“But how did I end up in your room?” Tiffany was quite relieved and now more curious than ever to know what in the hell had happened.
“Well, simply put, you were pissed,” Colin explained.
“Yeah, I know. I had just fought with Mac, my best friend.”
“No, I mean, you were drunk. So drunk, in fact, that you nearly fell overboard. I caught you and the rest is ancient history.” Colin smiled sweetly at her then he took a drink.
“The kiss?”
“Oh, that. Yes. Now that did happen.”
“But how did we go from there to the hotel?”
Colin grinned. “Well, you did try to seduce me. You were nearly successful, too. That is until you started snoring.”
“Oh, God, really?” Her cheeks grew hot. Mortified? Yes, that’s what she was. Only Tiffany would miss a golden opportunity like that. She wanted to kick herself.
“I won’t lie, love. That first kiss was quite something. The second? Well, that started us on our journey to the nearest hotel.”
“I’m so sorry. I’m not like that at all,” Tiffany apologized.
“No need. You saw something you wanted and you went after it. There’s nothing wrong with that at all.” Colin raised his glass to her. “I think that’s what turned me on the most.”
Tiffany hid her face in her hands then Colin stroked her arm. She looked up at him and asked, “So what changed when you saw me on Monday?”
Colin pulled his hand back as though he had been burned by touching her. He explained, “To be honest, nothing. But I didn’t know you were employed there and you know my rule.” He watched her with a deep, intense stare and continued to speak, “Trust me, Tiffany. I still am interested in you, especially after getting to know you this last week. But nothing can ever come of it.”
Well, that is that. If there is no possibility of exploring whatever this is, why am I here?
Tiffany began to get off the stool. “You know, I really should go,” she said before he could speak. There. Problem solved.
Colin set his glass down, and in a swift movement that took them both by surprise, he lowered his mouth on hers. He cupped her face delicately, as he took ownership over her lips. She let out a moan and reacted. A pool of warmth developed in her belly. Tiffany needed more of him. Her built-up craving needed to be satisfied. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. A war was waged inside their mouths, a battle of wills and control. Colin appeared more than eager for this battle to begin and seemed to take great pleasure in challenging her. His lips formed a smile against her mouth. He’d said that the very first kiss they had shared had left quite an impact on him, and Tiffany planned to push this one to a completely different level.
Tiffany’s brain was not quiet when she made out. It was obnoxiously busy and filled with thoughts. It was shooting off random facts and details, all things she could care less about at the moment. She thought about unimportant items such as, was her gas tank still near empty, did she need to buy coffee and other worthless bits. Then it would sneak in tiny suggestions like bite his lip, lick his neck and nibble on his ear, all which she put into action. Colin moaned then tried to mutter something that she couldn’t quite make out.
How is this supposed to fix things between us? How is this a good idea? Who kisses their boss? Evidently Tiffany. Maybe this would fix the problem. Oh, who am I kidding?
The problem was far from solved and things were now more complicated than ever.
Chapter Seven
Tiffany stared at her ceiling, exhausted and not eager to face the day. She’d slept like crap. Was it because of the constant snoring by her new four-legged roommate? Possibly. Or maybe it was because last night Colin had left her more confused than ever. That kiss. She could still feel his lips on hers. It was as though he’d left a permanent burn on them. But as she recalled how awkward things had gotten when it was over and how quickly she’d fled the scene, her heart sunk. Colin was the one that had kissed her this time, unlike at Molly’s engagement party, so this was all his fault now.
The one good thing that did come out of the previous night was that Tiffany had learned she hadn’t slept with him. The bad news was that things had escalated to the point where she’d found herself in a hotel suite with no recollection of the night before or the man who was with her. Tiffany was still rather disgusted with herself. To think that she had been so drunk or maybe even a little bit jealous of Molly finding happiness that she had left with a strange man, almost sleeping with him, and the only reason she hadn’t, had been because she had fallen asleep. Tiffany should be thankful to some degree that Colin was a decent enough man to decide not to take advantage. The whole scene was just bad. Really bad.
