Beneath the Layers

Chapter 1

I hated Mondays.

This Monday was different—it was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. At the moment, that just meant I was facing my first day at a new firm. The whole ordeal turned me into a nervous wreck, considering I resigned from my previous job two weeks ago. I must have forgotten how scary it could be to start somewhere all over again. It was never easy, getting to know your new co-workers and adjusting to new rules, but the toughest part was learning all the likes and dislikes of your new boss.

Lombardi & Associates had been my employer for the past seven years. Parting ways had been hard, but I wanted to see what else life had in store for me. Thanks to all my years of experience, I landed a position as a paralegal at Rossi & Rossi, P.A. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, a huge step up, going from a mom-and-pop firm to one of the top three in the nation. Have I mentioned the increase in salary? I was offered three times the amount I made before. You read correctly. Three. Times. The. Amount. With that kind of money, I could finally stop living paycheck to paycheck and help my mother out with some money. Maybe even treat myself to a few pairs of nice heels I'd been eyeing lately.

"Our next stop is Government Center. Please hold on tight as the train will come to a full stop shortly." The voice coming from the speakers startled me from my thoughts. Grabbing my purse, I stood up from my seat, holding on to the rails to steady myself. Within seconds, the metro train came to a complete halt and everyone scrambled out in a hurry.

Wow! It was total madness—mass amounts of people scattered all over the streets. Was this really what working downtown would be like?

Luckily, I still had thirty minutes to spare, which meant only one thing, I had just enough time to get my hands on some coffee.

As I fell in step with the crowd, I spotted a sign for a small coffee shop across from the new building I was headed to. I stopped to look left and right, waiting for the traffic to come to a stop, and then cautiously crossed the street. Just as I took a quick look at the time on my phone, my body slammed into a hard chest.

Ouch...

I watched in horror as my phone flew out of my hand and landed with a sickening whack, lying face up on the sidewalk.

"Oh no!" Panicking, I dropped to my knees, but a hand grabbed me by the arm and lifted me off the ground.

I had seconds to assess the reason why my phone ended up with a cracked screen. First, I caught a whiff of the cologne, something musky and rather yummy. Then I noticed the strong muscular chest, clearly defined beneath a crisp white button-down shirt. Finally my eyes met his, freezing me in the spot when I got a full view of his face.

Wow! The man was ridiculously attractive, looking sexy in a sleek, black designer suit. He stood a little over six feet, with green eyes that almost sparkled, and plump lips, which already had me thinking of the way they might taste on mine. Add his dark, tousled hair, combined with the perfect five o'clock shadow he wore, and this man looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. Don't even get me started on his body. I could tell by his broad shoulders that he most likely worked out twice a day.

"I'm sorry. Are you all right?"

All I could do was nod.

He offered a brief smile, flashing a perfect set of white teeth. I couldn't help but stare, still frozen and speechless.

Holy mother of God, who was this sexy creature and where had he been my whole life? I'd never been this stunned by a man before. Then again, I don't think I had seen a man this handsome up close, either.

He bent down and picked up the phone, then cleared his throat loud enough to startle me out of my state of shock. I stood straight and gave him a small apologetic smile, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks. "I'm sorry, I was just a bit startled."