by Leslie North
“It doesn’t matter. You, more than anyone, know how many luxury cars I have in my garage. I can handle buying dinner.”
She pinched her lips together, fighting a smile, and headed back out into the living room. Amanda rubbed at her eyes.
“Mommy, I hungry,” she whimpered.
This was a sickness score. The first time her daughter had shown an interest in food all day. “Okay, honey. Let’s go into the kitchen. I want you to meet my friend.”
Haley scooped up her raven-haired daughter, hoisting her on a hip as she carried her out to the kitchen. Nick beamed as they entered. He looked genuinely happy to be meeting her daughter. Infinitely happier than Amanda’s own father had ever been about her personhood.
“Amanda, meet Nick. He works with Mommy. Say hi, sweetie.”
“Hi,” Amanda said.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Amanda.” Nick bent over to look her in the eye. “I brought you something you might like. Here it is.”
He pulled one last thing out of the first bag—a squishy doll with crazy yarn hair and big eyes. Amanda gasped, reaching for it.
“Wow,” Haley murmured into the side of her daughter’s head. “What do you say, sweetie?”
“Thank you,” Amanda said, running her fingers through the doll’s hair. “Mommy, look! New dolly!”
“She’s so pretty,” Haley said, setting Amanda in her booster seat at the table. “Let’s have some dinner.”
Nick helped unpack and arrange the food without even being asked. As if he’d been here a hundred times before and this was part of their effortless routine. He even managed to guess the silverware drawer on the first attempt. Just as Nick set out drinking glasses, a loud meow interrupted their chatting.
“Oh. There’s someone else you have to meet,” Haley said. She jerked her chin toward the fat tabby headed their way. “This is Pecan.”
“Pecan?” Nick grinned as the suspicious-looking feline sauntered by.
“She likes to pretend like she doesn’t care,” Haley said. “But she does.”
“Peeetan!” Amanda shouted, erupting into giggles. “That’s my titty Peetan!”
Haley rolled her lips inward, stifling the giggle that threatened to erupt every time her daughter mispronounced “kitty.” Nick huffed with a laugh, his fiery gaze finding hers.
“I think we’re ready,” Haley said, once the place settings were down and they’d transferred the food to plates and bowls. She’d prepared a small bowl of soup for Amanda, who was practicing spooning it into her mouth. “It looks fantastic. I freaking love pesto.”
“I know.” Nick sat across the table from her and rolled up one sleeve of his button down. “I’ve worked with you for a year, don’t forget.”
She frowned a little, trying to recall any time they might have been in a situation where he’d learn she loved pesto. Unless Nick paid way more attention than she gave him credit for. “We’ve never even had lunch together.”
“Yes, we have.” He started on the second sleeve. “Six months ago. That company lunch.”
She swirled her spoon in the soup, watching the cheese glop inside the creamy brown liquid. “Oh yeah. You’re right. I told you I liked pesto then?”
“No. I overheard you telling someone else how much you liked pesto. You were so enthusiastic, it apparently scarred me forever.” Now his napkin, spreading it over his lap.
She smirked. “Yeah. I really love pesto.”
Nick took off his watch and laid it on the table before picking up his spoon.
“Finally ready to eat?” she teased. “You probably can’t get soup slop on your million-dollar watch.”
He sent her a stern look, but it was broken by a grin a moment later. “Soup slop? You think what I brought is soup slop?”
She giggled at hearing her own words thrown back at her. Amanda even chimed in with, “Soup sop!”
“Your mother doesn’t think highly of my eating preparations,” Nick said to Amanda.
“Prepawationzz,” Amanda chirped back before biting into a slice of baguette.
Dinner passed with lighthearted conversation and plenty of laughs. Once Amanda was full, Haley let her down so she could play in the living room. Nick started to clean up, but Haley stopped him.
“The least I can do is clear the dishes,” Haley protested.
