by Foster, Lori
* * *
UNLIKE THE LAST time Ben had been here, Titanium Beauty was empty today. He was relieved to recognize the employee standing at the cash register, flipping though a magazine.
“Hey, you’re Chloe’s friend. Josh, right? Thanks for helping us out on Saturday night.”
The other man stared at him for a long, silent moment, then said, “Ohmygawd.”
“I, uh... I’m looking for Chloe. Have you seen her?”
“Ohmygawd! You are not going to believe this, but you just missed her. Like just missed her. She came running back from her break to grab her coat because she was going to find you!” Josh sighed. “I’m living in a rom-com.”
“Do you know where she went?”
“No idea, big guy. She just said, ‘I’m going to find Ben,’ and took off.”
Well, she was either headed to his place or to his work. And since he was not technically allowed on the premises of Carson and McLeod, he supposed that left him only one destination.
* * *
“I’M LOOKING FOR Ben Masterson.”
The receptionist at the posh offices of Carson and McLeod shot her such a bored glare that Chloe half expected her to whip out a nail file, just to perfect the tableau. “May I ask what this is about?”
“I just need to see my... I need to talk to Ben. Is he here?”
The woman sighed and just for a moment there was a glimpse of sadness in her pretty face. “I’m afraid not. Mr. Masterson no longer works at Carson and McLeod.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Mr. Masterson is no longer employed at the firm. I’m afraid I can’t give you any further information.”
“But I have to find him. Did he go home? Is he okay?”
Chloe’s genuine panic seemed to strike a chord with the brunette. Her eyes dropped briefly to Chloe’s chest, and Chloe realized she’d forgotten to remove her name tag. “You’re her. The girl Ben was looking for last week!”
And just like that, she and the secretary were old friends. The woman leaned forward in her chair and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Look, you didn’t hear this from me, but from what I’ve gathered, he got called into Carson’s office this morning to sign all the papers for his promotion to account director, but instead he quit. The big boss men were not amused, and some yelling ensued, but Ben wouldn’t back down. Then he got frog-marched off the property.
“It’s against company policy for terminated employees to talk to anyone on their way out of the building, so when you find him, be sure to tell him Lana misses him, okay?”
“Sure. And thank you.”
“No problem. And killer makeup, by the way.”
Chloe rushed back to the elevator and hit the down button a couple of times in quick succession.
Ben didn’t work here anymore? She worried her bottom lip. Was this because of her? If his bosses had discovered they weren’t really married, that the entire dinner had been a sham, they might have—
The metal doors slid open with a ding, interrupting her thoughts. And then she recognized the lone occupant of the elevator.
Great.
“Chloe?”
Melanie. Looking perfect and lawyerly in a skirt, heels and a fancy black coat with leather trim. Her hair was perfect, her makeup flawless—if a little tame—and she was carrying a freaking briefcase!
Chloe snatched her Titanium Beauty name tag off with undue haste. The magnet that had held it in place slipped down the front of her shirt and bounced on the carpet. She abandoned it in the name of retaining some modicum of cool. “Oh, hey.”
“Hi! What a surprise. I was just dropping something off for my father.”
Chloe shrugged ambivalently, but stepped inside, cursing her horrible timing as the elevator doors slid closed behind her. Her name plate bit into her palm, she was fisting it so tightly.
“I didn’t expect you to come here, now that Ben, well... What are you doing here, anyway?” Melanie asked. Chloe could see the questions in her eyes.
“Ben left something behind,” Chloe said, not willing to admit that she wasn’t his wife and was unaware he didn’t work here anymore. Not to this woman who’d been so condescending. “A pair of cuff links that he really likes. A lot. He thought he might have left them in his desk...when he was, uh, packing his stuff up...and I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I’d check for him. You know. Wife stuff.”
“Of course. Wife stuff.” Melanie dropped her eyes to her briefcase. And then, in a rush she said, “Chloe, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night. I was way out of line.”
Chloe blinked. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that. “No big deal.”
“It was. I’m a lawyer who built a name for herself defending feminism, and the next thing I know, I’m acting like a total bitch to my ex-boyfriend’s new wife.”
Chloe couldn’t have been more shocked if Melanie had punched her in the face. In fact, an elevator brawl seemed a more plausible scenario.
“I was jealous. So I elbowed my way into your home, and when I saw you wearing the ring, the ring he bought for me... Well, we’re very different people, aren’t we?” she asked.
Chloe looked down at her companion’s perfectly manicured fingers, polished in a pale shade of pink. A ginormous engagement ring–wedding band combo glittered on her ring finger. From the man she’d chosen over Ben. Stupid mistake. Because Ben was amazing, and Melanie hadn’t noticed. But Chloe had. And she was going to do something about it. “Yeah. We really are.”
