by Larissa Ladd
He joined her momentarily, and, silently, they left together. He was so quiet it put Skyler on edge, and as they neared the café, she asked him, “Do you come here often?”
He shrugged. “I live on the other side of town, so I didn’t really pay any attention to it until I started working here. But according to half the staff, the food is excellent, and I know you’ve been here. I assume you enjoy it.”
“I do.” This was turning into a very odd conversation, but as she eyed the pen in his pocket, she could only think that she’d done a bang-up job last night. It was just too bad that selling her services to those who were desperate for love was morally offensive, though she wouldn’t put it past her mother to do such a thing. “But we could go anywhere. If there’s some place you prefer, I’m more than willing to try it.”
But Chad just shook his head. “No, I’ve been a bit of an ass to you, and I want to do something to show I mean it when I say I want to call a truce. So, we’re going to a place you love.” Skyler wanted to stare at him and ask him if he was feeling okay, but she was well aware of what was going on. Her heart fluttered unprovoked at the idea that this gorgeous man was already falling in love with her. She reminded herself that her feelings weren’t real, only brought on by her own incantation and subject to Chad’s response. Apparently, his feelings were building quickly and becoming incredibly strong.
With a hesitant smile, she told him, “I appreciate that. I would love to start over, see if we can’t work together amicably.”
He opened the door for her and followed her in. She didn’t realize how close behind her he was until she felt his breath on her neck when he spoke. “I’m sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.” A chill ran down her spine, and instantly, the image of him breathing intimate words against her neck as they lay together in bed, him on top of her, inside her as she writhed beneath him, popped into her head.
How was she going to sit through this lunch, looking across the table at him when all she could think about when she saw his face was crazy, passionate sex? Swallowing hard, she tried to ignore the words and just go with the flow. But she was definitely hot and bothered. As they took a seat, Skyler was too nervous for idle chit-chat. She glanced at the menu and fidgeted, using breathing exercises to calm herself enough to discuss business and see what happened.
Once they’d ordered, Chad found a way to break the ice. “I have to ask, do you always eat this light, or are you just embarrassed to fill your stomach in front of me?” His eyes danced with mirth as he eyed her and the salad she’d ordered.
Skyler rolled her eyes as she pushed the lettuce around in the bowl. “You know, I don’t usually have a huge appetite at lunch. Now, breakfast can be a large affair, and at dinner, I usually eat enough for two. But I try not to let anyone know about my eating habit because then I get funny looks, like everyone is just waiting for me to explode into some fat cow. It’s never going to happen, though, I can guarantee that.” She knew she was rambling, but she could tell she had Chad’s rapt attention.
“That’s an interesting fact I wasn’t prepared for. I guess we’re all human after all.” He chuckled, but Skyler tensed. Human, perhaps, but not mortal. He’d hit too close to home, and it took a moment for her to recover. What if he found out what she was? There was a code, a secrecy that forever surrounded their practice. He continued, “Even so, I don’t expect you to balloon out. You look fabulous, and with your ego, I doubt that will ever change. You’ll be the hottest ninety-year-old woman in history.”
Well, there was confirmation of attraction, at least. She let herself blush as she told him, “That’s the goal. I see you as one of those men who ages so gracefully that you only get sexier as you get older. Eventually, you’ll walk down the street and have women bowing at your feet for the chance to wash them.”
He laughed. “I’m no messiah. But thank you for the compliment.”
Finally, she felt confident enough to open the folder, pushing the top copy of her article toward him. “So, this is why we’re here, right?” She took a deep breath and lied, “Listen, I have a final copy with the changes you requested, but I wanted to talk about the original. I got your notes on what to change, but I wasn’t sure why some of those notes were there.” She gave him a pleading look as he took hold of the pages, lifting it to read the print as if it were new material.
