by J Cartwright
Contents
Not Just Business
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Other Work
Not Just Business
By J Cartwright
Copyright © 2020 by J Cartwright
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Written by J Cartwright
Chapter 1
Emma
Letting out a long sigh, I pulled up in my car outside of the cafe where I’d arranged to meet my boyfriend, Brad, my body tired from a long day at work.
What I needed right then was a coffee and a chance to unwind and relax, and even though things between us had been strained recently, I was looking forward to spending some time with him.
We’d been together for just shy of a year now, and that spark that had once burned bright between us, had gotten a little dull. I wasn’t sure when it had happened, but recently Brad seemed more interested in his phone than he was in me.
Climbing out of the car, I tried to shrug off the nagging feeling.
I liked the guy, and this was just a blip. Couples went through dry spells right?
Brad came from a pretty wealthy family and he was hot as hell, just two of the things I’d been drawn to when we’d first met. He knew how to turn on the charm, and he’d hooked me right from the word go.
Lately however, that charm had all but faded.
As I walked into the cafe, I spied him sitting at a table not far from the entrance, face buried in that damned phone as always.
What’s so interesting? What is it that he’s always doing with the thing?
Part of me wanted to march on over there and knock it out of his hands, but I knew that wouldn’t go down well. His fathers business demanded a lot of his attention, but Brad seemed more than a little eager to dive in feet first, completely forgetting about me.
When we’d first got together he hadn’t taken a hugely active role in his fathers business, but over the past few months he’d taken on more responsibility. I didn’t mind at first, but now it was getting obvious how much more he seemed to love his work than he did me.
“Hey you,” I said warmly, breaking him from his concentration.
Brad turned those gorgeous blue eyes on me and smiled, his lips forming a tight line when he saw me. It was definitely forced, and straight away I could tell that something was bothering him.
“Something wrong?” I asked when he didn’t say anything. “You look pissed off.”
Shrugging those huge shoulders, he leaned forward, placing his phone down on the table.
“Grab a seat Emma, we need to talk.”
Oh great! Here it goes.
To be fair to the guy he was pretty much straight to the point, breaking up with me right there and then, his phone constantly buzzing. It was relentless, and as he tossed our relationship away, I wasn’t sure what bothered me more, him or his phone.
I just sat there in silence, staring across the table at him as the jerk broke up with me, and then he was standing up to go.
“You gonna be OK?” He asked, forcing a smile as he looked down at me.
Glancing up at him I just nodded, not trusting my voice not to break.
“I guess I’ll see you around then.”
Without another word he was gone, leaving me there to dwell on our shattered relationship.
After a short drive home and a little cry in my car, I was back at my flat. I should have seen this coming, but I guess I just didn’t want to accept it.
Yeah, things weren’t great between us, but we’d had some really fun times together. Brad was a lot of fun when he wanted to be, although I should have seen all the warning signs and got the hell out before he had a chance to dump me.
“I can’t believe he broke up with you in public like that!” Karla said, pouring me another drink. “The guy’s a serious jerk! I never liked him.”
She wasn’t lying about that last bit. Karla was my roommate and one of my best friends, but she’d never gotten on with Brad. She hated how up himself he could be, another warning sign I should have taken note of early on.
“To be fair it was pretty short and to the point,” I sighed. “Like most things with Brad I guess…”
Karla raised an eyebrow and then laughed, handing me my drink. “Do tell!”
“No way am I getting into that,” I giggled.
Folding her arms across her chest, Karla stared at me, knowing all too well that I’d spill sooner or later.
“OK, OK,” I sighed in mock defeat. “You got me. Let’s just say it didn’t take Brad long to finish up in the bedroom.”
“Yeah? He didn’t seem like the kinda guy who gets the bed rocking,” she laughed, slumping down on the couch beside me. “Shit girl, when was the last time you had a good time? You’re better off without him.”
She was right, but right then it was hard to see.
“I guess so, but we had some really good times together.”
Her arm slipped over my shoulders, the warmth of her body a comfort beside me.
“I know, but you deserve someone who really rocks your world Emma. You’re an absolute catch and any guy would be lucky to have you.”
“Maybe, but I’m done with guys for now. No love, no relationships, just some damned good times!”
“There’s my girl! When do we start?” Karla laughed.
Clinking our glasses together, we both talked about all the things we could get up to, all the bars and clubs we hadn’t been to in months. We’d both grown out of it, but I needed to let my hair down and unwind.
