A Taste of Honey Read Free Page A

editor — no, your chief editor.”
    She was going to blow his socks off with her professionalism, instead she’d lost every bit of decorum, her usual polish now dim and tarnished. She felt as inept and defenseless as a rabbit cowering before a dingo.
    The green eyes weighed her up. “Sorry, I don’t mean to appear rude, it’s your name that threw me.” He glanced down at some papers on his desk, tapping a sheet of paper with the end of his pen.
    “My name?”
    “I thought you were male. And that you’re definitely not.”
    “What has me being male or female got to do with anything?”
    What was with this man? He was talking in circles. There definitely was a communication barrier between them. Damn. That’s so not what she wanted. She wanted them to be working mates from the word go.
Okay, okay, take it easy. Try to calm down. I’m nervous and that’s only natural.
She took a deep yoga breath through her nostrils and thought of green forests and sweet baby does.
    “Everything, Honey. I’ve just been reading your file. Very impressive.”
    The forest dissolved into hot desert and sandstorms as her feminist instincts stood up and yelled inequity. How dare he call her
honey
? She wasn’t his honey! She was no one’s honey. Still, she refrained from chastising him, for the moment at least. “Thanks. I hope you’ll be satisfied with my work, Mr. Knight.”
    “I’m sure we can work things out.”
    Slightly taken aback at his words, she said, “Work things out? What do you mean?” The first warning that something was wrong snapped her brain as the long cruel hand of fear took her by the neck and shook her. Something wasn’t quite kosher.
    He sighed and raked his hand through his thick thatch of black hair. His gaze met hers. His eyes were so green. Deep penetrating green. She’d never seen a man with green eyes before. Hazel yes. Blue, brown, and gray but never green. They were incredible. This man might be insensitive about another’s feelings, but he was dazzling.
    She suddenly wished they could have met under different circumstances. She wished that he liked her and that this conversation wasn’t taking place. She wished they’d met at a party.
    His office dissolved …
    I’m casually sipping a gin and tonic. William Knight walks in. Stunning in his tight jeans, white T-shirt and black Bomber jacket. Our eyes lock. Fascinated, he ambles to my side and wraps his arm around my waist. “Dance with me, you captivating wench,” he breathes.
    With a toss of my head, I throw the glass to the floor; laughing at my power over this man.
    We dance like we’re made for each other. He lowers his head and his sexy mouth finds mine in a kiss that explodes —
    • • •
    “Honey,” Will said. He’d been having a one-way conversation for the last few minutes. Charli Honey, although one of the loveliest women he’d seen in a long time, was a little bit odd, to say the least. She was staring off into space as if she’d seen the landing of aliens.
    She blinked. She swallowed. “Yes,” she said.
    “Do you have a hearing problem?”
    “My hearing is perfect.”
    “It’s like talking to a brick wall.”
    “My mind wandered, that’s all.”
    “Is it back with us now?” He grinned.
    “What were you saying, Mr. Knight?”
    He tapped papers. “You’re position as chief editor is temporary. The position has never been filled.”
    She eyeballed him. “Filled?”
    Will had to admit he felt bad. He didn’t like what he was doing, it didn’t sit well with him. But the alternative? She might put Bathsheba to shame, but my God, no way. Anyway, hadn’t David ended up murdering Bathsheba’s husband? “You must understand that I can’t allow this discrepancy to continue.”
    “ — Discrepancy?”
    “The position will be advertised in-house and in several major newspapers.”
    “Advertised?”
    “You seem to be repeating me, Honey.”
    “That’s because I’m trying to understand what’s going on