Resisting Fate
Page 9
Ben couldn’t concentrate Monday morning, knowing Missy would be showing up at one o’clock today. There was work to be done, of course. He and Logan had to keep up with their current clients, figure out marketing for after the holidays to bring in new clients, and they were also setting up investor meetings for January. Checkin was valued at 250 million, and they were looking to raise forty million more to expand with a sales force and even better tech that integrated with some of the older HR systems. They were on the verge, an exciting time for them. Logan’s big brother Jake owned a very successful tech company and had the connections they needed with Silicon Valley investors. Jake hadn’t offered to fund them and they hadn’t asked. Mostly because they didn’t want to muck up family and money. All the guys knew if they asked wealthy Jake for funds for just about anything, he’d step up, but Ben and Logan didn’t want to take the easy way out. This company was all theirs, and they wanted to do it on their own. Kinda like Missy wanting to earn the money on her own to help that family. Another thing they had in common.
Fate.
Get your head on straight!
He drummed his fingers on his desk. His plan was simple—spend these three weeks and two days getting to know Missy as a professional and treating her like a valued employee. The last thing he needed was another disgruntled employee like Ashley. He could not fail. The stakes were too high with the upcoming investor meetings. They couldn’t afford another black mark against him, and he never wanted to let Logan down.
Sex was off the table.
No, it was more than off the table, he would take a vow of celibacy. He shifted uncomfortably. Maybe he should find an outlet for all this pent-up lust. If only he wasn’t so hooked on Missy. Never had a hookup gotten under his skin like she did. Maybe getting to know each other with no sex would lead to some deeper level. Or not. He wasn’t sure how deep he was willing to go in. He wasn’t much for relationships, but this thing with Missy felt different. Hell, maybe they’d end up hating each other after this. Maybe she only wanted sex from him. He could only guess what was going on in her mind. She was practically a closed book.
He had to know more.
He found himself clicking over to the Checkin website, logging in, and entering Missy’s name. Since he couldn’t stop thinking about her, might as well find out more. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t do the same for any temp employee. That was the whole point of Checkin—background checks for short-term employees. Though more and more companies were taking an interest for all new hires. He’d already Googled Missy after they’d hooked up and hadn’t found much on her, just the basics—phone number and address. Bingo. She’d been married before to Louis Braxton, divorced three years later. Geez, she’d been young when she got married, right out of high school. Maybe she’d been pregnant. Maybe she had kids. Maybe the money she was trying to earn for the holidays was for her own family. What was her deal?
She was thirty, a year younger than him. No criminal record. Clean driving record. Several name changes—Carson, Higgins, Braxton, Higgins. Maybe Carson was her name before she was adopted. He wanted to know more.
A hand slapped down on his desk, making him jump. “I want those reports by five p.m. sharp!”
He met Logan’s very amused brown eyes, his own cheeks burning from being caught snooping. “Asshole. When ya gonna shave, huh?” Logan sported a neatly trimmed light brown beard and mustache, going all hipster on him. He took after his blonde beauty queen mom, the only Campbell brother with light brown hair, the rest of them had dark brown, and he had her narrow nose that tilted up at the end like a ski jump. A pretty boy jock—his features too perfect—turned techie hipster. Women loved to gaze upon Logan, but he was never serious with anyone, still stuck on his college girlfriend. The one who got away.
“You look guilty as hell.” Logan rushed behind Ben’s desk to peer over his shoulder. “Whatcha looking at? Porn?”
Ben slammed his laptop shut. “Nothing. Just work.”
Logan nudged his shoulder. “Come on. Share the wealth.”
“Whadda ya want?”
Logan walked back around the desk and took a seat in one of the cushioned chairs. “Bud, you need to get laid if you gotta look at porn on a Monday morning. Must’ve been a rough lonely weekend. Your hand tired?”
