A billionaire with a secret...

Can the truth lead to happily-ever-after?

In this Once Upon a Fairytale story, hardworking magazine editor Sage White’s just getting used to being in charge, so she’s alarmed to find sparks flying with her new assistant—the distractingly handsome Trey! Working together, they grow closer, but can their blossoming relationship survive when Sage learns that Trey is really Quentin Rousseau, seventh heir to the publishing empire—and her boss?

Award-winning author JENNIFER FAYE pens fun, heartwarming, contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published, with books translated into nine languages, she is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award. She has also won the CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, been named a TOP PICK author, and has been nominated for numerous other awards.

Also by Jennifer Faye

Her Festive Baby Bombshell

Snowbound with an Heiress

Mirraccino Marriages miniseries

The Millionaire’s Royal Rescue

Married for His Secret Heir

Once Upon a Fairytale miniseries

Beauty and Her Boss

Miss White and the Seventh Heir

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Miss White and the Seventh Heir

Jennifer Faye

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07772-9

MISS WHITE AND THE SEVENTH HEIR

© 2018 Jennifer F. Stroka

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

PROLOGUE

ELSA WHITE STOOD before the window of her stylish Manhattan office adorned with black furnishings and gold trim. It wasn’t just any office building. It was a skyscraper owned by White Publishing. And Elsa’s office was on the top floor. She enjoyed looking down upon the rest of the world.

From her office window, the people below looked like peons—small and inconsequential. She smiled, knowing she was so much better than them. She had money, lots of money, and a powerful reach. She was forever finding ways to make her presence in publishing even greater—legal or illegal, it made no difference to her.

Elsa moved in front of an oversized gold leaf mirror that hung on the wall next to her desk. She pivoted on her black stilettos this way and that way, never taking her gaze off her image. A smile bloomed on her face. Perfect. Her manicured red fingernail slid down over her ivory cheek. There wasn’t a wrinkle to be had anywhere on her flawless complexion. Nor should there be with the massive amount she paid her plastic surgeon.

She tucked a few loose strands of platinum-blond hair behind one ear, leaving the other side of her smooth bobbed hair to hang loose. Perfect.

Knock. Knock.

“Come in.” She’d told her personal assistant to send in Mr. Hunter, the private detective, as soon as he arrived.

Elsa continued to stare into the mirror. She never tired of her reflection. How could anyone tire of such beauty? Deciding to reapply her “Wicked Red” lipstick, she retrieved the tube of lipstick from the glass table beneath the mirror.

As she removed the cap from the tube, her gaze sought out the man’s reflection in the mirror. “Well, don’t just stand there. Tell me what you’ve learned about my stepdaughter.”

The tall man with short, dark hair stood his ground, seemingly unfazed by her snappishness. “She’s working in Los Angeles.”

“So she’s still living across the country. Good. Very good.” The farther away Sage White remained from Elsa’s empire, the better.

“She’s working for QTR Magazine—”

“What?” Elsa swung around and glared at the man. He never once glanced away or in any way acted as though he was fazed by her anger. This normally would have sparked Elsa’s interest, but right now she was preoccupied. “I thought I got her blackballed from all publishing houses.”

“You did, but then QTR was drawn into some sort of lawsuit and that’s how she got her foot in the door. From what I was able to uncover, the senior Rousseau was forced to step down from the failing company. Before he did so, he put your stepdaughter under an ironclad contract that even the board could not break so long as Miss White showed a steady improvement in the company’s profitability.”

No longer concerned about her lips, Elsa returned the lipstick to the table. “Why is this the first I’m hearing of it? I pay you good money to keep a close eye on her.”

The man’s expression hardened. “The deal with QTR just happened. They kept everything hush-hush until the contract was signed. Even the board overseeing QTR didn’t know what had been done until it was too late.”

Elsa folded her arms, holding her left elbow up with her right hand. Her long shiny nail tapped on her pointy chin as she considered this new development. She couldn’t allow Sage to become successful. With enough funds, Sage could dig into the past. If she were to unearth the truth, she could send the empire that Elsa had lied, deceived and flat-out stolen tumbling into ruin. And that just couldn’t happen.

Elsa had outsmarted that girl since the day her father died. She would continue to do so. The company afforded her the lifestyle she deserved and allowed her to maintain her beauty.

Elsa’s narrowed gaze zeroed in on Hunter. She had plans for him. “Tell me more about QTR.”

“It appears they are in a downward spiral. They are losing shelf space in stores and their online presence is shrinking.”

“Oh, good. Very good.” Her worries diminished, but she knew not to take Sage for granted. She had too much of her father in her. “Keep a close eye on my stepdaughter. She is not to be underestimated. And she cannot be successful at QTR. I will stop her at all costs. Now go.” Elsa pointed to the door.

The man hesitated as though disliking being ordered around. Elsa was not used to people standing up to her. She liked being able to bend people to her will. She’d never been able to bend Sage and that was why the girl had to go.

When the man turned to the door, Elsa zeroed in on his finer assets—very fine indeed. Perhaps she’d dismissed him too soon. But by then the door was swinging shut. She would have to scratch her itch another time.

Elsa turned back to her reflection. No one was about to unseat her as queen of this publishing empire. She had nothing to worry about—certainly not the likes of that insipid, happy-go-lucky girl. A headline-worthy failure would ruin Sage’s future in publishing once and for all.

