by Nina Lane
“Good.” Warren nodded, a pleased gleam appearing in his eyes. “You seem to be doing well, Tyler. We’ll get together this weekend, and I’ll give you a check for your work so far. You can bring it over to Sam Corrigan, both as a first payment and a good faith gesture.”
The reminder of why he was working at the library didn’t bother Tyler nearly as much as it once would have. Yeah, he was being punished, but he deserved it. He’d fucked up. But he was fixing his fuck-up.
Though it would take him months to make all his payments, he was starting to find comfort in having a plan. He’d never had a plan before. For the first time in his life, he knew where he’d be tomorrow and the next day. The schedule didn’t seem as confining as it did predictable.
And of course, there was always Kate.
“I’ll text you,” he told his father before moving past them into the bistro. “Hey, I also need to talk to you and Luke about digitizing the collection, especially the old recipes and handwritten journals. It would be great to have everything stored in a centralized database so anyone can access it.”
Julia and Warren exchanged bemused glances.
“That’s a great idea,” Warren said. “We’ll talk about it this weekend.”
And Tyler would be ready. He’d learned more about digital collections in the past week than he’d known his entire life.
He ordered two smoothies, then headed back to the library to both work and wait for Kate.
“So ultimately data analysis drives decision-making.” Miles sliced a cherry tomato with his knife and slipped half of it into his mouth. “But first the company has to improve key metrics to reach its strategic objectives.”
Kate nodded in agreement, though she was only half-listening. Miles ate the way she’d imagined he would—with careful precision and neatness. Not like Tyler, who dived into his food with ravenous pleasure, wolfing down bites and licking his fingers as if he’d never be able to satisfy his appetite.
He fucked the same way. Greedy, hungry, messy. Delicious.
She shivered.
“Are you cold?” Miles glanced up at the clear blue sky. “We can move more into the sun, if you’d like.”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Kate poked at her salad with her fork. “So have you seen any good movies lately?”
“Yes, I saw an excellent independent film at the San Francisco film festival last week.” He patted his lips with his napkin and reached for his bottle of vitamin water. “It was by the German director Reinhold Werner Hollister, and it was a very provocative attack on the gestalt of German cinema.”
Was Tyler in the library right now? Maybe he was grooving to “Hot Chocolate.” She pictured his hips gyrating, his muscular body moving with easy fluidity…
Miles was still talking. Kate snapped her attention back to him. Gestalt. That was important, relevant stuff right there. Much more cultured than ’70s disco music. She was enormously interested in topics like gestalt and zeitgeist.
“That sounds great,” she said, half-wondering if she should get more dressing for her Chinese chicken salad. “What other films were at the festival?”
Miles went on about a few more movies from Russian and Spanish directors. Kate was glad that he didn’t seem to notice she wasn’t participating in the conversation very much.
When he started talking about the conceptual framework of modern cinema, she discreetly reached into her jacket for her cell phone to check the time. Her fingers touched the empty holster. She’d forgotten her cell phone. She never forgot her cell phone.
“Miles, I’m sorry.” She gave an apologetic smile and rose to her feet. “It seems I’ve forgotten my phone. I should get back to my desk and check in with Luke.”
“Oh, okay.” He squinted at her. “This was a pleasure. Thank you for joining me.”
“Thank you for asking me.”
He stood respectfully as she collected her tray and crumpled napkin. Manners, indeed. Though for all his party-boy reputation, Tyler had manners too. He always opened doors for her, stepped aside to let her precede him, and made sure she came first.
Kate choked back a laugh. She had to stop comparing the two men. It was like comparing day and…quiche. The bright, blazing sun of Tyler Stone and the pleasant, if a bit bland, taste of Miles.
Her stomach twisted as she walked away. Much as she loved being warmed in Tyler’s presence, she was fair-skinned and always ended up burning if she stayed in the sun too long. She wasn’t an outdoorsy type anyway, what with all the bugs and mosquitos. Not to mention, she didn’t dance, didn’t eat junk food, and she held a high-level, respectable position in an enormously successful company.
Serious, dedicated Miles, who would be perfectly content to sit at home on weekends, was her tribe. Not party boy Tyler, who’d be out painting the town red with his bros and at least half a dozen hot girls.
At least, she needed to convince herself of that.
With new resolve strengthening her spine, she returned to the office. She found her cell phone on her desk and sent Miles a text: Thanks again for lunch. Let me know if you need any help with the reports.
Her phone buzzed with an incoming text.
T. STONE: What kind of pastry comes with a thesaurus?
K. DARLING: ?
T. STONE: Synonym rolls.
K. DARLING: Cute.
T. STONE: C’mere. I have a large smoothie for you.
K. DARLING: Is that what you’re calling it now?
“Kate?” The door to Luke’s office opened.
She turned. “Yes, sir?”
“Could you come in for a moment, please?” Luke stepped aside and gestured for her to enter his office.
Kate’s heart began a slow sink into her belly. Her boss’s expression, as usual, gave nothing away but usually when he summoned her into his office, she had some idea of why she was needed. Now all she could think about was that between Tyler and the library, she’d somehow let one of her EA balls drop.
