by Ali Parker
“He was nice,” I said out loud. “And sexy. And sweet. And interested in me.”
Groaning, I threw my head back and stared up at my ceiling. It wasn’t often I felt uncertain. Confident was my default setting. It always had been. Whether in business, my personal life, or even my love life, I was always the one in control.
Until Ryan.
What was it about this guy? He just didn’t take no for an answer. I wanted to write him off as a creep and leave it at that, but even as I thought it, I knew that wasn’t true.
Ryan wasn’t creepy. He wasn’t a potential stalker. The only feeling he inspired in me was curiosity.
Shaking my head, I sat up straight and squared my shoulders. Before I could change my mind, I dumped the cappuccino into my trash can and turned to my computer, determined not to think about Ryan again.
As the screen blinked to life, I started to feel like myself again. Typing out an email to my buyers, I kept my eye on the prize. Work. Money. Success.
No man, not even someone like Ryan, was going to distract me from my goals. Smart Cosmetics had been my father’s company, his only legacy, and I refused to drop the ball over a cute guy who bought me a cappuccino.
“Knock, knock,” a voice said from the doorway.
I looked up to see Leslie step inside. Her light brown hair was pulled up into a neat bun on top of her head. She was wearing a light amount of makeup, far too little for what she usually wore. And her clothes could only be described as professional.
“Wow.” My eyes widened. “Look at you.”
“Yeah.” Leslie blushed and held out her arms. “I thought I’d go with the Candice Smart look today.”
“Oh, yeah?” I leaned back in my chair and motioned for her to come inside. “Why’s that?”
“Well …” Leslie hesitated. She sat down, perching herself on the edge of the chair. Crossing her legs gracefully, she placed her fingers on top of her knee and cleared her throat. “I wanted to ask you for a job.”
If anything could have successfully driven Ryan out of my head, it was that.
Blinking, I stared at my little sister as if she’d suddenly grown a second and third head. There were no words to properly express my surprise, so I just stared. Stared and waited for her to explain.
“Listen,” she finally said. “I know this is a surprise.”
“Ya think?”
“Just hear me out, okay?” Leslie begged.
Nodding, I waved my hand for her to continue. “Of course,” I said. “Go ahead.”
“I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately,” she said. “I’m twenty-nine years old, and I’ve never had a real job. I live off you and Mom and … Well, that just isn’t enough for me anymore.”
I raised my eyebrows, both impressed and suspicious.
“Leslie,” I said slowly. “What’s really going on? Are you in trouble? Do you need more money, because if you do, I can—”
“It’s not about the money,” Leslie said quickly. “It’s about me.”
“You.”
Leslie nodded. “Yes.” Throwing her hand up, she jumped to her feet and paced in front of my desk. “Candice, I see how great you are at this. You’re a fucking natural and me? Well, it’s not a real wonder why Daddy didn’t leave me anything in his will.”
“You have a trust fund,” I reminded her. “And the house in the Hamptons.”
“I mean something real.” Leslie sighed. “Something important.”
Opening my mouth, I tried to think of an argument, but nothing came to mind. Leslie was right. Our father, as much as he loved his little girl, wouldn’t have trusted Leslie with anything more important than a dog.
“I hear you,” I said. “But, that doesn’t mean you need to jump headfirst into the business. Find something you’re really passionate about, Les. Start there.”
“I know what I want,” she said firmly. She stopped pacing and turned to face me. “I want a place here. At Smart Cosmetics. Working alongside you, my big sister. There’s no one else I would rather learn from, Candi.”
The compliment was enough to weaken my resolve. My first instinct had been to turn her away, to tell her she wasn’t ready for the responsibility of being my partner. But as I watched her gray eyes fill with emotion, I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint her.
“What department?” I asked with a sigh.
Leslie blinked, surprised. “What? Does that mean …?”
