She went back to work and didn’t stop until six when Ben stood in her doorway again.
“Workday’s over,” he said.
“Almost,” she said, her eyes glued to the computer screen.
“I’m going to have to pay you overtime if you keep going.”
She copied and pasted the next column of data, hit save, and left a note to herself where she’d left off. “Okay, done.”
He stood on the other side of her desk. “Here.” He handed her a check. “An advance so you don’t have to worry about helping out that family in time for Christmas.”
She glanced at it. Three thousand dollars. They hadn’t discussed salary, but this was very generous for three weeks of part-time work, especially in advance.
She handed it back. “I can’t accept this. I haven’t done the work yet.”
“I trust you.”
“I don’t feel right accepting money for something I haven’t done.” She pressed it into his hand. “Just pay me when you do the regular payroll. Okay?”
He folded the check in half and tucked it in his back pocket. “Why won’t you accept a little help?”
Because I’m the only one I can depend on. “Not necessary.” She pulled her purse from the bottom desk drawer and stood.
He gestured for her to go ahead of him through the door. She met his eyes, warmer now when they looked at her, not lusty so much as caring. Like he really saw who she was and liked it.
She moved forward, her stomach fluttering for no good reason, and then something made her stop. Standing right next to him, looking up into those warm blue eyes, she wanted to say…something. She didn’t know what. Thanks again for the coffee and the job, and I really like you? Sorry I drove you away after you were so nice?
His lips curled into a hint of a dimpled smile. “Yes?”
Her heart hammered because this felt real. Not just lust. So much more than that.
“Night, guys!” Logan called cheerfully.
Missy jumped.
Ben put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “Night, Logan.”
Logan stopped outside her office. “Hey, fair warning, the meeting table has a wobbly side, so you guys better stick with the desk.”
“We were on our way out,” Ben said, giving Logan a good glare. “Go home.”
Logan grinned.
Missy felt herself flush. Did Logan know she and Ben had hooked up before? She was not about to ask Ben about it.
The three of them headed out the door, Logan stopping to lock the door behind him.
“Long day, huh?” Logan asked, catching up with her on the steps. “I can already tell you’ll be a real help around here.”
“Thanks,” Missy said. “I appreciate the work.”
They reached the bottom of the stairs.
“You want to get a drink to celebrate your first day?” Logan asked her.
“We can all go,” Ben said, sounding surly about the whole idea.
Just then Sabrina came out of her office. “Hi, all! How’d the first day go?” Sabrina was back to her girl-next-door look—straight dirty-blond hair pulled back in a barrette at the nape of her neck with very understated makeup around her brown eyes and round cheeks. Missy had been uncomfortable with Sabrina when they first met because Sabrina had just been so sweet and on the quiet side, but as she got to know her, she discovered she had a subtle snarky sense of humor and a loyalty to her friends that Missy really appreciated.
“Hey,” Ben and Logan mumbled to Sabrina.
“Great,” Missy told Sabrina. “I’ll tell you all about it back home.” She turned to the men. “Sabrina lives down the hall from me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She walked out the door with Sabrina, leaving the men behind, and headed toward the back parking lot. Sabrina squeezed her arm and said in a low tone, “Major testosterone flare-up. Were they fighting over you?”
“I think they’re giving each other a hard time through me. You know the way guys rib each other.”
Sabrina shook her head. “Ben’s more your type, right? All rough edges.”
Except that was just the outside. Missy knew a different side of him, caring and compassionate. Crap. She did not want to be falling for him. She didn’t want to be falling for anyone.
She forced herself to focus on Sabrina. “I don’t know,” she said in a teasing voice. “Logan’s pretty hot with that beard.”
“You think?” Sabrina chirped. “Huh.” Like she’d never noticed.
“Yeah, huh.”
They cracked up.
