by Violet North
He walked her to the door and opened it. “It’s good to have you on the team, Miss Roberts,” he said formally. “I’ll see you at the story meeting in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, Mr. Parker.” She tried to keep sarcasm out of her voice but thought she only partially succeeded.
As she walked away from Donovan toward the room containing her cubicle, Carly fought down a lump in her throat. That was certainly more of a curve ball than she’d ever expected to be thrown on her first day.
She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. Renewing a crazy sexual fling she’d had for a week during vacation wasn’t why she was there. She was there to work her ass off, prove herself, and move up the ranks to feature reporter. Donovan wasn’t going to distract her from her life goals, today or any day.
She booted up the computer in her cubicle and glanced at her watch. Five minutes until the meeting in the conference room. She wanted to be there, ready to go, right on time, so she dug a spiral notebook and pen out of her briefcase, grabbed her travel mug, and hurried out of the room.
Donovan was already in the conference room when Carly arrived. He sat at the head of the long, oval table shuffling through papers. He glanced at her and nodded when she entered the room. She moved around the table and walked its length to sit immediately to his left. Donovan glanced at Carly, and she thought he looked a little irritated. She smiled to herself. He’d probably been hoping she’d choose the furthest seat away.
Carly knew they had to keep their relationship professional at work. It wouldn’t do to have other reporters thinking she had an in with the boss. Something like that could degrade the morale of a workplace, and she really was only interested in working at work.
Still, she didn’t think they should entirely give up on the notion of developing a romantic relationship. They’d gotten along so well the week before, and the sex had been absolutely amazing. In fact, just sitting a foot away from him like she was made Carly ache with desire. She crossed and recrossed her legs, trying to relieve the pressure. Donovan glanced at her again, his eyes dropping to her lap, and she grinned. He must have figured out what she was thinking. She couldn’t see his crotch because he sat close enough to the table that it was hidden underneath. Carly had to resist the urge to reach over and check to see if she was having the same effect on him as he was on her.
Luckily, other people started to file into the room, drawing Carly’s attention off hers and Donovan’s bodies.
Four men and five women came in and sat down. They chatted amongst themselves, and Carly noticed lots of glances her direction. Donovan cleared his throat, and the din of conversation died immediately.
“Good morning,” he said. “First off, I want you all to meet Carly Roberts.” He gestured toward her and she smiled and waved. “She’s our new reporter. Please help her feel at home here.” Donovan went on to talk about the stories he wanted covered that day, and he assigned them out. Carly didn’t get one, but she wasn’t surprised. It was her first day, and she was just supposed to be getting the lay of the land in the office. She planned to spend most of the day in her cubicle, setting her computer programs up the way she wanted them and maybe making the rounds to say hello to people individually.
One of the men on the other side of the table, a tall, brown-haired guy who looked like he was around thirty, caught Carly’s attention. At first, she’d thought it was just curiosity about the new co-worker, but as the meeting went on, she realized the guy was watching her more than that. When she met his eyes, he smiled in a way that let her know he was interested. Her eyes darted toward Donovan. He’d definitely seen the look. His eyes were hard, and his jaw clenched. He refused to look at Carly.
Maybe this could work to her advantage. Perhaps jealously would entice Donovan to change his mind about pursuing a relationship with Carly.
When the meeting was over, Donovan darted out of the room before anyone else. The others wandered out more slowly, but the guy across the table walked around to Carly. “Hi,” he said, sticking his hand out. “I’m Jackson. Welcome to Newton Weekly.”
Carly shook his hand and smiled. “Thank you. I’m happy to be here.”
“Can I walk you back to your cubicle? I’m heading that way to work on some leads for a few hours before lunch.”
“Sure. I’m doing computer work this morning too.”
They chatted as they walked down the short hallway to the large room housing the cubicles. She told him where she’d gone to college, and he told her he was from Nebraska originally. Once they arrived at her cubicle, there was an awkward moment of staring at each other silently. Then Jackson blushed a little. “Are you going to eat lunch in the breakroom?”
“Um, yes, I guess so. I brought a packed lunch with me.”
“How about if I come get you around 12:30 and we eat together?”
A picture of Donovan’s face floated into Carly’s mind, and it made her feel a pang of guilt to think about accepting a lunch date from Jackson. But it wasn’t a date—not really. It was just lunch in the breakroom with a new co-worker. Plus, if Donovan saw them, maybe it would make him realize he wanted to claim Carly and not risk someone else snatching her up.
“Sure, that sounds great.”
Jackson smiled and left her alone in her cubicle.
Carly sat down and thought about Jackson. He was cute and seemed very nice, but the man was nothing compared to Donovan. In fact, he seemed boring and run-of-the-mill, unlike the smoldering hotness and intensity of her vacation fling.
She had a moment of panic. What if the sexy young editor never came around and Carly had to find someone else? Was she ruined for other guys now?
She pushed the thought away and got busy working on the computer. Keep your goals in mind, Carly. Stay busy and keep your eye on the ball.