Elsa broke out in a cackle.

It was all going to work out perfectly. She would see to it.

CHAPTER ONE

Five months later...

SHE ONLY HAD one more month.

One more month to prove that her plan would work—to keep her job.

Sage White worried her bottom lip. Even though she’d stemmed off the hemorrhaging expenses of QTR Magazine and in fact was now turning a small profit, she still had a long way to go to appease the board. She had to prove that her plan to reorganize the magazine would work not only now but also for the long term.

The magazine had been on the verge of shutting down when Quentin Rousseau II reached out to her. To say she was surprised by his call was an understatement. She had interned for him in college. He had been wickedly smart and savvy. He took a liking to her. For two summers, she absorbed every bit of knowledge he’d been willing to impart to her. In those days, the magazine still had some integrity. It was in more recent years that fact-checking took a backseat to the sensational headlines.

Quentin Rousseau II had been good to her—he’d even brushed off Elsa’s well-planted lies about her. That had not sat well with Elsa, who swore vengeance. The woman’s threats hadn’t fazed the senior Rousseau. For that, Sage felt indebted to him.

Still, she had been hesitant about accepting the position. Who wanted to step up to the helm of a sinking magazine? However, the elder Rousseau had given her an incentive—a big financial incentive—to make this work. But it also came with a deadline—six months to show improvement and a firm plan for the next year.

Now, sitting behind the managing editor’s desk, she wondered if she’d made a mistake. For the last four—almost five—months, she’d spent every waking moment trying to secure the future of the longstanding magazine. With not much more than sheer determination and a skeleton staff, she’d done the impossible—turned the magazine’s content one hundred and eighty degrees, from sensationalized headlines to meaningful interviews on important topics. The substantial changes were enough to create a bump in the bottom line. In fact, it impressed the board enough to approve a modest increase in funding. This was making it possible for Sage to at last hire a much-needed PA.

She stared down at the next résumé on her desk. She’d put off hiring a PA as long as possible, not wanting to take funds away from more necessary areas. But with tasks piling up faster than she could tackle them, it was time to hire a very capable, multitasking assistant.

The name on the rather lengthy résumé was Trey Renault. He would be the seventh man in a row that she had interviewed that day. She smiled and shook her head. This definitely wasn’t a coincidence.

When she’d casually let it slip that her thirtieth birthday was in a few weeks, Louise, the head of human resources, declared that Sage should find a nice guy to settle down with. Sage tried to politely explain that settling down wasn’t on her to-do list. She had a lot of other things that needed her focus. A family would have to wait.

She scrutinized each line of Trey Renault’s résumé. His education and references were impeccable. On paper, this man was impressive. But he lacked experience in publishing. Would he be a quick learner?

Her phone buzzed. She answered and learned that the man in question had arrived. She glanced at the time on her desktop monitor and found that he wasn’t just five minutes early, he was a full ten minutes early. Oh, a man after her own heart. She told the receptionist to show him back to her office.

Knock. Knock.

Sage stood and smoothed her navy skirt down over her thighs. She then ran a hand over her hair, making sure the long dark strands weren’t out of place. She didn’t know why she was making such a fuss. It wasn’t like she was the one being interviewed.

She came around her desk and opened the door. She had to crane her neck in order to smile up at him. From behind a pair of dark-rimmed glasses his dark gaze met hers, but she was unable to read anything in his eyes. A man of mystery. She was intrigued.

She held out her hand. “Hello. My name’s Sage White.”

The man’s large hand enveloped hers. His grip though firm was not too tight. “Bonjour. I am Trey, um...Renault.”

A Frenchman. She had to admit, she found his accent sexy. He wasn’t so bad himself, in that tall, dark and handsome sort of way. His brown hair was trimmed short on the sides with the top a little longer and a bit wavy. His face was quite attractive, even if it was partially obscured by a full beard and mustache. She couldn’t help but wonder what he’d look like after a shave.

“Welcome, Trey.” She stepped back to make room for him to enter her office. “Please come in.”

His face didn’t betray any hint of emotion. Sage closed the door and then turned back to this man who intrigued her more than all the other applicants added together. His gaze moved swiftly around her office as though taking in his surroundings. She wanted to ask what he thought of what she’d done with the space, but she squelched the urge. They had other more urgent matters to discuss.

Once he made his way across the room, he took a seat in one of the two black leather chairs facing her desk. Sage returned to her own chair. She didn’t know what it was about this man that had her so intrigued, but there was something different about him aside from the accent—yet there was something familiar, too.

Sage smothered a sigh. She was letting her imagination get the best of her. Trey Renault was an applicant just like the other six bachelors who’d paraded through her office.

The first man she’d interviewed wouldn’t so much as shake her hand. He went on to tell her about all of the germs in the world. With his knowledge of illnesses, she started to wonder if he should have gone to medical school and become a doctor.

The second man yawned through the whole interview. She couldn’t tell if it was her that had bored him or if he hadn’t slept the night before. The third man had definitely woken up on the wrong side of the bed. The scowl on his face seemed to be permanent. He’d complained about everything including his previous employers. The fourth man couldn’t stop sneezing. She was beginning to wonder if he was allergic to her.