What is my problem? This was not her. Mackenzie was always warning her about making poor decisions and this was another example of her friend hitting the nail on the head. Tiffany felt lost and like a complete screw-up. How did things get so twisted and jumbled? She was in her mid-thirties and wasn’t some naive kid. When am I going to grow up?
Today was a new day. I can start over, right? Take the world by the horns, show it who’s boss and all that jazz? Why didn’t she feel like it was possible? Coffee, that’s why. She hadn’t had any yet. Life began after coffee. Any coffee drinker knew that. One can’t be expected to conquer the world without having at least one cup.
Tiffany padded barefoot to her kitchen and began her morning ritual, but she wasn’t alone. She’d almost forgotten about her visitor. He’d followed her and plopped down on the floor. His chocolate-brownie eyes watched her go about making survival juice, aka coffee.
“Let me get this started and I’ll take you outside.”
Tiffany quickly ground up the dark-roasted beans. The small grinder made a tremendous amount of noise. Apparently, Sir McCartney was not too fond of it and started barking frantically.
“You better get used to it, pal,” Tiffany said to him as she poured the freshly ground beans into the coffee pot filter and pressed Start after filling her machine with water.
“Let’s do this,” Tiffany called out to the dog as she grabbed the leash Colin had given her and clipped it onto his harness.
The sun was making its way into the sky, creating a tangerine glow against the purple from the leftover night sky. The early morning air was cool, and even the bulldog shivered as he quickly did his business. Tiffany wrapped her sweater tighter around her body and tried to let the newness of the day envelop her. Her mind instantly went to Colin. She wondered what he was doing right now. Is he drinking coffee? Or maybe staring at the sunrise? Why did he kiss me? Too many questions and not nearly enough answers. Tiffany exhaled and followed Sir McCartney back to her apartment.
The coffee was ready by the time they came back inside. Sir McCartney looked at her with a longing. Food. He was probably hungry. Colin had packed all the essentials for his furry pride and joy. Tiffany set out his dishes on her dining room floor. She added some water to the stainless bowl then watched as he started to go to town on it. When he finally did come up for air, water dripped from jowls, leaving a good-sized puddle on her floor.
“You’re gross, you know that?” Tiffany grabbed some paper towels and began to clean up the mess.
She poured some food into his bowl and he attacked it with excitement. Tiffany had no idea he had been so thirsty or hungry and she instantly felt guilty. Why did Colin leave him with me? She obviously had no clue how to care for a dog. Dogsitting was way out of her league and not something she’d signed up for. Tiffany prayed she could keep Colin’s little precious pup alive until he returned then she planned on asking for a raise.
Tiffany doctored her coffee while Sir McCartney licked his bowl clean, pushing it around with his flat face. Tiffany couldn’t help but giggle as she watched him. He was such a character. She took her coffee to her dining room table and leisurely sipped from her mug while Sir McCartney finished his breakfast.
Colin had instructed her not to come to th
e office but to focus her attention on Sir McCartney until he returned. To think he was so concerned about this dog that he was willing to sacrifice any work that actually needed to be done was a little crazy. It didn’t make too much sense to Tiffany, but then again, nothing did of late. Whatever. Tiffany looked at it like a mini-vacation and planned on making the most of it. The coffee was starting to kick in and she was nearly ready to grab those horns. Maybe after another cup or two.
* * * *
Showered, caffeinated and bored, Tiffany decided to call Mackenzie.
“Mackenzie, what are you up to?” Tiffany asked after her friend answered.
“Hey. Nothing much. Just got off the phone with Molly. You have something in mind?” Mackenzie paused. “Wait. Why aren’t you at work? It’s Tuesday, right? Or have I just completely lost track of what day it is? This happens to me every summer.” Mackenzie laughed.
“No, it’s Tuesday. You haven’t lost your mind. My boss gave me today off,” Tiffany started to explain, but Mackenzie cut her off.
“Really? Why? Oh, God, did you get fired, Tiff?”
Tiffany could hear the panic in her voice.
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. Why don’t you and Molly come over and I can explain better.”
It was time to tell them everything. The weight of this whole mess had proved to be too much. She was torn between hating and lusting after Colin. Maybe they could help her figure out what to do.