“But I can tell you two belong together. You bring out this side of him, this fearless side.” Melanie laughed, but it was forced. “I mean, do you know how long I tried to get him to decorate his last condo?”
The elevator opened and they stepped into the bustling lobby.
“I acted like a petulant child whose toy had been stolen, and I am not only embarrassed, I’m deeply sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Sure, yes. Thank you.” Chloe nodded, unwillingly impressed with the woman in front of her. “And I’m sorry too. For being a jerk. And for thinking you were a stuck-up bitch.”
Melanie’s chuckle was genuine this time. “I appreciate that. And Chloe? Take care of him. Ben’s one of the good guys.” With that, she turned and strode out of the building and disappeared into the chilly Seattle morning.
It was, Chloe figured, the most grown-up conversation she’d ever taken part in. And it felt pretty damn good. Like she could handle anything.
Including getting her fiancé back.
CHAPTER 17
CHLOE CRAWLED OUT of the cab with several bags of Chinese takeout. She hoped the food might keep Ben from slamming the door in her face. With a deep breath to calm the flipping of her stomach, she walked into the foyer of the building.
She was debating the merits of calling him on the phone versus ringing the buzzer when she remembered she still had his keys.
Here goes nothing. With a deep breath, she let herself into the building.
By the time she got to his door, her heart was a jackhammer in her chest. And not because of her power walk from the elevator, either. She knocked on the door before her nerves could talk her out of it.
The door flew open alarmingly fast. Almost as though he’d been waiting for her. He looked unbearably handsome in the gray suit and blue tie he’d been wearing the first day they’d met. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
She held up the peace offering. “I brought you some lunch.”
Ben’s face fell, and it made her heart squeeze. “Oh.”
He invited her in with a sweep of his hand. She stepped into the familiar apartment—had she really only stayed here for a week? He took the bags of takeout from her and headed into the living room.
So much awkwardn
ess in so little space. This was harder than she’d thought it would be.
“I went by your office to see you,” she said, desperate to break the uncomfortable silence that was stifling them. “Well, your former office, I guess.”
Ben nodded as he unpacked the cartons of food, spreading them out on the coffee table. “Yeah, I quit. I didn’t want to end up being the kind of person who smothers dreams. I’d rather create them.”
He straightened, surveying the boxes that represented about two-thirds of the Mr. Chow menu.
“I’m starting my own company. Masterson Creative Group. I want to help people take their small businesses to the next level, but I’m going to do some consulting for larger firms until I’m solvent,” he told her. “Hotel Burke is looking over my proposal right now. We’ll see how it plays out.”
“What about the cabin?”
“Someone pointed out to me that the real fun is on the lake, not in some swanky cabin.”
“Your father would be very proud of you, Ben.”
He shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal, but she could see his pride in the set of his shoulders and the tilt of his chin. “I think you’re right.”
“I’m really proud of you, too.”
The sudden quiet made it hard to breathe.
“Chloe?”
His voice was soft and low, and for the first time Chloe could remember, he sounded uncertain.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here?”
“I just...there’s something I need to know.”
He opened his arms in a just ask gesture.
“Why didn’t you tell her?” She held up her hand. “Why didn’t you tell Melanie this was your grandma’s ring?”
He shook his head, a slight frown marring his forehead. “I’m not sure. I’ve wondered about that a lot. Especially over the past week.”
“You told me.”
Ben nodded. “I wanted you to know.”
Chloe tried to absorb the words, to force them to make sense. “We’d only just met when you put this on my finger.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t have any explanations for you and me. It shouldn’t work. You said it yourself. You’ve spent your whole life running away from the stuff I’ve been working toward. But we do work. Somehow all that other stuff doesn’t seem to matter.”
Chloe’s skin pricked to life even as she tried to hold her hope in check.
“I’m so sorry I hurt you, Chloe. You’re right. I was trying to impress them because I thought that was the life I wanted. But it’s not. Especially not if it’s going to make me act like a raging douchebag. But I meant every word I said. I didn’t spin anything. I just told them the truth. You are an incredible makeup artist. It’s what you should be doing with your life. And don’t let the fact that I got carried away trying to make some ignorant old fools see how amazing you are cloud the issue.”
Chloe sat heavily on the couch and bit her lip. “Do not make me cry, Masterson.”
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love the mess you’ve made of my bathroom counter. And I love how every time you mention your hair, you pull a piece forward and stare at it, as if you’re judging it for yourself. I love that you chew your right thumbnail when you’re nervous. And I love that you’ve brought color to my living room. And to my life.”
