by Kathryn Shay
Even in the dim light she could see his hands fist at his sides. “Are you pregnant?”
She laughed out loud. “I don’t see how I could be. I haven’t slept with anyone in over a year.” She arched a brow. “Which is more than I can say for you.”
He actually blushed.
“Your hair is wet.”
He touched it.
“How was your lunch?”
“Why do you care, Jamie?”
“Now that is a million-dollar question.” She sat up abruptly making her stomach pitch again. “This is stupid. I’d like you to leave.”
“What time does Ben’s bus come?”
“Four-fifteen.”
Instead of doing what she asked, he removed his coat and tossed it on the chair. He went to the window and slatted the blinds for some light. She could see him clearly when he sat on the couch next to her. “That’s plenty of time.” Reaching out, he drew her onto his lap and cradled her in his arms. She couldn’t help it, she put her head on his chest and nosed in, taking in the woodsy scent of him. The feel of his skin at his neck. They stayed that way for a while.
Eventually, sanity claimed her, though she didn’t move. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“I don’t care.”
She opened her mouth to protest. But he covered it, preventing comment. He consumed her. She tried to hold back, but he wouldn’t let her. He pried open her lips with his tongue and she acquiesced. She explored him back, grasped his neck, drew him as close as she could. He responded in kind, ravaging her mouth, and she ravaged his.
He was the one to pull away. His eyes were glazed, his cheeks red. She imagined hers were, too.
He swallowed hard.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
“Why did you?”
“Hell if I know.”
A small smile that produced a dimple in his chin. She wanted to kiss it. “Hell if I know either.”
She brushed her hand down his hair. “We can’t have this kind of relationship, you know.”
“I want to, but I know we can’t.”
“You have position, power, wealth. You’re way out of my league.”
His eyes widened. “That’s not why.”
“Then why?”
“Well, for one thing, our age differences.”
“I’m way older than my years, Kinley.”
“You’re not even close to my age. But there are other things.”
“Because I have a kid?”
“Nope.”
“Ah. I’m close to the O’Neils.”
“Bingo.”
She frowned.
“Jamie, they’d beat the shit out of me—all four at once—if I seduced you.”
“You aren’t seducing me. I was a willing partner in that kiss.” She waited. “But I agree, they would.”
She laid her head back on his chest. “I’m sorry. Should I leave Moran Associates?”
“No, don’t do that. We’ve only shared a kiss. We can reverse all this. Not do it again.”
Not sure if that would work for her, she slid off his lap and put some distance between them. “We need to agree that neither of us will pursue the other.”
“I, very reluctantly, agree.”
“So do I.” But she felt sad. “You need to keep seeing Blandine.”
“Why?”
“Because we have to date others. I will, too.”
He waited. Then asked, “Anyone on the scene?”
“Liam’s wife has a firefighter friend who comes into the pub sometimes. He’s asked me out, but I put him off.”
“Firefighters are good guys.”
“You’re a good guy.”
“I’m many things, but a good guy isn’t one of them.” He stood. “What you said about me being out of your league?”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s just the opposite. You’re too good for me Jamie, and we both know it.” He grabbed his coat from the chair then walked out of her house.
Last week, Nigel had gotten caught by the girl. How could he have been so stupid? He’d wanted to use Moran’s absence to work on his plan and he’d exposed himself.
He could kill Jamie Ralston. That would solve the problem but he’d have to do it before she told Moran she suspected anything.
Hesitating, he stood and shook himself. He needed clearer thinking. A ruse to cover his use of the computer. Updates maybe? He wasn’t sure. But something told him to leave the little slut alone for now.
Kinley’s feet hit the pavement. Snow crunched under them. Icy wind slapped him in the face. But he ran. And ran. Still, he couldn’t outrace her. His body felt the imprint of her on his lap, the pressure and weight of his mouth. Most of all, he couldn’t forget how she admitted her feelings for him.
And he admitted his feelings for her. He knew he was keeping her close all along, but he’d told himself he was doing that so he could use her to get to the O’Neils. Instead he’d gotten close to her. Who would have thought?
He found himself back at the office. He’d come in briefly after leaving Jamie’s house, changed and hit the road. As he entered the building and nodded to the guard, he knew the exercise hadn’t helped. His longing for her hadn’t diminished.
Stop this! He told himself as he rode the elevator. You’ve wanted things before that you couldn’t have. Use it as fuel.
When the doors opened, he found Nigel at Jamie’s desk. It seemed odd. “Hello, Nigel.”
“I thought I’d catch up on some of Ms. Ralston’s work.”
“Jamie can handle whatever needs attention when she comes in on Tuesday. Meanwhile the assistant on tomorrow can deal with anything vital.”
“If I may, sir…”
“Yes, of course, what?” He talked as he untied his scarf and removed his hat. His ears were still cold.
“I’m afraid Ms. Ralston is, well, superficial to the company. I don’t see that she does anything that I and the other assistants can’t do.”
“Are you telling me how to do run things here?”
“No, of course, I’m looking out for your best interests.”
