His eyes flashed with fire, and I knew if I didn’t get out of there right then, my clothes were going to be on the floor once again. “Want to get a drink?” he asked.
I smiled and stepped away from him. “I would love to, but I can’t. I have to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” he said, sounding a little bummed.
“It’s not going to be weird and we can’t talk about this. I’ll blush like a schoolgirl.”
“I doubt that, but it’s cool. I won’t mention it.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said and walked out of his office. I grabbed my purse and made a beeline for the door. It was just after seven. I wanted to pick up Jake from Lilly’s and get him home and ready for bed. I knew she was going to have a million questions for me. I’d have to answer them later.
Chapter 19
Ashton
I had just finished my meeting across town and was heading back to the office after a quick lunch. I was stalling. I told Willow it wouldn’t be weird, but how could it not be? I wasn’t going to be able to look at her without thinking about what we had done. About the way it felt to be inside her. About the way she tasted and so much more. How was I going to look at her and not think about kissing her again?
When my phone rang, I expected it to be Willow asking where I was. I stopped walking when I saw Kyle’s name on the screen. I really had not expected to hear from him ever again. “Hello?” I answered, wondering what he wanted.
“Hey, where are you? I called the office and your secretary said you were out with meetings.”
“I’m just on my way back to the office,” I told him.
“Don’t go.”
“Don’t go to work?” I asked him. “Did you mail me a bomb?”
“No, asshole. Let’s grab a drink, catch up.”
“I thought you had some fancy new job,” I said. “How are you already playing hooky?”
He chuckled, a sound I realized I kind of missed. “Because I did all of my work like a big boy. I’m done for the day. Are you down for it or not?”
I thought about my schedule for the day and knew there was nothing waiting for me at the office except for emails and phone calls. And weirdness. “I’m down. Let me call and let Willow know.”
“All right. I’ll meet you at the place.”
The place was the same lounge we always went to on Fridays after work. It was close to the office and kind of an upscale place with a cigar lounge and top-shelf liquor. I pushed the button to call my direct line, knowing Willow would answer.
“Hey,” I said after she went through her little spiel.
“Hey, yourself,” she answered. I could hear her tapping on the keyboard and knew she was busy.
“I’m going to take the rest of the day off. Why don’t you go ahead and leave for the day?”
I heard her suck in a breath. “I have some things to do still and I really can’t afford to take off that early. Is it cool if I milk the clock a little?”
I had to laugh at her brutal honesty. “Milk it all you want. Don’t work too hard. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Thanks, Ashton. I’ll see you Monday.”
The woman was a hard worker for sure, but I got the feeling she worked hard because she was in desperate need of the job. It wasn’t even a feeling. She had pressed me for a job at the café. That took balls. That took gumption and that generally came from a place of desperation. I hated to think of her struggling. I had already talked to HR about giving her a small raise. If she questioned it, I would tell her the first two weeks were probationary, and since she had passed with flying colors, she would be paid more.
I hailed a cab, looking forward to catching up with Kyle. If things went well, I was going to try and persuade him to come back. I didn’t quite know how I was going to do that, but I was going to try. I walked into the place and scanned the area that made it a little difficult to actually see anyone, which was why it was a great place. The high-backed, U-shaped booths offered lots of privacy. The place appealed to people who really didn’t want to be seen or bothered for one reason or another.
“Can I help you?” a young woman asked.
“I’m looking for a friend,” I said.
She smiled. “I’m not sure what kind of friend you’re looking for, but I think I can find you someone.”
I felt a slap on my shoulder and turned around. It was Kyle. “Good timing,” he commented.
“Ah, I guess you have found your friend,” the woman replied.
“Can we get a table?” Kyle asked.
“Yes, follow me.”
The place was fairly empty, which wasn’t surprising given it was a Friday afternoon. It would be packed later. We slid into the booth and each ordered our usual scotch on the rocks. “What’s going on?” I asked him. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you for a while, if ever.”
“Hey, can’t an old friend reach out?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Anytime. How’s the new job going?”
He blew out a breath. “Good. It’s a little too easy, nothing difficult, no real challenge.”
“And you don’t like that?” I pressed.
He smiled. “I do like it.”
“I feel like you’re holding back.”
Our drinks were delivered. We both took a small drink. I waited for him to say what was on his mind. “I do like it, but I think I miss the rush. You know how risky it was when we first started. We never knew if we were going to be able to pay the rent. It was always us biting our nails, waiting to see the monthly sales report to find out if we were finally in the black.”
I smiled, nodding. “I remember those days but I’m not sure if I remember them with the same fondness you do.”
“You know what I mean. This company is solid. It’s got money pouring in and there’s no chance things are going to go bad. I mean, I suppose there is a chance there might be a bad month or two, but there’s enough cash reserve to cover it.”
“That sounds impressive. You made a good choice getting involved. You’re going to be a very wealthy man.”