“I’ll see you at home,” Sabrina said, heading for her new car, a sleek white Lexus. Business was good for Sabrina as word spread that she was a true “relationship healer.” There’d even been an article in the local paper about her. “Stop by my place. I’ve got a lasagna ready to pop in the oven.” Sabrina was a true domestic goddess.
“Sounds great, thanks.”
She slipped into her old Subaru just as Ben and Logan walked out to the parking lot—both of them puffed out, swaggering and badass, neither of them speaking. She imagined they’d just gone another testosterone-fueled round of sparring, probably one of them shoved the other too. Men.
Chapter Nine
Tensions were running high at Checkin. For Ben, anyway. Bad enough he couldn’t stop thinking about Missy with her sexy-as-fuck mouth talking business with him, her sexy body in those form-fitting button-down shirts and skirts, even her dress pants were making his pants tight. He wanted to bend her over his desk every time she stepped into his office. Wanted to take her home for more wild sex in his bed, in the kitchen, wherever and whenever he wanted it. He felt like a beast straining at professional constraints. Of course, Logan made it worse, getting his jollies razzing Ben in his backhanded way about Missy. Payback would be a bitch.
Missy was the height of professionalism, which only made him feel more depraved. Not that he let any of that show. He stuck to the plan, trying to get to know her. Women loved talking, especially if you asked them questions about themselves. Not Missy.
Monday: coffee and one Ben question unanswered. Not willing to share she was married before.
Tuesday: coffee and two Ben questions unanswered. Not willing to share her longest relationship. Also not willing to share what she liked to do when she wasn’t working.
Wednesday: coffee and one Ben question deflected. Not willing to share where she grew up.
Thursday: coffee and a new strategy. Yeah, he learned. No questions. He’d share and then she’d share. Today he’d crack through those defenses or die trying. To say she was a closed book was an understatement. While he admired her strength, she was so cagey about her past it was starting to worry him, like she was hiding something important. Something he needed to know to understand her. The fact that he couldn’t just let it go should’ve been a red flag. He was getting in much deeper than she was, too invested in connecting with her, for reasons that were frighteningly clear to him—he liked her way too much to be explained away by lust. Halfway to the slippery slope of relationship land given the smallest return of feeling in his direction.
Yup, he had it bad. He was sure it was the chase that had hooked him. For sure if she’d been chasing him, he’d already have moved on. So he had no one to blame but her and her cagey ways.
He knocked on her open door, not bothering to wait for a reply, simply moving in with coffee for their afternoon coffee break. Her eyes were glued to the computer screen, biting her plump lower lip in concentration in a move that went straight to his groin.
“Coffee break,” he said, setting the take-out coffees on her desk and taking a seat across from her. He always got Logan a coffee too, so it wasn’t like he was singling her out. He was just being friendly, which was perfectly fine with a coworker.
She clicked a few more times and looked up, smiling. “Thank you. I could get used to this. Usually I’m the one fetching coffee.” She took the coffee and sipped. “I thought you were the numbers guy.”<
br />
“I am.”
“So how come I’ve only been working on numbers with the tech guy all week?”
He clenched his jaw, not willing to share why Logan was taking the lead on the investor meetings. Missy would never look at Ben the same way again if she knew he’d been accused of sexual harassment, even if he was innocent. Finally, he said simply, “Logan’s taking the lead on the investor meetings, so he needs to be familiar with the nitty-gritty.”
“I guess I thought it would be both of you. All I’ve been doing is dropping off copies of everything to you.”
He sipped his coffee before saying, “Exciting news for Charlotte and Ty.” Their mutual friends were neutral territory. Ty was the honorary brother he’d grown up with, and Charlotte was one of Missy’s friends from book club. Charlotte had gone into labor a short while ago. Ty had texted everyone with the news, promising regular updates. Ty was understandably freaked about his first child coming a month early, especially given Charlotte’s high-risk pregnancy. She’d been on bed rest the last few months.