Even if Brad hadn’t been the guy for me, it still hurt like hell to lose him, to lose out on any chance of a future. I was definitely done with guys, at least for a little while anyway.
I needed to just chill and have a good time, to meet someone who really could rock my world, just like Karla said.
It had been far too long since anyone had taken my breath away, since anyone had made me scream the house down.
Brad was hot, but he definitely seemed a little clueless in the bedroom. There was nothing hot and heavy, no toe curling or eye rolling, just a quick and messy exchange that always left me wanting more.
As much as I was hurting after the breakup, I was also craving something fun. I just wanted to enjoy myself and live a little, to throw caution to the wind for once.
“You know what I really want?” I said absentmindedly. “Some good casual fun, something to take my mind off what a screw up this last year’s been.”
“Sounds good to me,” Karla giggled. “I can’t remember the last time I had something like that!”
“Well that settles it, you and me, we are gonna go out this weekend and have
some fun!”
Karla grinned at me and we both finished our drinks before heading to bed. As much as I was eager to be out and having a good time, I knew deep down, that when the time came, I’d probably just want to cuddle up beneath the sheets and get an early night.
Wondering when I’d grown up, I got ready for bed, wishing that for once in my life I would do something a little wild and daring. It just wasn’t in me, but I was determined to make the change.
Chapter 2
Taylor
“No, absolutely not,” I told Jamie for the hundredth time. “This place is an absolute mess right now and I do not want to create a bad first impression.”
He nodded enthusiastically, but I had the distinct idea that he wasn’t taking it in.
Sighing, I closed my eyes and counted to ten.
“Look, I get that you’re eager to make a good impression and everything, but trust me, having your client over here is not a good idea.”
Our office was an absolute shambles right then and the last thing I wanted was for our clients to see us in such a state. We’d moved in recently, and between recruiting a new team, training them, and getting the place set up, we were more than a little chaotic.
“Trust me, taking them out somewhere a little calmer will help you to close the deal, but having them here will only make them think we can’t handle their business.”
Jamie nodded, the truth of it finally setting in.
“Thanks Taylor,” he said, his eyes still bright and full of enthusiasm. “I’ll arrange a meeting somewhere else then.”
“Good, let me know how it goes.”
A few minutes later he was on his way, no doubt thinking of a few ways he could convince me to let him use one of the meeting rooms we were in the process of converting on the ground floor.
“Can’t fault him for his enthusiasm right?” Emma said, looking up from her computer.
As soon as I looked at her, that familiar feeling washed through me.
Emma Carlisle was beyond beautiful, but there was no way in hell I could sleep with her. No matter what I wanted, I needed to keep it in my pants, otherwise my business partner, Chris, would tear me a new one.
Shooting her my most charming smile I turned all my attention on her.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right, but he’s driving me mad,” I said. “To tell you the truth, they all are!”
Emma shook her head and laughed, the sound of her voice doing things to me that I could barely describe.
“The great Taylor Maxwell brought down by his fresh new team. Thought you had a little more about you, but guess I was wrong.”
Narrowing my eyes, I put on my most hurt expression.
“Don’t go giving up on me yet coach,” I teased. “There’s still plenty more fight in me yet.”
She laughed again, her blonde hair framing her perfectly pretty face.
Emma had joined us at the same time we’d expanded our business, helping us to recruit and train our new team. The woman was one of the most valuable investments we’d ever made, helping us to get the new team up and running, which left myself and Chris time to get everything else sorted.
The problem was, she was the hottest damned thing I’d ever seen!
“I bet there is,” she said, her distracted smile and blazing blue eyes making me wish that I could make a move.
Before I could say anything else, Chris Partridge, my best friend and business partner walked in.
He was a tall guy, well built and striking in a way I couldn’t help but admire. Whenever he walked into a room he commanded everyones attention, but he never interrupted, listening first before acting.
Chris was the sensible one in our partnership, the one who took a step back and mapped out what we needed to do next, whereas I was the one who jumped and painted a vision. The pair of us worked incredibly well together because of that, using our individual strengths to plug our weaknesses.
“Fun time with Jamie again?” Chris asked as he walked in and took a seat at his desk.
The three of us were working out of one office at the moment, putting all of our attention into getting the rest of the building into a fit state. It was a little cramped, but I’d grown to enjoy the communal way of working, especially because it let me get a little closer to Emma.
“Think I’m finally getting through to the kid,” I answered, leaning back in my chair.
