The Boss's Urgent Proposal. SUSAN MEIER

      Chapter One

      “Goodbye, Josh.”

      For thirty seconds Olivia Brady stood by the door of Josh Anderson’s office, hoping the real meaning of her words would sink in, but they didn’t. If her boss had caught what she said, he didn’t give any thought to the “big picture,” only heard what he wanted to hear, or maybe what he expected to hear.

      “Goodnight,” Josh called, not looking up from the paper he was reading, hardly paying attention to his own mumbled farewell, let alone Olivia’s very clear, very distinct, very permanent goodbye.

      “I have a long drive ahead of me in the morning. So once I pack my car tonight, I’m just going to find a hotel and get right to bed,” Olivia said, providing a less-than-subtle clue with her hint about the long drive and praying he would finally grasp what she was telling him. “I said all my other goodbyes last night at my going-away party.”

      “That’s good.”

      “Yeah, I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Olivia began, but for the first time since she’d come to his office door, Josh glanced up from the report he was reading. His sharp brown eyes caught her gaze and, as always, Olivia was overwhelmed by how attractive he was. Not only were his eyes clear and direct, but all of his other features were striking and distinct. His nose was straight. His cheekbones were high and angular. His chin was perfect. Thick black hair framed his flawless face and emphasized his dark eyes. The black suit, white shirt and red print tie he wore added to the drama of both his coloring and attractiveness. The only word to describe him was breathtaking.

      “I’m sorry, Olivia, but I really don’t have time to chat tonight. Since Mr. Martin ordered me to come up with a strategy to combat the movement of Bee-Great Groceries into the territory of our food-store chain, I haven’t had two minutes of peace. I don’t mean to be rude, but I do have to get this work done.”

      “Yeah, I see that,” Olivia said, though tears stung her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

      “Good. Great. No harm done,” Josh said, bending his head to his work again. “I’ll see you Monday.”

      Olivia turned toward his door. “No, you won’t,” she whispered, then left his office. Forever. For good. She wasn’t coming back on Monday.

      Not ten minutes after he had finally been left alone, Josh’s cousin Gina, director of human resources of Hilton-Cooper-Martin Foods, a grocery store chain owned by her father and his family, came barreling into Josh’s office. This time, he didn’t bother to hide his irritation.

      “Gina, you above everybody else should know that your father will skin me alive if I don’t come up with a halfway decent proposal for keeping our market share when Bee-Great is trying everything under the sun to steal it from us.”

      Shoving wayward strands of her thick, sable-colored hair off her face, Gina glared at him. “Josh, you’re an idiot. As if it wasn’t bad enough that you’re so ill-mannered you didn’t have twenty seconds to say goodbye to a secretary who’s been more loyal to you than you deserve, now you’re refusing to help me find someone new!”

      “Whoa! Whoa! Slow down,” Josh said. “What are you talking about?”

      “Don’t play stupid, Josh. We thought it was pompous and rude enough that you missed Olivia’s going-away party, but I sent you three memos reminding you that she was leaving and that you would have to help me find you another secretary. Olivia might have covered for you last night by telling everybody you were working, but I don’t have time for your antics.” She leaned over his desk and glared at him. “I need help finding her replacement, and whether you like it or not, you’re going to help me.”

      As Josh stared at his cousin things began to sink in, and the conclusion he drew threw him into shock. “Olivia quit?”

      “Oh, come on, Josh, I sent you three memos.”

      Sweat beaded on his forehead and his chest tightened. Olivia quit? He would never get through this assignment without her. “I swear, I didn’t get them.”

      Without so much as a cursory glance at his desk, Gina reached for the top documents in his in-box. She handed them to Josh. “Not only did you get the memos, but it appears Olivia went out of her way to try to make sure you would see them.”

      Josh sagged in his seat. “Oh, my gosh. I was just so rude to her.”

      “I can only imagine.”

      He sent his cousin a withering look. “I didn’t say anything nasty. I just told her I didn’t have time to chat. That I’d see her Monday morning.”

      “You didn’t have time to go to her party. You didn’t have time to say goodbye. Yeah, you’re a dream boss. You make me wish my dad didn’t own controlling interest in this company so I could work for someone as wonderful as you.”

      “There’s no need to be facetious, Gina,” Josh said, rising from his seat. “I’ve been very busy. I forgive myself.”

      “Well, good for you. I’m glad you’re emotionally well balanced,” she said sarcastically.

      But Josh let her comment slide. He had been busy, and because it was her father who had overwhelmed him with work, Gina knew it, too. He just wished he would have come up for air long enough to see that his very faithful, very talented, very hard-working secretary was leaving him.

      “But that doesn’t get you out of finding Olivia’s replacement.” Gina set a stack of résumés on his desk. “I’ll add more to these Monday morning, then I want your recommendations and a calendar of when I can schedule interviews.”

      “Consider it done,” Josh said.

      Gina sighed with disgust and strode out of the room, and Josh went back to work. But when he was completely sure she couldn’t see him, he slumped over his desk. How had he missed Olivia’s resignation? He had been rude. Inconsiderate. He’d failed to attend Olivia’s going-away party, for Pete’s sake! Sure he had been inundated with work, but deep down inside he knew he owed Olivia an apology. Unfortunately, she was already gone and he wasn’t going to get the chance to make one.

      Worse, he realized, glancing around at his cluttered desk and the rows of filing cabinets that lined the wall of Olivia’s cubicle, there was no way in hell he could train her replacement. Two years ago, she had taken over little things like his minor chitchat correspondence. Only she knew the filing system. Only she knew the names, addresses and phone numbers that he needed and when he needed them.

      He was in big trouble!

      Of course, if he went to Olivia’s house on the pretense of seeking her help to train her replacement, he could also edge in an apology without looking completely desperate. Not only would they both feel better, but also, once he explained that he hadn’t understood she was quitting her job, he could probably persuade her to come back for a week or two until they found a replacement and trained him or her.

      He was sure he could persuade Olivia. She was a levelheaded, sincere woman, and a good sport. A champ. A woman among women.

      And he was also director of marketing and advertising. He knew how to get people to see his point and do his bidding. Combining Olivia’s respectful disposition and his skill at illustrating the obvious, he was positive he could have Olivia back on her office chair Monday morning without so much as a ripple of unease.

      All Olivia had to do to dry her tears was remember how many times she had covered for her boss, how many times he had taken advantage of her and how many times he had