by Natalie Ann
Hours later, Taylor pulled into the front lot of her office building and sat in her car waiting for Reed to show while trying to put on a good face when all she really wanted to do was cry over how her life had turned out.
***
Reed pulled into the parking lot of Chapman Construction at exactly three o’clock and saw Taylor sitting in her little SUV in the shade.
He wasn’t sure she’d be here waiting for him and fully expected to be going to the party stag.
It’d been hard to stay away from her for the past two weeks, but he kept his communication as limited as possible, not wanting her to find a way, or an opportunity, to back out.
He parked next to her and shut his truck off. She opened her door and he hoped to hell he wasn’t drooling.
One leg came out, and then the other. No jeans or shorts, but a dress. He’d yet to see her in anything other than casual clothing that everyone wore at the office. And though her sundress could still be considered casual it was a step up from what he was expecting.
A light-colored floral print that was sleeveless and stopped at her knees. It was fitted from the waist up and showed off a lot of her body that she’d been selfishly hiding from him.
This might turn out to be a huge mistake on his part when his dick twitched in his shorts and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to find the control to settle down.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be here,” he said, opting for honesty over diplomacy and knowing she’d appreciate it.
“I wasn’t sure I’d be here either,” she said right back. He could see she was forcing a smile and wondered what was going on in her mind right now.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” she said. “Tell me more about where we’re going and what this is all about, please, so I’m not taken by surprise. I hope I’m not overdressed. I did bring shorts and a shirt to change into.”
“You look great and will fit right in. Shorts would have too, but there will be plenty of women in dresses like you,” he said. He hoped anyway, because he didn’t want her to change and wasn’t going to even suggest it.
“Okay. I’m glad then. I guess it’s better to be a little overdressed than underdressed.”
He never cared one way or another but did have on a pair of tan shorts and a golf shirt. It was the closest he was coming to dressing for something like this. It was too hot for jeans, and if he showed up in a T-shirt, Rachel would never let him live it down.
“If you’re ready, we can go,” he said.
“How far away is it?” she asked.
He hadn’t realized he didn’t even tell her where they were going. “We’re going to Saratoga. The Brittens have a horse farm just outside of town. It’s a beautiful property.”
“How does your family know them?”
Reed laughed. “My father likes to bet on the horses.”
“Oh, I thought they were clients?”
“They’re that too. We’ve built a lot of stuff on their property or fixed things up. I’ll warn you now, it’s more like an estate than a farm, and no, we didn’t build the house, but we built a lot of the outlying buildings. Now my parents are close friends with them.”
Her eyes went wide and he tried not to laugh. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”
“It’s going to be fine. They’re really nice people with a lot of money but very down to earth. My parents would have gone if they were here, but since they aren’t, I’ve got to go. It’s a business thing on top of a party.” At least that was what his father crammed down his throat as he guilted him into this.
“How long do we have to stay?” she asked.
The last thing he wanted to do was have her stress when she was ultimately doing him a favor. “We can sneak out after two hours if you aren’t having fun. I promise.”
“Thanks,” she said.
“We are already two hours late, so no one would know or care.”
“Reed, that’s horrible!”
He laughed. “Are you chastising me? If we showed up at one when it started then I wouldn’t be able to sneak out two hours after we get there. We’ll be there for dinner.”
He could see she was conflicted. “I guess. Do they know you’re bringing a guest?”
“It’s fine, Taylor,” he said. If he told her no, they didn’t know he was bringing a guest, she’d probably jump out of his truck while it was moving, so the last thing he was going to do was admit that. She’d just think he was irresponsible when that was the last thing he was. He just didn’t want to be bothered.
To Be Honest
“Don’t you think we should get our stories straight?” she said once they were well on their way.
“What do you mean?” he’d asked.
“You want me to be your wingman so to speak, but you better tell me how I’m explaining our relationship if anyone asks.”
“Oh, see, that is why I need you. I would have never thought of that. It’s best to be honest. Let’s just say you work for me. Rachel comes into the office now and again and if she sees you then it would be better. It’s wise to not get tripped up with any lies.”
She nodded her head, fine with that too. “So is this our first date? Are we just friends? What are we portraying here?”
“Can I get you to be more than my friend?” he asked, a cocky look on his face. A playful one that she’d fallen for one too many times in her life prior to moving. She didn’t want to be that weak woman again. Now she was going to be strong. Maybe.
“No,” she said firmly.
“Then we’re friends and you can tell everyone that if they ask.”
An estate was putting it mildly, Taylor thought shortly after. She’d known Jack’s parents had a lot of money, but they didn’t live in anything even remotely close to this.
She and Reed had been here an hour already and though she could tell the hostess had no clue Reed was bringing a guest, Mrs. Britten brushed it off like a pro and welcomed her in as if she were a member of the family.
Then there was Rachel. Reed’s sister had eyed her for a few minutes, said hi and walked away, then stayed away while Reed was with her.