“You can come work for me,” I said simply. “But you have to start small. At the very bottom. Which means, you won’t make much and practically everyone here will be your boss, not just me.”
“Okay!” Leslie’s eyes lit up. “Sure! Great! I can do that.”
“Excellent.” I nodded and sat forward in my chair. “So, what department?”
Leslie frowned. She sat down again and crossed her arms to think. “Is there like a testing department? Because I would be so great at reviewing the new products.”
“Let’s do marketing,” I said simply. “You can intern under Heidi. She’s new, but she knows her shit. You can learn a lot with her.”
Leslie’s eyes narrowed. “How new is she?”
“She’s been here six months.”
“Candice.” Leslie rolled her eyes. “I’ve been around this business my whole life. I can do more than just intern. I know you want me to start small, but this small?”
“This isn’t a negotiation,” I said. “You want a job, I’ll give you one. In marketing. Under Heidi.”
With a sigh, Leslie leaned back and nodded. Her excitement vanished as I talked through the ins and outs of her new position. She was pissed, but she knew better than to argue.
By the time we finished sorting out the details, her eyebrows were pulled together in a scowl I knew all too well.
“Look,” I said, sighing and getting to my feet. I walked around the desk to stand in front of her. “I’m really proud of you for taking this on, Leslie.”
Leslie scoffed. “Are you?”
“Of course.” I bent down so that our eyes were level. “You’ve never shown this kind of initiative in your life. Of course, I’m proud of you.”
“You just don’t trust me,” she snapped.
“It’s not that.”
“Then, what is it?” she demanded.
Standing up straight, I leaned back against my desk. “I just want to make sure you’re serious about this, okay? It’s the same thing I would do with anyone.”
“I’m not just anyone.” She pouted. “I’m your sister.”
“Which is why I’m giving you a chance,” I said. “If someone came in off the street with no experience, no work ethic, and not even a college degree, do you really think I would hire them?”
“No,” Leslie said reluctantly. “No, you wouldn’t.”
“Exactly.”
Inhaling slowly, Leslie rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Fine.” She huffed. “You’re right. I’ll start at the bottom. Under Heidi. But just you wait, Candi. I’ll be running the damn marketing department within the year.”
“That’s my girl,” I teased.
Leslie’s mood improved drastically as I went to sit back behind my desk. We agreed she wouldn’t start with Heidi until tomorrow, so she wasted the rest of the day in my office.
“Whatever happened with Mr. Eye Fuck?” she asked.
With Leslie’s arrival, I had completely forgotten about Ryan. The second she brought him up, my stomach dropped to my feet, and I could feel my cheeks turn red.
“He was at the coffee shop again today.” I shrugged. “Bought me a cappuccino.”
“He did?” Leslie practically jumped out of her skin. “Did you give him your number this time?”
“Nope.”
“What?” Leslie groaned. “God, Candice, what is wrong with you? Did you at least drink the coffee? Tell me you drank the coffee.”
Without a word, I pushed the trash can to the side with my foot. Leslie looked in it, her face falling.
“Damn, sis, you really are hard to get, aren’t you?”
Chapter 9
Ryan
For the third time, I pulled open the door to the coffee shop and stepped inside. It was exactly two o’clock on Wednesday afternoon. Making my way to the counter, I scanned the shop for a sign of Candice. She wasn’t there yet. With a grin, I ordered us each a coffee and went outside to wait for her.
At two-thirty, she finally showed up.
“You’re late today,” I said, holding out her cappuccino.
She took it automatically. “I thought I’d keep you guessing.”
“You certainly did,” I said. “I was worried your cappuccino would get cold.”
“It usually does,” Candice said with a soft laugh. “I’m always too busy to drink it right away.”
“Oh?” My eyebrows shot up. “What do you do?”
Candice hesitated. Her dark brown eyes searched my face. Of course, I already knew the answer to my question, but Candice Smart, owner of Smart Cosmetics, didn’t know that.
