Realizing I’d forgotten my phone, I hurried back, swiping it off my desk and rushing back as the elevator dinged in the hall. I caught my foot on the edge of a display case as I hurried toward the door, anxious to put this day behind me.

But someone was dashing across the outside reception room at the same time I lurched sideways. We crashed together, my arms automatically grabbing at the person who hit me. We went down to the hard floor, a mass of sprawled arms and legs. I managed to be the one who hit first, a small, warm body landing on top of me. A loud exhale of air escaped me in the form of a grunt, and the person on top of me gasped, a soft, surprised sound, letting me know the stranger was female. The lights around me had gone out for some reason, and for a moment, I was frozen.

It felt like an eternity in which nothing happened, even though I knew it was only a few seconds. Thirty, tops. I was in shock, holding a sweet-smelling woman who seemed content to stay where she was. I lifted my head, realizing the reason that the dim light had disappeared was the heavy fall of hair that covered my head. I reached up to swipe it aside, forcing away the impulse to bury my face into the thick tresses and sniff them. That silly impulse made me angry.

“What the fuck?” I growled.

The woman lifted her head, her hair falling back. I stared into the darkest eyes I’d ever seen. They were round with shock, yet I saw amusement lurking in their depths. A smile played on her full lips.

“Hi.”

Her voice did something to me. It was breathy and soft. Sweet, yet sultry. I liked it.

“Hello.”

“I’m here for the five forty-five interview.” She looked sheepish. “I planned on bowling you over, but not like this.”