She was silent, eating her food, while she waited for him to reread the entire document. Chad’s scowl faded slightly as he came to the end, and when he put the paper down on the table, he looked across the table at her with serious eyes. “I’d say it was perfect the way it is, but I’d be lying. At the same time, I think I made a mistake trying to change it so much. After all, you have loyal readers, and that’s because you have a distinct voice. People with recognizable writing like yours make bank for a publication, and I think that I was looking for dollar signs based on the wrong belief of quality. After all, in this case, the quality isn’t in diction and perfect prose. It’s in that voice that attracts people to you. You are quite talented, and I apologize if I said anything to make you feel otherwise.”
Skyler just stared, dumbfounded, trying to find the wherewithal to respond and having extreme difficulty. She stuttered, “I . . . so, what are you saying?”
He shrugged. “I want you on staff, Skyler. I don’t want to lose perhaps our most valuable writer. So, I’m going to let you write your articles your way and stop asking so much in terms of changes. Granted, I might make a small suggestion here and there, but I respect you enough to give you a lot more leash than I’m allowing anyone else on staff.”
“I’m flattered,” she told him, doing a happy dance on the inside. This was heaven, priceless. Skyler couldn’t believe her luck, even if she’d been the one to make it. She wanted to shout about it, brag to the world what she’d accomplished, but she knew she couldn’t. Instead, she was simply going to do herself proud and milk it for what it was worth. “So, we’re publishing the article as-is?”
He nodded. “I can’t see why not. It reads similarly to the other ones you’ve written recently, and the publication’s audience loves your work. Let’s just do that, and I’ll stop being such a jerk. I guess I was a little intimidated by you and the way the world seemed to revolve around you when I first showed up. Now, I understand why it seems that way.” Chad’s expression was adoring, and this time, when Skyler blushed, it was honest.
Chapter 13
Chad couldn’t believe how easily he managed to win Skyler over. She was falling for his flattery hook, line and sinker, even passing it back to him. Actually, a lot of the things she said sounded sincere, and her eyes glowed with excitement, all of which he found somewhat stimulating. If she was really attracted to him, that alone was flattering, and he could really dig his heels in and get everything he wanted.
All he had to do was let her publish a couple of articles the way she wanted while he wined and dined her, and once she had fallen head-over-heels for him—and spent a few nights in his bed—she would be putty in his hands. He could bring her under his reign and sort of just slow down and stop the affair, leaving her in a position to pander to him. At the same time, she’d be so far gone that, should he decide he wanted another night of passion with her, he could lay it on thick and get her right back in his bed, anytime he wanted.
Now, it was time to hit her with a much bigger surprise than allowing her to publish unedited work. He needed to play the role well, and he started twisting his hands as if he were truly nervous. “I was wondering if you’re free Saturday night. I was hoping you might join me for dinner.” He watched her expression and was rewarded with more shock on her face. And, maybe, appreciation? Excitement? He couldn’t place the emotion.
She cleared her throat and showed all of her teeth in the large grin. “Wow, that’s not something I saw coming, but I’m more than flattered. I would love to take you up on the offer. What did you have in mind?”
In all seriousness, this was turning out bette
r than he could have ever imagined. Skyler Duran would be in his bed before he started his second week at this job. Sitting back in his chair, he pretended to consider, giving her a very thoughtful expression. “You said you eat a lot at dinner, so I want to take you somewhere that you can eat your fill, without feeling embarrassed. I don’t want to come off like a cheapskate though by taking you to an all-you-can-eat buffet.” He widened his eyes and smacked the table lightly with both hands. “When was the last time you went to a Brazilian churrascaria?”
She narrowed her eyes. “I think I went there for some sort of birthday extravaganza one time. But it was ages ago. That’s the place where they bring around the different types of steak, all you can eat, right?”
“Exactly. The place is classy and still assures you a full stomach, with the beautifully flavored variety of meat as well as a trussed up buffet bar for sides and desserts. I have a feeling you get a sweet tooth now and then.” Even as she continued eating her food, Chad could sense that she was on the verge of drooling at the thought. He prompted her, “I also think you are the type of woman who knows good steak. So, you should be in heaven at this place.”