“Ooh, juicy details. I can’t wait! I’ll go get Molly and we’ll bring lunch.”
“Great, see ya in a bit.” Tiffany hung up and looked over at a sleeping Sir McCartney and her heart squeezed a little. Am I starting to fall in love with this stinky but adorable chunk? It would seem so.
Tiffany hummed as she went about straightening her apartment. Molly and Mackenzie would be there soon. Sir McCartney seemed rather annoyed at the cleaning and kept plopping his fat body down in different places.
“Am I interrupting your nap time?” Tiffany teased as she wiped down her dining room table. “My friends are going to love you,” she told him. His only response was looking up at her with sad, heavy brown eyes.
Tiffany had moved onto cleaning the living room when she heard a knock at the door. She hurried to answer it. A slobbering bulldog followed her.
“You’re such a good guard dog.”
She opened the door and there stood her besties.
“Oh my God, he’s the cutest thing ever, Tiff,” Molly squealed. “Let me grab my camera. I have got to get some shots of this cutie pie.”
Well, her besties were now officially in love with the wrinkly Sir McCartney, who had finally stopped wagging his little nub of a tail and was now in a deep coma on the floor.
“So why exactly is he here?” Mackenzie asked with a happy grin. “If you don’t want to watch him, I’ll gladly babysit.”
“Does Colin come as part of the package deal?” Molly added as she started snapping pictures of the bulldog. His pink tongue looked like a pale red carpet, rolled out perfectly. “He’s so precious.” She wrapped up her mini photo shoot and joined Mackenzie and Tiffany at the dining table.
“Who’s precious, the dog or Colin?” Mackenzie laughed.
“Neither,” Tiffany lied. “Actually, I do need your help—your advice, really.”
They were gathered around her table with tall iced coffees and enormous burritos in front of them. Molly and Mackenzie exchanged looks then stared at Tiffany with concern.
“Everything okay, Tiff?” Molly asked first.
“You know we’re here for you and you can always tell us anything, right?” Mackenzie eyed her suspiciously. Her friend was the most perceptive out of their bunch. It had surprised Tiffany that she’d been able to hide this from Mackenzie for as long as she had.
Tiffany took a deep breath then began the difficult task of explaining things. She started with the fight she and Mackenzie had had on the boat and concluded with the previous night’s kiss. When she finished, the look on their faces were exactly what she’d expected. Tiffany dropped eye contact and picked at the flour tortilla in front of her. She hated when things got uncomfortable. Tiffany inhaled deeply again and bravely looked to her friends, to see their reaction.
Molly stared up toward the ceiling as if she was trying to find just the right words. “I’m trying to place who this guy is and why he was at the engagement party.”
“I figured he must be a friend of yours or Owen’s.” Tiffany shrugged. Does it really even matter now?
Molly sighed in mental defeat. “Tiff, why didn’t you tell us that morning?” Molly asked.
“Because the day was meant to be about you and finding the perfect dress. Besides, I was in too much shock, I think.”
“I knew something was off. I didn’t know quite what, but now it all makes sense.” Mackenzie smiled softly. “Tiffany, you should have told me. It must have been scary to just wake up in some stranger’s bed. I know you don’t want a lecture, which is probably why you didn’t want to tell me in the first place, but you know I only voice my concerns because I love you. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that nothing happened to you.” Her voice started to crack and tears were forming in her eyes.
“So, what now? I mean, this gives a whole new meaning to ‘it’s complicated’.” Molly still looked stunned as she grabbed her burrito and took a bite.
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s annoying. First, he tells me one thing then he kisses me. How am I supposed to decipher these mixed messages?”
Mackenzie clasped her hands and looked thoughtfully at her and Molly. “Well, I can see he doesn’t know what to do.”
“Wait, what? You’re on his side?” Molly asked with a scowl.
