The Playboy

by Alice Ward

  When I stepped into Tara’s office, she looked up at me with a smile.

  “How’s Paisley doing?” Tara asked. I smiled, thinking how nice it was for her to ask about my daughter.

  “She’s better,” I said with a nod. “Thanks to you.”

  “Me?” Tara asked.

  “Yeah, that movie idea was brilliant,” I laughed. “I swear, nothing is better medicine than watching Disney movies on repeat for two days straight.”

  “Which movies?” Tara laughed.

  “Tangled and Brave,” I said. “Always Tangled and Brave.”

  “Well, of course,” Tara said knowledgably. “Those are some great princess role models.”

  “Tell me about it,” I said. “I learned more about Rapunzel and Merida this weekend than I ever wanted to know.”

  “You have a little girl,” Tara reminded me. “It’s only right that you know these things.”

  “You’re right,” I smiled. “But seriously, thank you again.”

  “It was my pleasure,” Tara said. “Paisley’s adorable.”

  “She really is,” I agreed. “Her swim camp ends this week and I have no idea what I’m going to do with her for the rest of the summer.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Tara said. I’d never seen her smile so much. It was like she was an entirely different person. The more she smiled, the more I noticed how green her eyes were. They were the color of emeralds, and every time the light hit them, they captivated me.

  “So,” I said, clearing my throat. “Should we get to work?”

  “Yes,” Tara said. She instantly went into business mode. She pulled out a folder from her desk drawer and opened it. She handed me a sheet of paper. It was the exact same one from last week.

  “Didn’t we already go over this?” I asked with a frown.

  “We did,” Tara admitted. “And if you can promise me you were paying attention, we won’t go over it again.”

  Tara grinned slyly as she waited for my response. She already knew the answer. My mind was a million miles away last week and she knew it. I couldn’t help but laugh at the knowing look in her eyes.

  “Fair enough,” I said. “Go ahead. I’m listening this time. I promise.”

  “Okay,” Tara said. “So, the first thing I need you to remember is…”

  Tara launched into her speech about my appearance and my attitude. It was the same stuff from last week, but this time I did pay more attention. I took in every word she said, watching the way her lips moved while she spoke. They were full and perfectly pink. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from them, but what was worse was how badly I longed to lean over and kiss her.

  It had been a long time since I last felt the urge to kiss anyone, let alone my boss. My boss at the repair shop was a burly old man who always smelled like chewing tobacco and moth balls. He wasn’t exactly my type. I hadn’t thought Tara was either, but after what she did for Paisley, my opinion was changing fast.

  As she spoke, I took mental notes. I made sure to remember everything she said. I told myself I hadn’t been fair to Tara. In the beginning, I took out my frustrations on her when really, I was just angry with my father and brother. It wasn’t Tara’s fault that she worked with them. It wasn’t her fault that I’d spent years avoiding family gatherings like the plague. All she wanted was someone to come in and help the company. To her, I was that person. The least I could do was actually make an effort.

  “So,” Tara said after about twenty minutes. “Any questions?”

  “I think I got it,” I said. “Seems pretty straight forward. Dress nice. Be clean. Stick to the script. Don’t ramble about how much I hate my dad. That sort of thing.”

  Tara chuckled and shook her head. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be very good for our image.”

  “Probably not,” I agreed.

  “All right,” she said. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer today. I know you need to stay close in case Paisley gets sick again.”

  I smiled at her ability to read my mind.

  “Just remember,” she said. “You have your first event on Wednesday. Nothing big. Nothing formal. Just some press. They’ll come here, we’ll set you up in the showroom, and they’ll ask you some questions. It’ll be easy.”

  “Okay,” I nodded. “Sounds good.”

  “And you should bring Paisley,” Tara said suddenly.

  “Paisley?” I raised my eyebrows.

  “When her camp is over,” Tara explained. “You said you weren’t sure what to do with her over the summer. She can just come with you. I’m sure she would love to see what her dad does all day.”

