Then I proceeded to take the message. It didn’t end there. The phone rang and rang constantly. The receptionist looked relieved, only to point a woman in my direction.
I muttered a curse under my breath and tried to make myself look small.
“Hi, I’m Kate from HR. I’m sorry I didn’t meet you when you arrived. They said you wouldn’t be here until lunch.”
It wasn’t far off from that time. Kate, an efficient woman, took the legal pad and scribbled down some things.
“But I see you’ve figured out our phone system. Here is your temporary log on. How about after lunch, we meet and fill out some paperwork?”
Before I could explain anything, someone was calling her name.
“I’m sorry. Today has been crazy. We’ll talk after lunch.”
Then she was gone without me having uttered a single word. The phone, however, wouldn’t give me that peace. So, I answered it again, noting one line still lit up, meaning Eddie had yet to get off the phone.
Ten minutes later, a woman who had professional cheerleader written all over her strode up to the desk. She was perfect in every way if you liked skinny girls with boobs.
“Hello,” she said amiably. “You’re new.”
I felt it best to just nod. Technically, I wasn’t an employee and I was sure I knew who she was.
“I’m Eddie’s wife, Chelsea.”
It took a moment for my brain to connect even though my suspicions had been confirmed. I gave her a smile as she hadn’t offered her hand.
“Can you let him know I’m here?” she said.
“Sure. Can I offer you a cookie—” I coughed, hoping to cover up that last word. “—coffee.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“I’m not surprised you made that mistake,” she said, dismissing me. “But some of us avoid carbs.”
Yes, I wasn’t skinny and never would be, but I wouldn’t let her get to me.
“That’s too bad. A cookie might help your attitude.”
She huffed out a little laugh as I maintained my best go fuck yourself smile on my face.
“Just do your job and get my husband.”
I could have been petty and mentioned her marriage wasn’t legal and I was his wife, but instead, I said, “Yes, Mrs. McCabe.”
A girl had to keep her job. I glanced over at the wall of glass that separated us from Eddie and noticed his back to us. I picked up the phone, as it was similar to what we had at my former job, and pressed the button labeled intercom. I prayed my next words wouldn’t fill the sound system of the entire office.
“Mr. McCabe, your wife is here,” I said, trying to disguise my voice in a tone two octaves higher than my normal one.
I didn’t see him turn, but when she grinned and waved, I figured he was looking in our direction. The door opened with a soft hiss of air. He said nothing as he ushered her inside.
The door hadn’t quite closed and I heard her next words.
“Another pretty one. You like to be surrounded by beautiful women.”
I didn’t catch his response as the door closed, sealing them in. The soundproofing had to be some highly technical stuff considering the glass. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the clear glass turned opaque. Holy shit. I shifted around, and yes, I couldn’t see inside the room anymore. That had to be one of the coolest things I’d seen. Though maybe that was normal for tech savvy offices. I had no clue. My office was traditional in every sense of the word. My office. No. I no longer had a job.
Ten minutes later of taking messages, the door opened.
“I’ll see you in three weeks,” Chelsea said.
She didn’t say a word to me and kept moving in a way that had all males staring at her.
“You must be the temp. I’m Eddie—”
His words abruptly cut off when he stepped in my view.
“What the fuck?”
I ignored him and answered another call. I placed it on hold and told Eddie who it was.
“Have him call me back and get in my office now.”
If not for the wide-open spaces, I might have told him off for commanding me like a drill sergeant might. Instead, I complied and followed him inside.
“Did you bring the paper?”
It was sitting on my car seat. In my blind rage, I’d forgotten about it.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then why are you here? Think you can play games?”
Enough was enough. I got in his face and announced, “I’m not playing games. You got me fired and now you owe me.”
CHAPTER 6
It was his turn to look taken aback and cursed. He ran a hand through his thick brown hair.
“I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
I glared at him. “Yeah, well, it did. Now you owe me.”
I couldn’t read his expression as he glared at me. Did he want to yell or kiss me?
A knock sounded on his door. We glanced up to see Kate standing with a young woman. Her stony gaze landed on me and I knew I’d been caught.
Eddie waved her in. Before she came forward, she said something to the young woman with her and pointed in the direction of the desk I’d been occupying. The woman sat and Kate came in with spitfire in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Mr. McCabe. I thought that woman was the temporary I’d requested.”
Eddie was all business. “It’s okay, Kate.”
“I will escort her out.”
She glared at me as if that was enough to get me moving with my tail between my legs. I turned to Eddie wondering what he would say next.
“Actually, Jillian here is my new assistant.”
Kate’s expression mirrored mine. Her wide eyes bounced between her boss and me.
“But, she hasn’t been fully vetted.”
Eddie’s brow arched. “I know, Kate, but she’s more than capable of handling the job. I think she’s proven that already and fooled you.”
Kate’s cheeks pinkened as he pointed out to her that I’d taken charge without any direction.
