“Good. I like a woman who doesn’t care what other people think.” His eyes raked over her. “In fact, I like you, Alana. A lot. I know I’m your boss and all, and if I’m making you uncomfortable, just say the word, and I’ll back off.”
Oh wow, she hadn’t seen that coming. She liked Jaxon, but he didn’t turn her inside out the way Grayson did. “I think you’re a real sweet guy, Jaxon. I do. It’s just—”
“You’re not that into me.” He chuckled. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.”
She winced. “I hope we can be friends? Assuming you don’t have a policy against being friends with your employees?”
“Hell, I don’t have a policy against doing anything with my employees. It’s Gray who’s dead-set against that. ‘Course we’ve never had an employee who looks like you. Makes me wonder if my good buddy will be changin’ his tune about that policy of his.”
The flash of white teeth against his summer tan was arresting. Jaxon really was breath-taking. Too bad Grayson’s image was the one that kept popping into her head. Alana popped the last bite of pizza crust into her mouth, wishing she could think of something, anything, to change the subject. “I don’t think so.”
“You mean y’all have spent time together outside of work and he’s never given you the impression he might be interested?”
Alana was a terrible liar, so she said nothing. She knew her downcast eyes and the heat creeping up her neck gave her away though.
“I knew it,” Jaxon muttered. “I knew there was something between you two. When I walked in on y’all, the tension was so thick I’d have to have been pretty dense to miss it.”
Alana looked up. “If you thought your friend was into me, why did you—”
“Hit on you?” He laughed. “You’re a beautiful woman. I’d love to get to know you better, but…”
Alana raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
“I couldn’t resist sticking it to Gray. It’s not often I see him gettin’ all bent out of shape over a woman. Knowing that we’re here together right now must be making him crazy.”
“I doubt it,” Alana said, reaching for Jaxon’s empty paper plate. “He has Patti, right?”
“Honey, I’ve met Patti, and she can’t hold a candle to you.”
Alana should have been happy to hear that, but she wasn’t. Patti was Grayson’s lover, while Alana had firmly planted herself in the friend camp.
“So about the barbeque… You’re still gonna come with me, right?”
“Sure, why not?”
“I can’t wait to have a little fun at Grayson’s expense,” he said, winking.
Uh oh. Alana didn’t like the sound of that.
***
Grayson was just getting ready to turn in when a knock on his door had him swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He hadn’t ordered room service, which meant it was probably some drunk at the wrong room.
“What do you…?” The question died on his lips.
Patti sauntered past him. The black mini skirt, sheer blouse, and strappy sandals left little to the imagination. Compared to Alana’s classy business suits, it made him wonder how he could have thought Patti’s look was sexy.
“Weren’t you going to call me?” she asked, pouting as she flipped her long red hair over her shoulder. She made her way to the mini-bar to pour herself a drink.
“I guess Tammy told you I was in town?” He shouldn’t have been surprised. Patti’s cousin was one of the best bartenders they had, but gossip was her middle name.
“Of course she did.” She turned toward him with a glass of scotch in hand. “But what I want to know is why you didn’t think to tell me yourself. I thought we had a good time when you were here in March. Did I piss you off?”
That’s what he liked about Patti. She didn’t have any unrealistic expectations about him or their relationship. She was fine with hooking up whenever he was in town, and between visits, she kept herself too busy to call or text, which suited him just fine.
“No, nothing like that.” How could he explain he had a thing for a woman he could never have?
“Then what is it?” Green eyes narrowed, she assessed him carefully. “Have you met someone else?”
Grayson was grateful his phone buzzed. “Excuse me.” He reached for his phone on the night stand. “Jaxon just wants to know what I’m up to.” I’m with Patti, talk to you later. He typed quickly, anxious to be rid of Patti so he could get some sleep before his flight home. For the first time in a long time, he couldn’t wait to get home, and he knew the reason. Alana.
“I’m waiting,” Patti said, tapping her foot. “Do you have a girlfriend now? Is that why you weren’t interested in hooking up with me on this trip?”