Missy beamed. “It is exciting. Charlotte’s in good spirits. The doctor says the baby’s a good weight and everything should go smoothly. Hopefully by tonight we’ll hear the good news.”
“That’s great.” He studied her for a moment, all lit up with talk of the upcoming birth. “Baby’s a lot of work,” he said casually. He knew this to be true, he’d witnessed firsthand his honorary brother, Alex Campbell, struggle as a single dad with his baby daughter. But he really wanted to know Missy’s take on it.
Missy got a soft smile that he’d never seen on her before. It warmed him seeing that crack in her tough shell. “They are a lot of work, but so worth it. I’ve helped out with my niece, Chloe, since she was born and now Leo. He’s six weeks and already smiling.” Her eyes got a faraway look. “He smells delicious, all sweet and new.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. He’d never smelled a baby.
“It’s why I moved to Clover Park,” Missy said, surprising him by continuing to share openly. “My sister, Lily, wanted me to be part of her family. I adore those kids, probably the closest I’ll ever get to being a mom.” Her voice had gone soft with longing.
“Is there a reason you can’t be a mom?” he asked gently. Maybe she physically couldn’t have them, but they both knew adoption could be a great option.
She straightened and, in an unprecedented flow of words, denied her own longing. “Not that I even want to be a mom. I love being an aunt. Just shower them with attention and get out before you have to change a diaper or deal with crying and all that. You’re right, babies are a lot of work.” She took a swig of coffee and promptly choked, her eyes watering as she coughed.
“You okay?” In that moment he glimpsed her vulnerability, and everything in him wanted to gather her close.
“Yeah,” she choked out. “Must’ve went down the wrong pipe.”
“Most things worth having in life are work,” he said.
“Do you want kids?”
“Never really thought about it.” He thought about it then, imagining coming home to Missy with that soft smile, a couple of cute redheaded kids excited to see him. “I can see the appeal. And now that I know they start out smelling delicious…” He trailed off with a smile.
She laughed. “Yeah.”
“I’d love to meet Chloe and Leo.” He wanted to see Missy with the kids she loved so much. He wanted to see that soft look in her eyes, that soft smile.
Her eyes widened. “Oh, that’s not necessary.”
He set his coffee on the desk. “I know it’s not necessary, but they seem important to you.”
“They’re my family,” she said softly.
“And they sound like fun.”
She brightened. “They are, but no.”
“Come on, we’re friends, aren’t we? What’s the big deal?”
Her expression closed. “The big deal is my sister will get the wrong idea. She’ll think you and I are serious when we’re not. I’ve never introduced her to any men I meet.”
He looked down his nose at her, playing it up. “You’re such a scaredy-cat.”
“I am not.”
“You act so tough—”
“I am tough,” she snapped.
“But you won’t even hang out with me,” he said smoothly.
They had a staredown and he waited her out.
She swallowed visibly. “You really want to be my friend?”
“I really want to be your friend.” For now.
“Do you think it’s possible?”
“Why not?” he asked, sounding completely casual about the whole thing despite being on edge. Would Missy let him in? This was the only way it could happen. Friends, hanging out, potential for more an excruciating time later.
Her cheeks flushed bright pink and she smoothed her hair back.
Was she remembering their hookup? He kept his mouth shut. That was not workplace appropriate. He wouldn’t even make a move outside the office either, not while she was working for him.
She looked at him, her eyes soft. “I—”
Logan barged in. “Hey, guys. Missy, I found those old reports.”
Ben left quietly, leaving them to it. He’d put it out there. It was up to Missy to meet him halfway.
~ ~ ~
The moment Missy had her office to herself again, she slipped out to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Ben was getting under her skin, bringing her favorite coffee every afternoon, being so friendly. She was well aware most guys didn’t bother with questions about her, preferring to talk about themselves. If he’d just wanted sex, she figured he wouldn’t bother with all the conversation, he’d just make a move. Not at the office, of course, they’d agreed to keep it professional, but surely he wouldn’t hesitate to walk her to her car after work and proposition her, or even text her for a late night booty call.
