Naughty or Nice

by Jennifer Hanks

  Naughty Or Nice

  A DIMARCO SERIES SPIN-OFF

  JENNIFER HANKS

  Aaron Barlett is a nice guy.

  He’s earned that title in both his personal and professional life and he’s proud of it. But tired of losing opportunities at relationships, he faces an attraction he’s been denying for longer than he’s willing to admit toward a woman he’s not even sure he likes.

  A woman who could end his career if she doesn’t feel the same.

  Taylor Hawkins has earned her name as the ice queen all on her own.

  And she’s okay with that. Owning her own business has made it difficult for her to find time for friendships, let alone any type of relationship, so she’s decided to put all of that behind her and focus only on her career.

  Until she’s challenged in a way that forces her to face her choices and what she’s denied herself.

  Two people who seem to have nothing in common except a sizzling physical attraction couldn’t possibly have a relationship.

  But sometimes people are not what they seem.

  Especially behind closed doors.

  NAUGHTY OR NICE

  A DIMARCO SERIES SPIN-OFF

  Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Hanks

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Published by Bravia Books, LLC

  “When a nice guy loses his patience, the devil shivers...”

  -Unknown

  CHAPTER ONE

  Aaron

  I dropped my head forward while rubbing my hand along the back of my neck and sighed. Too many hours spent in front of a computer have been wreaking havoc on my neck and back muscles, but it’s all part of the job. Standing, I looked around the office and noticed most of the realtors were missing from their desks, possibly out showing houses or taking time off while I’ve been stuck inside. I hated that, preferring to always be outside when I could, but I didn’t have any showings scheduled today, so I figured it was the perfect day to catch up on paperwork.

  I leaned around my desk and spotted Kate, our receptionist, still sitting at hers. Glancing down at my phone lying on the corner of the desk, I saw it was eleven thirty; maybe she’d want to go have lunch. I grabbed my phone and shoved it into the front pocket of my dress pants before walking around the side of my desk.

  I made my way across the short distance and rounded her desk. Leaning my hip against the corner, I waited for her to finish the call she was on. She put the receiver down and smiled up at me. “Hey, Aaron.”

  I returned her smile. “I need to get out of here for a while. Wanna grab lunch?”

  She glanced down at her cell phone lying on the corner of the desk, probably checking the time like I had, then stood and glanced behind her. “As long as Ms. Hawkins is here and I can forward the phones, that would be great.”

  “She’s back there,” I confirmed.

  “Great.” Kate’s smile widened before she turned and moved around her desk. “I’ll just go tell her.”

  Watching her walk away, I felt a twinge in my chest and sighed. Kate was amazing. I knew that when she first started, but I waited too long, and when I finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, she was involved with someone else.

  Luke Dimarco. I think there were a few times he saw Kate and I together and wanted to kick my ass. I couldn’t blame him. If Kate were mine, I wouldn’t like another guy trying to snag her attention either. Kate and I had gone on one date, if you could call it a date, but Luke showed up at her house after she’d already given me my walking papers so I knew it was over. They were good together, and it didn’t take long for him to seal the deal by putting a ring on her finger.

  As Kate and I worked together and had become friends, I was invited to their wedding last spring. Watching Kate get married wasn’t the hard part. I didn’t allow my feelings to grow enough to be jealous or angry that she was marrying another man, but I was angry with myself. Angry I let another opportunity pass me by because I waited too long.

  “You ready?”

  I glanced up to see Kate standing beside me holding her purse and wondered how long she’d been there while I let my thoughts get away from me. Nodding, I moved around her to the door, pulled it open, and waited until she walked through.

  Once on the sidewalk, I turned to face her. “Where do you want to go?”

  She pursed her lips in thought, then snapped her fingers. “Joe’s serves lunch now. How about we go there?”

  “Sure.” I agreed.

  I liked Joe’s café when it had been nothing more than a coffee joint because they had the best coffee in town, but I hadn’t been there recently. I’d heard they were expanding but hadn’t tried out their new menu yet—well, not beyond their pastries in the morning—so this would be a good opportunity. I liked having places to recommend to my clients, especially if they were new in town, and I wouldn’t recommend a place I hadn’t tried.

  We started toward Joe’s which was only about five blocks away. It was cool out but not too bad yet. North Carolina could get cold in the winter months, but so far this year, we’d been lucky. Wearing only a sweater or jacket was still enough to stay fairly warm.

  “How’s business?” Kate asked. “I haven’t seen many contracts come in lately.”

  I ran my hand through my dark blond hair, realizing it was time for a haircut, and sighed. “Business is always bad in November and December. Actually, it’ll probably be bad through the end of January. Some agents may have had showings today, but usually, they don’t pan out unless someone is in desperate need of a house.”

  “Like moving here for a job or something?” Kate asked.

  “Yeah, exactly.” I glanced down at her, and she looked up. “I keep forgetting this is only your second winter working at the company. It feels like you’ve been here longer.”

