LITMIR.BIZ

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Jackson Hammond, had asked her just this morning to drop off the file on her way in to work. Right after she’d gotten back from her early-morning run. It had barely given her time to shower, let alone to put herself together as well as she normally liked. As a result, her unruly curls were now a mess of tangles hastily secured in a haphazard bun on top of her head. She hadn’t even had a chance to iron her remaining clean suit. The only other option was a stretch pencil dress that had recently shrunk after she’d accidently thrown it in the dryer. Comfortable, it was not.

      But she had a day full of meetings in the office, and this was the best she could do. Not at all the way she would have preferred to start off her morning. Or any morning for that matter.

      All because the prodigal son was returning home.

      Justin Hammond, Jackson’s second-born, had been the one to request the portfolio. And apparently, he needed it before he could make it into the office. Carli had to accommodate him. Why was he suddenly heading back into town anyway? Justin hadn’t had anything to do with Hammond’s Toys since she’d been employed there. Now, suddenly, he was interested. Carli stepped farther into the foyer and couldn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes. No doubt Justin’s sudden interest was due to his older brother James’s recent distractions, so to speak. James had apparently met someone and was now taking a well-deserved break from the day-to-day business. Little brother must have concluded that this was an ideal time to strike.

      Never mind that Carli should be the one next in line to take over any of the duties James may be ready to relinquish. She couldn’t help but feel a little insulted.

      And hurt. Well, she’d just have to get over it. Then she’d have to work even harder to ensure she got the position she deserved.

      She walked up to the foot of the stairs and yelled up toward the second floor. “Mr. Hammond, I’m dropping off the file.”

      No answer.

      Jackson’s hearing wasn’t what it used to be. She shrugged off her coat and dropped it on the nearby black leather settee, then walked halfway up the grand spiral stairway.

      “Mr. Hammond, where would you like the files?”

      Again, nothing. Carli let out a huff of frustration. She certainly didn’t want to risk having come out here only to have the portfolio overlooked because the Hammond men couldn’t find it. She would have texted Jackson, but he was notorious for wanting to have nothing to do with technology. He probably didn’t even look at his phone every day. Hence the request for a paper file. As for Justin Hammond, she barely knew a thing about him, let alone his cell phone number.

      She walked all the way up to the hallway and toward Mr. Hammond’s suite. The shower was running. Great. She would have to yell through the door at the top of her lungs, or he would never hear her.

      Could this morning get any worse? She didn’t think so.

      Stepping into the master suite, she walked over to Mr. Hammond’s antique mahogany desk and dropped the portfolio atop it. Then yelled as loud as she dared across the room toward the closed master bathroom door. “The portfolio is on your desk, Mr. Hammond.”

      A muffled acknowledgment sounded from the other side, and Carli breathed a sigh of relief. Now she could get out of here and finally start her day.

      But the day had other plans. When she was midway down the stairs, the front door opened and a shadowy, tall figure stepped into the foyer. He dropped his suitcase to the floor and seemed to hesitate before entering any farther. Carli’s step nearly faltered as she took in the sight of him. Tall and dark with a firm square jaw and jet-black hair. There was no mistaking who he was—Justin, the other Hammond heir. All three men shared the same rugged features, but the one standing before her had a different vibe altogether. An aura she would be hard-pressed to describe.

      Regaining her balance, she managed to finally make her way down the stairs.

      Justin finally looked up as she reached the foyer. He seemed to do a double take. Most men did when they first got a look at her. A fact she was quite aware of. And quite uncomfortable with.

      “I’m sorry,” he began, though he looked anything but. “I didn’t realize anyone was here.” He looked downright annoyed.

      She tried to summon a polite smile, but her facial muscles seemed useless. Justin Hammond had eyes that a sorcerer would envy. The lightest shade of hazel littered with gold specks. What was wrong with her? She so wasn’t the type to notice men’s eyes, for heaven’s sake.

      “Um, your father’s in the shower. I’m sure he’ll be right out.” In an awkward attempt to introduce herself, she extended her right hand. “I’m Car—”

      But he stopped her midsentence. “Look, that’s hardly necessary.”

      Carli blinked. Okay. No time for a quick introduction? Maybe he was just jet-lagged and tired from travel. Or perhaps he was just plain rude.

      She cleared her throat. “Oh, I guess—” She looked to the side, unable to bear his gaze much longer given the awkwardness. “I guess I’ll be on my way then.”

      He merely nodded, then stepped aside.

      Carli tried not to flinch. She’d just effectively been shown the door! By the man who threatened the job she’d been working so hard for, no less.

      Straightening to her full height, Carli stepped around him and went to grab her coat from the settee. Then did the only thing she could. She left.

      Her words about the morning not getting any worse mocked her.

      * * *

      Justin watched as the woman walked out and firmly shut the door behind her. Perhaps he’d been on the slim side of rude just now, but he so hadn’t been expecting a stunning bombshell to come down the stairs as he entered his boyhood home. Not that he’d really been expecting anything in particular after having been gone over two decades.

      Looked like his father’s womanizing ways hadn’t changed.

      He glanced out the side palladium window as the woman walked down the driveway toward the parked car outside. Ravishing. It was the only word that came to mind. She had curves that would stop a monk in his tracks. The dress she wore hugged those curves in all the right ways. His father apparently liked them much younger these days; she had to be barely in her late twenties.

      Well, it was no business of his. He was only here for a few days to analyze some numbers his father wanted him to look at. Though why the old man suddenly requested his younger son’s help after all these years was a mystery, one Justin had no interest in investigating. He’d been ready to turn down the request and tell his father where he could go, but his mother had insisted he do Jackson Hammond’s bidding. The old man still held the purse strings after all. And his mother had always been all about the Hammond purse strings.

      Even after she’d fled this house and his father all those years ago, taking their younger son, him, along with her. He’d been the lucky one to get whisked away in the middle of the night once his mother finally decided she’d had enough.

      He hadn’t been back since. Until today.

      Justin tried to get his bearings as he examined the foyer he hadn’t walked through since he’d been a small child. Everything appeared smaller. The traditional Christmas decorations were as spectacular as he remembered. The tall pine by the stairs glittered with gold and silver ornaments. Sparkling lights adorned the stairs and banisters, a line of poinsettias graced the walls. So festive. In a nauseating and annoying way. All that was missing was a background track of loud Christmas music.

      Bah, humbug.

      What was he doing here? He should have refused his parents’ requests and the hell with the consequences. Who did they think he was? Who did his father think he was? This was the same man who had ignored him until his older and rightful heir had decided last month that he’d needed some time off to go do...whatever he was doing. Justin had no idea, but it probably involved a woman. Maybe his brother had fallen in love.

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