“You’ve been working all day,” he countered, setting their plates in the sink. “Do you hand wash or use a dishwasher?
“Dishwasher,” Haley said. “You’ve been working all day, too, you know.”
“Without a sick toddler.”
Haley fought a grin as she cleared the rest of the table, coming up beside him. Their elbows brushed, sending a shock wave of anticipation through her. She could practically feel the heat radiating off him.
“Aren’t you just husband of the year,” she said, bowls clanking as she set them down. “Are you prepping for your future wife?”
“Being nice doesn’t mean I’m prepping to be a husband,” he said as he rinsed off their plates. “It just means I’m trying to impress you.”
His words seared through her at the same time she caught his heated glance. And suddenly, it all made sense. The little comments over the past few months. His flirtiness, which she’d always written off as friendliness. His bringing dinner…to her house.
“Ahhh. You do want to get into my pants.” She tried to keep her tone teasing, but her heart was racing. He turned off the sink and dried his hands, leaving her words hanging awkwardly in the air.
“You wouldn’t hate me if I did, right?” His sharp look cut right through her, and that’s when the air shrank between them. His intentions were glaringly clear, and it seemed like every square inch of her body was on fire under his gaze. He stepped closer, his fingers finding the dip in her waist.
She drew a shaky breath. “No. Not at all.”
“Good.” He wet his bottom lip, his gaze fastened to her mouth. “Because I’m going to kiss you now.”
His words resonated like harmony through her, and then he was in front of her, his rough palms cupping the sides of her face, delicately, as if she might crumble otherwise. His warm mouth met hers, and everything else faded away. They kissed slowly. Thoroughly. As though they’d both been waiting for this for the entire past year.
And maybe, in a way, she had been. She’d never been immune to Nick’s hotness—just in denial. Treading water, so she wouldn’t drown in how much she actually wanted him.
When they broke apart, Haley gripped the sides of his arms. He was solid under there. Deliciously warm. “Oh, my god.”
Nick dragged his thumb back and forth over her jawline, his dark eyes glittering with amusement. “That was tasty.”
She laughed. “Pesto kisses, right?”
He dipped down again, drawing out a long, juicy kiss. He grunted softly when the kiss broke. “The best.”
Her eyes fluttered shut, and her palms spread out over his chest. Amanda shrieked from the living room, jostling Haley out of her stupor.
“You okay, sweetie?” She called, stepping toward the doorway so she could see her daughter.
“I make it jump! It jumped high!” Amanda lifted her arms triumphantly. She’d been playing with one of her toys.
Haley smiled, and when she turned back to Nick, his heavy-lidded eyes rooted her to her spot. Almost every part of her wanted to jump right back to where she’d been standing, pressed against the counter, his body a map ready for her study. But not quite all of her.
“Let me guess,” she started, rubbing her finger over her bottom lip. It still tingled from their kiss. But that didn’t mean it was a good idea to kiss him again. In fact, if she was smart, she’d run far away. “You don’t actually have any feedback on the app.”
Nick’s jaw flexed, but he didn’t break her gaze. “Not a ton.”
She smirked. It was cute, really, how he’d finagled his way into her apartment. But it had to stop here. “Well, I appreciate the visit, but you
know this can’t happen.”
Finally, some of the fire in his gaze died down. “Why?”
“Because…of this.” She gestured to the space between them. “You’re my boss, I’m a developer. I can’t risk this job…I can’t risk any unprofessional associations between us. I want to succeed on my own merits. And…” The wind went out of her, so she drew a shaky breath. The meat of the matter was too hard to get into. “I told you, I’m not dating. And that includes fucking. I’m not stupid enough to think you want to date.”
Nick was quiet for a moment, examining his hand as he stroked a thumb over the veins on the back of it. Based on the emotions crossing his face, she was convinced he was going to protest…make a counter argument…ask her to reconsider.