Bachelor number five was a pleasant change with a nice smile and good attitude, but as the interview went on, she found he’d smile and agree with everything she said. Number six had great looks but it didn’t appear he had much going on upstairs.

With the prestigious Cannes Film Festival quickly approaching, which was pivotal to the magazine’s future, she had no more time to interview applicants. The truth was they weren’t exactly breaking down her door. She had to pick the best of these applicants.

And so far bachelor number seven appeared to be the front runner. Then she caught herself glancing down at his left hand. Yep, another bachelor. Louise had certainly done her homework.

Sage jerked her gaze back up to his handsome face. His chin was squared and his nose straight. But it was his eyes that drew her in with their dark and mesmerizing depths. It’d be so easy to get lost in them. Just like she was doing now.

She jerked her gaze away from him and back to the résumé on her desk. She stared blindly at the paper. With his good looks, he’d definitely make Monday mornings more bearable.

Gathering her thoughts, she welcomed him again. She then started her well-practiced spiel about the highlights of the magazine and an overview of the position requirements. She couldn’t be swayed by his good looks. She had a board meeting at the end of the month that would determine her future. And from what she’d heard, her former boss’s estranged son had assumed the position of CEO and he’d made it his mission to put the magazine out of business.

Most people didn’t even know this son existed. She’d done an internet search and hadn’t been able to come up with even a photo of the mysterious son. In this day and age of social media how was that possible?

* * *

His mission was to uncover the truth.

Quentin Thomas Rousseau III had persuaded most of the QTR board to do away with his father’s beloved magazine. However, his father’s last act as CEO had been to install a new managing editor. And somehow this woman—a woman with a questionable past—was turning things around for the business. She was reopening doors with vendors that had previously turned their backs on QTR Magazine. She’d eliminated the red ink, and if business kept increasing, she’d soon turn a sizable profit. But how? And why save this sinking ship?

Knowing his father had many connections and lots of money to sway people, the only person Quentin could trust to uncover the truth was himself. However, he couldn’t just burst through the doors of QTR Magazine, announce that he was the new CEO and expect people to open up to him. It meant he’d have to take extraordinary measures.

And then it’d come to his attention that the new managing editor was in need of a personal assistant. That was the moment he’d started plotting his fact-finding mission. It was nothing too far out there. After all, there was a reality show about bosses going undercover in their own companies. Why couldn’t he do the same thing?

And finally, he needed an alias. He decided to use the name he’d gained in boarding school. His friends thought his real name, Quentin Thomas Rousseau III was just too uppity. He soon became Trey, meaning “the third.” His mother had hated it, but he’d liked having a different name than his absentee father. For this mission, he’d combined his nickname with his late mother’s maiden name.

Since he’d initially met with the board of QTR International he’d grown a beard and mustache, which he found itchy, and he’d cut his longer hair super short. To finish the look, he’d given up his contacts and purchased dark-framed glasses. Even his own mother would hesitate to recognize him.

His only problem was that he didn’t expect Sage White to be so young. He must have missed her age when he’d done his research. And more than that, he didn’t expect her to be such a jaw-dropping knockout. The pictures online certainly didn’t do her justice. With her dark hair, fair complexion and vivid blue almost violet eyes, he was sorry that they were on opposite sides of this magazine deal—very sorry.

“Mr. Renault?”

There he went letting himself be distracted. He was going to have to work harder to remain focused when he was around her—if he got the job.

“Oui.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, yes.”

She gave him a strange look and then in a blink it was gone. “I must admit your résumé is quite impressive.”

She leaned back in her chair, looking quite at ease as though she were born to sit there. And perhaps she was at ease, considering her father had been a legend in the publishing industry. But something had gone astray after her father’s death and somehow Sage White had been blackballed from the industry...until now. What did his father know about Sage White that he didn’t?

Sage sent him an expectant look.

“Merci.” He’d worked hard to make sure his qualifications would catch her attention. However, the trick was making sure he didn’t appear to be overqualified.

She arched a dark brow as she gave him a pointed stare as though she were trying to read his thoughts. “Why would you want to work here at QTR?”

To find out about your special brand of magic. And put a stop to it.

Suddenly finding his mouth a bit dry, he cleared his throat. It was best to stick with as much of the truth as possible. “I’ve heard you’re making great strides in turning the magazine around and I would like to be a part of it.”

She nodded as though his answer was acceptable. Then she glanced down at his résumé. “I don’t see where you have any experience working in the publishing industry.”

He’d noticed that, too, when he was putting together his first-ever résumé. He’d never needed one before since he’d started his own software company while still in college. He’d always been his own boss. In fact, he was used to people answering to him, not the other way around. This arrangement was definitely going to take some adjusting for him. But how hard could an assistant position be?

Still, he hadn’t wanted his résumé to be too perfect or it would have been suspicious. Nor did he want it to be filled with too much fiction. And so his work experience was limited to positions within a few trusted friends’ companies.

Trey swallowed hard. “Publishing is new to me. But I like challenges. And I’m a fast learner.”

Again, she nodded. She sat back in her chair and gave him a serious stare. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was deep in thought or if she was somehow trying to intimidate him.

“It sounds to me like you get bored easily,” Sage said. “Is that the case?”

How had she done that? Read him so easily? He had to admit that it made him a bit uncomfortable. He enjoyed being a man of mystery. “I...” His voice died away as he desperately sought out some answer to assuage her worries. “I thrive on challenges.”

