Lyndsey McCord thought she could spend the day listening to it. Even reciting the phone book would have been fascinating.

"We'll have to do a follow-up in two weeks," the voice whispered next to her ear. "End of recording."

Lyndsey sighed. That voice was as decadent as a thousand-calorie temptation. Nate Caldwell was a real dessert, and she always saved dessert for last.

"You have to do this." The voice unexpectedly faded, and Lyndsey could barely hear it. "I need you."

It was his voice, but it wasn't from the recording.

She took off her headphones. Maybe she was taking her fantasies too far. She could admit she had a crush on a man she didn't know, but she'd never gotten to the point of imagining he was talking to her.

–You know how I feel about divorce cases, Ar.

It was him. Nate Caldwell. In person. He must have entered the building through the back door. Lyndsey didn't know what to do. No one had ever entered the offices after midnight.

"I would if I could, Nate, but it's impossible," a female voice grew louder as she approached. "I already have three cases on my plate, and I've taken two of yours."

The sound of a door closing silenced the conversation between Nate Caldwell and Arianna Alvarado, two of the owners of the ARC security and investigations agency and Lyndsey's bosses of the past three months. They must have entered Nate's office, which was very close to Lyndsey's cubicle.

She'd grown accustomed to the silence that accompanied her while working alone at night, and the fact that someone had entered the building disrupted her routine. What should she do? Print the last file she was working on and leave unnoticed?
But first, he had to drop off the reports on the desks of the agency's various investigators... including Nate Caldwell's.
She approached the entrance and listened, but even though the voices were audible, she couldn't make out what they were saying. Nate Caldwell was obviously upset about something, as his tone of voice tended to be much softer when he transcribed his dictations. And judging by what he usually said and how he expressed it, he must have been a smart guy. According to her friend Julie, who had recommended her for the job, he was 32 years old, charming, attractive, kind, considerate, and had a killer smile. In other words, he was the perfect man.

Good heavens! She was twenty-six years old and infatuated with a man she'd never met. It was a fantasy she resorted to when her life became too boring. But she couldn't just knock on his door and present herself with the report she'd transcribed. It wasn't wise to toy with fantasies...

The printer finished printing the document. It was now or never, Lyndsey thought, but she busied herself distributing all the reports except this one. Should she interrupt the conversation? The sound was barely audible, and she approached the door.

Why wouldn't she have worn something more elegant than jeans and a black sweater that morning? Why wouldn't she have taken the time to put on a little makeup?

Why couldn't I lose six kilos in five seconds?

He'd better sneak off and leave the report on Arianna's desk with a note before leaving.

She tiptoed past the door, entered Arianna's office, wrote the note, and left. When she turned around after quietly closing the door, she almost ran into Nate Caldwell himself, who looked at her with a frown.

"Who are you?" he asked harshly.

Lyndsey placed a hand on her heart.

–I'm... Lyndsey McCord.

Nate looked at Arianna's door and then back at her.