Finally, he said, “Yeah. You’re right.” He walked back over to the dinette and grabbed his watch. As he replaced it, he said, “I should go, or I’ll get myself into trouble.” That dark gaze swept her way again, promising all the things she so desperately craved from him. “So, we’re cool, right?”
“Totally cool.” She crossed her arms over her chest. Deep down inside, she wanted the warmth of him against her again. But she was making the right choice. The smart choice. “You’re a cool guy. I’m a cool gal. This won’t be weird.”
“Yeah. Good.”
“And I really mean that,” she said as he drew his suit coat from the back of the chair. He was leaving now—the reality was hitting her. She wished she could prolong his visit without totally eating her words. “I’ve always felt comfortable around you. You’re fun. Maybe in another life this would make sense.”
A little smile crept onto his face. “Just so you know, the food and medicine wasn’t me trying to get into your pants.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay. Sure.”
“I’m serious.”
She pushed at his shoulders, urging him toward the door. “I know. Because if you were really trying to get into my pants, you’d have me backed up against the wall by now.”
He stiffened. She could sense his protest before he even said it.
“That’s not an invitation,” she hurried to add, fighting a laugh. As they crossed the living room, she said to Amanda, “Sweetie, say bye-bye to Mommy’s friend!”
“Bye-bye,” Amanda said, the doll Nick had brought her clutched under her arm.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Amanda,” Nick said, tipping an imaginary hat to her. “I know I’ll be seeing you again soon.”
“You won’t,” Haley said quietly.
Looking back at Haley over his shoulder, he said, “I might.”
And there it was again—that bedroom blaze in his eyes. The fire that promised something more.
Maybe not tonight. But someday.
Because already Haley could tell Nick wasn’t the type of man to just let a comment like that go.
And part of Haley was extremely grateful for it.
5
Haley swore to herself as she clicked through the screens on her computer.
It was after four o’clock, which meant she needed to have left five minutes ago. Or else her girl would be the last one standing at daycare, and if that wasn’t the most embarrassing sight for a mother to witness, she didn’t know what was.
Haley closed out the computer and started going through her mental checklist to wrap up the day. A knock sounded on her door a moment later; before she could say “come in,” Nick strolled in. Looking even more handsome than the day before.
“Did you see these funding reports for Working Mom?” Nick asked, not even looking up. A tendril of his black hair hung over his forehead, temporarily rendering her dumb.
“Um…” she tried to think about his question without losing her place in the midst of her own mental checklist. She stared blankly at her desk. Got my purse…got my work computer…crap, what am I missing? “No.”
“There’s been a huge uptick in outside investments,” Nick went on, flipping through some sheets. “It looks like the crowdsourcing campaign was more successful than we thought.” He paused, tutting a moment later. “Damn. Look at this.”
She sighed tersely, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Uh, now’s not a good time.”
Nick looked up as though just realizing that they weren’t on the same page. His brow furrowed. “What’s going on? Are you leaving?”
“Yeah. I’m running a little late, actually.” She grimaced, giving her office one last look before heading for the door. Nick’s attention sizzled over her, practically left burn marks in its wake.
“Where are you going?” He checked his watch.
“I have to go get Amanda from daycare,” she said.
“Oh.” His expression softened. “Well, I can talk to you on your way out.”
The suggestion made her warm, just like damn near everything the man did anymore. She didn’t protest but didn’t say anything else, either. She started a brisk walk to the foyer, pushed out the front door, and beelined for her car as Nick rattled off more figures about the Working Mom app. Since she was still technically the lead developer on that project, she needed to be kept up to speed.
But she hoped to god that Nick’s performance reports for the app weren’t as rosy as he thought. Because after so much time working on her matchmaking app and making good headway with the issues and algorithms, it would just be harder to go back to Working Mom if Married Ever After wasn’t approved.
Once she came up on her dingy SUV, she thought Nick might get the hint and head back up to the offices. But no. He held her door open after she slid into the front seat. She huffed and slid her key into the ignition.