He shrugged. “I’m already wealthy.”
“You’re going to be wealthier,” I said with a laugh.
“I guess I am.”
“I’ll admit I haven’t done a lot of research on the place. I didn’t want to know the competition, especially since you had already made up your mind.”
“It’s solar energy,” he informed me.
“No shit? I’ve heard that’s a good investment.”
“It is, and with tax breaks and more new builders installing solar panels, we can hardly keep up with the demand. Banks are offering great rates on the loans and it’s just really good. Really good.”
I was happy for him. He deserved the success. “That sounds awesome. Don’t be too upset that it’s easy. You know it isn’t always smooth sailing. Enjoy the easy part while you can. You’ve certainly worked hard enough. You deserve the break.”
“I suppose. How about you? How are things going?”
I groaned, shaking my head. “It’s been an interesting couple of weeks.”
He grinned. “With your secretary?”
I wasn’t going to get into the dirty details with him. That was going to be our secret. “She’s actually working out very well. She’s a little unorthodox but we’re figuring things out.”
“Good. I knew from the moment I saw her she was going to challenge you.”
“Thanks for that,” I quipped. “The shop on Union got broken into. Trashed the place and stole the valuables.”
“No shit?” he said with surprise.
“Yep. I’ve since bought enough security to make the stores seem like Fort Knox. If someone breaks in again, I’m damn well going to know about it and they damn well better hope the police get there before I do.”
He laughed. “Good. That system was ancient.”
“You could have told me,” I groaned.
He shrugged. “I don’t think yo
u would have listened.”
“Probably not,” I admitted.
“Anything else exciting?” he asked.
“No. Same old shit.”
We chatted a bit more about nothing in particular. I realized I had more to talk about with Willow, who I had known for only a few weeks, than a guy I had worked with for years. I felt regret sitting across from him. I felt like a real asshole for not being a better friend.
“I should probably get a move on,” he said after we had spent an hour hanging out.
“Kyle, I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a fruitcake or sap, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I was so closed off. I should have been a better person in general. I wish I would have taken the time to get to know you better. I know it sounds sappy, but honestly, I’m just not great at being open with anyone.”
He smiled and finished his drink. “I do know that about you. I don’t know what you’ve been through in life to get to that point, but I get it. We’re very opposite in that regard. I tend to be friends with just about anyone I meet.”
I smirked. “I guess that’s why we got along as well as we did.”
“Probably.”
“Just because I don’t work with you doesn’t mean we can’t try to be friends.”
“I’d like that,” he said, and I knew he meant it.
“Hey, and since we’re being all warm and friendly, you know you always have a spot at the company. I would be more than happy to have you back. I haven’t filled the hole you left. We can work out a deal that gives you a higher percentage of the profits. Anything you want.”
“I’ll think about it. It is an interesting offer. For now, I’ve got to see where this goes. I do have quite a bit of money tied up in it and I can’t get out of it without losing a big chunk of my investment.”
I thought about offering to make up the lost investment, but I didn’t want to push. I didn’t want to beg him, either. I did have some standards. “All right. Let me know and keep in touch. Maybe we can get together some weekend. I do have a boat. I’m not sure I remember where I put it, but I do have one.”
He burst into laughter. “You are the only person I know who forgets he has a boat.”
I shrugged. “I never have time to go out on it and I don’t really have anyone to take out. It’s kind of boring.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.
We shook hands before parting ways. I thought about calling Willow. I didn’t know why. I never thought about calling anyone. I told myself I just wanted to check and see if she was still at the office. That wasn’t true, but that was what I was going to tell myself.
I got to my house, stepping into the empty place I called home. I had lots of nice things befitting a man of my financial status. But like the boat, none of it really mattered. I didn’t really care about any of it. My closet full of designer clothes, including a small horde of suits? That was another story. I would know if anything was missing right down to a single cufflink.
I kicked off my shoes, hung my jacket on the banister, and walked to the kitchen. I poured myself another scotch, wanting to get that buzz that would help dull the outside world. It was my thing. I was in my safe little cocoon, all alone with no one to make me feel anything. Blissfully alone.
At least, that was what it used to be. Now, the empty house truly felt empty. “Alexa, put on my favorite music,” I spoke out into the vast kitchen that felt hollow.
Music immediately flooded the house. “Louder.”
The volume went higher, drowning out the silence and very slowly pushing away the coldness I felt being in the house alone. I couldn’t let myself get caught up in the idea of not being alone. I was alone. I was best alone.
Chapter 20
Willow
“Jake, are you ready?” I hollered down the hall as I brushed on mascara.
“Almost. I can’t find my swim trunks.”
“Bottom drawer.”
We were spending the day with Lilly and her heated pool. Jake loved hanging out there, mostly because she spoiled him rotten. He loved the pool and it was a lot cheaper to take him to her house than pay one of the fees for the community pools. Plus, I was kind of anxious to talk to her about the other night. When I had picked up Jake, I couldn’t give her all the dirty details she wanted.