“That sounds amazing.” She looked away, her shoulders sagging, and Chad couldn’t imagine what the problem was now. “Humor me, and tell me why you’re asking me out on a date.”
He stared at her, unblinking. Skyler was too astute, and he should have known the woman might see through his gesture. But he just smiled and told her, “Who wouldn’t want to ask you out? You are a sexy, intelligent woman with a lot of spirit. In addition, I am a cocky bastard who is brave enough to ask out someone as intimidating and desirable as you.”
“Are you sure it’s not just a way to butter me up so I’m more open to consider your suggestions for improving my columns? It would make more sense, considering how our relationship has been thus far.” She sighed and crossed her arms, pushing her salad away.
Dammit, any other woman would have been dense or desperate enough to just swallow the concern, to ignore that nagging feeling that they were being manipulated. He’d seen it more times than he could count. It was just his luck to have come across the one worthy opponent who would question his motives.
He leaned toward her with elbows on the table. “I take my career very seriously, Skyler, and I’m sure you do as well. Using you like that is too big a risk, especially since relationships in the workplace are often frowned upon from the start. Let’s add into the equation that I’m your boss, in all technicality. I’m in a very tough spot. I would have to be stupid to try and manipulate you in a way that would cause me all sorts of pain and sorrow and even cost me my career when word got out about it.”
She still looked skeptical, and he took her hand in both of his, very intimately. Something about holding the soft, manicured fingers made his body come alive, and he growled at himself internally for the introspective emotional reaction. “I’m asking you out because I am strongly attracted to you, physically and intellectually. Even emotionally, since you seem to feel strongly about everything in your life. I find myself drawn to people with those qualities, and you are a rare find to have all of them.”
Skyler visibly relaxed, staring at their clasped hands, and smiled. “If that’s true, then I’m very excited. And I hope your feelings don’t change after you’ve spent some real time with me. I can be a real pain in the ass, and not everyone can stomach me for long.”
Considering he already wanted to be far, far away from her, Chad couldn’t fathom his feelings toward her changing, except to be reinforced. But Skyler didn’t need to understand that. “I usually know my heart, Skyler. I’m sure you won’t do anything that will change my mind.”
Chapter 14
“Please tell me your mother isn’t going to create a disaster,” Jayden begged, her voice irritatingly whiny. Skyler’s mind was everywhere as she cooked dinner for the two of them. She was running on autopilot as she skittered around the kitchen, and she suddenly regretted calling Jayden after lunch. To be fair, though, if she hadn’t, Jayden would have barged in here anyway, demanding a resolution to her problem. Why was it that everyone else’s problem was her duty to solve, when she was always left to her own devices to take care of her personal issues? It seemed somehow ridiculously unfair.
“I told you, it’s under control. You’re going to love it, actually.” She absently set salt and pepper on the table before going to the oven to check on the meatloaf. It didn’t look like it was getting anywhere. Had she set the temperature too low? “Just trust me. Get a date, and we’ll go shopping this weekend with my mother for dresses.”
“I can’t go to David’s wedding!” she squalled. “I couldn’t stand to watch him marry another woman. What the hell were you thinking?”
Biting her tongue before she said something she would regret, Skyler counted to twenty before replying. “We’re skipping the ceremony, Jayden. I wouldn’t subject you to that. But we’re crashing the reception, and we’re going to eat and drink and be merry, and we’re going to make you a very happy woman.” She raised the oven temperature, growing impatient. “But you need a date.”
Jayden waved her hand and said something under her breath, and there was a popping sound in the oven. Worried what she would find, Skyler opened the door and found her meatloaf perfectly browned. “Thanks, Jayden!”
“You’re welcome,” she grumbled. “I’ll just go with you. There’s no way I can show up to my ex-fiancé’s wedding with an actual date.”