But Reed had left her side to go get them some drinks and when she turned her head, Rachel had taken Reed’s seat. “How do you know my brother?”
Just what she needed. A family inquisition when she was helping him out. “I work for him.”
“Oh really?” Rachel said, lifting an eyebrow.
“We’re just friends,” Taylor explained. “He told me that if he came to this alone that women would be hitting on him and he hoped that if he had a date he’d be left alone.” She hoped Reed was okay with her saying that. If not, too damn bad. He did say to be honest.
Rachel grinned “Seriously?”
“He might have said it would keep you at bay too.”
This time Rachel laughed even louder. “That I believe. I don’t know if Reed has ever had any women friends. I’d find this really hard to believe if you hadn’t said the last part about me.”
“I’m finding a lot of things hard to believe,” she said dryly. Like why she was here when she really felt so out of place. Everyone was treating her nice, but no one was really talking to her much. She had seen a lot of women eying her and brushed it off as the reason Reed wanted her to attend. She’d like to think he wouldn’t have put her in a situation she couldn’t have handled.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to be nice then if you’re truly just his friend. You’re sure that is all this is?”
“Of course,” she said back. Reed Chapman was nothing more than that to her.
***
Two hours later, dinner had been served and a band was playing now. Reed had left Taylor’s side a few times to talk shop with people and had felt bad about doing it. Once he’d come back to see his sister sitting with Taylor laughing and couldn’t wait for Rachel to leave so he could find out what was so funny.
“I told her you asked me to come with you so she’d leave you alone,” Taylor
had explained.
He actually felt his face flush and looked over to see his sister holding her glass up in a salute to him a few feet away. “You didn’t?”
“I did,” she said, smiling, and when her face lit up like that he felt the air in his lungs freeze, making him take a deep breath. Long gone was the woman he picked up hours ago in the parking lot that looked apprehensive. Now she was someone he’d want to pick up in a bar. Not like he had in the past few years, but like he’d done before Whitney. Before he was so jaded.
Taylor’s clear blue eyes were light and full of laughter, her smile bright and her hair blowing around in the light breeze. He wondered if she was a witch that he didn’t know about and was casting some spell on him. It might be the only thing to explain the crazy thoughts in his head making him want those dreams of a family and future when he’d told himself he’d never let himself go down that road again.
“I did tell you we were going to be honest, but I didn’t think you’d be that honest.”
“Then you should have clarified that fact,” she said and winked at him.
He’d never expected this personality from her either. He kind of thought she’d be this gorgeous force to reckon with for any woman that wanted his attention. One that looked good on his arm, but he couldn’t fall for her ways.
He was finding out that he was completely wrong and might have set himself up for something he wasn’t prepared for.
The second time he’d left her alone to talk with someone, he’d come back to see another man sitting next to her carrying on a conversation. He didn’t know who the ass was with the wandering eyes, but he was damn well going to mark his territory. “Sorry I was gone so long, honey,” he said, sitting next to her and putting his hand on her thigh. Soft and smooth and giving him ideas he needed to push aside.
“It’s fine, sweetie. Roger was just telling me he’s a day trader. He just asked for my number, but you saved me from having to tell him I wasn’t interested.”
Roger nodded his head and stood up, then walked away. “You’re welcome,” he’d said to Taylor.
“You didn’t tell me I’d be the one hit on here. Geez, Reed, what the hell? I’m supposed to be helping you out,” she’d said.
“And you have been. I like how you handled yourself just now.” She was the force he was hoping for, but he expected it directed toward the women coming after him tonight, not the men hitting on her. He should have figured with her looking the way she did that someone would come after her if left alone.
“Maybe we should dance and let everyone know we’re both taken,” he said. Plus he’d be putting his mark on her for all to see, but he sure the hell wasn’t going to tell her that.
“That might give the impression that it’s more than friends,” she said but stood up just the same. Easier than he’d thought she would have.
“I can leave you alone and go talk about work again with the two men waving me over.”
“No, I’ve been sitting long enough and wouldn’t mind getting on my feet.”
Whether it was an excuse or not, he was glad. He just wasn’t so glad when he realized how well she’d fit into his arms.
How soft her skin was against his.
How he felt his body starting to stir again and knew he was in serious trouble.
She’d laid her head on his shoulder and allowed him to pull her in tighter. “Do you think anyone is believing us right now?” she asked.
“What is it that you want them to believe?” he asked, just wanting clarification and fighting the urge to inhale her floral scent even more.
“That we’re just friends, of course.”
He looked around and saw a bunch of eyes on them, his sister’s included. “Yeah, sure, they believe it,” he lied.
By nine o’clock, he’d had enough of dealing with people. He’d done what he needed for his father, and his sister was behaving.
Or so he thought, until Taylor excused herself to go to the bathroom before they left and Rachel made her way over. “Friends, huh? Since when do you have a woman friend, or even bring one to a party?”