“Perhaps we should give her some of your work, if you’re worried she doesn’t have enough.”
“No, I don’t prefer that.”
“I didn’t think so.” He gestured to her desk. “I don’t expect to see you behind here again. That will be all.”
As he went inside his office, he thought about his assistant. His work was flawless and he was probably overqualified for what he did. Kinley had been thinking about giving him other assignments.
He wouldn’t do that now. Something about the man’s attitude stopped him. He might go back into Nigel’s background check again. Maybe he missed something.
The plate Jamie held slipped in her hand when Kinley entered Bailey’s Saturday night. She caught it, barely, but her longing for him hadn’t diminished, and the sight of him, his face ruddy, his hair dusted with snow, his navy pea coat spanning his broad shoulders, made her…long for him even more. He scanned the place until his blue gaze rested on her.
She felt its impact all the way to her toes. She bet if she was up close, she’d see his pupils were dilated with the same intensity as her own.
“What’s the gombeen doin’ here?”
She turned to find Patrick had come up to her. He was working the bar. Bailey’s was hopping tonight and the low rumble of voices with bouts of laughter permeated the place.
“I don’t know why he’s here. And Pat, he’s anything but a small-time businessman tricking other people.”
“Sounds to me like the right term for him.” She sighed. “Did you need something?”
Him. “Huh?”
“Drinks. You’re at the service section. Do you need drinks for a table?”
“Yeah. Another pitcher of Budweiser.” For the table with the firefighter she’d mentioned to Kinley, the one she could date. He and his buddies were still here at midnight, but they were drinking sensibly.
Taking the pitcher, she left Pat without saying more.
She had to bypass Kinley on her way to the table. Stopping, she put her hand on his arm, her body blocking anyone’s view. She swore she could feel the heat of his body even through the heavy material. “What are you doing here?”
“Damned if I know.”
“Kinley…”
“Hush. Go serve your table.”
Reluctantly, she left. But she felt his gaze on her.
When she set the pitcher down, Firefighter Brad Larson said, “Thanks, beautiful.”
“Hey, watch it. You don’t want to be construed as harassing our waitresses.”
His face got so bleak, she laughed.
“Brad, I’m teasing. The sentiment goes, though.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She left and heard them talking.
“Man, that fire last night was brutal.”
“Nothing like fighting a blaze when ice and snow are dribbling down your chin, seeping into your coat.”
“We’re crazy, I guess.”
Then she got too far away to hear. Kinley had taken a seat at the bar and overheard everything.
Jamie waited on the other people, then told Patrick, “I’m taking a break.”
“Sure, Suzanne can cover what tables are left. Don’t go talk to him, though.”
“I talked to you all night. To C.J. and Aidan when they came in. I certainly am going to talk to this O’Neil brother.” She got halfway down and turned. “You should be talking to him, too.”
Kinley watched the by-play between Pat and Jamie. She was so easy with him. For one brief second, he wished for that camaraderie with his brother. Then he fiercely quelled the feeling.
She slid onto the stool next to him. They were at the far end of the bar. Pat brought her some ice water and stopped. “’Evening, Kinley.”
“Hello, Pat.”
“Surprised to see you so late on a Saturday night.”
“I got restless.”
“Um, how you doin’?”
He bit back a nasty retort. “Things are fine with me. You?”
“Hangin’ in there. My oldest kid came for dinner. It was nice.”
“You have three?”
“Nope, four. Sinead’s 22, Sean’s 17, Kathleen’s 11 and then Isabella’s almost 5.”
His brows rose. “Big age difference.”
“Makeup baby.”
Kinley laughed, genuinely, a guy’s reaction.
Someone down the bar called for Pat. When he left, Jamie said, “There, now that wasn’t hard, was it?”
He shook his head. Actually, it was kind of nice.
“So,” she continued. “You came here why? And no vague answers like you gave Pat.”
“I was home, working and I pushed away from my desk, disgusted with myself for spending Saturdays on the job. I left my apartment and came down to check out my bar.” He shrugged. “And see you.” His voice lowered. “After yesterday.”
Her throat clogged at his honesty. “We agreed to stay away from each other.”
“Not each other, but away from our feelings.”
She moved her head, the action sending beautiful brown tendrils into her face. He wanted to undo that braid and run his fingers through her hair until it curled into his hands. “My feelings surface like a volcano when I see you.”
“Mine haven’t diminished since we were last together. You’re plaguing me, sweetheart.”
Jamie’s eyes went slumberous.
“Let’s go back to my place,” he whispered hoarsely.
“No.”
He glanced to the side of the room. “All right. But don’t let the firefighter take you home. Not tonight.” Though he rarely uttered the word, he added, “Please.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
His hand was on his knee. Her fingers crept over and covered his. Squeezed.
He said, “Stay with me for a few more minutes.”
“Okay. This time.”
Chapter 6
Jamie walked off the elevator and stopped in her tracks. People milled around in the hallway off her alcove and Kinley’s door was open. She could see him at a distance, standing with three men in suits.
