by Holly Rayner
A bright moon was just barely visible over the high-rises across the street.
As he drank in the sight of it, his mind wandered over the pleasant evening he’d just enjoyed. It was Friday, and Maia, Joy, and Colby had been staying with him for a full week.
The time is flying, he thought. It feels like Maia just got here yesterday.
At the same time, it felt like a lifetime had passed. He could hardly remember what his life had been like before getting filled with the patter of little footsteps playing like music through the house, or the smell of home cooking wafting through the kitchen.
He grinned, thinking about the way Maia was always up before him, so bright-eyed and cheerful. She had an irresistible laugh, and their morning routine had become filled with moments that were so funny that he got to hear it often. Just that morning, Colby had regaled them all with a tale from snack time at his daycare the day before, and Ben and Maia had laughed so hard they could barely breathe.
My nephew is a gem, Ben thought, shaking his head with wonder.
As if on cue, he heard Colby’s voice coming from the stairwell.
“Uncle Benny?”
Then, “Uncle Benny!” Colby emerged from the stairway and spotted his uncle.
Ben’s grin broadened. He stood up and stepped out from behind his desk. He knelt down and Colby ran across the room into his arms.
The little boy wore only a pair of penguin-printed flannel pajama pants, and he clutched a matching top in one hand and his Pete the Penguin doll in the other. Ever since Ben had gotten him the toy, Colby had carried it with him wherever he went.
“Joy and me are going to read a book!” Colby announced. “For bedtime! In the big bed!”
Ben patted his nephew’s back. “Sounds like you might need to have your pajamas on for that,” he said, as he released Colby and eyed the pajama top in Colby’s left hand.
Colby held up the shirt. “Like this?” he said.
“Like that,” Ben said with a nod, his ears picking up the sound of footsteps in the stairwell. “Here, I’ll help.”
He gently guided the shirt over Colby’s little head and down over his shoulders. He was helping the boy pull it down over his torso when he heard Maia’s voice. “Well, you wanted your uncle’s help, I see.”
Ben looked up at her. She wore her hair high on her head in a ponytail, and blond wisps framed her face. The blouse she’d worn to work that day looked as though it had been splashed with water. Joy, standing just behind her mother, had wet hair that looked as if it had just been combed.
“Successful bath time?” Ben asked.
“Right up until the end,” Maia said. “Then this one escaped before his PJs were on.”
Colby looked over at Maia. “I had to say good night to Uncle Benny,” he explained.
Maia held out her hand. “Well, then say good night, sweetie, and then we’ll all walk downstairs together.”
“Nighty night,” Colby told his uncle. He stood on his tiptoes and gave Ben, who was kneeling, a quick smack on the cheek.
Ben grinned and ruffled Colby’s damp hair. “Good night, little man,” he said. “You behave for Miss Maia, okay? No more running away.”
As Maia ushered the children back downstairs, Ben was struck by a strange thought. I’m going to miss this.
Unsure what to make of that, he busied himself with work again. The new interface for the social media site had gone live just that day, and to his amazement, everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly. It was, in fact, the best launch week he’d ever experienced. Even though I’ve been working fewer hours, he realized.
He was still immersed in work an hour later, when he once again heard movement on the stairwell. When he looked up from his laptop, he saw Maia emerge from the stairway.
“Ben?” she said. “Mind if I come in for a minute? I have a few work questions.”
“I don’t mind at all,” he said.
Just the opposite, he thought. Maia’s visit was entirely welcome.
She’d stripped off her bathwater-splashed blouse and wore only a tank top. Instead of the slacks she’d worn to the office that day, she was in a pair of soft, faded pink shorts. His eyes moved up the curve of her calves and thighs, to the soft skin of her arms, shoulders, and exposed neck. Her hair was still piled high on her head, and she’d stuck a pencil through the holder of her ponytail.