She was so confused. She’d thought she understood men and what they wanted from her. No man had ever wanted to be friends with her. She still wasn’t sure if she should take his offer to hang out seriously or if he was playing some kind of game.
She grabbed a paper towel and dabbed her face dry, reason returning to her. She didn’t have to figure out Ben’s reasons, she just needed to be clear on what she wanted.
She blew out a breath. The problem was, she wasn’t so sure anymore.
After work, she was relieved to have plans with Sabrina and Lexi so she could stop thinking about Ben. They were making chocolate cupcakes for after their Happy Endings Book Club meeting in anticipation of the good news about Charlotte and Ty’s baby. Charlotte had asked them from the very beginning to stay positive, and this was their way of honoring her request. The plan was: book club meeting at Something’s Brewing Café, then over to Garner’s Sports Bar & Grill across the street for their usual after-book club drinks, where they’d wait for baby news and celebrate with champagne and cupcakes.
They were a little late to book club because it took time for the cupcakes to cool. Then she and Lexi had formed a chocolate icing assembly line while Sabrina decorated with her pastry bag of vanilla icing, writing in perfect script “baby” and “love,” alternating, across the tops.
“No news yet,” Hailey, leader of their book club, announced the moment they walked through the door of Something’s Brewing Café.
Normally the cozy space with its deep red walls, golden sconces, and dark wood tables filled with the lingering scent of coffee and delicious pastries made Missy relax, but tonight there was a definite tension in the air as they all waited to hear how Charlotte and the baby fared.
“I’m sure we’ll hear something soon,” Sabrina said in her soothing counselor tone. She set a triple-tiered cupcake holder on top of one of the tables that had been pushed to the edges of the space for their meeting. The women sat in a circle of chairs in the center.
They quickly took their seats. Missy looked around at the closest friends she’d ever had, all of t
heir faces drawn tight with worry for Charlotte. With Charlotte in the hospital and movie star Claire in California for postproduction on her movie, there were only eight women, including herself.
Mad, a tough blackbelt with a secretly sensitive side, stomped her black boots on the floor as she stood. “What’s taking so long? She’s been in labor for four hours now.”
Carrie, a sweet blonde pediatric nurse, spoke up. “It’s perfectly normal, especially for a first child. The baby will come when it’s ready.”
Mad whipped her head toward Carrie, shoving her dyed red hair out of her eyes. “Easy for you to say. It’s not your family.” Mad considered Charlotte a sister since she married Mad’s big brother Ty.
“Mad,” Hailey said quietly.
“What?” Mad snarled, her hands in fists. “She doesn’t know what it feels like. I want to beat the shit out of something.”
Hailey stood, went over to Mad and spoke to her in low tones before hugging her. They were close in height, around five foot four, their hair clinging together—Hailey’s long strawberry blond picking up wisps of Mad’s choppy red. Probably static electricity, but Missy couldn’t help but think about their close bond. So different—an ultrafeminine beauty queen and tough tomboy—yet so in synch.
Mad pulled away, dashing her eyes with a fist before taking a seat, crossing her arms and slouching low in her seat.
“You know what?” Hailey asked, her pale blue eyes bright. “Instead of talking about Heart on Ice, let’s talk about Ty’s favorite, the Laird trilogy.”
They cracked up, even Mad snorted out a laugh. When Charlotte had been put on bed rest a couple of months ago, they had a few of their Happy Endings Book Club meetings in her bedroom, which Ty insisted on attending, saying he was “romance-curious.” They all knew he was in full overprotective-husband mode, there to keep an eye on Charlotte and make sure she didn’t get overly excited in her delicate state. The hilarious part was Ty really got into the stories and was heavily invested in the discussion of Highlander’s Mission, and also extremely eager to read the next two books in the trilogy.
Resisting Fate (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 7) Page 10