Page 2 of Playboy Boss

Making his British-German accent thicker, he said, “Okay, Scottie. You can call me Lord Korr.” He held back a laugh. She, on the other hand, was deadpan.

Susan laughed. She’d always appreciated his jokes. Clearly, this Scottie Roberts had no sense of humor. Square on him, her eyes narrowed. She didn’t seem impressed. A spike of unprecedented excitement worked through his body.

“He’s just kidding. It’s his German or British humor. I think. None of us have figured it out yet.” Susan tried to lighten the mood.

Konrad waved his hand in mock defeat, still feeling the sensation of intrigue in his body. “Fine, you can call me Konrad.”

The steady tingles continued to surge through him as his gaze met Scottie’s, who still did not seem impressed. No indication of interest. No beaming. No blushing. No trying to please him in anyway. Scottie might very well think he was a jackass. He zeroed in on her face, trying to find some inkling of an emotion. Instead, he admired the freckles on her nose, her thick dark lashes and high cheekbones. My God. She was not cute or librarian-ish at all. In fact, she was actually quite beautiful. Aphrodite could have been standing in his office.

She looked away first, though, which made him feel oddly triumphant. She’ll come round.

Susan reminded them of her presence with her interjection. “Very well … I’ll show you to your cubicle, which is just outside. Mr. Korr…?”

“Mr. Korr?” Konrad paused. Susan had never called him Mr. Korr before. He hated to be called Mr. Korr. His father demanded it, and Konrad was not like that man.

A nervous laugh slipped between her lips. “Right. Sorry. I don’t know why I’m being so weird.” She glanced at Scottie, who waited intently and looked bored. “Do you want Scottie to have full access to your email?”

Full access… That was a phrase he liked on most occasions. Yes, he very much preferred full access. But Susan was talking about something very different, and he should not be thinking about full access to anything with the temp. “Give her limited access. She can edit my calendar. Make sure she has her own email address.”

“The [emailprotected] address?”

“That’s the one.”

When he glanced back to Scottie, she’d had her attention on him. A different look in her eyes that time. Not annoyed, not unimpressed, not bored. Curious, maybe.Still not the usual interest he’d get from women.

“Come back to me when you’re done getting sorted out. I want to go over some minor requirements.” Konrad waved his hand at them. “Off you go.”

The women left him in the buzzing silence of his office. He stared at the computer screen for a moment, discombobulated and not sure what the hell had just happened. Had she really not been dazzled by him? All women were dazzled by him. It was a fact, not anything he’d claim on his own. Seriously, this was a first for him.

An email notification chimed from his computer again, interrupting his ridiculous thoughts. He’d received an email from a potential buyer for an East Downtown Houston warehouse property he’d put up for sale. The “EaDo” property was in demand. A microbrewer, Bayou Sling, wanted to set up shop in EaDo, but Konrad had hopes for Ortho-Sync, a small medical device company, who wanted to build a manufacturing plant in Houston. If they offered him the money he wanted, he could buy another EaDo property he’d had his eye on. The thought of growing his real estate empire thrilled him.

Just then, his private direct line rang. He punched the intercom. “Konrad Korr.”

“Mr. Korr, please hold for Mr. Fabian Pallis.”

Konrad rolled his eyes. Fabian had only been partner at his father’s engineering firm for a month, and he’d already had some poor woman waiting on him hand and foot. Not that Marisol hadn’t waited on Konrad hand and foot, as would Scottie. The notion made him chuckle.

“Well, hello, Mr. Korr,” Fabian said in his professional voice.

“Are you serious with your assistant calling on your behalf?”

He laughed. “I’m just having some fun.”

“You better hope Antonia doesn’t find out you’re using that poor girl.”

“She won’t find out. Besides, I think my secretary likes to be used.” He laughed.

Scottie didn’t seem like the type to like to be used. Why did he keep thinking about her?

“What do you want?” Konrad stared at his emails again. He’d forgotten about his kiss-off email to Tamsin. “I’m working, unlike you, I’m sure.”

“Doubtful!” Fabian laughed again. “Toni and I are having a dinner thing tonight at her penthouse at eight. You coming?”

“A bit last-minute, no?” He glanced at his naked wrist, sighing. He’d lost his favorite watch. A Richard Mille that cost more than a townhome in the Museum District. Now he only had the Rolex, which he didn’t care for.

“And…?”

“Fine. I suppose I could move things around.” He’d have to figure out what to do with Pilar. Perhaps they’d have a nightcap instead of dinner. She liked nightcaps just as much as he did.