“No, it’s just…” He scrambled to find the words to let her down gently. “I’ll be honest with you, Patti. I’m interested in someone else, but we’re not seeing each other. She works for us, at the home office.”
“I thought you didn’t date your employees,” she said, setting her drink down with a dejected frown. “That’s what you told that bartender Tammy works with. Were you just saying that because you didn’t want to go out with her?”
He didn’t want to get into a long, drawn-out explanation, but she obviously didn’t intend to leave until she’d heard the unabridged version of the story. “I wasn’t lying to her. I don’t date our employees.”
“But this girl’s an exception?” She threw her drink back when he didn’t respond and slammed the empty glass down on the table. “Say no more. I get it.” She took a few steps toward him, planting her hand on his chest. “Just tell me one thing—what does she have that I don’t?”
Grayson grimaced. He didn’t want to offend Patti, but he’d never considered her someone he could have a meaningful relationship with. She was a nice girl who liked to have a good time. As far as he was concerned, that’s where it ended. “I can’t compare you and Alana. That wouldn’t be fair to either one of you.” He softened his voice, bringing her hand to his lips. “I think you’re a great girl, and we’ve had a lot of fun together, but I’m just not interested in picking up where we left off.”
“What if things don’t work out with her?”
He had no reason to believe they would, but that didn’t mean he wanted to go back to casual sex either. If Zach and Matt could find the loves of their lives, maybe he could too. “Hon, we both knew this thing between us wasn’t going to evolve into more. My life is in Arlington, and yours is here.”
She pressed her body against his as she coiled her arms around his neck. “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t consider relocating. If I had the right incentive.”
His body didn’t respond as he knew she hoped it would, which was all the proof he needed that it was time to cut his losses and move on. “You’ve told me a dozen times how much you love living in Vegas. You belong here.”
“I thought maybe…” She closed her eyes briefly before looking at him. “I belonged with you.”
The guys had warned him that might happen, but he’d assured them Patti knew the score. They’d never talked about being exclusive, but now that their time together was coming to an end, she seemed prepared to pull out all the stops. He kissed her forehead. “I’d like for us to be friends. Just because we’re not sleeping together anymore doesn’t mean we can’t still see each other when I’m in town.” He was trying to placate her, hoping he could ward off the tears gathering in her eyes.
“What would your girlfriend think of that? Wouldn’t she get angry?”
“I told you, Alana’s not my girlfriend. She’s just a woman I’m interested in.”
“I don’t get it,” she whined. Stepping back, she fisted her hands on her hips. “You’re not even sleeping with her, and you’re telling me you can’t sleep with anyone else?”
“I’m telling you I don’t want to sleep with anyone else,” he said softly. He couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. Whether his beautiful accountant
realized it or not, she had him hooked.
“Then I guess there’s nothing I can say to change your mind?” She kissed him on the cheek. “My 30th birthday is next month. Tammy reserved the V.I.P. lounge at High Rollers for my party. Think you’ll be able to make it?”
“I’ll do my best.” He couldn’t promise he would fly in for the occasion, but he would at least send her flowers.
“I hope she appreciates you,” she said with a sigh.
He walked her to the door and kissed her hand before she stepped into the hall. “Good-bye, Patti.”
Chapter Ten
Alana was nervous about seeing Grayson at the barbeque. She couldn’t help but wonder whether he would be bringing her back with him. Or maybe he would have another beautiful woman on his arm.
“Hey, what’s on your mind, gorgeous?” Jaxon asked, linking arms with her as they made their way into the backyard of Zach’s home. “You’ve been pretty quiet since I picked you up.”
She couldn’t tell him she’d been thinking about Grayson. “I guess I’m just a little nervous about meeting your partners. So far, I’ve only had a chance to meet you and Grayson.” Even saying his name made her stomach clench. How would she react when she finally saw him? Would he know that she’d lost sleep thinking about him?
