by Tyler Grey
“When was the last time you had a night away from your son and grandmother?” I asked and read the expression on her face perfectly. “That’s what I thought. Way too long.”
“It has been,” she demurred, shifting on the balls of her feet. “It’s tempting, Mr. Jackson. I just can’t—”
I slowly approached with confident strides because I could see her guard crumbling already. I hadn’t mistaken those nervous looks as anything other than returning the same type of urges that I felt. She didn’t want to cross any lines, just like me.
“You’re a hard worker, Alisha,” I said huskily. “You deserve a bit of fun. Don’t you think?”
Alisha swallowed thickly. Her eyes were riveted to my face, but she didn’t pull them away. She didn’t back away at all. Desire sparkled in the green and piercing depths of her eyes. A soft flora perfume filled my nose when I reached out to caress the side of her neck gently. The skin was soft and hot beneath my fingertips. My thumb rested on her frantic pulse. Caressing there softly, I stared down at Alisha as she tilted her head up slightly to look up at me more carefully. Her lips parted in a wordless invitation. My own lips tingled in response to it.
The desire to kiss her shot through me. To kiss her into submission. I focused on the pleasant curve of her full and luscious lips that were a sexy red color.
“I don’t know if I can,” she whispered breathlessly. “I don’t know if—”
“Come on,” I whispered back. “I know you want to.”
A shudder went through Alisha’s body in response. I was going to kiss her. Damn the consequences. I couldn’t resist any longer.
Chapter 8
Alisha
“Come on,” Seth whispered seductively. “I know you want to.”
Oh, my God. I wanted to. I wanted to badly.
The smell of Seth’s cologne filled my lungs. A musky type of smell with something uniquely masculine underneath. The scent of him filled me in every possible way. His thumb pressed intimately up against the side of my neck, feeling my pulse. Our eyes interlocked while I battled everything inside of me.
This was wrong. So incredibly wrong. Seth was my boss. I didn’t care if he was the one initiating any of this. I didn’t want anyone in the office to think there was truth to Seth giving me special favors. I didn’t want to be the type of woman who slept her way to the top because her boss desired her.
“Talk to me,” Seth said when a long minute passed. “I can see that there is something on your mind here.”
So many things were on my mind. My lips were tingling. Shudders were going up my spine. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to feel him. I wanted so many things that I hadn’t had in a very long time. Every inch of my body was coiled tautly in longing. It would only take one touch of those firm lips up against mine to release the building lust.
“I-I’m just surprised,” I said. “I didn’t think you were interested in me.”
The corner of Seth’s lips quirked up. “It’s just a dinner, Alisha. Not a marriage proposal.”
“I know that. I just—”
I was utterly baffled by this turn of events. Not once did I imagine a man like Seth asking me out for dinner.
“Just one dinner,” Seth said, “I can pick you up at eight.”
“Mr. Jackson—”
“Seth,” he said. “It’s technically after hours. You can call me Seth.”
“I just don’t know if this is a good idea,” I murmured, as he took a step closer to me. I couldn’t pull away no matter what I told myself. “I’m your employee.”
“During the workday Monday through Friday, that is true. But now it’s Friday night. You are off the clock, just like I am.”
“That’s true, I suppose. It’s just—” I didn’t want to think about the knowing look my grandmother would send in my direction if I came home and asked her to watch Christian while I went out to dinner. My son was already irritated with me working so much. Dating had never been a topic in our household, either. I had dedicated the last twelve years of my life to raising Christian the best way I could.
Seth took another step closer. There were only a few inches between us now. The hair on my arms stood on edge from the static charge between us. My lips tingled when Seth’s other hand reached up to gently cradle the other side of my neck. Desire was clouding every inch of my judgment now. I couldn’t see past the stormy blue eyes that were looking into mine. I couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to have those lips against my own.
Butterflies fluttered wildly in the pit of my stomach again. I could taste Seth on my lips. No amount of imagination, no amount of fantasizing could have prepared me for what it felt like to be standing in front of Seth like that. To feel the heat radiating off of him in steady waves.
My eyes closed when the edge of Seth’s nose bumped into mine. I parted my lips in anticipation of a kiss. My body tingled pleasantly when his hands cupped the sides of my neck firmly. Fingertips dug into my skin as he drew closer.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
Seth stopped with our lips millimeters apart. My phone buzzed continuously from inside of my purse draped against my right hip. I hastily pulled away from Seth to dig through my purse. He let me go without question, his hands falling away. It took all my strength not to place those strong hands right back on my neck.
Pick up Christian from b-ball practice in fifteen minutes.
I looked up at Seth, who stood patiently in front of me with those still smoldering eyes. He was unfazed by the interruption.
“I have to pick up my son from basketball practice,” I squeaked out, placing my phone back in my purse. “I, um, signed him up for basketball at the beginning of the season to help out with bullies. He hates it, so I need to go pick him up before he’s standing out there for too long.”
