No way in hell the chick sitting across from him was the boss. Damn, she could be swinging around a stripper pole, bringing in plenty of cash. While her lips smiled, her eyes didn’t and a sense of nervousness swept over Sven. What was he doing here? Sure, she didn’t hold any true power over him, but wasting his time was bad enough.

A number of trophies dotted one shelf, and he wished he could get up and take a look around the room in order to get a better picture of who he was dealing with.

“What brings you here today, Mr. Stephenson? I know you applied through a local job ad.”

The leading question didn’t bring him in the right direction. Sure, he knew what was going on behind the scenes.

“Well, the job ad intrigued me,” he said. “I’m a fast swimmer. Best in nationals, back home.”

“Swimming?” She cocked her head to the side, as if trying to figure him out. “I’m not quite following where swimming is coming from as part of the interview.”

With a shrug of his shoulders, he paused a few beats before replying. “It’s just that I can maneuver places others may not be able to. When I don’t know, I learn fast, and I’m multitalented.”

She leaned forward, and probably didn’t realize she was giving a mighty fine view of her cleavage “And how do you expect this ‘talent’ of yours to help you here?”

“Listen, you’re looking for someone to do a job. The ad was pretty explicit, and it caught my interest. I’m graduating from college soon and need to explore the, ah, opportunities out there. Do I want to make ten dollars an hour as a manager at a hotel, or would I rather, potentially, bring in a higher salary doing something a little on the edge?”

Madeline glanced through the paperwork on her desk, and he noticed her take in the full trashcan of what looked to be applications. She stood, walking around behind him. He sensed her near, perhaps within touching distance, but he fought to not turn around. That would give her some sort of power over him that he wasn’t willing to concede—quite yet.

A delicate stroke of fingers danced across the back of his neck, so soft he almost didn’t feel it. He shivered, and continued to look straight ahead. Her breasts brushed against his back, burning an imprint through his shirt.

“And what of the consequences if you don’t perform to your fullest extent?” she whispered in his ear. “Are you willing to undergo reprimanding?”

Her breathy words traveled straight to his cock, making him grow hard. He shifted, uncomfortable with her fast effect on him.

“As I said, I’m willing to do whatever is necessary for the job.

Coldness settled on his back as she stepped away, returning behind her desk.

“I think I’ll give you a try,” she said. “A trial period. We’ll make a few runs and see how you do. Maybe I’ll get lucky and you’ll disappoint me, and then we can have a little fun. Any questions for me?”

The side of her mouth quirked up. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say.

The job offer was faster than any he’d ever heard of before, especially after a cold call. But wasn’t it what he’d expected? The minute he’d seen the want ad, he’d known he was destined for the position. If only all decisions in his life came as easy.

He thought it over and figured he’d better ask before moving forward. He’d rather have more specifics. “What, exactly, do you steal?”

“Mmmm, good question. I was wondering when the subject would come up. Let’s say we don’t like to refer to it as ‘stealing.’ Instead, think about it as recovering items that have been lost. My company works to return them to their proper owners.”

“A bit of a murky ground, ethically.” He liked the idea.

“It helps to think of it that way.” She arched one eyebrow, observing him.

“When do I start?”