First Love (Love Collection)

by Natalie Ann

  “We both work a lot of hours.”

  She snorted. “Not really a good thing to have in common.”

  “But it is something. We both like pepperoni pizza.”

  “Along with millions of other people,” she said, grinning and enjoying the banter they were having. She was going to point out they had that in common too but decided to let him figure it out on his own.

  “Just tell me yes,” he finally said. “One date. If we don’t hit it off, we’ll pretend like it didn’t happen and come back to work on Monday none the wiser. If you really wanted to say no you would have ten minutes ago.”

  Right again. But she would know the date happened if they didn’t hit it off because she desperately wanted to do it. She was going to be stupid for once in her life. What could it hurt?

  “Sure. I’ll watch the fireworks show on your rooftop deck on Friday night.”

  Prepare for This Night

  Jace was looking around his place. It was clean. It always was since he had someone come in several times a week and go through the whole place.

  Not to mention he wasn’t around much anyway to dirty things up.

  The fireworks show wasn’t starting until nine and he was trying to figure out a way to make this a real date. Not one that only lasted an hour for the fireworks. Not one where they talked about work.

  But one where they talked about each other and maybe if he was lucky he could get his hands on her because he wasn’t stupid and had seen her admiring look in his direction more often than not. Her breath that caught when their hands touched and the narrowing of jealousy in her eyes when Katy was talking to him. She had it as bad as he did.

  Since she hesitated so much to come here to begin with, he wasn’t going to press his luck and take her out to a restaurant though. She argued enough and he figured being seen out in public would be a no go.

  Not only that, he remembered how skittish she was about just being seen with him in the cafeteria at work.

  She had gotten over that weeks ago it seemed. He’d gone down twice more when she’d been there, but they didn’t go down together or even come up together. It was more like he saw her there and went over to say hi, then went on his way.

  That didn’t seem to bother her as much, so he took it as a good sign.

  Tonight though, he wasn’t taking any chances and planned on cooking dinner for the two of them. Nothing fancy, which he couldn’t execute even if he wanted to try.

  He’d gotten his housekeeper to pick up a few steaks and she made some fancy quinoa salad with a ton of vegetables in it. Lauren always seemed to be eating salads and vegetables, so he figured that’d be a hit. Lastly there was a fruit salad, again, something his housekeeper picked up for him.

  He hoped it was the effort that would count since he thought of it all and was actually going to grill the steaks.

  Now he just had to kill two hours of time. He should have never left work early today to prepare for this night.

  ***

  Lauren was asking herself once again what she was doing going to Jace’s house for a Friday night date. She’d actually left work at four today. Thirty minutes early for what should be her normal end of work time, but since she was there at seven and stayed late most days, no one even blinked an eye.

  That gave her two hours to go home and shower, change and get to Jace’s. Traffic wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d thought it’d be, so she ended up cleaning her apartment so she wasn’t sitting around stressing about all the reasons this was a colossal mistake.

  The one thing pushing her forward was the fact he approached her and she really felt something for him. She just wanted to know once and for all if it was real on her end and maybe even his.

  Then she wondered if she should have brought something for this date. All he’d told her was to come hungry. That was easy enough to do.

  She just wasn’t used to this. She’d never had a date at a man’s house before. Not a first date. Not even a date period.

  When she was dating someone, they might sit around and watch TV, but she didn’t think that counted much like a date.

  She was stopped at an intersection and saw a bakery on the corner and decided to run in there first. She noticed he had a sweet tooth, so why not grab something. Then she wouldn’t feel so bad about showing up empty handed.

  She found Jace’s garage number and pulled in next to his Porsche like he’d told her to, then hit the button to close the door. No reason to let anyone else see her used and beat-up old car next to his brand new one that probably cost more than double her annual salary.

  She wasn’t sure where to go next and just walked down the hall to a main lobby. She imagined most people came in the front door.

  “Can I help you?” someone asked her.

  “She’s looking for me.” Lauren turned and saw Jace standing there. “Hey,” he said, reaching his hand out and taking the box from her. “What’s this?”

  “Dessert,” she said, smiling up at him. “How did you know I was here?”

  “I got a notification on my phone that the garage door closed, so I came down.”

  “What floor are you on?” It looked like there were four floors in the building and she had no clue the number of apartments, but there looked to be easily a dozen or more garages when she drove around.

  “I’m on the fourth floor. That’s why I’ve got the rooftop deck.”

  “So the penthouse,” she said, not surprised in the least.

  “Yeah. That’s another name for it.”

  “Do you share the deck with anyone at all?”

  “No. I’ve got the entire fourth floor.”

  His place had to be huge. “How many apartments are in this building?”

  “I believe thirteen. Four on each of the floors. All different sizes and then mine on top.”

  She followed him to the elevator where he swiped a card and then hit the fourth floor. “So not just anyone can get to the top?” she asked.