Seth arched an eyebrow at me. “Of course. I’ll pick you up at eight tonight.”
I didn’t offer a response as I hurried out of Seth’s office before something else could happen. My heart raced frantically as I took the elevator down to the lobby to head in the direction of the parking garage. I nearly kissed Seth Jackson. He had nearly kissed me. There was no doubt in my mind that those kisses would lead to other things that my body very much craved.
“This is your boss,” I whispered to myself when I hopped into the driver’s seat of my car. “You can’t do this, Alisha. You can’t sleep with him.”
A cold rain had started to patter against the front windshield of the car when I pulled up into the partially empty school parking lot. The gym door was propped open when I ducked through the drizzle of rain and stepped inside. The smell of gym floors and body odor filled my nose unpleasantly as I scanned the large gym for Christian. I found him seated on the bleachers next to his basketball coach, Marcus Reed, with his nose buried deep in a math textbook. His fair blond hair, now a short buzz cut, appeared to be intact, much to my relief. It was the dark look that Christian sent me that told me something else had happened.
The pit of my stomach tightened in dread when Marcus looked up at me with a grim expression.
“Sorry that I’m late,” I said when I reached the both of them. “How was practice, honey?”
“It sucked,” Christian said, scowling. “Can we go home now?”
“In a minute—” I started, but it was Marcus who stood up to lightly touch my elbow.
“It might be a good idea if we talk privately, Ms. Townsend,” he said. “Good job at practice today, Christian. Remembered what we talked about.”
Marcus nodded over at Christian who immediately gathered his things from the floor. He held out his hand expectantly for my car keys before stomping off across the gym floor in the direction of the doors.
“What happened?” I asked, turning to look at Marcus. “Please tell me it wasn’t those damn kids messing with him again.”
Marcus rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh. “They are football players, so they don’t come to the gym often. It had nothing to do with
the bullies you mentioned to me.”
“Okay. So, what do you need to talk to me about?”
“It has to do with Christian’s desire to be on this team,” Marcus said. “He doesn’t want to be here, Alisha. I’ve had several talks with him—”
“I put him on this team for a reason,” I interrupted harshly. “Coach Reed, with all due respect, you assured me that you could watch over him.”
“That’s why I’m suggesting that you take him off this team. He doesn’t want to be here. The entire practice today, he sat here in the bleachers doing homework. He isn’t happy doing sports.”
I rubbed my eyes tiredly. Dinner out seemed like a far-fetched notion now. I wanted alcohol. I wanted a stiff drink to curtail this ache building in my head.
“I know you were hoping this would help him be accepted here,” Marcus continued gently, “but, as I told Christian just a few minutes ago, it’s not a bad thing to be book smart. He’s not going to be an athlete, and that’s okay.”
“I just hoped you would be able to—”
“Babysit your son?”
I grimaced at the rather sharp accusation that was completely true. I had put Christian in basketball with the frail hope that it would keep him away from the bullies. That he would gain friends on the basketball team and have another person to look after him.
“I have other things to do,” Marcus said, giving me a knowing look. “I can’t watch after him all the time. I have a job to do here, which is to coach basketball. He’s off the team, Alisha. I suggest you listen to what your son wants.”
“I know what my son wants,” I said, affronted with that suggestion. “I was just trying to protect him where I could is all. Don’t tell me that I’m doing a shitty job as a parent.”
Marcus held up his hands defensively. “I never implied that you were doing a shitty job. I’m just saying that—”
“Thank you for your time,” I said crisply, adjusting the strap of my purse over my shoulder. “I have to get going now. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
I ducked back out of the gym to find my car running in the parking lot. Hopping into the driver’s seat, I glanced over at Christian, who had already jammed earbuds into his ears. His eyes were focused on his phone. I could hear the bass of music over the patter of rain. A part of me was tempted to scold him for listening to music so loudly, but I wasn’t in the mood for an argument. Not after the strange day I’d had at work.
My mind wandered back to what had nearly happened in Seth’s office. You’re a hard worker, Alisha. You deserve a bit of fun. Don’t you think? I pulled out my phone from inside of my purse to pull up contact information for Seth. The only number that I had stored in my phone was his work phone, but I knew that he had it on him at all times. He rarely parted ways with his phone.
I sent a quick text before I changed my mind. Do you know where I live to pick me up for dinner tonight?
Three dots appeared below my message. I waited anxiously for Seth’s reply while the heater blasted Christian and me with hot air. Rain continued to patter against the windshield.
Pulled it from the employee personnel file. Are you still up for it?
“Mom.”
I nearly dropped my phone in surprise. “What is it?”
“What are we having for dinner tonight?” Christian asked. One earbud hung out, blasting music into the car as he waited for an answer. “Can we get a pizza or something?”
“Sure. I won’t be eating with you and Nana though.”
“Why?”
I glanced down at my phone as I quickly texted Seth back. Yes. Very up for it. See you at 8.
“I have dinner plans,” I said and tucked my phone back into my purse. “Work dinner plans. What type of pizza do you want?”