Ben gritted his teeth. It had been a rough weekend. After he’d seen Missy at the mall, he’d spent the rest of the weekend flooded with memories of their wild hookup. He wanted her more than he had before they’d hooked up, and now that he’d done the right thing, offering her a job when she needed it most, his stupid libido had ramped up even more. Like knowing he couldn’t have her made him want her more. This was what happened when you took the high road—you suffered.
“How’s your sweetheart?” Ben asked just to annoy him. That was what Ben called Sabrina ever since Logan claimed she was too sweet for him. She worked in the office downstairs for her relationship counseling practice. Logan had lunch with her sometimes, but insisted, despite their obvious compatibility—the woman laughed at all of Logan’s stupid jokes—that they were just friends. Her kind of sweetness—all quiet, doe-eyed compassion—was the exact opposite of what Ben looked for in a woman. Way too much energy required to keep from hurting her tender feelings. That was one of the things he liked about Missy, a tough practical woman, as matter of fact about sex as he was.
Don’t think about it! Keep your head in the game.
Logan grabbed Ben’s stapler, pulled the top up and fired a staple at him that bounced off his shoulder. “I got us a meeting with Elias Gold.”
“No shit? That’s great!”
“Yup. January’s going to be huge for us. Just watch, all the big-money investors will fall in line once they hear he’s interested.”
He leaned across the desk and they slapped hands in a hearty handshake. “Fucking awesome. When did this happen?”
“Ran into him in the city this weekend at one of Claire’s charity things. Jake talked us up; next thing I know, Elias’s assistant emailed me this morning to confirm.” Claire was Jake’s wife, a movie star moving in elite circles.
“It’s early there, isn’t it?” Ben asked. Elias was based in California.
“He stays on East Coast time to keep up with the stock market, so his assistant does too.”
They grinned at each other.
Ben drummed his fingers on his desk, still smiling. “It’s really happening.”
Logan set the stapler down and jumped up. “It really is. When’s Missy coming in? I’ve got a huge data-entry job for her. You think she can do some accounting too? I want to start pulling the numbers for our meetings next month and put that all together with some cool graphs of our rise to the top.”
Ben shifted uneasily. Logan had agreed by text yesterday to hiring Missy no questions asked because he trusted Ben’s judgment. Plus he knew her from a few parties. “I have no idea,” he admitted. “You can ask her. She’ll be here by one.”
Logan stared at him for a long moment. “Are you telling me you hired an admin and you don’t even know what her skills are?”
“She’s been an executive assistant for years. I’m sure she has lots of skills.”
Logan put his palm out, wiggling his fingers. “Lemme see her résumé.”
Ben cleared his throat. “I, uh, didn’t ask for a résumé.”
Logan’s brows shot up. “Our whole company is based on looking into employees’ backgrounds and you didn’t even get the basics?” He jabbed an accusatory finger at him. “You want her!”
Ben fought to look innocent. He’d never told anyone he’d hooked up with Missy. “She needed a temp job and we needed a temp.”
Logan shoved a hand through his hair. “You fucking horndog. Keep it in your pants, I mean it. We’ve got a lot of work to do before January.”
Ben clenched his jaw. “I’m keeping it professional. I know we can’t afford another mark against me.”
Logan gave him a sympathetic look.
“I won’t let you down.”
“I know.” Logan headed out, slapping the doorframe overhead before saying over his shoulder, “Next time I’m doing the hiring.”
~ ~ ~
Missy headed upstairs to Checkin, her new office gig, with no small amount of trepidation. She and Ben had agreed to keep it professional, which was totally the right thing to do, but she knew it wouldn’t be easy to deny the attraction. She couldn’t say she regretted their hookup, it had been fantastic, but it did leave her with a longing for more. Ugh! No, absolutely not. Giving in to the attraction would only lead to something deeper because somewhere along the way she’d moved past lust to real respect and admiration. How many men would be caught dead at a craft bazaar buying a handknit Christmas sweater on behalf of their grandmother? Or spend their Thanksgiving cheerfully working at a homeless shelter? He’d even helped out a stressed-out elf at the mall, offering her a much more respectable gig. She tried not to think too hard on her short-lived career in elfing.