She carried a laptop and was looking at the screen as she crossed the room. “I’m just catching up with the Connect-Share launch analysis, and I can’t quite figure out what to put into the spreadsheet with regard to…”
Ben found it hard to focus on her words as she perched on the leather loveseat not far from his desk and folded her legs beneath her.
Those thighs, he thought. Wow, she’s beautiful.
Of course, he’d always been aware of Maia’s beauty. But now, as she sat not far from him with those gorgeous legs curled beneath her, and the neckline of her tank top low enough to expose the edges of a lacy undergarment, he was completely overcome by her presence. He could think of nothing else but the way her collarbone curved just so, and the soft slope of her shoulder.
What would it feel like to kiss the side of her neck, just below her ear?
Maia adjusted her position so that her laptop was balanced better, then looked up at him. “What do you think?”
“Oh… hm?” he said. It was unlike him to lose focus, but he just couldn’t help himself.
“I know,” Maia said, misjudging his response. “I’m puzzled, too. Maybe if we run it past the accounting department, they’ll be able to help.”
“Yes, good,” Ben said in a gruff tone, his voice deep with the desire that coursed through his veins. “The accounting department…”
“I’ll email them now, and hopefully Jeff will check in tomorrow even though it’ll be Saturday. He’s pretty good like that.”
“He is,” Ben said, though for the life of him he could not remember at that moment who Jeff was, or what his role was within the accounting department.
A strand of hair fell in front of Maia’s eye. She leaned down toward her screen and tucked the strand behind her ear. As she bent down low to control the touchpad on her computer, he was given an enticing view.
“Okay, second thing I need to ask you about…” she said, as she appeared to scroll through a list of some sort. “Where is it?” she murmured.
Ben was in no hurry. He would have been happy if Maia could sit there on his couch for hours, looking for whatever item she wanted to bring to his attention. He only wanted to appreciate her beauty and enjoy her presence.
“Here we go,” Maia said after another minute. “This ad analysis that you had me run on the new numbers that are coming through… I couldn’t quite figure out how to collect the data on conversion rates.”
This was an issue Ben had been just looking into, the hour before.
“Actually, I had some luck with that,” he said. “Here, I’ll show you.”
He got up and moved to the couch. As he sat beside her, she moved away just slightly to give him room.
Ben didn’t want her to move too far. He wanted to be close to her. He wanted, badly, to feel the touch of her skin against his. He knew that was impossible, but he felt desire growing in his core, urging him to get closer to her, even if they could not touch.
He wondered, briefly, if the growing desire he felt would ever be satisfied. It felt impossible that it would not. An ache filled him—a deep need.
He tried to focus on the task before him, but it was almost impossible, given how close Maia was. The thin slice of air between them buzzed with energy, and Ben felt that he had to work incredibly hard in order to not cross the line that he knew was drawn between him and his employee.
“Click here,” he said, his voice rough with all that he was holding back. He pointed to a section of Maia’s computer screen. As she moved her mouse there and clicked, Ben took several breaths, trying to center himself.
“H
ere?” she said, as she turned to face him.
She was so close—just six inches away. He imagined what it would be like to lean forward and kiss her, then and there. He sensed, in that moment, that she was imagining the same thing. Her eyes met his, and she seemed to ask with her gaze if he was going to act.
He bit his lip and nodded. “Yes,” he said. “That’s it. See the drop-down menu?”
His heart pounded in his chest. Maia looked at him for another moment, then her eyes moved back to the screen. “Yep, I see it,” she said.
“Select ‘impressions’ and then select the Connect-Share file that I shared with you earlier today when we were at the office.”
The mention of their workplace helped Ben gather himself.
She’s my assistant, he reminded himself. I can’t act on these urges—it would be foolish of me.
Maia tapped several keys, and then she nodded. “That worked,” she said.
“Good.” He stood. His legs felt heavy as he moved across the room again, toward his desk. He wanted so badly to stay there on the couch at Maia’s side. But he knew that would be wrong.