“My last name is Smart,” Candice said slowly. “Does that mean anything to you?”
“Smart?” I frowned, pretending to be confused. “No. Should it?”
“Nope.”
Smiling, Candice turned to leave. She sipped her cappuccino as she tapped her way back down the sidewalk. Laughing to myself, I watched her go, excited for tomorrow.
***
“Four days in a row.” Candice clicked her tongue playfully. “Do you even have a job?”
My heart skipped a beat. “Of course.” I shrugged.
“What is it?” Candice asked suspiciously.
“You first.” I challenged. “You never answered my question yesterday.”
Candice pretended not to remember. “Which question was that?” she asked.
“Don’t play coy with me.” I grinned. “You know exactly what question I’m talking about.”
Candice laughed and looked down at her feet. Her dark brown hair fell over her face. When she looked back up at me, my chest tightened.
Every time I saw her, my attraction only grew. Today, she was wearing a simple lavender dress that fell just above her knees. It was tight around her breasts, highlighting her cleavage and making it impossible for me not to stare.
Her body was beyond captivating, but it was her eyes that did me in. Each time they locked on my own, my breath caught in my throat.
Candice cleared her throat and shuffled her feet nervously. “I run Smart Cosmetics,” she finally said.
“Oh.” I nodded, feigning my surprise. “Wow. That’s … impressive.”
“Right?” Candice grinned, confident as ever. “I’m basically a badass.”
“Well, that I already knew.”
Candice laughed, the sound making my stomach do a flip. No matter how many times I told myself that I was only there for work, I could never bring myself to fully believe it.
“I should get back,” Candice said, already turning away from me. “Thanks again for the coffee.”
I smiled. “Anytime.”
“Eventually you’re going to have to stop stalking me, though,” she said with a fake glare. “It’s getting really creepy, Ryan.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” I said, stepping forward.
Candice stopped and eyed me suspiciously. Taking a slow sip of her cappuccino, she turned around to face me head-on.
“All right, I’ll bite,” she said. “What’s the deal?”
“I’ll stop buying you coffee if you let me take you to dinner.”
All the life drained from Candice’s face. Her smile faded, her brown eyes flashing with an emotion I couldn’t place.
Fuck, I thought immediately. Too soon. You freaked her out.
Just as I was about to backtrack, rescind the offer, and crack a lighthearted joke, the corners of Candice’s lips jerked upward.
“Why would I give up the free coffee?” she teased.
Laughing, I tucked my hands into my pockets and tilted my chin up. Candice Smart, the woman who could already throw me off my game.
“Because dinner opens up so many more doors,” I said playfully.
Candice raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”
“Absolutely.” I nodded seriously. “Dinner could turn into a movie, which could then lead to a second date. Then a third. And before you know it, I’m making you coffee at my place every morning.”
“Wow.” Candice laughed lightly. “You really have this all planned out, don’t you?”
“What can I say?” I shrugged. “I like to think ahead.”
Candice considered my offer. She shifted her weight nervously, her eyes darting between my face and her hands. I waited patiently, confident I’d finally won her over.
“If you’re here tomorrow,” she said slowly. “You can ask me again.”
Surprised, I frowned and shook my head. “You’re making an addendum to my deal?”
“Of course,” Candice said slyly. “A good businesswoman never accepts the first offer.”
Without another word, Candice twirled dramatically and walked away. Like all the times before, I couldn’t stop the grin from creeping on to my lips. I stayed still until Candice disappeared from my sight, and even after she was gone, I didn’t want to leave.
If it hadn’t been for Paisley, I would have stayed in that very spot all day and night, just waiting for the chance to see Candice again.
Kason’s voice echoed in the back of my head.
Don’t fall in love, he warned. That’s the first rule of being a Romeo.
I shook off his warning and hurried toward the subway station. Paisley was waiting for me, and besides, Kason was wrong. There was no chance I’d fall in love with Candice.