The worry that had been reflected in her eyes faded. “I can definitely challenge you.”

Suddenly his imagination veered from the subject of business. In his mind’s eye, she was challenging him, but it wasn’t with reports or emails; instead it was with her glossy full lips. They were so tempting. And the berry-red hue made them stand out against her ivory skin.

He swallowed hard and drew his gaze upward to meet hers. “Then it sounds like we’ll make a great team.”

“Not so fast. I didn’t say you were hired.”

“But you will. You need me.” He sent her one of his best smiles.

She didn’t appear phased. “I don’t need anyone.”

“So you’re one of those.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Not about to stumble down that rabbit hole, he said, “You need me, you just don’t know it yet.”

Sage leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. If she was trying to look intimidating, it wasn’t working. “You have a very odd way of interviewing.”

He did? That was quite possible, but he’d gained her attention. She wouldn’t forget him.

“I’m the man you need. I’m smart, timely and efficient.”

“And not lacking in conceit.”

He shook his head. “It’s not conceit when it’s a fact. Give me thirty days and I’ll prove it to you.”

He could see by the look in her eyes that he was getting through to her. She would hire him. He was certain of that. This interview had lingered longer than he’d ever imagined and she genuinely seemed interested in him—in his skills, that is.

CHAPTER TWO

HE WAS COCKY. She’d definitely give Trey that much.

But sometimes that wasn’t such a bad thing.

Sage always did like a challenge. It was his third day on the job and he’d presented a very big challenge. But of all the candidates, he struck her as a get-it-done type. And that’s who she needed on her team right now—if she hoped to continue to turn around this magazine.

An email popped up. Sage was just about to call a management meeting, but the subject line caught her attention: Elsa White. That name was enough to send her good mood in a downward spiral. What was her stepmother up to this time?

Sage had always known that her stepmother had outmaneuvered her into gaining control of White Publishing. Sage had been young and naive. She’d wanted to believe that her stepmother wasn’t a monster, but reality was much harsher than Sage had been prepared to accept at the tender age of eighteen. It had been that particular birthday when she’d lost her childhood home, her destiny and her naivety. She’d been forced to grow up—it came with a lot of painful life lessons.

She knew that if she was wise, she’d let go of the past and keep moving forward, but she couldn’t. She remembered being a little girl and sitting behind her father’s large desk at the headquarters of White Publishing. Her father would swing her chair around until she was looking out over the bustling city and he would tell her that one day all of this would be hers. But she was never to take it for granted. As the head of White Publishing, she would have a great responsibility and it went beyond the quarterly results. She needed to be generous, understanding and compassionate with everyone around her.

That had been before he had been bewitched by Elsa. After that, nothing was ever the same. Had her father truly changed his mind about the business and her role in it? It was a question she’d been contemplating off and on for years. Sometimes she thought she knew the answer, and other times she wasn’t so sure.

Knock. Knock.

Trey ducked his head inside the door. He looked as though he were going to say something but then he hesitated.

“What did you need?”

“Um...” He stepped farther into the room. “I’ve sent out that email to the department heads, so I was going to head out to lunch—”

“Already?” She glanced at the time on her computer. A quarter till twelve. She frowned. Did she strike him as some sort of pushover?

“I was in early.”

This new role as management was taking some getting used to. For so many years, she’d been the one taking the orders; now she was the one handing them out. But she couldn’t let anyone see her discomfort. If she did, she’d lose their respect and it’d be all downhill from there.

“Lunch can wait.”

Trey’s brows rose. “But I have plans.”

“This work needs to be your priority.”

Trey opened his mouth, but he immediately closed it.

She grabbed the stack of manila folders from the corner of her desk. In this modern day, they still did a lot of things via hard copy. Going forward, she’d like to automate a number of functions, but for now, like so many other things, it’d have to wait.

Sage held out the files. “I’ve approved these reports and disbursements. Please see that they get to the appropriate departments.”

He stepped forward and accepted the files. “Anything else?”

She refused to let his cool tone get to her. She didn’t ask anyone to work any harder than her. “Yes, there is.”

And then she began to explain a new report she wanted him to prepare each month analyzing the ad space. Advertising was their bread and butter. She needed to keep a close eye on it and if possible expand the magazine to accommodate a higher frequency and larger campaign. Fashion and cosmetics were their biggest contributors, but she was interested in expanding to other areas such as upscale furniture or designer products.

Trey made notes. “Couldn’t you just get this from the advertising department?”

“I could.” But she wasn’t sure she trusted the supervisor. It was rumored that his work was declining and his lunches were more of the liquid variety. Until she had proof, she was unwilling to act on the rumors.

“Then why don’t you?”

She leveled a cold, hard gaze on him. “I asked you to do it, not them.”

He at least had the decency to look uncomfortable. “I’ll get right on it.”

Trey walked away with his tasks in hand. She wondered if she’d handled everything correctly with Trey. She needed to be forceful but not too over the top. Had she pushed too hard?

Second-guessing herself was a bad habit of hers. It was something she’d started to do after her father died and Elsa had found fault with everything Sage did, from the cooking to the cleaning. Sage shoved aside the unhappy memories. There was work to do.

And an email to read.