  “No. You could get to the other floors, but you’ve got to swipe a card to get to the fourth.”

  When the doors opened, she understood why. She walked right off into a foyer. “This goes right to your place?”

  “It does.”

  “What if you forget your card? Are you locked out?”

  He laughed and ran his finger down her nose. It was a funny move, but felt right. “You always have such a logical mind.” She felt her face start to blush. She just wasn’t used to this kind of living. “I’ve got a card in my wallet and one in my garage. Hidden in the garage. Also my garage can open from an app on my phone. I’m covered for the most part.”

  “And you say I’ve got a logical mind.”

  “Does this have to be refrigerated?” he asked, holding the box up.

  “No. It’s just a chocolate cake. I felt odd not bringing something and I know you like chocolate.”

  “That’s nice. And I do.”

  She followed him down the hall and into an open space, her jaw dropping. This couldn’t be an apartment. It looked like a massive house. Everything was open, the living room into the kitchen and an eating area, then a more formal dining room. She saw glass doors that led to an office. The other side of the apartment looked to house the bedrooms.

  “Can I ask how big this place is?”

  “It’s about four thousand square feet.”

  “That’s nuts. Why do you need so much space?” she asked. Her one bedroom apartment could fit in a tiny corner of his place.

  “This is small compared to what I grew up in.”

  Just another difference between them making her wonder again why she was here. Well, she knew why—the question was how could it ever work out? “Do you feel lonely here?”

  He looked at her oddly. “No. I never thought much of it. Come on,” he said. “Let’s go upstairs.”

  “There’s another floor?”

  “The roof,” he clarified. “Unless you want me to show you around my place. Actually, that�
�s a good idea.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her along and she tried her damnedest to not let her jaw drop open again and hang there making her look like an imbecile.

  Two Different Things

  Jace was hoping to impress Lauren but now thought he might have overdone it. That instead of impressing her, all he did was turn her off.

  Or more like make her uncomfortable.

  He’d never thought much about being alone in his place before, but the more he thought about it the more he realized it was always so quiet. Then again, he wasn’t around all that much either.

  By the time they got up to the roof, Lauren’s eyes were all but cartoon features on her face. “Hey,” he said, running his hand on her shoulder. “What are you thinking?”

  “That this is a mistake.”

  “Because I’ve got a big apartment?”

  “Penthouse,” she corrected.

  He turned her to look into her eyes. “Did you really expect any differently? Lauren, as you’ve pointed out, I’m the CEO and have thousands of employees. I just bought two franchises that you’ve got access to the books so you know what I paid for it. Did you think I’d live in a little two bedroom flat?”

  “No. I guess thinking and seeing are two different things. When I see you at work, I know you’re the CEO. I know you’ve got wealth I’ll never understand. But when I see you daily you don’t come across that way. The Jace Stratton I see at work and the one who lives in this place aren’t the same.”

  “Yes, they are. I look the same, don’t I?” He’d purposely dressed down. Even went so far as to have shorts on right now and not jeans.

  “You actually look different, more casual. I kind of feel overdressed.”

  “You look nice.” She had on a sundress. Nothing that she’d probably ever wear to work, but she looked cute and more her age now than in the office. He found he liked this side of her. “I get the feeling you’re more comfortable now than you were earlier at work.”

  “I can be comfortable with anything, but yes. I guess this is more fun to wear.”

  “You could wear it to work,” he said. He didn’t even mind she had sandals on. He noticed a lot of women wore sandals in the office.

  “I wouldn’t be taken seriously then. I’m trying not to look like I’m fresh out of school.”

  Exactly what he figured all along. “How about you look like this more when we’re together outside of work?”

  “I can do that.”

  He took it as a good sign that she wasn’t ready to bolt. That she wasn’t so nervous over all the differences she was expressing.

  “Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll light the grill. I’ve got everything I need up here.”

  “You’ve got a kitchen up here? Good grief. What happens to it in the winter?”

  He looked at the covered outdoor kitchen and shrugged. “Someone who works in the building comes up here and secures it for me. If I wanted to come up here in the winter, they’d keep it clear for me too, but I don’t bother. I don’t even come up here that much in nice weather.”

  “What a shame. It’s stunning up here. And the sky is so clear, I can’t wait for the fireworks to start.”

  Neither could he.

  ***

  “You’re a pretty good cook,” Lauren said to him a few hours later. They were sitting on one of the couches enjoying the chocolate cake now. He was drinking a beer and she was sticking with water. She wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or not when she turned down his offer of wine, but she’d never acquired a taste for it.

  Honestly, she’d never acquired a taste for any alcohol. Probably because it wasn’t like she had an abundance of disposable income to waste on it.

  “I can’t take all the credit. My housekeeper made the salads and picked up the steaks for me. But I did cook them. You saw me do it.”

  She laughed at the look he was sending her. Part flirty and part charming. She wasn’t sure what to expect from this night, but she was sure liking this side of Jace when she hadn’t been sure there was more of him she could like.