  She faced forward again when we stopped at a crosswalk and waited for the light to change so we could cross. “I know. It feels that way for me too.”

  The light turned, and we crossed the street before making a right at the next intersection. I felt her glance up at me. “Do you have any holiday plans?”

  I shrugged. “Not really.” I wrapped my arm around Kate’s elbow and pulled her close to my side when a group of five businessmen passed us on the sidewalk. “I usually go to my sister’s to watch my nephews open their gifts and then have dinner with them.”

  “That’s nice,” Kate said.

  I glanced down and smiled softly. “Yeah, it is. I like watching their faces when they get something they’ve been wanting.”

  She pushed her elbow into my side. “I’ll bet you’re a great uncle.”

  I thought of my nephews and smiled. “I hope so.”

  “So nobody special to spend the holidays or New Years with?”

  I glanced down at her and smirked when she smiled. “If you’re asking me if I’m involved with anyone, then no, I’m not.”

  “We need to find you someone.”

  We reached Joe’s, and I wrapped my hand around the metal bar to push the door open, gesturing for Kate to go in ahead of me, and hoped that was the end of the conversation about my love life or lack of actually. I closed my eyes when the warm and earthy scent of coffee and cinnamon hit me, cra
ving both almost instantly. Opening them, I followed her to the counter and smiled at Sydney who was a co-owner of Joe’s and also Kate’s sister-in-law. I met Luke’s incredibly large family at Kate’s wedding, and I have to admit, I’d never seen anything quite like the Dimarco family. He’s one of eight kids with seven boys and only one girl, all of whom are involved in relationships except for Ben, who is one of the youngest in the family. Since we were both there and single, we decided to get to know each other and get drunk.

  “Kate,” she said happily before shifting her attention to me. “And hello again, Aaron.”

  “Hey, Sydney.”

  “I was so glad I finally had the chance to meet you at the wedding. I’d seen you in here over the past few years and wondered if you worked close by.”

  “I used to stop every morning on my way to work for a coffee. I don’t remember seeing you too often, but I always saw Maddie,” I answered.

  Sydney nodded. “That makes sense. She usually does the early morning shift, and I close.” Her eyes twinkled when she leaned over the counter and lowered her voice. “I was glad when you made your move. We all were.”

  I grinned. “I see you heard about me?”

  “Only that you were some pretty serious competition for Luke.” She shook her head, smiling. “Good for him. Those Dimarco boys all need the competition, makes them work harder for what they want.”

  “That’s the truth,” Kate muttered under her breath, but loud enough that we both heard her and laughed.

  Sydney motioned to the small room behind us. “Why don’t you guys grab a table? I’ll bring over some lunch menus.”

  We both nodded, and I followed Kate to a booth near the window where I slid in across from her. A woman of her word, Sydney was right behind us and laid down menus almost as soon as we sat. “Take a look and give me a holler when you’re ready.”

  “Can I get a coffee?” I asked before she could leave.

  “Sure,” she said brightly. “Anything special?”

  “Whatever smells like cinnamon.”

  She laughed. “You got it. That’s a Christmas flavor we’ve been trying out. So far, it’s been a hit.”

  “It smells amazing,” Kate said.

  “I know,” Sydney agreed. “I love how it makes the whole place smell like Christmas.” She tapped the table with her pen. “I’ll be right back.”

  I grabbed my menu and opened it while Kate did the same, and by the time Sydney returned, we both knew what we wanted. She walked away, and I took a slow drink of the coffee sitting in front of me, groaning when the flavors burst across my tongue.

  Looking up, I narrowed my eyes at Kate’s grin. “What?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s just I’ve never seen someone enjoy coffee like you do. Most people drink it out of necessity to get moving in the morning. But you seem to really love it.”

  “I do,” I admitted. “Always have. Even when I was young, I’d sneak it when my parents weren’t looking because I loved the flavor so much.”

  “Any you don’t like?” she asked.

  I thought about that for a moment. “Probably not, but if I had to choose, I’d say cappuccino because it’s usually too sweet, but I’d still drink it.”

  She laughed. “I think I’ve seen you drink it in the office.”

  I shrugged. “Probably.” I grinned when she continued to laugh. “How’s Andy?”

  Her smile softened at the mention of her son. “He’s good, really good, actually.”

  “He gonna play ball again this spring?” I asked.

  She nodded. “How do you remember this stuff?”

  “I have a good memory.” I said matter-of-factly. “Especially when it comes to people I like.”

  “We like you too.” She sat up straighter. “I’ve never really said anything because I didn’t want to make it weird between us, but I was worried after how our one date ended that we wouldn’t be able to be friends anymore.”

  I reached over and laid my hand over hers. “I wouldn’t have let that happen.”

  “I know that now.” She smiled softly, and I pulled my hand back to wrap it around my coffee mug. “It was such a relief because I didn’t want to lose you. I really needed friends in my life, and I probably shouldn’t say this, but you were one of the only people I liked at work then.”