Sage turned back to her computer monitor and sighed. For every email she’d responded to that morning, there were two new ones. She worked her way from top to bottom. She assured herself that this was her normal routine and not a stalling tactic, but at last, she opened the email from her private investigator.

The first thing to catch her attention was the fact that the investigator was on to something regarding her stepmother. Thank goodness. He was the third investigator she’d hired. The first had taken her money and produced zero results. The second one had been caught snooping around White Publishing. This third man cost her all of her savings and more. She’d bet everything on him. He was her last hope.

But the second thing to catch her attention was that he needed more money. The sizable retainer she’d previously paid him had given her serious pause. It had wiped out her savings and then some. The only way to pay him more was to get the board’s approval of her business plan for the magazine’s future and receive the bonus stated in her contract.

Knock. Knock.

At five after twelve, Trey returned. “The paperwork has been dealt with and I have your report started. I’m going to lunch.” He studied her for a moment. “Unless that’s a problem?”

“That’s fine.”

“Are you sure? Because you’re frowning again.”

She nodded. When she saw doubt reflected in his eyes, she said, “Seriously, it’s not you. It’s an email I received.”

“That’s what the delete button is good for.”

She leaned back in her chair. “You don’t know how tempting that is right about now. I have enough headaches. I don’t need another one.”

“Well, there you go. Problem solved.”

“I wish. But deleting the email isn’t going to make this problem disappear.”

“I take it we’re not talking about QTR.”

She shook her head. “Afraid not. But I can deal with the email later. Go and enjoy your lunch.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“It’s lunchtime. Remember? You need to take a break and eat.”

Was he working his way up to asking her to lunch? The startling realization that she’d enjoy spending a leisurely hour staring across the table at him jarred her. Trey wasn’t just any guy. He was her assistant.

She gave herself a mental shake. With the board meeting at the end of the month, she had to stay focused. “I don’t have time for lunch today.”

“I’m beginning to notice a trend with you.”

This was the first personal conversation they’d taken time for since he’d started. The reason she’d chosen him over the other candidates wasn’t his dark and mysterious eyes or his potential to be a male cover model. Her reasons were far more basic.

He was smart and cocky—enough so that he’d want to do what it took to make himself stand out in a good way. And that’s what she needed. A person ready to hit the ground running. And that’s exactly what Trey had done. He’d taken on every task she’d given him—even when it’d kept him here after hours.

She was almost afraid to ask, but she couldn’t resist. “What trend would that be?”

“You never have time for lunch or anything else that isn’t business related.”

Lunchtime was her quiet time. She did eat, but it was always something simple that she could eat at her desk while answering emails and reviewing deadlines.

“It’s the way I like it.” She’d been working so long and so hard to keep herself afloat that she didn’t have time for a personal life. Maybe one of these days when the magazine was back on track and she resolved things with her stepmother. “I need that report completed as soon as you get back.”

The truth was she didn’t like Trey analyzing her. She didn’t want him unearthing her shortcomings. Because aside from his sexy good looks, Trey was astute and not easily won over, which made her want to gain his respect. Did that make her a bad boss? Was she supposed to be immune to the feelings of her employees—even when they were six foot two, physically toned and had mysterious dark eyes?

* * *

“Hey, Trey.”

Trey nodded and smiled at the passing mail lady. It was the following day and he had yet to complete the advertising report to Sage’s satisfaction. Every time he thought he’d nailed it, she changed the criteria. He didn’t know if she was trying this hard to make a good impression on the board or if she was trying to make him quit. Either way, she was only delaying the inevitable. Come the end of the month, the board would vote to shut down the magazine.

He honestly never thought when he went undercover that he’d have this much work to do. He thought he’d answer the phone, sort mail and fetch coffee. So far Sage had answered her own phone, the mail provided more projects for his growing to-do list and the boss lady had her own coffeepot. In other words, this job was not the cushy position he thought it’d be.

“Trey, just the person I need to see.” Louise, the head of human resources, stood just outside her office door.

He came to a stop. “What do you need?”

“For you to settle a debate.” She waved at him to follow her into the office. The older woman with short, styled silver hair sent him a warm smile. Try as he might to remain immune to her friendliness, he liked her.

Something told him this wasn’t work related. “I really need to get going. Sage needs this information.” He held up the papers in his hand. And for emphasis, he added, “Right now.”

Louise shook her head. “Don’t worry. This will only take a moment.”

He glanced around, finding he wasn’t the only one who’d been drawn in. Ron, from subscriptions, was propped against a file cabinet in the corner. He waved and Trey returned the gesture. On the other side was Jane with the short blond hair with pink streaks, but he couldn’t recall which department she worked in. She flashed him a big flirty kind of smile. He didn’t smile, not wanting to encourage her attention. Instead he gave a brief nod. What in the world had Louise drawn them in here for?

Louise moved to the doorway, checked both directions in the hallway and then proceeded to close the door. She turned to them. “It’s come to my attention that Sage’s birthday is this month. And I think we should do something for her.”

Trey didn’t like the sounds of this. He’d come to QTR to shut it down, not to make friends. The longer he was here, the harder it was to keep his distance. Just like he knew that Ron loved to surf. He could tell you anything you wanted to know about surfing—even some things you might not care to know. Once Ron started talking, it was hard to get away.

Day by day, the employees of QTR were changing from nameless numbers on spreadsheets to smiling faces with families to support. He hadn’t factored that in when he’d devised his plan to put his father’s cherished company out of business.

