Helena stepped up to the enormous set of doors and lifted her hand to knock. Her hand froze just before she tapped on the heavy mahogany and she took a deep breath. She’d never been called up to Max Devlin’s office before and she was quite happy about that fact. His name said it all. Mr. Devlin was a devil. He may be one of the most handsome men she’d ever laid eyes on, but she’d seen him tear a man to shreds in a meeting once when she’d had to step in for her absent boss and knew he was as ruthless as his reputation claimed. Of course, the man in question deserved some of that wrath, as he’d lost a billion dollar account, but there had been no reason for Mr. Devlin to treat the man as he’d done.

As Helena took a deep breath, she lowered her hand to the bottom of her tight-fitting suit coat and tugged it down. She ran her fingers over her pencil skirt to push out invisible wrinkles, anything to give her another moment before she entered the lion’s den. Her gaze drifted to his secretary’s desk, vacant this late in the evening, and wished someone sat there, someone she could exchange a moment of pleasantries with so she could let loose a little of her nervous energy.

She’d also not have to knock on the door and potentially interrupt the man. Helena spied the leather chairs in the waiting area just outside his office. The air was ripe with their scent, along with a mix of the polish the cleaning crew had just used as they passed through. There was a masculine vibe to the space, just like the intense man behind the door. Helena had it bad for the CEO and owner of the company, had since she’d come to work there years before. But he couldn’t know that. It would be unprofessional, so she needed to get ahold of herself. She took another breath and knocked lightly, almost hoping Max Devlin wasn’t inside.

“Come in,” came the deep, husky voice behind the door.

A trickling of goosebumps skittered across Helena’s forearms and a tremor ran down her spine. Just the rich sound of his voice was enough to make her body riot and demand satisfaction. She pushed the door open wide and took a couple of wobbly steps inside as she silently admonished herself. Helena had never considered herself a shrinking violet in any way. She had worked her ass off in a male dominated office and risen to the top of her department at a fairly young age because she was strong and determined. Yet one thought of Max Devlin had her shaking in her Louboutins.

“You asked to see me, Mr. Devlin?” she asked, proud of herself for not letting the tremor that threatened to come out as she spoke. She coughed lightly after the last syllable was out, trying to push the lump in her throat down.

Max Devlin looked up at her from behind his enormous desk. His glasses were perched on the tip of his nose and he looked at her over the thick black rim. Lines formed around his eyes as he gazed at her, the only sign of age appearing on his face. He had just turned forty, but barely showed it. He was as trim and fit as men half his age, and none of them had his virile sense of manliness that screamed out to her. Numerous files were open and littering his desk as he appeared to be pouring over something, his shirtsleeves pushed up and showing off muscular forearms.

She shivered slightly at the sight and the thought of what those hands and arms could do to her. How many times had she thought of him, just like this, when she’d fantasized about him while pressing her vibrator to her aching clit? She’d wanted to walk into his office, have him throw the contents of his desktop onto the floor, so he could put her there while he fucked her senseless. Heat pooled between her legs and she felt more heat come to her face as she scolded herself for thinking about the man in those terms. But he was so handsome. Hell, handsome wasn’t even in Max Devlin’s league. He was gorgeous. Delicious. Beautiful.