  “Maybe,” I said, highly doubting Paisley would have any interest in a motorcycle company. Still, it was nice of Tara to offer. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Good,” Tara smiled. “Well, I’ll see you later, then?”

  “That was an easy day,” I laughed.

  “They can all be easy,” Tara said. “If you would be nice, that is.”

  “I am always nice,” I said, feigning seriousness. I touched my hand to my chest in mock offense and looked at Tara with wide eyes. She laughed and shook her head.

  “Who knew Sean Yates could actually crack a joke,” she said.

  “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” I told her. My tone was flirtatious and I knew it was time to leave. I moved toward the door, turning to wave as I stepped out into the hallway.

  ***

  My meeting with Tara was so short that I arrived home hours earlier than I expected. I didn’t have to pick Paisley up until later so I made myself some lunch and watched T.V. I tried to focus on the show, but it was no use. My mind was entirely occupied by thoughts of Tara.

  It took me completely by surprise. She was just an irritating woman that happened to work with my father. When I met her, I disliked her immediately. She was sent to babysit me, and I resented my father for putting her in charge of me. I hated Tara for the simple fact that she was my father’s right hand and now, my boss.

  When she showed up at my house, I hated her even more. Who did she think she was? Just barging in without any notice? I was livid. Until she helped Paisley. Then, everything changed. Suddenly, she was no longer the irritating woman I thought she was. She was kind and patient. She was beautiful and caring. Everything I thought I knew about her was wrong.

  I finished my lunch and decided to take a shower. I thought it would help clear my mind, but all it did was the opposite. I couldn’t stop thinking about how attractive Tara was. That morning, at work, I tried to pay attention to her words, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Her blonde curls were long, and I wanted nothing more than to run my fingers through them. Her lips were so alluring I could barely think. And her breasts…

  I did my best not to stare at them during our meeting. Tara didn’t wear cleavage baring shirts, but her blouse was tight in all the right places. It was hard not to notice how sexy her body was. In the shower, my mind raced with images of her. I washed my hair and shook my head. I shouldn’t be having these thoughts. Tara was my boss. She worked for my father. It wasn’t appropriate for me to think of her that way.

  Still, I knew I was powerless to stop myself. Before long, I was hard just picturing her lips. I groaned and gave in to my desires. My hand found my erection and I went to work. Tara swarmed my mind even more. I pictured pulling her hair out of its ponytail and watching those curls fall haphazardly over her face. I imagined kissing her lips and sliding my tongue deep inside her mouth. When I was close, I pictured popping the buttons off her blouse and setting her breasts free. I wanted to throw her on her desk and hike up her skirt. I could already hear her moaning my name…

  I finished hard and fast. I gasped and leaned against the shower wall. Taking deep breaths, I washed myself clean and let the waves of pleasure continue to wash over me. Tara was still fresh in my mind, and I knew she would be for a long time. Something shifted between us that day. Deep down, I knew things were going to get c
omplicated, but in that moment, I didn’t want to worry. I just wanted to think about the next time I would see Tara’s face.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Tara

  Tuesday arrived quickly. After my meeting with Sean the day before, I felt confident for the future. Sean finally turned his act around. He was no longer giving me attitude all the time, and I could see all kinds of possibilities for him with the company. Before I saw Sean with Paisley, I had been ready to give up on him. That day changed everything between us. He no longer looked at me like a pesky fly that needed to be swatted. He seemed to finally respect me, and my feelings toward him had definitely softened.

  I was having lunch with Niki, but my thoughts were still wrapped up with Sean. I told myself it was just work. I was just planning out his schedule, but I knew that wasn’t true. Sean occupied my mind far too often now. I thought about him while I was at work and when I wasn’t. He crossed my mind on and off throughout the day. I kept telling myself it meant nothing. Nothing at all.