And worse yet was Sage’s unflagging devotion to saving the magazine. In the little time he’d been here, he’d witnessed her long hours and her attention to details. How was she going to take it when they closed it—when he closed it?

“Trey?” Louise’s voice drew him from his troubled thoughts.

He glanced up to find everyone staring at him as though expecting an answer. The only problem was he didn’t know the question.

As though sensing the problem, Louise held a plate of cookies out to him. “Go ahead. Take one of each. I need to know which to make for Sage’s birthday.”

He made a point of eating healthy, preferring fruit to desserts. He’d watched his mother drown herself in food after his father abandoned them. His mother’s health problems had eventually spiraled out of control. As he waited for her at a doctor’s appointment, he swore not to follow in her footsteps.

Still, Louise had made a point of making him feeling welcome at QTR. And it wasn’t like one cookie was going to hurt anything.

He took the double chocolate cookie with a swirl of white frosting. “But isn’t a birthday cake more traditional?”

Louise sent him a knowing smile. “I’ve already done some investigating and the birthday girl prefers cookies. And since this is her milestone birthday, she can have whatever she prefers.”

“Milestone?”

Louise nodded and placed a couple of other flavored cookies in his hand before moving to Jane. “Yes, she’s going to be thirty. I couldn’t believe it when she’d mentioned it, but I double-checked her personnel file.”

Trey had to agree with Louise. His boss didn’t look like much more than a college grad, if that. And he was finding it increasingly hard to concentrate on his work with Sage around. Her beauty was stunning. He just wished that she didn’t try so hard to micromanage everything—including him.

He made short work of the baked goods, finding them all quite good. In the end, he voted for the double chocolate cookie. Louise beamed as he complimented her culinary skills.

As he walked away, guilt settled on him. He was about to take jobs away from these people. The QTR employees weren’t cold and heartless like his father. They were warm, friendly and caring. The exact opposite of his father.

On the way back to his desk more people greeted him with a smile. This was the friendliest office he’d ever been in—even on a Monday morning. It only made him more conflicted about his plan.

CHAPTER THREE

TREY LEANED BACK in his chair, stretched and placed his feet on the corner of his desk. After days of pulling numbers from various sources, the advertising report was officially done—well, at least until Sage gave him yet another adjustment or addition.

Today marked his sixth day on the job and he’d not only completed the report but he’d also managed to cut his workload in half via a combination of macros and a few short computer programs. He was feeling pretty pleased with himself.

He removed the eyeglasses that he hadn’t quite adjusted to, closed his eyes and leaned his head back as classic rock music pounded in his earbuds. It was nice to just sit back for a moment and enjoy all that he’d accomplished. After all, he deserved it.

He’d been working nonstop since he’d taken this undercover position. He’d made inroads with the new managing editor, but so far he had yet to uncover her secret to success. Sure she was first in the office and the last one out, but there was more to it. She did keep her office door closed a lot. So what was she up to in there? Were there bribes involved—

His feet were shoved off the desk.

He jerked forward in his seat as his feet hit the floor. His eyes snapped open. Was this someone’s idea of a joke? Because it wasn’t funny.

And then his gaze met Sage’s. Her eyes darkened and appeared almost violet. If it wasn’t for the distinct frown on her face, he might have been moved to compliment the striking color of her eyes. But now definitely wasn’t the right time.

He straightened up, not sure what to say.

Sage continued to frown as she gestured for him to remove his earbuds.

He’d totally forgotten about them. His full attention had been on his boss. Was it strange that he found her even cuter when she got worked up? Her face flushed. It made him want to pull her into his arms and kiss away her worries. Not that he would ever act on the impulse.

Trey scrambled to pull the earbuds from his ears and then press the pause function on his phone. “What did you need?”

“I’ve been buzzing you. Didn’t you hear?” And then realizing the foolishness of her question, she continued. “There’s a red light on your phone. Right here.” She pointed it out.

“I was busy.”

“Doing what? Taking a nap?”

“Hey, that’s not fair. I just finished that report—again. And I needed to rest my eyes for just a moment.”

“You finished it?” The frown on her face eased.

He nodded. He reached around her and retrieved the printed and proofed copy from the top of his desk. He still wasn’t quite sure of the purpose of this report, but as he handed it over, he noticed Sage’s pleased expression.

He hadn’t known her long, but in that period of time he’d studied her. She cared a lot about the people that worked for her—except him. They butted heads a lot. He realized that was as much his fault as hers. Thankfully this arrangement wouldn’t last too much longer.

He’d also noticed that she held back a lot. Many women he’d dated had been more than willing to share the intimate details of their lives. Not Sage. It wasn’t like they were dating. That would never happen. But she never mentioned anything about her life outside these office walls. He found that a bit odd.

“Thank you for this.” She started toward her office and then turned back. “From now on, earbuds are prohibited in the office.”

He opened his mouth to counter a defense, but the firm line of her glossy lips had him closing his mouth without uttering a word. This was her office—her rules. Even if he didn’t see the harm with earbuds. He allowed his employees to use them. His motto was happy workers were productive workers. But the problem was that he wasn’t the boss here.

She continued to stare at him. “Aren’t you coming?”

“I didn’t realize...” His voice trailed off as he scrambled to his feet and followed her.