“Since I wanted to keep you off my back.”
She laughed and playfully slapped his arm. “I’m not that bad.”
He snorted. “Whatever you say.”
“Well, if it’s whatever I say, then I’m saying it sure the hell looks like you think she is more than a friend more than you want anyone to believe. Maybe even yourself?”
“Don’t go there, Rachel. It’s never going to happen, so get it right out of your head. She doesn’t want a relationship any more than I do.”
“I don’t believe it. I saw how she was looking at you.”
He wasn’t going to be baited though. “You’re seeing something that isn’t there and hoping for it more than that.”
“You’re so cynical,” Rachel said.
“No more than Taylor is. Trust me. Friends. End of story.”
Emotional Well Being
“So I ended up saving you rather than you saving me,” Reed said in his truck on the way back to Albany.
“Maybe,” she said, grinning at him.
“You were being hit on; no one approached me at all.”
“Are you upset over that? That you felt you had this all planned out so your sister and all these women who wanted a piece of you would think you were with someone else and leave you alone. Did you think that maybe your plan worked?” She had been approached by two women, not to mention getting some sly looks that she’d caught when Reed was schmoozing with potential clients.
“I didn’t think of it that way. Sweet. Then you can be my wingman more often,” he said.
She didn’t want him to think that at all. First off, she didn’t have the flexibility in her schedule, or her life, as he might think. Second of all, she wasn’t sure she wanted to spend too much time with him.
The night had started out well. They got along better than she thought they would, considering how cocky he was. Really, how much cockier could he get than the fact he wanted her there so other women and his sister would leave him alone?
Those two hours had turned into so much more though. Not just in time, but in her emotional well-being.
He really was one handsome man. Tall and built. Not like a bodybuilder, but like someone who worked with his hands and knew what he was about. Muscles developed over time were sexier to her than those created in a gym.
Then there was the five o’clock shadow that he was wearing so well when he picked her up earlier.
His dark hair was slightly messy but in a good way. Stormy eyes always looking around and trying to assess his surroundings. Maybe reading her more than she’d felt comfortable with.
He knew what he was about and he didn’t hold back the fact he was aware.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she said.
“Why?” he asked. “You’re not seeing anyone, right? You said you didn’t want anything to do with a relationship either.”
“No, I’m not seeing anyone.” She wouldn’t tell him about Angie. “But maybe I’ve got a life. Besides, I did intercept a few passes and maybe I don’t want to be doing that all the time. I’m out of practice and don’t feel like dressing up for a game all the time.”
“Really?” he asked, taking his eyes off the road and looking over at her. “Tell me about those passes you intercepted for me.”
She could tell he was enjoying this, probably loved the attention even when he said he didn’t. She also noticed he didn’t address her comment about not wanting to dress up for a game. “I won’t bore you with the looks I got most of the day while you were wandering around. The sly looks your way that you were oblivious to.”
“I noticed them,” he said. “But I’m good at deflecting or ignoring them when I want to.”
She was sure he was. “The first woman was someone you dated a few years ago. I believe her name was Natasha.”
“Tall brunette with big teeth?”
The fact
he didn’t know her by name alone said something about him, reminding her to sharpen her radar and stop softening or falling for his good looks. “That’s her.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear,” he said quickly.
“Like the fact you can’t put a name and face together?” she asked. Might as well be blunt.
“I can if I need to.”
So maybe Natasha was pulling her leg. Only one way to find out. “Your ex, or so she called herself, said you two dated for a few months about three years ago.”
“I haven’t dated anyone in over three years. So far she is already exaggerating things.”
“Some women have a different threshold for dating qualifications than others.”
“Tell me about it,” he said dryly.
She chose to ignore his tone. “She wasn’t happy with the way things ended and wanted to warn me.”
“How exactly did she say this make-believe relationship we had ended?” he asked.
This was a side of him she hadn’t expected. Short and annoyed. So far he’d been open and friendly, flirty and teasing, even sweet a time or two. It didn’t matter that he wanted her with him for false pretenses; he was still slightly adorable and cocky when he approached her. She’d yet to see any signs of him being anything other than someone you could have a good time with regardless of his feelings on relationships. But she’d grown up and known she couldn’t get involved in anything like that again. She had too much riding on her shoulders now.
“She just said that you stopped calling her out of the blue. That she’d tried to reach you a few times and you never returned her calls.”
“Based on the timeline she’s giving, it might have happened like she’d said.”
“So you did date?” she asked.
“Maybe a few times. Three years ago I wasn’t in a good place.”
She figured as much based on what Wendy had said. She could relate, as three years ago she was wondering what the hell was happening in her life. Pregnant and her asshole of an ex was states away and had no intention of even calling her back let alone acknowledging the child he seeded. Part of those funds she’d laid out on the line was to get a paternity test done.