“Do you not have thirty extra seconds?”
“No, actually, I don’t,” she snapped. She tried to start the engine, but it wouldn’t roll over. And that’s when the last shred of composure inside her disintegrated. Turned to dust. Completely, irrevocably, went MIA. She groaned, trying a second time. No dice. Nick standing at her door, lording over her, pushed her further into her fury pit.
Screw this day. Screw this man. And screw the single mom life. She was tired of always running and never catching up. And more than that, she was tired of someone else—whether telemarketer or TV commercial or her boss—asking for just thirty extra seconds in a day that was already spent. After the third try starting her car, Nick opened her door.
“Get out. I’ll have a mechanic come look at your car. I’ll take you to get Amanda.”
Her nostrils flared, and she looked him up and down. “No.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why not?”
“Because I’ve got it.” She dug her phone out from her purse, heart racing. Part of her did want to go with Nick. But the other part that was wounded, wily, and too damn independent wouldn’t let her. No, she’d been doing it on her own just fine for three years. She didn’t need a man. Not now. Not ever.
She’d let her guard down last night with Nick, even though it was just an inch. And when he’d left her apartment—doing exactly what she’d asked him to—it reminded her how much of the Single Mom Life she had left to bear. Reminded her that a fleeting night of niceness wasn’t enough to make up for the absent billionaire who’d shoved an NDA and a check for $20,000 into her lap. Reminded her that even her fun, relatable boss was still just a rich guy who didn’t care about her.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling a ride share.” She swiped through the screens, calling for a nearby car before Nick could protest.
He blinked, leaning in the door, bringing his face closer to hers. “Why won’t you let me help you?”
She averted his gaze, instead rummaging through her purse. “I don’t need your help. It’s nice, but no thanks.”
Nick didn’t move, just quietly studied her. Even though she wouldn’t look at him, she could feel the heat of his gaze moving over her face. She might combust if he stared at her much longer.
“That doesn’t make any sense.” Nick straightened, looking out over the parking lot. “
I could have you there in ten minutes. But you’d rather wait an extra five to get a ride share. I thought you were in a hurry.”
She pulled down her visor and inspected her face in the mirror. “Yeah, well, you wouldn’t get it.”
“Then explain it to me.”
Haley snapped the visor back into place and finally swung her gaze to look at him. She tried to keep the frustration at bay in her life—she really did. But here he was, knowingly poking the beast. And she’d run out of patience for the day.
“You really want to know? I’m a single mom, Nick. I don’t get help. Every day, day in and day out, I am the only person in Amanda’s life who gives a damn. Who picks her up when she falls. Who rocks her to sleep. Who feeds her and bathes her and makes sure she doesn’t swallow a billion tiny pieces of toys that will kill her. She doesn’t have a father—she has me. I signed up for that. And it doesn’t change just because some rich guy wants to give me a ride once.”
Nick’s jaw flexed as he studied her, so intensely that she almost looked away. Almost.
“I get it. You’re independent. But you can’t do everything on your own. You need help sometimes.”
“Do I?” Her phone dinged, which meant the ride share was just about a minute away. “I haven’t so far.”
“You said your mom helps.”
“She does. But when you get right down to it…it’s just me and Amanda.”
Nick sighed tersely, his gaze sweeping back over the parking lot, as if he might personally intercept the ride share and cancel it. She got out of her car and slammed the door shut. Her heart was still racing, but some calmness had started to return to her.
“Where’s Amanda’s father?”
Haley swallowed a thick knot, hoisting her purse on her shoulder. She could never name him, due to the NDA. “I don’t know. And I don’t care.”
Haley checked her phone, seeing on the map that the driver had arrived at the far side of the lot. She started walking in that direction. Nick trailed her.
“I can bring a mechanic in,” he began.
“Nick.” She stopped walking, looking back at him with wide eyes. “Did you not hear anything I just said?”