I walked out of the single bathroom in the apartment and popped my head in Jake’s room.
“I can’t find my goggles,” he said.
“Check your closet.”
I went into my bedroom and slipped on my sandals. I had my bikini on under the shorts and sweater I was wearing, just in case I decided to go in. Pool days at Lilly’s house were rarely about me getting in the pool. It was my quiet time to sit and relax while he was entertained.
After tossing through his closet, we found his goggles and were on our way to Lilly’s massive home, courtesy of her father’s money. I loved that she was filthy rich but extremely humble. She had no qualms about living off her dad’s money. She said she deserved it because her parents had been absent most of her childhood. I didn’t question her. If I had that kind of money sitting in a bank, I would damn well use it as well. I wasn’t above taking money from my parents. Not like that was even a possibility for me, but if it was, I would.
I pulled into the driveway and had barely pulled the car to a stop before Jake was out and racing for the front door. He let himself in without knocking. I wasn’t sure what staff she had on duty, but they all knew Jake, and I wasn’t worried they were going to sound the alarm over my kid busting in.
“Hello?” I called, closing the front door Jake had left open.
“Out back,” Lilly hollered.
I headed for the row of floor-to-ceiling doors that slid open with the touch of a button to extend the living room into the outdoor area. Lilly liked fancy things. A woman wearing a half apron smiled at me. It was one of Lilly’s cooks or maids or I didn’t even know what. There was a full spread of fresh fruits, cheeses, dips, and little sandwiches cut into fours.
“Wow, aren’t you fancy?” I teased.
Lilly smiled. “I don’t get to entertain often enough.”
“Thank you for going to all the trouble,” I told her.
She grinned. “I didn’t do a damn thing.”
Jake was stripping off his clothes, kicking his shoes off, and pulling on his goggles before I even had a chance to put down my beach bag. “Don’t—”
My words were lost as he did a cannonball into the pool, water splashing everywhere. I turned to keep from getting it on my face just in the nick of time.
“Want a drink?” Lilly asked.
“No, it’s eleven.”
“It’s called a mimosa. It’s perfectly acceptable.”
“No thank you.”
I stripped off my cutoff jeans and the sweater and stretched out on a patio chair. I slipped on my sunglasses and let the sun, although a little on the weak side, soak into my skin. Lilly stripped down to her tiny bikini and lay in the chair next to mine.
“Did you guys do the tour yesterday?” she asked.
“We did. Thank you for arranging it on such short notice. Jake loved it. I couldn’t believe how much he liked it.”
“Does that mean you’re going to take their offer for a scholarship?”
I turned my head to look at her. “Yes. Thank you. That feels like so little to say for something so huge. I cannot thank you enough for what you did. It’s going to be so good for him.”
“I think of Jake as my nephew. He is my family. I’m going to help take care of him. I can’t do the kissing the boo-boos and whatnot, but I can make sure he gets a good education.”
“Thank you.”
“How’s the job going?” she asked.
“Good. Very good.”
She pushed up her sunglasses. “Uh, I know that tone. What is going on?”
“Nothing,” I said, my voice higher than usual.
“You said you had to work late the other ni
ght, but when you showed up here, your hair was mussed, and your lips had the look of someone who’d been kissed very thoroughly.”
“I don’t know,” I said, waiting until Jake swam away from the edge of the pool.
“I asked around about your boss. Almost everyone I talked to said he was a dick and very aloof.”
I shrugged. “He can be a little off-putting, but I think it’s more of a protective thing. He wants to keep everyone at arm’s length. He’s very good at what he does. He has high standards and doesn’t accept anything less than perfection. He’s difficult but I’ve learned he’s more bark than bite.”
She was quiet for a moment. “But not you. He doesn’t keep you at arm’s length.”
“You are not going to let this go,” I said with a sigh.
“No, I’m not. Tell me what happened and do not leave out any little detail. I know you two hooked up. Don’t deny it. You get a weird look on your face and you have a different aura about you.”
I rolled my eyes behind my sunglasses. “You can’t see auras.”
“I can and your aura is screaming sex. Good sex.”
I laughed. “I don’t think auras scream. It’s supposed to be colors.”
She waved a hand. “You’re trying to avoid the subject. What happened?”
“He asked me to dinner a few nights ago. I shot him down. The day I called you, it was a good day and I felt a little bad for shooting him down. I ordered in Italian takeout, lit a couple candles, and we had a nice dinner in the office.”
She nodded, waving a hand. “And?”
I bit my lower lip and checked to see where Jake was in the pool. “And one thing led to another.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh my god. I knew it, but to hear you actually say it is crazy!”
I couldn’t help but smile. It really was one of the wildest things I had ever done in my life. “It was nice.”
She made a raspberry sound. “Nice? Girl, judging by the look on your face, it was a lot more than nice.”
“It can’t happen again.”
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