Chapter One

Is it possible to die from nervousness?

I cleared my throat as I pulled on the collar of my sweater, trying to let some cool air in. Rows of cubicles loomed before me and uncertainty of where I was supposed to go stuck in my throat. The sound of phone chatter and the clacking of keystrokes on keyboards filled the air. My heart was pounding and my palms were coated in sweat, making it hard to hold onto my briefcase.

“Hi there!” A woman ten years older than me stepped into my path. Everything about her was round from her face to the adorable polka dotted skirt she wore. She spoke with a soft tone, holding out her hand with a warm smile. “Welcome to Winthrow Financial.”

I was surprised to find that I actually felt a bit of relief. The woman's beaming smile and pleasant tone of voice seemed genuine, putting me a little bit at ease.

“Hi, I'm...” I began to respond.

“Jane.” The woman finished the sentence for me. “You're Jane, right? The new hire.”

I pushed a stray strand of blonde hair back behind my ear. “How did you know?”

She shrugged. “News spreads fast around this office. We're a pretty tight-knit group and new hires don't come around as often as they used to. I'm Maddy, by the way.”

“Good to meet you,” I replied, feeling my shoulders relax as the tension began to release from my body.

She shook my hand and motioned me down the aisle between cubicles. “Do you know which cubicle is yours?” she asked. “I know they all look the same at first, but you'll figure it out quickly.”

“I think I'm supposed to meet my new boss first,” I said. “Can you tell me where his office is?”

“Oh, David?” Maddy said. “Yeah, his office is in the back corner, near your cubicle. He's usually in meetings until noon or so, though. I'm actually supposed to show you around and get you settled.”

“Sure, that'd be great,” I said, wondering if Maddy had volunteered for this just to avoid work.

Maddy showed me around the building, and mostly talked about office gossip and politics.

“The best bathrooms are in the West Wing,” she explained. “But, the vending machines near the side entrance have the best selection. Don't waste your time with the ones near the main entrance. They always run out and take forever to get restocked.”

“Thanks?” I said, frowning slightly. I wasn't sure how knowing where the vending machines was going to help me do my job as an accountant.

“It's good to know where the mail room is and which cubicle the boss is in and all that kind of stuff,” she explained. “But, knowing where the quiet bathrooms and the full vending machines are is knowledge you'll actually use. Took me three weeks to figure out where to poop. I'm just telling you what I wished I known my first day.”

I grinned at her and laughed. “ Thanks. Really. I appreciate you sharing your poop spots with me. I'm honored.”

“I haven't told you my favorite spot. That's a secret. Maybe when you've been here a few years I'll share it,” she replied with a wink. “Then you can be honored.”

I laughed. “Thanks.”

“Come on. Security is in the North Wing.” Maddy pointed to a hallway that looked like the nicest one in the building. “We'll get your permanent ID. Then we can get lunch.”

I followed behind her obediently, trying to remember everywhere she'd taken me. Our footsteps echoed on the tile floors as we walked past huge windows.

“So, you're an accountant?” Maddy asked as we walked.

I nodded. “Top of my class,” I replied. When she looked back at me surprised, I added, “I've always been good with numbers.”

“I'm glad someone is,” Maddy replied with a laugh.

Maddy suddenly pulled me to the side of the hallway as a man in an expensive suit walked quickly past us. He walked with purpose and hardly even noticed our presence. I, on the other hand, couldn't stop staring at him.

He was gorgeous. Dark hair, tall with broad shoulders, and a tailored suit that showed off his trim physique. Not to mention a jaw that could cut diamond.

“Who is that?” I whispered, my eyes following him as he walked.

“Seriously?” She cocked her head to the side and looked askance at me. “That's our boss's boss's boss, Carson Winthrow. Do you know anything about this company?”

“Well, I know where the good bathrooms are,” I replied.

Maddy rolled her eyes at me.

“I've heard of him, but since he's my boss's boss's boss, I didn't really look him up,” I explained. “The odds that I'll even cross paths with him again is pretty slim.”

“You might. He's pretty hands-on with his company,” Maddy replied. “But, stay out of his way. He's alpha and bossy. You don't get to be a Wall Street boy prodigy and billionaire playboy by being nice.”

I glanced down the hallways, trying to get another look at him, but he was long gone.

“Come on,” Maddy said. “It's 10:45 already. Security's just up here. We want to beat the lunch rush.”