“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Jaxon said, chuckling. “The rest of the guys are gonna love you as much as me and Gray do. Well, except for Zach and Matt maybe.”
She frowned, wondering if she’d missed something. “Why wouldn’t they like me?”
He laughed, squeezing her hand. “They’re both married. Their wives would kill them if they looked at you the way I do.”
Alana blushed. Jaxon was a shameless flirt. “You’re too much, Jaxon.”
“I am, you know.” He winked. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
She dipped her head, hiding her smile at his sexual innuendo. The last thing she wanted to do was encourage him. She smiled at the kids lining up to jump off the diving board. “It’s the perfect day for a pool party.”
“Yeah, we take turns hosting these events. It’s always a good time.”
Alana smiled and waved at the few familiar faces she recognized from the office. That the men considered their employees more like family said a lot about what kind of employers they were. Though they claimed they tried to keep things strictly professional, it was obvious the lines got blurred. The people she’d talked to seemed to count the partners among the best employers they’d ever had, which reinforced Alana’s belief that she’d made the right decision moving there.
“Hey, have you met Gray’s sister yet?” Jaxon asked, pointing to a petite brunette at the buffet table. “She lives just down the street, and she and Rennie, that’s Zach’s wife, have gotten pretty close. Come on, I’ll introduce you. You’ll love Terri. She’s a real sweetheart.”
Alana scrambled to think of an excuse. After the way she’d bailed on dinner at their parents’ place, she had no idea what Grayson had told his family about her. “Um, it looks like she’s busy right now,” she said, referring to the man Terri was talking to. “I can meet her later.”
“No worries. That’s just her husband, Duane.”
Alana didn’t know how that bit of knowledge was supposed to make her feel better about intruding, but Jaxon dragged her across the lawn. She had no choice but to put on a happy face and hope Grayson’s family would like her. She couldn’t say why that was so important to her, but it seemed like the only thing that mattered.
“Hey, you two,” Jaxon said, putting an arm around Terri. “I brought someone I’d like y’all to meet. Duane, Terri, this here’s Alana Holmes. She works in our accounting department.”
Terri tipped her head back to glance at her husband. There was no doubt in Alana’s mind they knew exactly who she was.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Alana,” Terri said, offering her hand with a warm smile. “My brother told us about you at dinner the other night. I was hoping I’d get to meet you.”
Alana returned Terri’s smile as she tried not to read between the lines. Alana didn’t think Grayson was the type to tear her down in front of his family, even though she had reamed him out in public.
“Honey, why don’t you and Jaxon go grab a beer?” Terri smiled at her husband. “I’m dying to get to know Alana better.”
Alana swallowed. She shouldn’t have been nervous about chatting with Terri. Terri had given her no reason to believe she had it in for her.
“You got it,” Duane said, winking at his wife. “Come on, Jaxon. I know when it’s time to shove off.”
Jaxon looked hesitant. “I brought Alana here. I don’t wanna just bail on her.”
Alana could have kissed Jaxon for being so considerate, but she knew she’d have to face the music some time. Best to get it over with so she could try to enjoy the rest of her day. “It’s okay. You go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Terri reached for Jaxon’s arm. “Hey, before you go�� Mama said Gray was out of town this week. Is he gonna be here today?”
Jaxon chuckled. “Last I heard, he was gonna make an appearance, but when I texted him last night, he was with Patti. Who knows whether he’ll be able to drag his butt out of bed today. You know what she can be like.”
Terri rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe he’s still wasting his time with her. Can’t he see her for what she is?”
Jaxon’s lips twitched. “You mean hot? Sexy? Fun? Yeah, those qualities are a real turn-off.”
“Oh, shut up,” she said, smacking his chest. “You know what I mean. If Gray didn’t have two nickels to rub together, that girl wouldn’t give him the time of day.”
“Don’t think your brother doesn’t know that. He may be a lot of things, but naïve sure as hell ain’t one of ‘em.” Jaxon smirked before walking away with Duane.