  “So,” Niki said. “How’s work?”

  “You’re actually willing to talk about work?” I asked in mock surprise.

  “Ha. Ha,” Niki mocked right back. “I was just being polite. Besides, I already know how things are going.”

  “Oh, you do?” I raised my eyebrows.

  “I do,” Niki nodded. “I saw that Yates’ has dropped in the stock market.”

  “You looked up our stocks?” I asked with genuine surprise. “Really?”

  “I was curious.” Niki shrugged.

  “And you say you hate corporate America,” I scoffed.

  “I do,” Niki promised. “Which is exactly why I enjoy watching big companies fail. You may be struggling to keep Yates’ Motorcycles afloat, but I’m just itching for you to fail. I get off on it.”

  “You’re a terrible friend.” I laughed.

  “And yet, you adore me,” Niki teased.

  “Hanging out with you is just an obligation at this point,” I said. “After all these years, how could I just abandon you? What would you do without me?”

  “Have one less connection to the world I hate,” Niki answered easily. She looked at me with a fake seriousness before she laughed. “But seriously, Tara, when was the last time you were even on a bike?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked with a frown.

  “Well,” she began. “Before you started at Yates’, you rode all the time. It was your thing. Then, you started working there, sold your bike, and you haven’t ridden since.”

  “That’s not…” I began. “Yates’ isn’t the reason I stopped riding.”

  “Then what is?” she asked.

  “There is no reason,” I said evasively. “I just lost interest. It happens.”

  “I guess.” Niki shrugged. “It’s just strange that you spent most of your life on bikes and now, nothing.”

  “I still spend my life around bikes,” I reminded her. “It’s kind of my job, Nik.”

  “Not the same thing,” Niki said. “And you know it.”

  “What does it matter?” I asked. “You always hated them, anyway.”

  “Did not,” Niki argued. “I just never saw the point in risking my life. Call me crazy, but I’d rather have a protective metal cage around me while I’m flying down a highway.”

  “So much for that free spirit of yours.” I laughed.

  “I’m free,” Niki said. “Free to avoid motorcycles.”

  “Such a badass,” I mocked. “Really, bad to the bone.”

  “Shut up.” Niki laughed.

  We spent the rest of lunch talking and laughing together. I worried Niki would bring up Sean, but she graciously avoided the subject. I thought I saw something in her eyes that was a little too understanding, though. She knew something was going on with me. She could tell something shifted since the last time we saw each other, but I wasn’t ready to explain it to her. I wasn’t even ready to admit my feelings to myself.

  Denial is a powerful thing, and I was smack in the middle of it. I told myself over and over again that Sean was nothing more than an employee. He was Ray’s son. Zach’s brother. Paisley’s father. And that was it. Beyond work, Sean meant nothing to me. Nothing at all.

  ***

  Back in my office, I busied myself answering emails. It took me almost an hour to work my way through everything. When I finally did, I looked up to see Zach standing in my doorway. He cleared his throat loudly and stepped inside. I didn’t know how long he’d been standing there, watching me.

  “Hey, Zach,” I said uneasily. “What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to check in with you,” Zach said smoothly. “It’s been a while since we touched base.”

  “Oh.” I nodded. “Well, things are fine. Nothing big to report.”

  “How’s Sean doing?” Zach asked. “Still giving you trouble?”

  “No,” I said. I shook my head firmly. “Not at all, actually. He’s been great.”

  “Really?” Zach asked. His surprise made my stomach burn. “Just watch him. Sean has a way of disappointing people.”

  “Okay,” I said, ready for him to leave my office. He didn’t.

  Instead, he stood in front of me and fixed me with a stare that made my skin crawl. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he thought of what to say. It was obvious that he hadn’t barged into my office to talk about work. There was clearly something else on his agenda for the day.