* * *

“This place is cute,” I said, glancing around the small patio. “And it's great it's so close.”

Maddy and I sat at a table under an umbrella, but the shade only covered her half. I had sunshine falling over my fair skin and the warmth felt amazing.

“You'll love the food,” she said, opening the menu for just a split second before closing it. “I already know what I want. The BLT is fantastic here.”

“I'll do the same.” I put my menu on top of hers and took a sip of my water.

After giving our order to the young waitress, I let out a relaxed sigh. It had been a decent first day so far.

“So, tell me about yourself, Jane,” Maddy said. “What brought you to Winthrow?”

I shrugged. “I really just wanted to get my foot in the door at a bigger corporation. I figured that there would be a lot of growth at Winthrow. When I saw that they were hiring accountants, I jumped on the opportunity. I can't tell you how happy I am that I got the job. Most of my friends that I graduated college with haven't been able to find any work yet.”

“It's a tough market out there,” Maddy said, as the food arrived. “You found a good company, though. I've been with them for almost ten years. Hard to believe how fast the time has gone by, but I can honestly say I wouldn't want to work for anybody else but Carter Winthrow.”

I raised my eyebrows as she said his name. I still hadn't actually met the guy, besides seeing him walk by me in the hallway that morning. As far as he knew, I probably didn't even exist. I was just a lowly number cruncher, hardly even worth a mention on a spreadsheet as far as he was concerned.

“The only things I know about Carter are the few things I've read about online,” I said. “Most of which are probably exaggerations. He can't really have slept with that many women.”

“I don't know about that,” Maddy said, lowering her voice so that the others on the patio couldn't hear her. “He's every bit of the playboy that he's made out to be. I heard that once, he had sex with a model in one of the break rooms. God, I wish I could be so lucky.” Maddy picked up her napkin and waived it in front of her face as if to cool herself down. “I've only spoken with him on a handful of occasions, but I swear, I get soaking wet just looking at him.”

“Maddy!” I squealed, feeling my face blush at her crude comment.

“Sorry, sorry,” she said, with a chuckle but no blush of her own. “It's true, though. The man is nothing but eye candy that I could eat for days. Mmm, hmm. It's not just his muscles and broad shoulders, though. No, it's those green eyes of his. There's something seductive in them. They're a big part of why he's able to get whatever he wants, I'm sure of it.”

The way Maddy described him almost made my panties get a little wet. I mean, what girl wouldn't be intrigued by a billionaire CEO, who not only had money but also good looks?

“Well, I don't think a girl like me ever has to worry about ending up with Carter in the break room,” I said, looking down at my plate of food.

“What do you mean?” Maddy asked.

“I'm not exactly supermodel material, if you know what I mean.” I brought my gaze back up, forcing a smirk.

Maddy dropped her fork and leaned in a few inches. She lifted her sunglasses up until they were on the top of her head. I watched as her eyes dropped, giving me a quick once over. A look of confusion crossed her face.

“What in the hell are you talking about, Jane? You've got a smokin' body. Seriously. I would straight up kill a human being to have your body. Like not even joking. Show me who I have to kill, and I'll do it to have your figure.”

I chuckled to hide my embarrassment. “You're just being nice.”

Maddy's face became serious. “Jane, I'd give my left arm to have your boobs alone. Come on. You seriously don't think you're hot? Here, let me ask one of these guys out here what they think.”

Maddy turned to look around to patio, but I quickly reached across the table and grabbed her arm before she could embarrass me. “No, please, don't do that, Maddy. I believe you. I guess I just never thought of myself as being all that pretty.”

“You're pretty enough for him,” she assured me. “Let me tell you, not all of the models that Carter goes out with are all that pretty. Why in God's name would someone be attracted to a walking toothpick? Seriously, I just want to make some of them eat a damn cheeseburger because they need it. T would be more than happy to show him what a woman with a little meat on her bones can do.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at me.

I knew right then that Maddy and I were going to be good friends. She was just unrefined and brash enough for me to know that I could trust her. She didn't seem like the kind of person that would have been able to tell a lie even if she'd tried. On top of that, she had me laughing out loud. It took me forever to eat my sandwich because it seemed like every other bite she'd say something that had me cracking up.