But as she worked, her mind kept drifting to Donovan. She thought about his body and how it felt next to hers. She remembered how much fun it was to go to restaurants with him. Her heart swelled when she thought about his face when Gus got hurt on the beach.
She’d thought they’d never see each other again. That what they’d had was a fling and not about anything other than sex and fun.
But now she knew they’d been meant to enter each other’s worlds and stay there. Otherwise, they never would have found each other like this again. They were meant to be together.
Now she just had to find a way to prove it to Donovan.
Chapter 12
Carly’s first week at the paper passed quickly. She got all her computer programs set up, managed to have at least a quick conversation with everyone in the building, and had lunch with Jackson three times. Donovan never came by the breakroom to see them, but he did walk past several times when Carly and Jackson were chatting in the hallways. And Jackson began sitting right next to Carly in the morning story meetings. She would often see Donovan’s jaw clench, but the editor didn’t give any other indication that Carly’s budding friendship with Jackson gave him any concern. It certainly didn’t seem to make him jealous.
As the meeting ended on Friday morning, Carly felt frustrated. Donovan hadn’t assigned her a story again. She’d understood the first few days, knowing he probably wanted to give her time to settle in, but she was well and truly settled now. Oh, she’d had writing to do. Donovan had come by her cubicle a few times and dropped a stack of papers onto her desk. He wanted her to take some other reporter’s notes, do follow-up calls to tie up any loose ends, and write a piece. It was fun, and Donovan had seemed more than happy with the results she’d provided him, but Carly wanted to do her own investigating, not work from someone else’s notes. She wasn’t even getting a byline on those pieces.
Her pride wouldn’t let her ask why Donovan wasn’t assigning her anything to do on her own. If he wouldn’t give her a story, she’d just have to track down her own.
She marched back to her cubicle and plopped into the chair. She stared at her blank computer screen for a few seconds and then s
ighed. She might as well be truthful with herself. Carly wasn’t only irritated because Donovan wasn’t giving her a story. Her pride was also injured because her scheme of making him want her through enticing jealousy wasn’t working.
Well, she’d just have to try something else.
She tapped a pencil on the desk for a few minutes, wondering what she could do. Nothing came to her, so she dug in her purse for her cell phone and texted Penny. Ever since Carly had realized Donovan was her editor, she’d kept her best friend well apprised of the situation.
He’s not getting jealous. What else can I try?
She only had to wait a minute before Penny texted back: Cold shoulder.
Carly pursed her lips, thinking. Could that really work? Could she make Donovan crazy by ignoring him—acting like she didn’t care?
She didn’t have any other bright ideas, so she decided to give it a whirl.
With that decided, Carly turned her attention to figuring out how to find herself a scoop to work on. Maybe if she talked with Jessica. The receptionist had the low-down on everything that went on in the office and, more broadly, all over the county. Carly thought the woman would be a good reporter herself. She had a sweet disposition that encouraged people to open up to her.
Carly found Jessica at the front desk in the lobby. They exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes, and then Carly dove in. “I’m looking for a scoop,” she said. “Mr. Parker isn’t assigning me my own stories, and I’m eager to get started. Do you know of anything going on in the community that he doesn’t have someone on already?”
A strange look crossed Jessica’s face, but it was gone before Carly could identify it. “Not really,” she said. “Everything I can think of is covered.”
It didn’t ring true, and Carly wondered what the receptionist could be hiding, but she didn’t want to make any enemies this early in her career here. So she just thanked Jessica and wandered back toward the cubicle room. Just before she got there, she saw Jackson coming down the hall toward her. He waved and smiled, and Carly stopped to wait for him.
“Hey,” he said. “How are you?”
“I’m okay,” she said. “Just looking for something to do.” She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Donovan still isn’t giving you a story of your own, huh?”
“You noticed that?”
“Yeah. It’s weird because I’ve seen the pieces you put together from other reporters’ writing and you’re good.”
“Thanks. Did it take him this long to give you your first story?”
Jackson shifted his feet and looked down. “Actually, I got mine at the first story meeting I attended.”
Carly’s jaw dropped. She’d assumed Donovan wasn’t giving her a story because it was his habit to let new reporters ease in for their first week or something. But now she wondered if there could be a more personal reason.
Over Jackson’s shoulder, Carly caught a glimpse of Donovan coming out of his office. He looked up the hallway, spotted her and Jackson, and moved toward them.
“Hey, I’ll see you later, okay?” Carly hurried away from Jackson into the big room. She went to her cubicle and sat down. After a few minutes, she saw Donovan out of the corner of her eye.
He stopped beside her. “Morning.”
She didn’t look at him. “Good morning,” she mumbled, clicking like mad at her keyboard as she pretended to be engrossed in editing a document.
She felt Donovan shift beside her. “So how did your first week go?”
“Fine,” she said, still not looking up.
He hesitated for a second and then she heard him walk away. She glanced at his back as he left the room.
Following Penny’s advice and being as aloof to Donovan as she could might be harder on her heart than Carly had expected.