“Of course, sir.” She reached for her notebook.
“You don’t need that,” Luke said.
Well, shit. Her notebook was her armor.
She smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt and preceded Luke into his office. Her heart sank a few more inches when she saw Evan Stone sitting in one of the leather chairs. Then it plummeted to her toes when Warren Stone—Warren Freaking Stone—turned from looking out the vast windows.
“Hello, Kate.” Warren crossed the room to her, all corporate presidential in his tailored gray suit and silk tie patterned with candy hearts. “Nice to see you again.”
Kate struggled not to start shaking. Under normal circumstances, she liked Warren and had a good relationship with him, but he could be unforgiving and even a little scary when something went wrong. Which seemed to be the case at the moment, though she had no idea why.
“Have a seat, Kate.” Evan rose from his seat and extended a hand to the opposite chair.
A touch of panic rose in her. Was she about to get fired? How would she explain that to her father? Don’t cry, Kate. Whatever you do, don’t cry.
She sat down and forced a smile. “Did I miss a memo?”
“No.” Luke sat in the chair beside his brother, and Warren took the seat opposite him so they were all in a tidy little square seating arrangement. “We have something we want to discuss with you.”
She’d made a mistake. A horrible one, if it meant two of the Stone brothers and their father had to “discuss” it with her.
Kate scoured her brain for what she might have done, but came up empty. Surely it couldn’t have anything to do with Tyler because Luke would have asked her about that privately, if it were an issue—not ambush her like this.
“How do you like working here, Kate?” Warren asked.
“Very much so, sir.” She gripped the arms of the chair. “I told Luke not long ago that I love my job. I think I’m good at it too.”
“You’re better than good,” Luke agreed. “You’re an exceptional
assistant. I would hate to lose you.”
Kate tried to smile. “Is there some reason you would?”
Evan and Luke exchanged knowing glances.
“We’ve been very impressed with the work you’ve not only done for me,” Luke continued, “but for the other executives at Sugar Rush. Your work with Evan’s Cocoa Bean Team has been invaluable, not to mention your help with the website content and reports for all the global divisions. As a former workaholic, even I’m amazed by how you manage to do it all without letting anything fall by the wayside.”
“And you don’t do it partway either,” Evan added. “You complete all the tasks thoroughly and very well.”
“I like to triple check things,” Kate said, unsure if she should be relaxing a bit or getting more nervous. This didn’t sound like the start of a reprimand, but maybe they were waiting to drop the bomb. “And I’ve enjoyed helping out wherever I’m needed. I’ve learned so much about the company and business in general.”
“We’ve noticed that,” Luke said. “And we’ve thought for a while now that we’re underutilizing you by keeping you in an assistant position.”
Tears sprang to Kate’s eyes, and she couldn’t keep the question in any longer. “Are you firing me?”
The three men stared at her in astonishment. Evan’s mouth even dropped open.
“Firing you?” he repeated.
“What gave you that idea?” Luke asked.
“Well, it sounds like you’re about to get rid of me.” Kate sniffled and tried to discreetly wipe the corner of her eye. “Telling me everything I’ve been doing right before giving me a list of everything I’ve done wrong.”
Luke laughed—not his humorless laugh or his mild chuckle, but his booming, genuine laugh that filled the room with warmth. In response, Kate smiled tentatively, though her stomach still roiled with nerves.
“Kate, we’re not firing you.” Warren picked some papers off the table. “But we do think that at some point, you’re going to realize that what Luke just told you is true. As excellent an assistant as you are, you’re not being utilized to your full capacity.”
“And that’s what we want to change,” Luke added, “before another company lures you away from us.”
“Sir, I’d never leave Sugar Rush,” Kate assured him emphatically. She was so relieved at hearing that she wasn’t getting fired that she’d have accepted a demotion, if necessary. “I care too much about this company and everything it does.”
“Which is why…” Luke took the papers from his father and handed them to Kate. “We’d like to offer you a promotion to the position of Vice President of our new Corporate Social Responsibility division.”
Kate stared at him. His face faded in and out of her vision.
“Excuse me?” she squeaked.
“Sugar Rush has always had a strong mission toward sustainability and social responsibility,” Warren explained. “But with the launch of the Cocoa Bean Team, we want to make it more a part of our corporate infrastructure. The CSR division will continue to ensure that all our candy is made with ethically sourced products, to work with sugar and coffee plantations toward sustainable farming methods, find ways to reduce the company’s environmental footprint, and create education and employment opportunities. Evan is already doing all of that with the Cocoa Bean Team, but we want it to be the driving force behind the whole company.”
“And we want you to spearhead the initiatives,” Luke said. “You know our brand as well as we do, you’ve worked with every department, and you have a strong knowledge of our global strategies and best practices. Not to mention, no one in this company knows how to organize and deploy an agenda better than you do. We have no doubt you could do that very successfully on a global scale.”
Kate was about to cry again, but this time for a very different reason. She blinked hard to keep the tears at bay and tried to scan the job description Luke had given her.