I finished eating first. Maddy still had a few bites left, so I relaxed into my chair and closed my eyes, letting the sunlight fall over my face. There was foot traffic just a few feet away, on the other side of the wrought iron fence that separated the patio from the sidewalk. I opened my eyes just in time to see a mother cooing to her young baby, trying to get him to stop crying.

Something deep inside me responded. I wanted to jump up and soothe her baby, to wrap the little guy up in my arms and take care of him. I could feel it in my bones that I was meant to be a mother some day.

“Earth to Jane.” Maddy's voice snapped me back to reality.

I looked away from the sidewalk, letting the mother and her child leave my view. Maddy had finished her meal and already left a twenty dollar bill on the table to cover the check.

“You ready? We should head back to the office,” she said. “David gets his panties in a twist if anybody is late coming back from lunch.”

“Yeah, sorry,” I said, standing up and putting on my sunglasses.

What in the hell was that all about? I asked myself. Am I baby crazy? I've never experienced anything like that before.

As Maddy and I walked back to the office, I found myself gently touching my belly. What would it feel like to have a baby? What would it be like to be a mother? It was still my first day on my first real job, but suddenly, I didn't feel like I had it all. Something much more maternal began to fill my mind.

Whatever that was, I've got to ignore it, I thought. I've got to focus on what's at hand and right now, it's this job.

* * *

Maddy set my briefcase onto the desk and spun around, her smile as wide as her hips. She shrugged her shoulders, causing her curly brown hair to bounce. “Here's your cubicle.” She motioned her hand toward the cubicle that faced the wall. “Mine is on the opposite side of the room, way over there. I'm usually pretty busy during the day, but don't hesitate to hunt me down if you need something. I'm basically always bored and I'm happy to help you get started.”

“Thanks, Maddy,” I said, as she scurried off.

I glanced over at my desk, which had next to nothing on it. In the right corner was a decent company computer and on the left was a simple desk lamp. On the center of the desk was a piece of paper. I picked it up to find a letter from the CEO, Carter Winthrow. It was obviously mass produced and something that was sent out to every new employee. Basically a simple welcome letter. On the top of the note was Carter Winthrow's picture. His dark hair and green eyes and perfectly tan skin were undeniably attractive, even in the small photo. I found myself staring at it for just a moment too long before reading the generic message underneath.

Welcome to the company, etcetera, etcetera, I thought. That's nice and all, but I'm ready to get to work.

“And you must be Jane,” a man's voice coming from the office nearby caused me to glance over. He approached me with his hand out. He was wearing a green shirt tucked into gray slacks that didn't quite fit the right way. They were saggy in all the wrong places.

“Yes, that's me.” I shook the man's hand.

“I'm David, your boss,” he said. “I manage the team here on this floor. This department deals mostly with accounting, but sometimes Mr. Winthrow will have us take on other projects. For now, though, I'm just going to have you look over one of our budgets. I think it'll be a good way to get you familiar with our system. Sound good?”

I nodded eagerly. “Yes, of course. Whatever you need me to do.”

“Great,” David said, pushing his glasses up a bit. “I'll send that over to you right away. I expect good work out of you.”

With that, David turned and disappeared into his office, closing the door behind him. I took a deep breath and finally sat down in my chair. As my computer started up, I looked at the letter from the CEO again. The image of Carter Winthrow had caught my eye once more. I shouldn't have been surprised, though. He was gorgeous. From what I had heard through the grapevine, I wasn't the only woman who thought so either. Mr. Winthrow had been in the papers on several different occasions and was always painted as a total playboy. He loved women and women loved him.

I shook my head and chuckled to myself, turning the paper over and pushing it aside.

Right. Because a billionaire is totally going to fall over himself to get me. I scoffed in my head.

I knew I was a nerd. I'd spent most of my life with my nose in books. I'd read anything and everything I could get my hands on, but had a special attraction to mathematical reading. Numbers and more numbers. I couldn't get enough. Math was the one thing that I thought I was good at.

My love for math eventually brought me to accounting, which brought me to here, in front of this desk about to make more money per hour than I had ever made.

“Life's not bad,” I whispered, scooting up my chair.

Once my computer started, I logged in with my brand new user name and password that Maddy had helped me pick up. It felt good. It felt official. I could practically taste the first paycheck already.

I went straight to my work email and noticed a message in my inbox from David. He'd already sent me the budget he wanted me to look at and I jumped on it immediately. I was ready to hit the ground running with this new job. Nothing was going to stop me from being successful.