She was bossy and slightly controlling. Sure, she was attractive and funny, but that didn’t take away from the fact that she was a job. A means to an end. A way to make money and set my daughter up for a better life.
I stepped onto the subway, watching the doors close in front of me. I had nothing to worry about. Candice was a gold mine. A paycheck. And nothing more.
***
Paisley barely looked at me when I picked her up from pre-K. Her eyes stayed trained on the ground as we walked the five blocks home. Stepping through the front door, Paisley tossed her backpack on the couch and stomped upstairs without a word.
Candice had put me in a great mood, and then, just like that, it vanished.
“Pea,” I said softly as I inched inside her room. “Can we talk?”
Paisley shrugged and sat down on her bed. “Sure.”
I walked over to sit beside her. Her bright green eyes were filled with tears as she stared at the opposite wall, still refusing to look at me.
“I know you’re upset with me,” I said.
“I’m not upset!” She crossed her arms across her chest.
Raising my eyebrows, I asked, “You’re not?”
“No.” Paisley shook her head sharply. “I’m not upset. I’m mad!”
“That’s fair.” I sighed and slid closer to her. “Pea, I am really sorry about yesterday. I know you were looking forward to dinner, and I—”
“You lied again.”
Paisley’s words cut through me like a knife. I winced and looked away. Taking a deep breath, I recovered myself and pushed on.
“I didn’t lie,” I said slowly. “When we made plans to get pizza, I didn’t think I had to work. But then I did, so the plan had to change.”
“You promised.” Paisley whipped her head around to glare at me. The first tear fell down her cheek, and my throat filled with fire.
“I’m sorry.” I dropped my eyes to my hands. When I looked at her, she was crying thick tears that didn’t slow. “Sweetheart.”
Pulling Paisley into my arms, I held her against me. My own eyes burned as I fought back a flood of emotions. The older Paisley got, the harder these conversations became.
“I know you’re disappointed,” I told her as sh
e pulled away from me. “But Daddy has to work. If I don’t have a job, then we won’t be able to live in this house anymore. Or go out for pizza ever again. And that would suck, right?”
“Yeah,” Paisley admitted. “That would really suck.”
“Pea, I know you’re too young to understand all of this,” I said. “But one day you will. As much as I want to spend every single second with you, I can’t always do that. Sometimes, I have to be a grown-up.”
“Being a grown-up is the worst.” Paisley pouted.
Tossing my head back, I let out a soft laugh. Paisley cracked the tiniest of smiles, and I saw my window. Diving through it, I wrapped my arm around her and poked her stomach playfully.
“Are you working tomorrow night?” Paisley asked, fear overtaking her brief burst of laughter.
I hated myself for saying it, but I had to tell her the truth. “Yes,” I said. “I have to work tomorrow.”
“No movie night.” Paisley hung her head.
“Oh, we’re having a movie night,” I said brightly.
Paisley’s dark hair whipped around as she lifted her head with a snap. Her green eyes were wide with excitement. I grinned, nodding slowly for effect.
“Oh, yeah,” I said dramatically. “I already have everything set up downstairs. Frozen. Brave. And! Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.”
Paisley frowned. “I’ve never seen that one.”
“You will love it,” I promised her. She stared at me doubtfully. “There’s a huge snake in it.”
With her mouth wide open, Paisley leaped off the bed. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”
She darted across her room and flew down the hall. I could hear her thunderous footsteps pounding down the stairs. By the time I joined her, she was vibrating with energy.
“Popcorn,” I said simply. “We need popcorn. And if you want, I’ll order us a pizza to eat while we watch the movies.”
“Yeah!” Paisley jumped up and down. “Cheese.”
“Would I dare get any other kind?” I teased.
Laughing, Paisley fell back on the couch while I started the movie. Her eyes were so wide, I thought they’d never return to normal. As I slipped into the kitchen to make popcorn, I strained my ears to listen to her small gasps of wonder.