“No, it’s not about whose side I’m on, because the answer is obvious there. No, what I mean is, look at it from Colin’s side. He met this girl, almost slept with her—but didn’t. She leaves and he probably doesn’t think he’ll ever see her again. Then, low and behold, she walks into the office of his new company. Awkward. He doesn’t know what to do. He probably finds himself very attracted to you, but it’s like he can’t have you. But by making you his assistant, that allows him to look but not touch. Now, in all honesty, how long can a person actually do that? That kiss was bound to happen, Tiff.” Mackenzie paused and took a long sip of her drink. “Then there’s the whole wild chemistry between you two.”
“That makes sense, I suppose,” Tiffany agreed.
“No, it doesn’t,” Molly argued. “I think he’s playing a stupid head game, if you ask me. Colin’s making her watch his dog—who is the cutest thing ever, by the way—but talk about a lot of mixed signals. He’s not playing very fair here.”
Molly had a point, but so did Mackenzie. Ugh. Now Tiffany was even more conflicted.
“Colin wants his cake and to eat it, too,” Molly said.
“I know, but imagine the frustration he must be feeling. That’s why he kissed her last night.” Mackenzie wiped her mouth and took another sip from her giant iced coffee.
Tiffany watched as her friends debated this topic. She was waiting to interject, but as the conversation grew a little louder and heated, she decided it was best to just sit this one out. Been there, done that.
“It doesn’t make it right or fair to Tiffany. If anything, that’s the worst thing he could have done. Why are you so quick to defend him?”
“Wait a second. I’m not defending Colin,” Mackenzie countered.
“Sure seems like it. Tiffany is the victim here. First she has some man nearly take advantage of her—” Molly began.
“But he didn’t,” Mackenzie interjected.
“Yeah, he didn’t, but he took a drunk woman—who he didn’t know—to his hotel suite. Real upstanding gentleman. Then, when he finds out Tiffany works for Blue Moose, he completely disrupts her life. He doesn’t even consider how that would affect her. He literally has given no thought at all to her feelings. He gave her no say in the matter when he stole her fro
m Patty, remember? That still sort of pisses me off.”
“I do see your point there,” Mackenzie relented. “But I don’t think his intent was nearly as malicious as you make it out to be.”
“You both are right,” Tiffany finally said. “It’s not completely Colin’s fault that he took me to that hotel. I obviously kissed him first then things sort of went from there. I instigated that. That’s my fault,” Tiffany admitted. “As for the whole work thing? Yes, that’s all on him. He didn’t let me have any say. The guy I saw last night was very different than the Colin at work. Not that he’s a monster there, but he’s all about business and getting his way.”
“I think he’s like that outside of work, too, Tiff.” Mackenzie motioned toward Sir McCartney, who was now trying to sneak onto the couch to snooze.
“Hey, you, down. No couches for you,” Tiffany ordered, only to have the saddest brown eyes look back her. He crawled up anyway. Stubborn-ass dog. Tiffany went over to him and dragged him off. “I told you ‘no’.”
Sir McCartney wiggled and rubbed against her legs. She reluctantly petted him. He was sweet, but he needed to stay off her furniture. Even Mr. Sprinkles only stayed on the windowsill. Tiffany looked over to her large and very annoyed cat. He yawned and stretched. He had no interest in their visitor.
“He likes you,” Molly said with a soft smile.
“I know, but I don’t want him on the couch. He’s such a brat.”
“Not much different than his owner,” Molly added.
Tiffany went to sit back down. “You know, I would have expected Mac to be the one to discredit Colin and for you to be his champion. See? Nothing makes sense anymore.”
* * * *
Tiffany survived an entire day with Sir McCartney. Two things she’d realized quickly were that there was no arguing with a bulldog and that he was the biggest snuggle buddy ever. She’d waved the white flag of defeat and had surrendered. Now a happy and content bulldog was cuddling next to her on the couch. Molly and Mackenzie had eventually smoothed things out by the time they had finished their burritos. It was still funny to Tiffany that Mackenzie was rooting for Colin. Never in a million years would she have seen that one coming. Molly was now more domesticated and all that playing house with Owen had started to make her protective motherly instincts surface. Either way, the weight of having held onto that secret, as small as it was, felt good to be off her shoulders. She had always told her friends everything. But sometimes, especially when Tiffany found herself acting like a bumbling idiot, she wasn’t so quick to share.
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