“Yes, Mr. McCabe. And what salary should I put on the offer letter?”
She was speaking to him as if I wasn’t there.
“Pay her whatever we were paying Morgan.”
Kate looked as though she wanted to balk but composed herself. “I’ll have the paperwork this afternoon. However, it seems unfair to send the temporary home.”
I jumped in. “She could help the receptionist. It seems as though she needs the assistance at least for today.”
Kate narrowed her eyes, but Eddie said, “That’s a good idea.”
Kate left grinding her teeth to bite back whatever she’d wanted to say to me and my suggestions. Once she and the young woman were gone, I spun to face Eddie.
“Work for you,” I enunciated every syllable.
He shrugged. “I got you fired and now you have a job.”
“I have a marketing degree,” and the student loans to prove it. But I didn’t say that out loud.
“And you can work for me while you find another job. I can provide you with a reference,” he said smoothly.
“A reference as an assistant. That’s not going to help me get a job in my field.”
He waved that away. “Suit yourself. You said I owe you and you turn down my help. I can’t win.”
With a powerful stride, he moved to his desk.
Damn him. He was right. I needed a job. I just didn’t think working in close proximity to the man I craved like a lust fiend was a good idea. Especially since he was married. Wait. He was married to me.
“Does she know?” I asked, sounding way too meek, leaving him to read too much into my words.
He faced me, standing near his chair like the powerful business man he was.
“Know what?”
I glanced anywhere except at him when I said, “That you and I are technically still married and what that means?”
“No. And I want to keep it that way. You sign the papers and sign an affidavi
t that you turned in the annulment papers and we are all good or so my lawyer says.” When I said nothing, he added.
“Lawyer?”
He was a lawyer.
“I’m not licensed in the State of Nevada. I had to hire someone to act on my behalf.”
A thought hit me. “Do I need a lawyer? Am I in trouble too?”
He caught my panic and came over to me to grasp me by the shoulders.
He sighed. “You aren’t the one married to two people.”
I gazed up into his fathomless gray-blue eyes. “You’re married to both of us.”
“Technically yes, otherwise I wouldn’t be facing up to four years in prison. However, since it’s illegal for me to be married to two women, you would be recognized as my wife being the first.”
As irrational as it was, I started to laugh. “Your wife is going to kill you.”
His grip tightened. “She won’t find out.”
“And what if she does? Hell, what will Chris say?”
I tossed up my hands and stepped out of his grip. His touch was doing things to me that wasn’t good for either of us.
His jaw clenched as if he hated that I’d moved away. But that couldn’t be true and his next words confirmed that. “She can’t know.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking about my sister or Chelsea. It didn’t matter. I had no intentions of telling my family.
I sighed. “I’ll go get the papers to sign. You have to know I did turn the paperwork in. I never meant for this to happen.”
He nodded. “I know. You can sign them tonight. We can have dinner and discuss this job in detail.”
“You mean there’s more than answering the phone?” I said on a giggle. He didn’t find that funny. “Anyway, I can’t tonight.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I have a date.”
You would have thought I told him I sold our story to the tabloids. “Date?” he asked dangerously.
“Yeah. A date.”
“You’re my wife,” he said so casually, I almost thought he was being serious.
I pointed my finger at him. “You almost had me there. Like seriously, I didn’t know we were still married any more than you did. Our marriage—” I said sarcastically “—is just on paper. What you have with Chelsea is real. One day I’ll have that too.”
“Chelsea is—”
He was cut off by his phone ringing. I held the finger I had aimed at him to the ceiling, indicating him to hold a minute. Then I sidled over to his desk and sat on the edge so I could lean a little to pick up his phone.
“Mr. McCabe’s office.”
When I turned to him as the caller announced himself, Eddie’s eyes were hot on me. I put the caller on hold.
Before I could speak, he’d stalked over and stood right in front of me.
“Don’t ever fucking do that again.”
His tone was course and I gasped, fish mouthing as I tried to figure out what to say next.
“What did I do?”
His eyes swept over me in the hideous top I wore. My cheeks flushed as I guessed he probably thought I looked ridiculous.
“I’m a man, Jillian. You sitting like that gives me ideas.”
Ideas. He was married.
“Don’t look at me that way,” he said.
I felt the confused frown on my face and tried to release it. But his words still did something to my insides I didn’t want to admit.
He leaned in closer, his hands coming to a rest on either side of me. His nearness made the incessant throbbing between my legs impossible to ignore.
In a low voice, he added, “I’m not cheating on my wife by saying that. Especially when you are my wife.”
And what the hell was I supposed to do with that?
CHAPTER 7
He was way too close and dumbly I waited in vain for him to kiss me. A second later, he straightened, putting some distance between us. I took the opportunity to flee. I got to my feet and dodged him as I went to the door.
“I should get to work,” I said.
Just as I opened the door, he said, “We need to talk this evening about your duties.”