  When Zach continued to stare at me without speaking, I considered kicking him out of my office. There were times I thought about slamming the door in his face. Ever since I started working here, Zach seemed to make it his mission to make me uncomfortable. He stared at me. He checked me out. He leered in my direction. But, unfortunately, he never said anything inappropriate so I never had a reason to confront him.

  “Well,” I said, unable to take it any longer. “I have work to do, so if that’s all…”

  “It’s not,” Zach said quickly. “I wanted to ask you something.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  “I want to take you out,” he said. “To dinner.”

  My first thought was that he hadn’t asked a question. It was merely a statement, like he was telling me it was going to happen with or without my permission. My face flushed, and Zach grinned at the sight. I assumed he thought I was embarrassed by his interest, maybe even a little flattered, but really, I was only angry at his presumptuous nature.

  “I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” I said slowly. I enunciated each word carefully so he couldn’t misconstrue my meaning. I wasn’t playing hard to get. I wasn’t pretending to evade his advances so he would try harder. I simply had no romantic interest in him.

  “And why not?” he asked playfully. He placed his palms on my desk and leaned across. His face was too close to mine. I pushed my chair away from my desk to get some distance from him.

  “Because,” I said. “We work together. Technically, you’re my boss. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”

  “There’s no rule about dating within the company,” he said, as if that were my only concern. “So, there’s nothing to worry about. We’re free to do whatever we like.”

  “Still,” I said firmly. “I’m not interested.”

  “Oh, come on.” Zach laughed. “Don’t be like that. We talk. We flirt. We’ve known each other for years, Tara. Don’t you think it’s time we explore this thing between us?”

  “This thing?” I asked with raised eyebrows.

  “Our connection,” he said. “You can’t deny it. I know you feel it, too.”

  “Zach,” I said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I just want to do my job. Please.”

  Zach opened his mouth, but my face must have changed his mind. He narrowed his eyes at me and waited for me to say something else. I could tell he thought I would change my mind, that if he stared at me long enough, I would backtrack and accept his offer. That was the last thing I was going to do. The longer he stood in my office,
the more determined I became.

  “Just think about it, okay?” he said finally. He smiled and turned his back to me.

  “I really don’t have to,” I said. “My answer is final.”

  Zach froze on his way to the door. He slowly turned back around to face me with a grimace. He tried to cover his anger and disappointment with a small laugh, but it just made him seem even more maniacal.

  “That’s fine, Tara,” he said softly. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a nod. I hoped that would be the end of our conversation, but I was wrong.

  “Just make sure you keep Sean in check,” Zach said, changing the subject quickly. “I would hate for him to fail. After all, you are the one who brought him on in the first place.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked. My stomach flipped nervously. Where was he going with this?

  “Well,” he said slowly. “If Sean doesn’t work out, we would have to seriously think about your role in this company.”

  “Are you threatening my job?” I asked breathlessly. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

  “What?” Zach asked in mock horror. “Tara, why on Earth would you say something like that?”

  “Because that sure as hell sounded like a threat,” I said.

  “No, no, no,” he said with a shake of his head. “Tara, of course not. I would never threaten you or your job. I just want you to be aware of the situation at hand. Sean is your responsibility. My father and I are trusting you to get a top-notch performance out of him.”

  “I will,” I said with confidence. “Don’t worry.”

  “Sean can be difficult,” Zach reminded me.

  “To some people, maybe,” I said with a shrug. “But once you get to know him, he opens up. I think I can handle him.”

  I smiled condescendingly and turned my attention back to my computer. Zach’s eyes stayed on me while I pretended to work. After a few seconds, he turned to leave without a word. I glanced up to make sure he was gone before I sunk back in my chair and exhaled loudly.

  Of all the things I expected to happen today, that was not one of them. Zach had always been a creep. For years, I picked up his slack and made sure his job was always done. It didn’t matter how often I covered for him, he never said thank you. Instead, he seemed to make it his life’s mission to hit on me every chance he got. I never imagined he would ever dare ask me out, though.