No, a relationship was out of the question. No man was trustworthy. Hadn’t she learned that lesson the hard way, over and over? First with her ex-husband, then with her work at the women’s shelter and the crisis hotline, and then with the married Matt. She’d promised herself to deal with men on her own casual terms, a vital part of her plan to stay safe. Part of being a survivor was knowing when to cut ties that could leave lasting damage. After this temp job, she and Ben would go their separate ways on friendly terms.
Their door was unmarked, but the only other upstairs door had a small sign for a Reiki practitioner. She opened the door to a large space with a white round table in the center surrounded by six white swivel chairs. A makeshift kitchen stood in one corner behind a single cubicle wall. Three offices with glass walls faced the central space, with their doors wide open.
She walked farther in, peeking in the first spacious office, where Ben sat behind a modern L-shaped desk with a light natural wood finish and metal legs. He wore his usual long-sleeved Henley and jeans, which fit with the casual tech culture she was used to back in Seattle. She’d worn business casual—navy blue cardigan over a white button-down shirt with dark gray pants—aiming for professional to set the right tone from day one.
He stood abruptly. “Hey, you’re here. Let me give you the tour.”
“Ah, okay. I think I saw most of it when I wandered in here. Don’t you lock the door?”
He crossed to her, close enough for her to breathe in his scent—warm spice, leather, and man. “Why would we lock the door?”
She turned and walked back to the open center of the office, already tempted having him close. “What if you go out to lunch and someone steals all the laptops?”
He stood next to her, brows drawn together. “You’re paranoid. It’s downtown Eastman. There’s just people shopping or eating at the diner across the street.”
He headed over to the kitchen corner and she followed, looking her fill at his broad back, remembering the play of muscle under her hands. Professional, I am a professional. She shifted her gaze to the back of his neck, still too enticing, and on up to his short-cropped hair that had felt surprisingly soft.
“They have a police department for a reason,” she said belatedly.
“So we’ve got all your basics—” he gestured around him “—coffee maker, microwave, mini fridge. Logan keeps frozen Snickers in there. Eat them at your own risk.”
“Because they’re old?”
“No, because I don’t like to share,” Logan said cheerfully, stepping into the small kitchen space with them. Logan was the best looking of the Campbell clan, in her opinion. All of the Campbell brothers were of the tall, athletically inclined variety, but there was a male beauty in his face that was movie-star quality. Warm brown eyes were highlighted by his short light brown hair and sexy beard, his features perfectly symmetric, even his nose was cute. Add in his warm easygoing nature and she was sure he had women throwing themselves at his feet. Not her, though, she liked a man with a bit of an edge, the kind that didn’t need sweetness and light in a woman.
The kind she’d have a professional relationship with if it killed her.
Logan offered his hand to her, the height of professionalism, even in a long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and sneakers. “Good to have you on board. Can you do accounting, graphs, presentation software, data entry, and filing?”
“She just got here,” Ben snarled.
“Well, I didn’t see her résumé,” Logan replied with some bite.
“Yes to all of that,” Missy said to Logan.
“Awesome, we can get started right away.” Logan gestured to follow him. “Come on.”
“I’m giving her the tour,” Ben said through his teeth.
Logan grinned and pointed out his version of the tour. “Three offices, kitchen, bathroom, supply closet, done. Missy, I’m not sure if Ben filled you in, but we have some important investor meetings coming up in January, and I’d like to be prepared.”
“Of course, I’ll get started right away,” Missy said.
Ben glared at Logan. “At least let her take off her coat, get situated.”
Both men reached for her coat, and she stepped out of reach, taking it off herself. “Just show me to my desk and I’ll get started.”
Ben turned to Logan and practically growled. “There’s paperwork in my office to get her on payroll.”
“We’ll just cut her a check,” Logan countered. “She’s only here for three weeks and change. Let’s not waste time.”
Her head was spinning as the two men faced off over her for some strange reason. “I’m here to work. Let’s get to it.”