I had to swallow, thinking of things he might want me to do for him. I turned to look at him over my shoulder.
“I have a date.”
“Then I can come by later.”
The last thing in the world I wanted was to be alone in my apartment with him. Okay, I wanted that, but it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.
“I’m not sure when I’ll be home. It’s possible I won’t.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. Was he jealous? Mentally, I shook my head. Eddie had made it clear our time together had been a drunken mistake. Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.
“Fine. Set up a breakfast meeting. You need to understand what you are walking into.”
And boy did I ever. I left his office to the desk a few feet in front of his office where I would sit and be forced to be so close to a man I could never have. By the time the day was over, I was ready to bolt.
“Don’t forget breakfast. Eight sharp.”
I nodded and practically ran to the elevator. Eddie’s eyes on me were too much for me to bear.
***
I found myself putting extra effort into my makeup and clothes that night. Cole, the sexy divorcee I’d been seeing the last few months, would be by any minute.
My sister Chris didn’t approve. It was true he was probably closer in age to my dad than me, but the man was sexy as hell. The silver sprinkled in his hair had only added to his appeal.
When the knock came at my door, I sprang into action, hoping like hell I was wrong about something.
“Hey,” I said.
Cole leaned in and damn, if I didn’t turn at the nick of time, masking it as a sidestep to let him in.
I saw the question in his eyes when I forced a smile on my lips and met his eyes.
“You look lovely tonight, Jillian.”
“Thanks,” I said, losing the battle to force a smile.
“Is there something wrong?”
Absofuckinglutely, but I didn’t say that. “No, I’m—”
What could I say? I’m married. Though it was a technicality, it felt wrong to go out with someone else.
“I had a really bad day.”
He nodded in understanding. “We could stay in if you want.”
Cole was a good man and he deserved better from me.
“Would you mind if I canceled tonight? I really just want to sleep this off.”
He stepped in and I subconsciously tensed. Only he pressed a soft kiss to my cheek as if he’d felt my flinch.
“Get some rest. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I nodded, and when I opened the door, someone stood on the other side poised to knock.
“Eddie.”
His eyes didn’t meet mine. They were all for the man who stood beside me. I turned to glance at Cole who was also sizing Eddie up.
To end the weird standoff, I said, “Eddie, this is Cole. Cole, this is Eddie, my boss.”
Cole glanced at me before turning to Eddie and saying, “Nice to meet you, Eddie.”
He said the last as if to make the point that he suspected there was way more familiarity between Eddie and me.
“Eddie is Chris’ best friend and her husband’s brother. We practically grew up together. He was nice enough to give me a job.”
Cole stared at me and I quickly explained, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Cole turned and moved in close. His hand grazed over my cheek to land in my hair. I knew what he was about to do and felt Eddie’s eyes burning into me.
A jerk of my head and the kiss landed at the corner of my mouth.
“I’ll call you later,” I said to Cole, stepping back.
He nodded and walked by Eddie with a head tilt of acknowledgment. Men. I liked Cole, but that kiss move was a mark my territory kind.
As soon as Cole was far enoug
h away, I hissed at Eddie, “Why are you here?”
“This,” he said, handing me a thick envelope. “It’s the paperwork from HR. I wanted you to look at it before our meeting in case you have questions.”
I held the heavy thing in my hand. “I told you I would be out and might not be home.” He shrugged. “So where were you going to leave it if I was gone?”
His deadpan look should have reminded me. “I have a key. Chris gave me a spare.”
I held out a hand. “Chris doesn’t live here anymore.”
He stepped over the threshold and into my personal space. “What if you have an emergency?”
His words fanned over my cheek and then he was gone. He’d moved into my apartment like he owned the place while I’d stifled a shiver. The man made my body come alive in a way no man had since him.
“Eddie, it’s late.”
He faced me after glancing at his watch. “It’s only eight. Did your date need to report in for curfew at the retirement community?”
I gawked. “He’s not that old.”
His pokerfaced disagreed. “He looks like your father.”
“You are one to talk. Your wife is the poster child for Gold Diggers ’R Us,” I spat, feeling my anger rise.
“So you’re jealous.”
I glared at him. “Not any more than you are.”
“I’m not.”
I shrugged. “I’m not either.”
“Fine.”
“Fine,” I repeated.
We stood there a moment, still facing off, the envelope heavy in my hands. I didn’t think I could work with this man without wanting to murder him, or fuck him, or both.
“Pack. We are going to Vegas in the morning.”
With that he left. I felt breathless for reasons I didn’t want to acknowledge.
CHAPTER 8
The flight was only a couple of hours but felt long and quiet despite the fact we were the only two passengers on the private plane. I had everything l could have wanted. But with Eddie so close yet so far away, it was pure torture.
Buried behind his computer screen, he never once looked at me. I wondered why l was there until I remembered the case against him. When had my life gotten so crazy?
Blackout: A Romance Anthology Page 44