was so lovely. Beautiful, really.

He hadn't realized it at first. But now the thought ran through his head every time he looked at her. Some men might not notice her. Some might even find her plain. But some men didn't have his taste and experience when it came to women.

She wasn't the flashy type. Not this one, Matt Harding mused. Stephanie Rossi possessed a more subtle, richer kind of beauty. Genuine and unadorned. One that worked on a man. Got under his skin. Into his blood.

He ought to know. If half of what the gossip columnists in this town reported was true, he was one of the city's richest and most eligible bachelors, and changed beautiful partners as easily as he changed his custom-made suits. While the legend was exaggerated — as legends often are — Matt knew the womanizer image was well earned.

Stephanie Rossi had worked with him nearly a month now. He fully expected that, by now, he'd be accustomed to her looks, and immune to her appeal. But in fact, as the days passed, the affliction had only grown worse. Especially when she flashed that brilliant, heart-stopping smile. A smile that penetrated deep into his soul.

He hated when she was nice to him or seemed on the verge of letting down her guard. That made it so much harder. Sometimes he found himself purposely gruff to keep her at arm's length. Or maybe growling was just a way of venting pent-up frustrations.

Three weeks on the job and she must think I'm an ogre, a horror. A total...jackass. No help for it. Let her think what she will. He knew he had no choice but to play the role of the tough, impossible-to-please boss.

Luckily, she didn't smile or relax ar