“Okay, well, that’s it,” Maia said, standing. “Sorry to interrupt you like this. I was just sneaking in a little bit of work now that Joy and Colby are both fast asleep.”
“Me, too,” Ben said. He looked around his office. “It’s a funny thing—I barely ever work up here. But now that I’m spending less time at headquarters and more time at home, it felt natural to come up.”
“It’s a beautiful space,” Maia said. “And what a view!”
“Thanks,” Ben said thoughtfully. He leaned back in his chair, as Maia walked over to the window to look out over the rooftops below.
“You know,” he said, “it’s kind of crazy… This week I’ve put in fewer hours than ever before—since starting the company—yet I seem to be getting just as much done.”
Maia turned and nodded. “Right… that’s balance, Ben. Maybe your mind is more clear because you’re less stressed.”
“You think so?”
“Sure,” she said. “Playing is good for the heart and mind.”
“It is fun to have the kids around,” Ben said. “And I like being home earlier and playing games after dinner.” He chuckled. “The ice cream we’ve been having every night for dessert is pretty great, too.”
Maia wiggled her brows. “You like that?” she said. “I happen to know that there’s a little bit of that vanilla chocolate chip left.”
“And whipped cream?” Ben asked.
“And chocolate sauce.” She grinned. “Fancy a little sundae now?”
“In the name of reducing stress,” Ben said, standing, “I’m in.”
“Me too,” Maia said, laughing along and leading the way to the stairs. “I mean, since it’s good for our stress levels and all.”
Chapter 8
Maia
“Do you mind if I ask something,” Maia said, as she dipped her spoon down into her ice cream. She hesitated, then moved her spoon up and down to mix the chocolate sauce that Ben had heated up with the melting ice cream. She wasn’t sure exactly how to put the question into words.
“Ask what?” Ben said. He leaned back against the kitchen counter, licking ice cream from the tip of his spoon. At work that day he’d worn his usual formal attire, but now he was in a soft T-shirt and faded jeans. His hair was messier than usual, and his eyes glistened with liveliness as he eyed her, waiting for her to go on.
Maia sensed that he was enjoying the evening with her, and she felt the same.
He’s hot and fun to hang out with, she thought, as she watched him turn his spoon in his mouth. She didn’t want to ruin the vibe in the kitchen by asking a serious question, but she needed answers—for the sake of taking good care of Colby over the course of the coming week.
“This evening when I was tucking Colby into bed, he asked me if I knew that his mommy was in Heaven,” Maia said. “I wasn’t sure what to say. I just gave him a nice hug and said that I didn’t know that, but I thanked him for telling me.”
“Right,” Ben said, looking down at the bowl in his hands. He set it aside, and his expression became more serious.
“I’m sorry,” Maia said. “Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, no… It’s okay,” Ben said. “I probably should have told you at the beginning of last week, in case Colby brought it up. I just didn’t think of it. There was so much going on…” He fell silent.
Maia waited for him to go on.
Ben set his bowl on the counter and then looked directly at Maia. “Colby’s mom passed away a year ago.”
“I’m sorry,” Maia said. “She was your brother’s wife… right?”
Ben nodded. “Yes… She and Nate got married a year before Colby was born. So, four years back. They were a great couple, and he was head-over-heels in love with her. Her name was Phoebe.”
“Your family must have been very happy for them,” Maia said.
Ben shrugged. “I was happy for them… and that’s about the extent of it. It’s just been Nate and me since my dad passed away about a decade ago.”
“Oh…” Maia could see that Ben was not comfortable talking about his family. She’d never heard him mention his parents before, and now she had a better idea about why. His father had passed away, and his mother didn’t seem to be in the picture. Did she pass away, too? Maia wondered.
Ben went on. “I remember their wedding. Nate used to be a big deal in the event planning industry, known for throwing extravagant parties. All that fell apart after—well, I’m getting to that. Anyway, his wedding was no exception. He and Phoebe flew everyone out to Hawaii, and their wedding was one for the books.”
