Evangeline knew his stubborn streak. When he said he wasn''t leaving, he meant it.


    She didn''t argue further and took out her phone to set a ten-minute rm. But Finn gently took the phone from her.


    "I''ll wake you up in ten minutes."


    "Just get some sleep."


    Evangeline relented. "You have to wake me up," she insisted.


    Finn nodded.


    She crossed her arms on the desk, rested her head on them, and closed her eyes. The moment she did, she was gone, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.


    She felt as if she had slept for a century when she heard Finn calling her name. Drowsily, she remembered the report and sat up.


    Finn typed onest key and pushed hisptop toward her. "I''ve filled in the main data points based on your notes. You just need to add the final details."


    Evangeline stared, stunned. She looked at the screen and saw that Finn hadpleted the entire report. A quick scan revealed that his analysis, from the overall structure to the data interpretation, was even more meticulous than her own would have been.


    "You..." She looked at him in disbelief.


    Finn met her gaze calmly, a slight smile ying on his lips. "It wasn''t that hard. I''ve been listening to your analyses and reading your notes every day. I guess I picked up a thing or two."


    Evangeline was a mixture of astonished and impressed.


    Finn, basking in her look of near-reverence, nonchntly opened a bottle of water and took a long drink.


    "Finn, you shoulde work at UME!" Evangeline eximed, her eyes bright with excitement.


    Finn nearly choked on his water.


    "What did you say?" He thought he must have misheard her.


    But Evangeline waspletely serious. "You''re not that busy at Lockridge Industries anyway You could work at UME part-time, as a technical consultant. And don'' worry, I''ll pay you well-way above market rate."


    With Finn on board, she felt like she could achieve her goals even faster.


    Finn was speechless. *The nerve of her.* Here he was, taking pity on her, helping her with her work out of concern, and her first thought wasn''t gratitude or affection, but to recruit him?


    He couldn''t help butugh.


    "I''m tired. I''m going home."


    He stood up and, without waiting for her, walked toward the office door. He was


    annoyed, and he wasn''t going to be easily cated.


    "Wait," Evangeline''s voice called from behind him.


    Finn stopped but kept his back to her. "I''m busy with my own work at Lockridge. I


    don''t have time to be your consultant. You should—"


    Before he could finish, a soft body collided with his back. Evangeline''s sudden embrace nearly sent him stumbling into a nearby desk. Before he could regain his bnce, she


    stood on her toes wrapped her


    and


    arms around his neck, pressed her soft lips against his.


    The familiar, sweet scent of her filled his senses. For a moment, his mind went


    A few minutester, she pulled away, a yful smile on her face as she looked into


    his eyes.


    "Thank you, Finn," she said softly.


    Finn''s lips parted, but the words of refusal he had been about to say took a sharp turn.


    "About that consultant position... I suppose we could discuss it. But my fee will be separate."