“I thought you might be interested in the process of deciding on a cover for next week’s edition.”

She was right. He was definitely interested. Perhaps this was where she sprinkled her fairy dust that made all the vendors sit up and take notice of QTR once again. “Yes, I would be very interested.”

She gestured for him to follow her into her office. Three large computer monitors sat on a table. She moved to her desktop computer and pressed a couple of keys. Her gaze moved to the monitors, which remained dark. Her fine brows drew together as her rosy lips pursed together. She tried again with the same results.

Computers were his field of expertise. “Can I give it a try?”

She shook her head. “I’ve got it.”

She tried again with the same results.

“I’m pretty good with computers.” He moved to her side ready to take over.

He reached for the keyboard at the same time she did. Their fingers touched. Her hand was soft and warm. And her touch sent a wave of attraction washing over his eager body.

When he raised his gaze, he caught the look of desire in Sage’s eyes. But in a blink it was gone and he was left wondering if it had ever been there at all.

She glanced away. “I’ll get it. Just hang on.”

“You do realize that I’m your assistant, right? So let me assist.”

“No. I can figure this out.”

“Are you always so stubborn?”

Her gaze met his. “I refer to it as independent.”

He shook his head and backed off. He wondered what had happened to her to make her so stubborn and unwilling to accept help.

After flipping through a couple of papers and reading something, she tried again. A triumphant smile lit up her face as the monitors flickered on. “There we go. I hit the wrong key before.”

Each monitor displayed a cover of QTR. There were different headlines and different fonts. He had to admit that this was all new to him as for so much of his career he’d focused on software development and website design.

“These are the three layouts that my staff has put together for the upcoming week.” She gave him a moment to read the headlines. “Now they want me to choose which will have the biggest reach both online and in the supermarket aisles.”

He read each headline.

Superstars Go Pink and Blue

Serenaded Beneath the Stars

Singing for Angels

Trey turned to Sage. “They’re each different stories?”

“No.”

He frowned. He hoped she wasn’t going to slip into his father’s old ways. Had she decided that responsible journalism was just too hard? Disappointment hit him. He’d expected so much more from her.

He crossed his arms. “Is this a bit of sensational journalism? A tricky headline to draw in the reader and then a story that takes enormous liberties with the facts of the story—”

“Certainly not.” She studied him for a moment. “I was hired to put integrity back into this magazine and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

“So there’s a country superstar in the backwoods?”

“Something like that. There’s a charity event in San Diego to fundraise for the children’s ward in a local hospital. There’s a lineup of celebrity singers from pop to classic to country. The benefit concert will be televised and have a very special audience. The children in the hospital that are well enough will be moved by wheelchair to the outdoor garden area. Others will see it televised live in their rooms and they will also meet some of the performers afterward.”

He breathed easier knowing that she hadn’t resorted to nefarious means of keeping the magazine afloat. And then it struck him that he was rooting for her. When had that happened?

He gave himself a mental shake. She was getting inside his head with her pretty smile and her good heart. But he couldn’t let himself get caught up in her plans as he had his own job to do.

“What do you think?” Her voice jarred him from his thoughts.

“It sounds like it will be a successful event.”

“It will. The tickets are all sold out.”

“I’m assuming you got a couple.” He wouldn’t mind helping such a good cause. He could accompany Sage—unless she already had a date. The thought didn’t sit well with him.

“I did.” She gave him a strange look. “Is something wrong?”

He shook his head, hoping it would chase away the unwanted thoughts. “No. Will you, ah, need someone to accompany you?”

“The tickets aren’t for me. I’ve assigned a reporter and a photographer.”

For some reason that he didn’t want to examine too closely, her answer disappointed him. He would have liked getting to know Sage outside of the office. She was a complex person. She had a good heart, but she didn’t let people get too close. She was willing to help people, but she refused to be helped. The more he got to know her, the more he wanted to know about her.

Sage stared at the three layouts. “Does one speak to you more than the others?”

“The singing for angels one makes me want to know who is singing and are they really singing to angels.”

“My thought exactly.” She turned off the other layouts and focused on the one he’d suggested. “I think the headline should be larger.”

“Aren’t you going to run a photo to go with the headline?”

“No.”

“I think you should.”

“That’s what other publications would do.”

“They do it because it works.”

Her gaze narrowed in on him. “Are you saying you don’t trust my judgment?”

“I’m saying why take chances when a photo will draw the fans?”

She leaned a curvy hip against her desk. “And what about the readers that aren’t big fans of the celebrity? Will they be drawn in, too?”

He shrugged. He hadn’t considered that angle. “But what if no one picks up the magazine or opens the digital edition?”

“Nothing is guaranteed.”

“Then why take a risk?” He stopped himself, realizing that by playing devil’s advocate he was fighting for the magazine to succeed. What was it about being around Sage that mixed up his thoughts?

“Because it’s my call.” Her tone was firm.

He got the hint. She was the boss and he wasn’t. So his opinion didn’t count. This gave him pause.

He’d said similar words to his own employees. He hadn’t any idea of how those words felt when you were on the receiving end. Going forward, he’d have to listen more and let his employees know that he valued their opinion.

“You’ve heard things about me, haven’t you?” Her gaze met his straight-on. Not giving him a chance to answer, she continued. “I know people talk, but if you think I’m going to let this magazine fold, you’ve been talking to the wrong people. I know what I’m doing.”