Skyler hesitated as she took the meatloaf out and served it on the table. She wasn’t going to slice it for Jayden; she’d let the girl choose her own serving size. She returned to the steamed veggies she was cooking. “You can’t be my date, Jayden.”
“Why not? We go to events together all the time. Everyone knows we’re just friends. It’s not like they think we’re sleeping together. And if there’s one thing David knows about me, it’s that I really like sleeping with men. There was one time we were role playing and—”
“That’s not the point.” Skyler cut her off, not wanting to hear about their sex life. Silence greeted her, and she turned slowly to meet Jayden’s stunned face and dropped jaw. She turned away, knowing she was about to face the firing squad and not quite ready to come clean about what she’d done.
“Skyler Crystal Duran, if you have a man-friend you haven’t told me about, I’m going to turn your hair a shade of purple that will take you fifty spells to clear out.” It was no idle threat; Jayden had worked such magic before when she was angry. In fact, there were times when Skyler thought she’d found a pinhead of orange tone to the skin on her foot still. “I can’t believe you have a date for a wedding that shouldn’t even be happening. Was it fast work, or did you have someone in the picture already? Or maybe, you’ve been planning to bomb this wedding all along and didn’t bother to tell me.”
“Would you calm down already?” Exasperated, Skyler sat down, realized she hadn’t brought out dishes, and snapped her fingers with a little verse, making them appear in front of her. She was too exhausted today to act like a mortal. She needed a break from normality. “Now, serve yourself so I can eat, and then I’ll try to explain.” Actually, the delay would give Skyler time to sort out what she wanted to tell Jayden and which parts she wanted to keep to herself.
Eventually, though, they both had food on their plates, and Jayden stared at her in expectation. With a sigh, she slumped in the chair. “I don’t have the date for sure yet, but I don’t think it’ll be an issue, considering that he asked me out for Saturday night. I’m sure I’ll have him secured for the wedding.”
“Who? You’re leaving out the most important part.” Jayden was suddenly like a child, bouncing in her seat with anticipation. “I want to know who you’ve wrapped around your finger this time.”
“You sound like an owl,” Skyler complained in a petty tone. “’Who?’” she mocked. But Jayden looked like she was ready to let loose a spell that would shake the information out
of Skyler if necessary. “Chad.”
The confusion on Jayden’s face was priceless. “Who on earth is Chad?” But as she spoke the words, recognition of the name dawned bright on her face, and her eyes grew wide as saucers as she stared at a blushing Skyler. “Chad, your boss, Chad? I thought he hated you.”
“You know that thing in elementary school where if a boy really likes you he does things like pull your hair and call you names on the playground? Then, one day, he gets you around the corner away from the other kids and gives you a peck on the cheek?” Skyler shrugged. “Let’s just say that, maybe, Chad’s a little immature in the way he shows his affection.”
Jayden was all giggles. “I told you not to worry. Everyone falls for you eventually. And that was really fast work, considering it sounded like he was ready to give you the boot.”
“I guess you’re right.” Skyler stared at her plate as she shoveled food into her mouth. “But, you know, I wanted my career to be stable. I didn’t want to look for another job, so I set my mind to it and pushed ahead. It just happened to work quicker than I thought.” It was a modicum of the truth.
But when Jayden said nothing else, Skyler wanted to curse in a long, loud stream of offensive words. Slowly, she looked at her friend from under her eyelashes and saw the narrowed gaze, the knowing half smile. “What did you do?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
The laugh that exploded from Jayden was loud and evil, and it made Skyler jump. She hadn’t seen this side of her friend in a good, long time, and even though she didn’t like the fact it was directed at her, it was good to see Jayden back to her old self. “Skyler, if you don’t tell me the truth, I’m going to unleash a whirlwind that’s going to bring the items you used to spell him straight to me, and then I’ll know exactly how you hexed him. So you might as well save me the trouble and you the cleanup later.”