  I nodded. “It’s okay to say it. I think most of the other realtors are nice, but they’re so put off by Hawkins and her bad attitude that they avoid anything in the office. Hell, half of them avoid the office altogether.”

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed that,” Kate agreed solemnly. “I think maybe she needs a friend, then she’d be a little nicer.”

  I grunted. “She needs to get laid.”

  Kate’s eyes widened, and she gasped. “Aaron.”

  I shrugged. “It’s true. Might help thaw the ice queen out a bit.” I took in the look still on Kate’s face and tilted my head. “What?”

  She shook her head. “I just can’t believe you said that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, because,” she stammered, “you’re you.”

  I smirked. “What does that mean?”

  “It means you’re nice. To everyone. I’ve never heard you say anything bad about anyone before.”

  “It’s not necessarily bad. More like stating the obvious.” I defended myself even though it was out of character for me to say much about anyone. I hated office drama almost as much as I hated office politics, so I usually just did my job and went home.

  The bell on the door rang, letting everyone know someone had walked in, and I sat back in my seat, my eyes widening in surprise. “It looks like talking about somebody can make them appear.”

  Kate frowned and turned in the direction I was looking before her head spun back around. “What’s she doing here? She never seems to leave the office.”

  I let my eyes scan from her dark hair cut to just above her shoulders down to the tight skirt hugging her ass, and not for the first time, I wondered what Taylor Hawkins would do if I ran my hand over that ass.

  With the ice in her veins, she’d probably cut off my balls.

  I grinned at Kate, who looked horrified at seeing her out of the office. It was rare that she left, but I’d seen it before when she had homes to show to her clients.

  Although it seemed she was dealing less with clients lately, which was sad, considering the only time I’ve ever really seen her smile is when she’s with them.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Taylor

  My feet were killing me.

  These were not the shoes to be walking around town in, but in my defense, I hadn’t expected to leave my desk today. But I just couldn’t sit in that office for one more minute. I was starting to actually resent my own company. I always thought that was what I wanted—to own my own company, run it my way, and never again be in a job where I had to follow orders—but I was truly missing the time when I worked for someone else and all the problems were theirs. I could do my job and go home. I could actually sleep without all the stress of being the only person responsible for keeping the doors opened and the lights on.

  I’ve thought so many times about bringing in a partner, but that would mean relinquishing control, and I knew myself well enough to know I couldn’t do that. Not with my own company and especially not with someone I didn’t know well. I put in too many years building this company and making it the success it has become to let someone else destroy it. But even more, my reputation would be on the line if my partner screwed up, and somehow, I knew that would mean even more sleepless nights.

  I smiled at the girl behind the counter or woman actually. Hell, she couldn’t be that much younger than me, but I felt like I was middle age. Lack of sleep was a bitch, and it was aging me faster than the cigarettes I only just recently gave up.

  “Can I get a latte and cinnamon bun to go?”

  She smiled, her long dark hair braided and lying across her shoulder. I absently reached up and to
uched the ends of my short hair. I missed having long hair. I thought when I cut it last year that I was doing myself a favor by eliminating one thing I had to do in the morning, but I knew it was a mistake as soon as the stylist turned the chair and I looked in the mirror. I hated it. But I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so I smiled, said I liked it, paid, and left. It was growing again but slowly, and I doubted I would ever get it to where it was before.

  As I watched her wrap up the cinnamon bun, I cursed myself because I shouldn’t eat that. I’d spent most of my adolescence and twenties overweight until I restricted myself. Well, that and I started smoking. But since I’ve quit smoking, I’ve been worried I may turn to snacking again. Just once in my life, I wish I didn’t have to worry about what I put in my mouth, but that wasn’t my life. Once I lost weight about six years ago, I decided I was never going back to that girl. And here I was, ordering a cinnamon bun. I dropped my shoulders in defeat, knowing I’d walk out of here and throw it away so my guilt wouldn’t eat me alive.

  I stepped to the side when another person walked in and needed to order. Leaning my hip against the counter, I pulled my phone from my purse and checked for any missed calls, but there weren’t any. That was both good and bad. Good because I didn’t want to take one more phone call, but bad because that meant business was slow. It was no surprise as it was the end of November, almost December, which was usually our slowest month. I knew all the realtors were feeling it through their commissions, but they didn’t say anything to me. Hell, no one ever said anything to me, and I understood why. I didn’t exactly give off the friendly vibe. It was a hard line to balance between boss and friend, and when I found it impossible, I stuck with boss.

  I was better at that anyway.

  Tossing my phone back in my purse, I took a moment and scanned the tiny café. They made the best coffee and, recently, some of the best food I’d ever tasted. I wasn’t sure who they hired to cook and bake, but they made a solid investment in that person or those people. The door pushed open, and another few people pushed inside, moving me back a few more steps. I tapped my fingernails on the counter, hoping my latte would be ready soon when more people entered. Looking around, I saw the few tables set out were filling. There just wasn’t room. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were thinking of expanding someday if their menu continued to grow.