“You’re not that much older than he is,” Emma butted in. “Besides, he’s only trying to impress you both, you know that right?”
Her eyes flicked back and forth between us, the energy in those blazing blues leaving me a little hot under the collar.
“I guess you’re right,” I sighed. “Anyway, enough about him. You guys free for a catch up?”
Emma shook her head and gathered up her things. “Sorry, not right now. Maybe later.”
Without another word she was gone, closing the office door behind her.
“That was odd,” I said, glancing across at Chris who had already taken her place.
“Not really, she’s been off all day,” he said, pointing it out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Chris knew how to read people, he always had. It was one of the reasons he’d been able to see through me when we’d first met all those years ago.
Leaning in a little, I looked him straight in the eyes, keeping my voice low. “She has?”
He nodded, his deep brown eyes full of concern.
“Come on Taylor, I thought you couldn’t take your eyes off her? How did you not notice that something was up?”
“Hey, you’re the one who is always telling me to behave myself around her. Just so happened I stopped looking.”
Chuckling, Chris reached out and shoved me. “Like that is ever going to happen. You’re always gawking at her.”
“Let’s not go pointing fingers here. You’re just as bad as I am.”
Even though I was only messing around, we were both as bad as each other. It wasn’t just that it would be bad for business to make a move on Emma, but the fact that it would absolutely screw up what I had with Chris.
We were best friends, and nothing would ever come between us, no matter how much I wanted Emma.
“But seriously, she seems really down today,” Chris said slowly.
Grinning, I stared at the office door. “Well, I can think of a few ways to help lift her spirits if you know what I mean.”
“I always know what you mean,” Chris sighed. “Keep it in your pants mate, she’s off limits.”
“Oh come on, I’ll share if you will,” I said with a wink.
Again, I was only joking, but a part of me couldn’t help but think that if it came to it, I’d be more than willing to indulge that little fantasy.
“Never in a million years,” he shot back, dashing any chance of it happening with a few simple words. “You stick to what you’re good at, and I’ll go see if I can figure out what’s bothering her.”
He gave me one last smile and then he was gone, leaving me alone in the office with a host of new thoughts and ideas.
Chapter 3
Emma
It had been less than 24 hours since Brad had dumped me and already I was falling to pieces. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, how he’d just shown up and ended what we had.
I wasn’t that bothered about losing him, but I couldn’t help but ask myself if there was something wrong with me.
Maybe it wasn’t him who was dull in the bedroom, maybe it was me. Suddenly all of my confidence was shot to pieces, and focusing on anything at work was almost impossible.
Being around Taylor and Chris was hard at the best of times, but now it was something else. They were both incredibly good looking, but what made things more tricky was how well the three of us got on.
Now I felt so much less than they were, completely beneath them.
Right from the first time I’d met them two months ago in the interview, I’d had a serious crush on them. It was T
aylor’s winning smile and Chris’ kind eyes that had me hooked, the way they both came alive whenever I was around.
I loved every minute I spent with them, and even though I knew nothing would actually happen between us, that didn’t stop me from thinking about it.
Now that Brad had dumped me I felt completely worthless, like no guy would ever want me, and that included them.
Suddenly those silly little fantasies I had about them felt completely unrealistic, and that just made things even harder. I knew I’d get over it soon enough, that I’d stop feeling sorry for myself, but right then it was all so fresh and new.
Get a grip, it’s not like there was ever anything between us!
Letting out a groan of frustration I slumped down where I sat.
This job was everything I’d ever wanted. The guys had been in the process of expanding their business, so it was a risk taking the position, but I had absolutely no regrets.
They needed someone to take care of recruiting their new team, and coaching them to be the best they could possibly be, and fortunately they’d chosen me. Although I’d only been part of their team for a few months, things between us already felt great, and the company was coming together nicely.
The guys had built their design firm from the ground up, working out of Taylor’s spare room for the past year or so. From there, things had grown, and over time they’d taken on more and more clients, and then a handful of new staff.
The small office they’d been renting after leaving Taylor’s place wasn’t enough, especially with the influx of new business, and before they knew it they were biting off more than they could chew.
That’s when they’d recruited me, someone who could help to manage their recruitment and training, and so far it had been a wild ride.
Although I knew very little about the design aspect of things, I knew people and what made them tick. So far I’d been responsible for delivering numerous coaching sessions, helping the new team with methods of interacting with their clients while also pulling together a long term people strategy.