Suddenly he realized her response had less to do with him and more to do with her proving herself. The look in her eyes said the opposite of her words. In her blue eyes, he saw worry and doubt.

* * *

What was it about him that got to her?

Sage sat at her desk that evening. It was well past quitting time, but she had emails she’d pushed off all day that needed responses.

Besides, even if she went home, she wouldn’t be able to rest. Her mind kept replaying her disagreement with Trey. For some reason, he got under her skin. And that wasn’t good. She couldn’t afford to be distracted.

He was still in his ninety-day trial period. Letting him go at this stage would be quick and painless.

Tap. Tap.

Sage glanced up to find Louise standing in the open doorway. “I thought I’d find you here.”

“Am I that predictable?”

Louise nodded. “You need a life beyond these office walls.”

She would, just as soon as she reclaimed the legacy that Elsa stole from her. Until then, she had to keep working at QTR and earn her bonus in order to pay the private investigator. Someday this all would end.

“You looked like you had something serious on your mind when I walked in.” Louise took a seat. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“It’s Trey. I’m not sure he’s going to work out.”

“Really?” There was genuine surprise in Louise’s voice. “I thought he was easy on the eyes.”

He was. That was one of the problems. And when his hand had lingered on hers, her stomach had dipped like she was riding a roller coaster.

“He, um...doesn’t do things the way I expect them to be done.”

“But he does them?”

Sage grudgingly nodded. “And he has this habit of disagreeing with me.”

“So you want someone who agrees with everything you say?”

“No, but he’s...”

“He’s what?”

Distracting her—making her think of her sorely lacking social life. “He’s still on probation and I just want to make sure he’s the right fit.”

“As shorthanded as you are, can you afford to be picky?”

Louise was right. The Cannes Film Festival was later that month, and if they were fortunate enough to get passes, she needed someone reliable to help with it. And on top of being sexy, Trey had proven he was reliable.

She sighed. “You’re right. There isn’t time to find a replacement.”

“I think he’ll surprise you.”

That’s what she was afraid of.

* * *

His feet pounded the asphalt.

His muscles burned in that satisfying way.

His lungs strained to pull in more oxygen.

And Trey never felt more alive than when he was pushing his body to the limit. He normally made a point of running every morning. Today wasn’t normal. His life was anything but normal since he met Sage.

With evening setting in, he continued running—pushing himself. After bumping heads with Sage most of the afternoon, he was filled with pent-up energy. That woman was so frustrating and yet so enticing. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to yell at her or pull her into his arms and kiss her.

He let out a frustrated groan as he slowed to a walk a block from his condo. The sooner he got the information he’d come to QTR for, the better. Ever since he’d stepped inside the office, everything had grown increasingly complicated.

The shrubbery next to him shook. He came to a stop. There was no wind to explain the sudden rush of motion. It was probably a squirrel. He was about to move on when he heard a high-pitched whine. Or was it a bark. Could there be a dog in there?

Trey peered closer at the bush. In the long shadows of evening, it was hard to make out a dog in between the leafy limbs. Then the bush moved again.

Arf! Arf!

Trey straightened and looked around to see if someone was looking for their dog. The bush was sitting next to a park, but no one was around. Just then a car turned onto the street. By the time it reached Trey, it was well above the speed limit. He didn’t want anything to happen to the dog.

Trey turned back to the bush. Why was the dog in the bush? Had it gotten lose from its leash and gotten scared?

Trey already had enough of his own problems. He didn’t need someone else’s. But if he had lost a pet, he would want someone to go out of their way and make sure it got safely home.

With a sigh because he knew that he wasn’t going to get anything else done that evening, he crouched down next to the bush. “Come here, fella. It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”

Arf! Arf!

The bark had to be a positive sign, right? Trey hadn’t had a dog growing up. His mother said that she had her hands full with him and running the house alone. She couldn’t take on a dog, too. As such, he didn’t really know much about animals.

He kept his voice soft. “Come on. Come here.”

He kept talking to the dog in gentle tones, hoping the dog would trust him enough to poke its head out. He wished that he had some food on him. If worse came to worst, he could run home and grab some food—

The leaves moved again. A little head poked out.

Trey didn’t waste any time. He cautiously moved his fisted hand toward the dog, hoping it wouldn’t bite him. Instead it sniffed him.

“Good boy.” Trey made sure to keep his voice low and steady. “I’m going to pick you up, but you don’t have to worry. I won’t hurt you. Promise.”

And then he swiftly reached into the bush and wrapped his hand around the dog’s midsection. A clipped bark signaled the dog’s surprise. Before the dog could move, Trey was lifting it to him.

The dog weighed practically nothing. In fact, he could feel the dog’s ribs. Its fur was matted and dirty. Sympathy welled up in Trey.

“What in the world has happened to you?”

The dog shook with nerves. Ignoring the filth, Trey pulled the dog against his chest, trying to comfort it. The dog didn’t fight him. Trey wondered if it was because the dog at last knew it was safe or if it just didn’t have the strength to fight.

“Come on, buddy. Let’s get you home and fed.”

Trey felt awful that he’d almost kept going. The little dog was desperate for someone to care for it. He didn’t know that he was the ideal person for the job, but he would do his best.

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