  “Well, you do cook a mean steak.” There was no reason to address the fact he had a housekeeper. She’d probably be more shocked to find he didn’t have one.

  “I did get a lot of your favorites though. Don’t I get credit for that?”

  “You do.” She was pleasantly surprised to see that he did seem to pay attention to her more than she realized. That everything they ate tonight was food she’d eaten in front of him before. She was touched the more she thought of it.

  “And you got me a chocolate cake knowing how much I like chocolate. I think that’s a pretty good start for us.”

  “What do you mean by start?”

  She wasn’t assuming anything at all right now about the two of them. Assumptions with her boss could lead to the fast track at the back of the unemployment line. If there was one thing she wanted to preserve it was some stability in her life.

  “Have I done anything to change your mind about this date tonight?” he asked.

  She liked that he seemed so concerned over that. When had anyone ever been concerned about her or her thoughts before? Probably never. Not even her mother.

  “Meaning change it from good to bad? Then the answer would be no. I still feel like a fish out of water being here, but I’m finding it’s pretty easy to look past it when you’re like this.”

  “Like what?” he asked, reaching for her hand and tugging her closer. There were those sparks coming to life again.

  “Charming. Sweet. Touchy-feely.”

  “So you aren’t put off I just reached for your hand and pulled you closer?”

  “No,” she said, smiling. She wasn’t about to admit she’d been hoping for it. That maybe he would have greeted her with a hug or a kiss—even a peck on the cheek—when she got here. She’d been starting to think maybe her idea of a date and his were two different ones.

  “Good. Because it’s taken a lot of strong will to not do this,” he said right before he inched closer and placed his lips on hers.

  She was dying inside. Sexy Jace Stratton was kissing her. Not deep and rough, but soft and sweet. Feeling his way around almost like he was afraid she’d push him back.

  There were no thoughts on her mind at all of pushing him back, but she wasn’t going to come across like she’d put out on the first date either. She’d never done that a day in her life and she wasn’t about to now...regardless of how well he kissed. Holy cow he had some magical lips on him.

  Just when she was getting ready to wrap her arms around his neck and cling on tight, he eased her back and looked into her eyes. “Still okay?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered. “More than okay.”

  No Clue

  Jace had just been biding his time with Lauren tonight.

  Had he wanted to yank her in and lay one on her while they walked around his apartment? Yeah, he had. The problem was, he could see she was skittish and the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel like a deer with a dog chasing behind.

  So instead he took his time when he’d never done that a day in his life.

  He had no clue how to be in a real relationship. He’d never even wanted to be in one. Yet for some reason he found himself trying really hard with Lauren to do all the right things.

  All the things he’d seen from other people in the distance and secretly wanted to experience.

  He thought he was on the right track with the way her eyes were all glossed over. He’d love nothing more than to tug her into his lap and continue kissing her luscious mouth and maybe even other parts of her body, but he wasn’t going to do anything to push her away. He was positive that could happen if he made one misstep.

  “We have about forty minutes before it’s dark and the fireworks start. Tell me about yourself.”

  “You’ve asked me that before,” she reminded him.

  “And you’ve said very little. I know you just graduated from college. I know where you grew u
p and that your mother moved to Florida with some guy right before you graduated.”

  “That about sums up my life,” she said, laughing. It wasn’t a funny sound.

  “Come on, don’t be shy. We’ve all got skeletons in our closet.”

  “What more do you want to know? I’ve been poor most of my life, which I’m sure you easily can figure out. My mother never wanted to be alone and the fact she had a child at home didn’t count. She wanted or needed a man in her life and just went from one to another trying to fill a void that won’t ever happen because she always thinks there is something better out there.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. It was amazing to him that they shared that. That neither of them had a parent around, and it didn’t make a difference in regards to the social standards they’d come from.

  “Don’t be. It’s in my past. I don’t want to live that life. We moved around a lot. Either rent didn’t get paid or we moved in with her boyfriends and then when they broke up, we were back looking for a place again. Let’s say I saw all the things I’ll never do. That’s the only reason I’m telling you this.”

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Plan my life around a man. Put all my eggs in one basket. Not have a backup plan or at least be able to support myself. I’ve been relying on myself for most of my life and I like it that way.”

  “Do you? Or are you just used to it?”

  “Probably a little bit of being used to it since I don’t know another way.”

  “I guess we have that in common too.”

  “What’s that?”

  He wasn’t sure he wanted to go into it right now and just said, “Being used to things because you don’t really know of another way. Anyway, you seem pretty together for someone that grew up like you’re describing.”

  “I am. Maybe because I’ve always had my eyes on a goal. I told you I started working young and I put all my money away that didn’t go toward essentials.”

  He wasn’t even going to ask if she supported herself once she started working. He was pretty sure he knew the answer to that and decided not to embarrass her.