Logan flashed a smile so dazzling she felt herself flush. “A woman after my own heart,” he declared. “Priority number one—work.” He shot a dark look at Ben. “Later.”
Ben grumbled something and then busied himself getting a cup of coffee, so Missy followed Logan out.
Hours later, elbow deep in numbers pulled from reports over the last three years, someone knocked on her open door. She was lucky to have her very own office with a door here and found it much easier to focus on her work. At Marino and Capello Construction and her previous job in Seattle, her desk was out in the open. She hit save. “Come in.”
“Coffee break,” Ben said, walking in with two take-out cups of coffee.
“You went out for coffee? What’s wrong with the coffee here?”
“Nothing. I like to start the week out with the good stuff from Something’s Brewing Café.” He handed her a cup. “It’s their holiday blend. Logan got the peppermint mocha stuff that barely has any coffee in it.” He made a face. “Tastes like a chocolate mint with a pound of sugar on top.”
“It is super sweet,” she agreed. “I love their holiday blend, thanks so much.” She wrapped her hands around the warm cup. Her book club met at the café, and she always made sure she was there early enough to get a coffee before they closed. The Happy Endings Book Club was allowed to meet there after hours because they brought in so much business to the attached bookstore, Book It, both owned by husband and wife Shane and Rachel O’Hare.
Ben took a seat in one of the cushioned chairs across from her. Even with a desk between them, she was overheating just having him in her office. Ridiculous. Not only was he out of reach, the door was wide open and the entire front wall of the office was glass, facing the central meeting area. Nothing was going to happen.
“How’s it going?” he asked. “Logan working you too hard?”
“Not at all. I like to be busy. Things are dead at my regular job. I’m just doing year-end stuff, wrapping up. This is a lot more interesting work. You didn’t tell me you were getting investors.”
He sipped some coffee, watching her over the rim. “We haven’t talked much.”
She concentrated on her delicious coffee, trying not to think of what they’d been doing when they hadn’t been talking.
“Did you get a chance to see Sabrina?” he asked.
“So what’s your deal? You have a roommate or…?”
She tensed. “Why do you want to know?”
He lifted one large shoulder. “Just curious about you.”
“I live alone. Planning on stalking me?”
“I don’t need to stalk you.” He leaned back in his seat. “I keep running into you.”
Fate, she thought but didn’t say, a little surprised he didn’t tease her about it. He was being the professional he’d promised to be. Dammit. She missed warm, teasing Ben. This version of Ben was cordial, but distant. But he did bring her this wonderful coffee on her first day.
She bit back a sigh. “Guess it’s no longer fate that we run into each other since I work here.”
“Mmm,” he said noncommittally. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…” She tried not to fidget, already dreading whatever he was going to say. “I was just wondering if you’d ever lived with someone, like a boyfriend or husband. I’ve always lived alone.”
Husband? Her gut clenched. She did not want to talk about Louis. He was probably holed up in some hovel, all that money he stole already spent on drugs. Just the thought of him filled her with shame. Had Ben found out somehow? He had said he could find out anything on the internet.
“Missy?”
She swallowed hard, heart hammering against her ribcage. “Did you look me up? Digging for dirt on the internet?”
He sipped his coffee. “It was just a question.”
“What’s with the third degree?” she snapped.
He stood, saying calmly, “No need to get worked up. We’re just getting to know each other.”
She took in a slow deep breath. “I have a lot of work to do.”
He tapped her desk. “That you do. Glad to have you here.”
“Thanks.”
He left and she stared at his retreating back, wishing she could take back all her defensiveness. She’d driven him away when he’d just been trying to be a friend. She stared at her wonderful coffee. It wasn’t a secret that she lived alone. But why had he mentioned a husband? That was always a hot-button topic for her. Was it just conversation, or did he know something? Her sister knew about her marriage, and Missy had mentioned in passing to her friends that she’d been married before, giving no further detail other than marriage was not for her. She supposed it was possible word had gotten out. He probably wanted to know more, just being curious about her like he said. She shouldn’t be so paranoid.