“We don’t want an answer right away.” Warren nodded at the folder she held. “Take your time. Look over all the paperwork, the mission statement. Consider what you like about it and what you don’t like. Think about what strategies you’d use, what goals you’d want to achieve. Write a list of any questions you have. Then we’ll set up a meeting to talk about it more.”
“I don’t know what…” Kate stopped and cleared her throat. These three men were among the most powerful corporate leaders in the country, if not the world. And they wanted her. She’d always known she was good at her job, but to be told that she was meant for so much more, that she could do more…
All this time she’d thought she was so unnoticeable. That hadn’t been the case at all. They had noticed her. Good lord, how they’d noticed.
“Thank you.” A smile bloomed across her face, pride and happiness bubbling inside her. “I’m so honored and flattered. Thank you so much.”
“We’re honored to have you consider it.” Luke stood, returning her smile. “Evan and I will always be available to help you and answer questions, if needed.”
With another round of thanks, Kate shook their hands, resisting the urge to hug them all, before hurrying back to her desk.
Funny how sometimes opportunities dropped right into your lap when you least expected. Even if you didn’t know you were ready for them, the universe believed you were. And sometimes the universe was right.
Chapter
TWENTY-TWO
Kate forced herself to wait until the workday was over before going to the library. Regardless of the magnitude of the offer, she was still—for now, at least—Luke’s EA, and she still had work to do.
At six, she collected her things, texted Luke that she’d see him in the morning, and hurried to the library. Her stomach knotted with anxiety. She wanted Tyler to be happy for her, but his relationship with his family and Sugar Rush was a bit complicated. What if he didn’t like the idea of her being offered a promotion?
She knocked at the library door and peeked inside. He was at the computer, inputting books into the system.
“Hey, Darling.” He turned, giving her a wide heart-stopping grin. “You’re late. I had to drink your smoothie.”
“I’ll forgive you.” She entered the library and closed the door behind her.
“Check this out.” He took a box from under the desk and opened it to reveal a lumpy brown brick. “Eighteenth-century chocolate, courtesy of Stone Confectioners’ history and lab-nerd Spencer Stone.”
“Really?” She peered into the box. “He was able to recreate the recipe?”
“Yeah.” Tyler broke off a piece and handed it to her. “It’s weird because it’s so different from modern chocolate, but it’s interesting.”
Kate bit into the chocolate, intrigued by the gritty texture and spices. Interesting was the right word. But that was part of the whole process—educating people about the history and techniques of chocolate while giving them a chance to sample what it once might have tasted like.
“I also mentioned the idea of digitizing the collection to my father,” Tyler continued. “We’re going to talk more about it. I think all the handwritten stuff should be digitized, at the very least. Maybe we need to start a priority list.”
He grabbed a notepad and started writing. Kate smiled. She loved how dedicated he was becoming to the company’s history, despite her recollection earlier that day of him as a “party boy.”
Shame rustled through her. She’d known for a while now that Tyler was so much more than a party boy. And if anyone was her tribe, it was him—a smart, funny, loyal, crazy-sexy young man with a love for Monty Python and the singular ability to teach her how to have a good time.
“I have some news,” she said.
“Good news?”
“I think so.” She took a breath, her heart rate increasing. “I had a meeting with Luke, Evan, and your father this afternoon.”
Tyler’s expression didn’t change, but a faint tightness lined his mouth. “About?”
“Nothing to do w
ith us.” She went around to his chair and leaned against the desk. “They offered me a promotion. Vice President of the Corporate Social Responsibility division.”
Tyler stared at her for an instant before a smile broke out on his face, lighting his eyes. “That’s amazing, Kate. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Relief spilled through her. “They told me to think it over.”
“What’s to think about? Of course you’re going to take it. They couldn’t have offered it to a better candidate.”
She smiled, sliding her fingers into his thick hair. “You would be okay with me being a VP?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I know how good you are.”
Kate drew her hand down the side of his face. The VP offer had emboldened her, but she realized now that she had been building up her courage to tell him the truth about her feelings for several days now.
“Luke might also be more inclined to listen to a VP when we pitch the historic candy line idea,” Tyler said.
“You still want to do that?”
“Sure.” A crease appeared between his eyebrows. “Don’t you?”
“Of course, but…”
“But what?”
“Tyler.” Kate lowered her hand and gripped her fingers together. “I know I don’t have any fuck buddy experience, but this…this feels as if we’ve not only broken all the rules, but gone beyond the kind of relationship you described.”
His jaw tightened. “For what it’s worth, I never thought of you as a fuck buddy. A friend with benefits, yes, but only because that’s what you seemed to want. I’ve always wanted you to be more than that. I’ve always thought of you as more.”
Her heart skipped. “Really?”
He stood, warmth rising to his eyes. He wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her closer.
“Kate,” he said. “From the second you fell into my arms, you’ve been so much more. More than a friend, a hell of a lot more than a fuck buddy, even more than just a girlfriend. You’re something no other woman ever has been or will be to me.”