“I can imagine,” Maia said.
Ben frowned. “They had Colby a year later. Then, when Colby was two, Phoebe was taking him to Australia to see her parents. At some point on the journey, she developed a blood clot in her leg. It traveled to her heart shortly after the plane landed. My brother didn’t even get to say goodbye.”
“I’m so, so sorry,” Maia said softly. Her heart ached for Colby. “What happened to Colby?” she asked Ben.
“Phoebe’s folks looked after him for two months, and they took my brother in, too,” Ben explained. “But eventually, Nate had to return to his life here in the States. It hasn’t been easy for him.”
“Of course not,” Maia said.
“He’s always lacked discipline,” Ben said. “And in the face of tragedy, that trait got the best of him. He opted for easing his pain… in a chemical manner.”
“Drugs?” Maia guessed.
Ben nodded. “He’s at rehab now. I just talked to him the other day, and it’s going well. He’s confident that with another week of treatment, he’ll be clean for good.”
“What a relief,” Maia said. She thought about Colby, who had been through so much. “Does Colby know where his dad is right now?” she asked.
Ben shook his head. “I’m sure Nate didn’t tell him the whole truth. That’s not my brother’s style. And when I picked Colby up from daycare last week, I said that his dad was away on a work trip. After all, kicking a deadly habit is legitimate work, in my opinion.”
“The most important work Nate could do, at this point,” Maia agreed with a nod.
She was perched on a tall stool by the counter. She lifted her bare feet and propped them up on the stool beside her, so she was more comfortable. It felt nice to be able to move so freely around her boss. At the beginning of the week, she’d thought twice about every move she made whenever Ben was in the room. Now, she felt so much more relaxed around him. In her mind, he was becoming less her boss and more her friend.
After a moment of quiet, she said, “I think it’s really good of you to help your brother like you are.”
“I’m the only family he has left,” Ben said. “I had to. Besides, you’re doing all the work. If it weren’t for you, I have a feeling this past week would have been a complete disaster. You
saved us.”
Maia blushed. “I doubt that,” she said. “You two would have figured it out.”
“I don’t know,” Ben said, with a shake of his head. “Colby might have tried to escape through the front door rather than just up the stairs to my office, if I’d tried to feed him microwaved wild mushroom risotto.”
“With leeks,” Maia said with a laugh.
“And fennel.”
“The boy can run,” Maia said. “I’ll give him that.”
Ben chuckled.
Maia scooped up a bite of sweet ice cream, sauce, and whipped cream. It was the perfect bite. She savored it and then said, “All kidding aside, I think you really would have been okay, Ben. You’re kind of a natural caregiver. I see how good you are with him and Joy, you know.”
Ben arched his brow and gave her a doubtful look.
“I’m serious,” Maia insisted. “Some people aren’t good with kids, but you are. I’m surprised you don’t have children of your own.”
Ben picked up his ice cream again and took a bite. “I never thought of myself as a family man,” he said. “But I have to admit, there are perks to having kids around—like having vanilla chocolate chip ice cream in the house.”
Maia laughed. “I’m pretty sure anyone can buy ice cream,” she said. “There’s no rule about only buying it for kids.”
“But what about those waffle cones you got?” Ben asked, raising his brow.
Maia giggled. “Well, those are kid-size. You might get some strange looks from your guests if you pull them out when you serve dessert.”
“Guests?” Ben said with a scoff. “I don’t have to worry about that. I rarely have company over.”
“No dinner parties?” Maia asked.
“I think I’ve hosted two since moving in here,” Ben said.
“What about dates?” Maia asked. “I’m sure you have women over sometimes.” She watched Ben’s expression carefully. Her pulse raced as she waited for his answer. Ben had mentioned briefly that he didn’t have a girlfriend, but she’d never really questioned him in detail about his relationship status. Maybe he was seeing a woman.