And they were drinking champagne.
At ten o’clock in the morning.
The low din of laughter and conversation combined with the smiles of people who had only said hello to her. One woman named Nancy, who worked in HR, brought her a glass of champagne. “Here you go, Jamie.”
“Thanks. What happened?”
“Kinley closed a huge deal. So big, we’re all getting hefty bonuses.”
“I’m happy for you all.”
Nancy pointed to the office. “Look at him. He’s in his element. I’ve seen him this happy only a few times.”
“Who are the men with him?”
“The other half of the deal. Both sides profit from it.”
“Ah.”
Nancy sipped. “There’s baskets full of Godiva goodies, too.”
“Wow!”
“Wander around.”
“What about work? I have some things to do.”
“Work’s suspended temporarily.”
“Okay.” Jamie meandered down the corridor. As Nancy had said, tables lined the wall with more Godiva products than she knew existed. Eventually, she chose a chocolate covered biscuit and bit into it. Sweet dark confection melted on her mouth, then the crunchy pastry contrasted with its floury taste. She closed her eyes to savor the experience.
“Hmm. That expression could mean a lot of things.” Kinley’s voice, husky and suggestive, made her eyes snap open.
“It’s about my taste buds.” She gave him a once-over. “You’re elated.”
“I am! This was a coup. We’ll need to hire more people to deal with the extra work, basically expanding our company.”
“I’m happy for you. Next time I come in, you can tell me the details.”
Watching her over the rim of his glass, he sipped his champagne. “Enjoying your Dom Perignon?”
“I don’t know what Dom Perignon means, but the champagne’s terrific.”
“I like how you’re always yourself. No airs.”
“I’m me. So, will we work at all today?”
“We’re only taking off an hour.”
“Ah.”
“Come back to the office with me. I have something for you.”
They headed down the hall. Kinley was stopped several times with congratulations and everybody seemed to like him. Inside his domain, he didn’t close the door, which made Jamie relax. He led her to a smaller basket than the ones outside in the hall.
“This is for you to bring home to Ben and your grandma Jean.”
She was taken aback. “Why?”
“Because I want to spoil your family. Please be gracious about the gift.”
“You’re right. It’s a very sweet gesture that they’ll appreciate.”
“Now for you.” He went behind his desk and took something out of the drawer then crossed to her. “Your bonus. The checks have been cut and are being distributed as we speak.”
“Kinley, I don’t deserve a bonus. I’ve only been here a short time.”
“You get one like everyone else.”
She drew in a breath. “All right.” Taking the envelope, she peeked inside. And dropped it to the floor.
“Jamie?”
Bending down, she retrieved the check and thrust it toward him. “I can’t accept this. It’s too much.”
“No, it’s smaller than any other staff member. By the way, Linda got one, too.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“All right.” He sat down and clicked into his computer. “I’m calling up the list. Come over here and look.” She marched to the desk and stood over his shoulder. The amounts of extra-pay were staggering. After a bit, she straightened. “Okay, I guess you’re right.”
Still sitting, he grabbed her hand and drew it over his shoulder. “Jamie, Jamie, J
amie, you don’t expect enough out of life.”
“I’ve learned not to.”
She left her hand there for a few more moments then stepped back.
He swiveled around. “I don’t like this situation between us.”
“I know, me either.”
“Can we change our minds?”
“No, Kinley, we can’t.”
Kinley never settled when he couldn’t get his way. Where Jamie was concerned, the situation angered him, and he was afraid keeping her in his life, getting more from her, was becoming too important to him. Time to draw back.
On Monday, he went to the pub to oversee the new windows that would be arriving. He’d let the O’Neils know today was the installation, so he wasn’t surprised to find all four boys there. Again, Bailey was missing.
The big van parked illegally in front of the place. He had his chauffeur, Michael, who’d been with him for years, and a body man to deal with police if they tried to move the vehicle. Because the glass was so big, it had to be cut in pieces. But first, the old windows needed to be cut out.
“So, you got new windows,” Pat barked when Kinley walked inside. “We don’t need ‘em.”
Like a long-suffering parent, Kinley sighed. “Of course, we do. You’re losing a great deal of money on energy bills.”
“So? We make tons of money.”
“What about the environment? You’re wasting natural gas.”
“He’s got a point there.” Liam came up to then. “Hi, Kinley.”
“Liam.”
The third oldest brother turned to Pat. “Aidan, Dylan and I have been telling you these kinds of measures need to be taken here. It’s an old place that needs upgrades.”
“Shit.” Pat stalked away to the office and slammed the door.
The window removal crew came inside. With Dylan still near the back door, Kinley took a seat at the bar with Liam.
The workers stripped the walls to studs, used a hammer and a pry bar to get off the old plaster. The noise grated on his nerves.
Next, they pried the lathe away from the studs and removed the old nails.
They removed the aluminum trim as well and re-nailed the old sill to reinforce it, the sound of the pounding increasing the tension in the room.
When the noise abated, Kinley said, “If you’d cook them lunch, it’ll be my treat.”