Terri frowned at Jaxon’s back as she crossed her arms. “I’ll never understand men. Why would they wanna waste their time with a woman who’s only after their money?”
“You got me,” Alana said, pouring herself a glass of sweet tea. “You’ve, uh, met Patti then?”
The other woman’s eyes narrowed with interest. “It’s not like he’s brought her home to meet the folks or anything. A bunch of us went to Vegas for the weekend, and he hooked up with her while we were there.”
“I take it you don’t like her?” Alana shouldn’t have taken so much pleasure in the fact that Grayson’s lady friend hadn’t scored any points with his little sister.
“God no.” Terri wrinkled her nose. “She attached herself to my brother like a leech. I thought someone was gonna have to piss on her just to get her off of him.”
The two women shared a look before they burst out laughing.
Alana knew right then and there she liked Grayson’s sister. “You’re bad. I like that.”
Terri nudged her hip. “So you gonna tell me why the hell you’re here with Jaxon instead of my brother?”
Apparently speaking your mind was a Barrett family trait. Alana preferred someone who was direct instead of someone who sneaked around behind her back and lied to her. “Like Jaxon said, your brother’s in Vegas with his…”
“Leech.”
Alana shook her head and chuckled. “You know I’m dying to know what she’s like. So?”
Terri looked thoughtful as she slipped her sunglasses up on her head. “Well, Jaxon’s right about her being pretty, and I guess most men would think she’s sexy. Tall, slim, red hair, green eyes. You know, the whole package.”
Alana wished she’d poured something stronger than sweet tea. “Huh.”
“She’s the whole package physically,” Terri said, touching Alana’s forearm. “But trust me, that’s where it ends. She has no depth.”
That made her feel marginally better, but Alana wasn’t sure Grayson was looking for a woman with depth. Maybe he was just looking for a good time while he looked for something better. That would never be her.
If she were involved with a man, she wanted to know she was the only one. Not that she and Grayson were involved or ever would be…
“Why do you look so sad?” Terri asked. “I didn’t say something to upset you, did I?”
“No, nothing like that,” Alana said. “I was just thinking.”
“About?”
“I like your brother. He’s a nice guy. I wouldn’t want to see him end up with the wrong kind of woman, that’s all.”
“I heard he messed things up with you. That’s why you didn’t make it to dinner at Mama and Daddy’s last weekend.”
Alana was surprised he had taken the blame for what happened. She’d thought he might have vented to his family about how unreasonable she’d been.
“I hope that doesn’t mean you’ve given up on him.” Terri’s eyes drifted to Jaxon. “I love Jaxon like a brother, but I’d much rather see you with Gray.”
Alana was flattered she’d earned Terri’s seal of approval so quickly, but she wondered how that had happened. “I appreciate that, but you don’t even know me. How can you be so sure I would be right for Grayson?”
Terri smiled. “Call it women’s intuition. I haven’t seen my brother that torn up about a woman… ever.”
“Torn up?” Alana swallowed. Had he really been as upset about their argument as she had been? “Are you sure you’re not exaggerating just a little?”
“Hell no,” she said, reaching for a glass of red wine. “Trust me, I know a messed-up man when I see one, and my brother was a wreck that day. He said you weren’t going to take the job with High Rollers, because he’d been too pushy. What changed your mind?”
Alana’s eyes drifted to Jaxon and smiled at his antics. He was tossing a laughing pre-schooler with water wings into the pool. She would definitely enjoy getting to know him better. She could use more positive energy in her life.
“Please don’t tell me Jaxon’s the reason you decided to stay.”
Alana didn’t realize she’d been staring at Jaxon with a wistful expression. “No, not at all. Your brother was the one who talked me into taking the job. He came to see me after he left your parents’ place that night. He said he’d like to start over, that even if we couldn’t be friends…” She cleared her throat delicately. “Or more, he still thought I’d be a valuable member of their team. He promised if I was uncomfortable reporting to him, I could go to Jaxon instead.”
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