Ben got down on one knee and grabbed her left hand in his, and Chloe laughed through her impending tears.
“I realize we haven’t known each other for very long, but I like you a lot, Chloe Masterson. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m completely and totally in love with you. So will you do me the honor of unmarrying me?”
He slipped his grandma’s ring off her finger, and with it went the pressure and the lies. Chloe’s hand suddenly felt as light as her mood. Although her eyes still stung a little.
Romance was making her soft. And she’d never been happier.
“I love you, too, Masterson. And I’d be honored to unmarry you.”
His lopsided grin stole her breath. “Then it’s settled. We’ll start over.”
She crinkled up her nose. “Like in all the girly movies?”
He grinned at the reference. “Just like that, Latoya.”
“C’mere, Julio.” She fisted her hand in the crew neck of his T-shirt, tugging him closer.
“Careful. This T-shirt cost an obscene amount of money.”
“I’ll bet it did,” she said, breaching the space between them to touch her lips to his. To kiss Ben like it was the first night, when nothing was hanging over their heads except possibilities.
And great sex.
He stood up, pulling her to her feet, and then right off them and into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he started walking them toward the bedroom.
“So, listen, I don’t usually mix business with pleasure, but as the owner of a struggling start-up, I could really use a client who’s poised on the brink of success.”
He set her down in front of the bedroom.
“Makeup by Chloe is a business built on integrity. We frown on nepotism. You’re going to have to really wow me if you want the job.”
“Okay, picture this—a campaign with the tagline ‘Kiss and Makeup.’”
“You make a strong case, Masterson.” Chloe grabbed Ben’s hand and tugged him into the bedroom. “I think we should definitely get started on that right away.”
* * * * *
ISBN-13: 9781460386163
Kiss and Makeup
Copyright © 2015 by Taryn Leigh Taylor
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Don’t Tempt Me
by Lori Foster
HONOR BROWN WASN’T USED to eating with three men. It astounded her how fast the pizza got devoured. But then, she’d pretty much inhaled her own slice, too. Working up a hunger through unpacking all her belongings, it seemed, overshadowed other concerns—like feeling self-conscious and knowing she was an intruder despite her new neighbors’ efforts to put her at ease.
They all chatted easily, except for Jason who seemed introspective. He’d gone from staring to teasing, to warning, and now quiet.
At first she’d worried that she might have offended him. But how? Not by asking that he wear a shirt, because that was a request he’d ignored.
The man was still half naked.
And it couldn’t have been from accepting his help unloading her furniture, because he was the one who’d bullied his way in and insisted on…being wonderful.
She rubbed at her temples. When she’d imagined neighbors, she’d never imagined any like these.
“You okay?” Jason’s nephew Colt asked.
A fast smile, meant to reassure the
teen, only amplified the headache. “Yes. Just a little tired.”
“She works too much.” Lexie shoulder-bumped her. “I’ve tried to get her to play a little, too, but she’s the original party pooper.”
Lexie, at least, seemed right at home. But then she always did. Confident, beautiful and fun—that described her best friend.
They were polar opposites.
As if she’d known the guys forever, Lexie had heckled Hogan, teased Colt and praised Jason. Repeatedly she put her head back and drew in deep breaths, closing her eyes as she did so. Honor understood that. It was like being in a park with the scents of freshly mowed lawn, earth, flowers and trees all around them. Jason’s backyard was a half acre, same as hers. But while hers was nearly impassable with weeds, his was park perfect.
A gigantic elm kept them shaded, and with the help of an occasional gentle breeze, the summer day became more comfortable. Honor glanced around at the neatly mulched flower beds, the velvet green grass and the well-maintained outdoor furniture. His garage was spectacular, matching his house. Every so often she caught the faint scent of oil, gasoline and sawdust.
She also smelled sun-warmed, hard-working male. Not at all unpleasant.
“Where do you work?” Colt asked.
“She’s a stylist,” Lexie offered. With a nod at Jason, she said, “Honor could do all sorts of amazing things with your hair.”
Honor choked on her last sip of Coke.
Unaffected, Jason ran a hand through the dark waves. “I have a barber, but don’t make it there as often as I should.”
“He’s always working,” Colt said. “He’s usually out there in the garage before Dad and I even get out of bed.”
“Good thing messy looks so sexy on him, then, huh?”
Colt laughed. “If you say so.”
“I do.” Lexie half turned to face the garage. “You guys have a lot of vehicles.”
“The blue truck is mine,” Colt told her. “Dad drives the motorcycle. Or when it rains, he takes the Escort. Uncle Jason has his own truck, the red newer one, and the gray SUV. The flatbed truck he uses for deliveries.”