1
They were Gods among men, thought Penny McDaniel with a private swoon as the Buchanan brothers walked past her, completely oblivious to the fact that Penny had been working for them for at least six months now and had undoubtedly passed her in the halls numerous times without noticing.
Nolan and Vince Buchanan had been born to money but they’d managed to do well on their own with Buchanan Enterprises. And why wouldn’t they? Razor sharp in business, hotter than Georgia asphalt, and built like…well, Gods, they were destined for success.
Penny liked to think of herself as smart, reasonably attractive and capable — however, most people, men in particular, simply saw a chubby girl with dark hair and glasses.
In other words, those of the opposite sex rarely noticed her at all.
So was she surprised that both Nolan and Vince had completely overlooked one of their many accountants? Not really. Likely to them, she was simply another bean counter — and an uninteresting one at that.
The thing was, the Buchanan brothers never suffered a drought when it came to finding a gorgeous woman to place on their arm or in their bed but they’d managed to escape the marriage lasso in spite of the ardent attempts of a select few.
Penny ducked her gaze when Nolan’s gaze suddenly swung her way while speaking with a colleague and her cheeks heated although it was highly unlikely that he’d even noticed her staring at him as if he were a fully-loaded Chicago-style pizza. But oh, goodness gracious, if he could read her mind! Well, she’d be fired, Penny thought wryly. She daydreamed of impossible scenarios; ones that were shameful and best left in the secret confines of her imagination, and would likely send her tumbling into hell for even allowing them into the theater of her mind. But, ohhhh…she stifled a sigh. Was it so wrong that she longed to personally count the ridges in Nolan’s stomach with her tongue? How did she know he had washboard abs? She’d had the honor of delivering some important paperwork to Nolan’s personal office and while she’d been disappointed the office had been empty, she’d consoled herself with a short peek at the personal photos on his desk. And one had been of him and some skinny beach blonde who looked as if a piece of rice would get stuck in her throat if she chanced to eat one.
Based upon the women Vince and Nolan squired about town, it was Penny’s guess that they preferred bones over curves and while it was certainly their prerogative, it did give Penny a painful pinch to be found completely out of their league.
Before she realized it, an unhappy sigh escaped her as she returned to her numbers and ledgers.
“Something the matter, Miss McDaniel,” a smooth voice interrupted her and she startled when she realized Vince was leaning on her cubicle, watching her with those gorgeous dark eyes. She swallowed but it felt as if all the spit in her mouth had dried up and all she could do was stare like an idiot. “Everything okay?” he asked, his smooth brow furrowing when she continued to gape at him.
“F-fine,” she managed to stutter, pushing her glasses higher on her nose and wishing she’d paid more attention to her wardrobe choice that morning. Why hadn’t she worn something…less bookish? Sure, she was a bookkeeper but she didn’t always have to look the part, right? She fluttered her hands down her slacks and curled her toes inside her no-nonsense flats. If he were to mentally undress her, he’d find a boring white bra and beige panties — beige! Of all boring colors — surprise! Ugh. Why hadn’t she purchased that racy red and black number she’d seen on the mannequin at Feisty, her favorite full-figured store on the mall? At least even if no one was tearing her clothes off with their teeth, she would know that beneath all those drab conservative clothes of a sensible accountant a wild woman was hiding, just waiting for the right moment to pounce.
The truth was, although she longed for adventure, she was almost painfully shy, which went perfectly with the accountant stereotype that she hated. Yet, as she was well aware, stereotypes existed for a reason: because there was often a veneer of truth clinging to them.
“You don’t talk much do you?” Vince remarked when Penny had offered a tremulous smile instead of engaging in a conversation.
She talked all the time — to herself and her cat (Ack! Another stereotype!) — but the prospect of holding a casual conversation with one of the hottest men she’d ever laid eyes upon was a bit daunting and had turned her into a complete mental case. It was a damn miracle she hadn’t started drooling onto her spreadsheet. Somehow she recovered her sense long enough to say, “Just trying to stay busy, Mr. Buchanan. I mean, I have plenty of work to keep me busy, of course,” she amended with a hot blush. Great. She’d just insinuated that she didn’t have enough work, which was the exact opposite. “I love working for Buchanan Enterprises. Best job ever. I swear.” She cringed at the verbal vomit falling from her mouth but she couldn’t seem to stop. His eyes were impossibly dark, and might she add, sinfully sexy. She could happily drown in that stare. “I would work overtime if I could.”
He chuckled at her ridiculous statement as if he knew she was simply babbling but he didn’t seem to hold it against her. In fact, he simply winked and said, “Keep up the good work” before pushing off her cubicle wall and going on his hot, merry way.
Penny felt her cheeks and sure enough, they were warm enough to suggest a furious blush was blooming in her face, likely making her look as if she’d just spent two hours in the sun. She fanned herself and drew a deep breath to clear her head. Vince Buchanan had spoken to her. So what? Big deal. What? Are you nuts? A voice screeched. It’s a very big deal.
A smile slowly spread across her lips as she savored the moment, even if it’d been short-lived and frankly, a little embarrassing.
Maybe she wasn’t invisible after all…maybe…but just as the questions started trickling in, a lithe blonde that Penny had seen before at the office strolled through the front doors and made a beeline straight for Nolan’s office. She didn’t check in with reception or deign to make pleasant conversation with anyone as she blew by. In the face of all that physical perfection, Penny’s daydreams fizzled to the pleasantness of a wet fart. The door closed behind the woman and Penny couldn’t stop wondering what she and Nolan did behind closed doors. Likely everything.
Everything Penny had never really tried.
She fidgeted with her mechanical pencil, depressing the lever to advance the lead and then pressing the lead back into the canister, fighting against a twinge of jealousy. Penny had never…well, it wasn’t that she…okay, so she was still the Big V. Her father had always told her to guard her “treasure” as he’d blushingly put it during that excruciatingly embarrassing conversation about the birds and the bees when she’d been fifteen and thus far, she’d guarded her treasure so well, no one had been able to find it much less steal it.