Chapter 13
Carly spent the weekend reviewing notes from her college courses, reading newspaper articles online, and hanging around the house in her pajamas. Penny showed up on Sunday and dragged her out of the house to see a movie and do some shopping, and she reiterated that Carly should stick with the plan to drive Donovan crazy by acting uninterested.
On Monday morning, Carly was in her conference room chair early, waiting for everyone else. Donovan came in first and said hello to her. She simply nodded and leafed through her notebook, looking over notes from previous story meetings. She heard Donovan sigh, and when he sat down, she could feel tension radiating off him like waves on the beach.
The thought brought up a vision of the two of them on the beach at sunset during their vacation, Donovan’s hand on the small of her back while they walked.
“You have the best body,” he said, his hand moving down to her butt and squeezing.
Carly blushed and looked down.
“Seriously. You’re one of the sexiest women I’ve ever seen.”
When she still didn’t answer, Donovan stopped and pulled her around to face him. It was dark. They’d walked well past sunset, and no one else was around. Donovan stepped close to Carly, and she felt her body respond the way it always did when he was close.
He leaned down and kissed her, and she responded by kissing him back.
“It’s true, you know,” he said, pulling away a little. “I’ve never been with a sexier woman.” He tilted her chin back up when she tried to lower it. “Why do you do that?”
Carly shrugged. “I’m embarrassed, I guess.”
Donovan grinned. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re gorgeous.”
They’d had sex on the dark beach, the waves pulsing along with their blood, and Carly had shrugged off any embarrassment like an old worn-out shawl.
She pushed the memory away. She needed to focus on acting aloof, and that wasn’t helping.
“I’d like to see you in my office immediately after this meeting,” Donovan growled at Carly just before the other reporters began filing in and taking their seats. She glanced at him but didn’t respond.
The meeting went much like the previous week’s all had. Every reporter received an assignment except Carly. Anger coursed through her, and she glared at Donovan as she gathered her notebook and stood up. He rose too and jerked his head at her in a clear order to follow him.
When they got to his office, Donovan closed the door and then whirled toward her. “What do you think you’re doing?” he spat.
She widened her eyes and blinked slowly, trying to look innocent. “What do you mean?”
“You’re avoiding me and not speaking more than two words when I ask you a question. Why?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A vein popped out on Donovan’s forehead. It was the first time she’d seen him angry. She was furious too, but she couldn’t keep from thinking that he looked pretty sexy while mad.
“Carly, I don’t think this is working out. I’m considering letting you go.”
Her jaw dropped, and she clenched her fists. “Why? I haven’t done anything wrong. You said you didn’t want a relationship with me, so I’m trying to move on. And you haven’t given me a single story of my own to investigate and work up. So how do you even know what I’m capable of as a reporter?” Carly worked hard to keep her voice low. She didn’t want to shout and have people in the hallway whispering about her.
Donovan looked away and shook his head. “I haven’t given you a story because there hasn’t been a good one for you yet.”
“What kind of story is good for me? Just give me something—anything. Let me show you what I can do.” She moved to stand a few inches in front of him and reached out to touch his arm. Speaking even more softly, she said, “And Donovan, I don’t think we need to ignore the feelings we have for each other. We can make a relationship work without letting it interfere with our jobs.”
He looked into her face and leaned toward her a fraction. “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” he said. “Not now.”
“What?”
“It’s not time fo
r me to find someone yet. I have four more years to throw myself into work before I’m supposed to find someone and settle down. Carly, you’re dangerous to me.” He touched her cheek, and she closed her eyes and leaned into him, basking in the feel of his skin against hers again. “I can feel myself wanting to fall for you. Completely. But I just don’t want to yet. I’m sorry.”
Carly opened her eyes and pleaded with him. “But what if this idea you have of waiting until you’re thirty to fall in love means you’ll miss out on someone special?” She turned and placed a kiss on his palm and then murmured, “Someone like me.”
Donovan swallowed hard. He moved his lips, but no words came out. For a fraction of a second, Carly thought he might lean forward, sweep her in his arms, and kiss her. But he didn’t. He dropped his hand from her face, stepped back, and then turned and walked over to the large window behind his desk. He stared at the buildings.
Carly stood still, not wanting to walk away. It might be the last time she was this close to Donovan.
But his back was ramrod straight, and he was silent. It was clear he was done with her.
She spun on her heel and walked out of Donovan’s office, shutting the door firmly behind her.
Chapter 14
Penny came over to spend the weekend with Carly and have some girl time. Carly’s parents were gone for the weekend, and she was house and dog-sitting. The two best friends went for a few walks, watched movies and ate junk food, and on Saturday night, they decided to have some drinks in their pajamas.
After Carly shut the blender off and poured two more margaritas, she said, “I just don’t understand why he’s being so stubborn. He obviously has feelings for me.”
“Maybe he’s scared.” Penny reached for her drink.
“Of what?”
“Losing his career momentum. I mean, you’re kind of worried about that too, aren’t you?”
“No!” Carly grimaced. “It’s actually kind of the opposite. I’m afraid I’ll get so into my career that ten or fifteen years will go by before I bother to look up and try and find someone. By then, I might be too old and hardened to love anyone.”