A scowl filled Christian’s face again as I pulled out of the school parking lot.
“You mean you’re going on a date?” he asked shortly.
“Dinner plans, Christian. It’s with my boss. I can’t decline.”
“Yeah, sure. You can never tell him no. I get it.”
He gave me a withering look before placing the earbud back in his ear again. My fingers curled around the steering wheel in aggravation. This was one of the main reasons I had never taken anyone up on their offers to go out on a date. My life was complicated. Way too complicated to be appealing to a decent man. I didn’t want to get my hopes up with Seth either. I just wanted a break from the life I lived outside of Jackson Finance.
Chapter 9
Seth
I took a long cold shower to help keep my body under control. The last thing I wanted to do was frighten Alisha off by kissing the hell out of her before even making it to the restaurant. It was that tempting, especially after I had been so close to finally tasting those luscious lips earlier this afternoon.
The near-kiss back in my office replayed in the back of my mind over the next few hours. She had smelled of soft floral perfume. The taste of coconut had touched the inside of my lips from her heated breaths.
I slipped into a light jacket to fight off the cool late autumn air while I crossed the living room. Grabbing my wallet and phone from the small table next to the door, I stepped out of my penthouse to cross down the hallway to the elevator. I passed by a few security guards at their usual posts. I had lost track of which celebrities lived on the top floor with me, but there were guards around periodically throughout the entire year in front of various doors. I nodded to them as I passed by to press the elevator button.
My other driver, Billy, greeted me from where he was waiting inside of the lobby to shield himself from the downpour of cold rain.
“Evening, Mr. Jackson,” he said. “Crappy weather tonight. Can you believe it?”
“It’s Boston,” I said with a laugh. “I can believe crappy weather at this time of the year. Did you get my directions earlier?”
“Already programmed them into the GPS. It’s about a thirty-minute drive.”
I glanced at my wristwatch with a frown. “We better get going then. I’m never late for anything, as you know.”
“Not once in your life, sir?” Billy said, buttoning up his coat. “You must have some good drivers who know what they’re doing.”
“That’s why they get paid the big bucks,” I replied, grinning. “Let’s get going.”
We ducked out into the dark and rainy night. I slid into the back passenger seat when Billy opened the door for me on his way around the SUV. Thankfully, the leather seats were warm, along with the rest of the SUV. Billy pulled away from the curb to head in the direction of Alisha’s address.
I shifted anxiously in my seat while I watched the city lights blur around the SUV. Boston was alive on a Friday night. I had never been a partier, but there was something energetic about going into the city on a Friday night. Younger crowds of people gathered on the sidewalk, unfazed by the downpour of rain and cold weather. The city lights eventually dimmed as Billy turned down a quiet side street full of townhomes that were a bit run down. He pulled up in front of a classic two-story townhome that appeared to need some maintenance, judging from the little light that came from the street lights. A light was on downstairs along with upstairs.
“This is it,” Billy said, nodding to the house. “Recognize the cars?”
I spotted Alisha’s car parked in the driveway behind a closed and locked gate.
“I do. I’ll be right back.” I opened the passenger door to slide out into the cold night. “Keep the SUV running to keep it warm, okay?”
“You got it, boss.”
I rounded the front of the SUV to the small gate that needed a little bit of a push to open. The concrete pathway beneath my feet was cracked. Porch boards groaned beneath my shoes when I reached the front door to ring the doorbell. The faint sound of a television along with chatter reached my ears. I tried again, but when a few seconds passed with no one coming to the door, I knocked loudly.
The front door wrenched open to reveal a spitting image
of Alisha standing in front of me. Christian Townsend looked every inch of Alisha from her soulful green eyes and bright blond locks of hair. Distrust immediately filled his eyes as he let the door swing fully open to gaze at me with unchecked annoyance.
“Mom!” he yelled out suddenly before I could introduce myself. “Your date and boss is here for you.”
He turned sharply on his socked foot to stomp down a narrow hallway in the direction of what appeared to be the living room. I chuckled inwardly at the moody display. While I’m sure Alisha wasn’t too fond of the attitude, I remembered Christian’s age as a moody one in general. I closed the front door behind me in time to see an elderly woman emerge from the living room with a coffee cup in hand.
“Please forgive him,” she said. “My grandson is a bit moody these days. You must be Seth Jackson.”
“No worries at all,” I said, with a smile. “I remember being his age. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You must be Alisha’s grandmother.”
“Just call me Donna,” she said, motioning for me to follow her. “Please, come in. Would you like some coffee?”
“Christian! Pick up all these damn clothes now!”
The sound of Alisha’s voice echoing from upstairs stopped the both of us in our tracks. I glanced up in time to see Alisha crossing from above to head down the stairs. My breath caught in my chest as I took in the lacey green dress that hugged her body pleasantly in all the right ways. The fabric fell above her knees, and it hugged her bust tightly. Her tiny heels clicked against the hardwood steps as she caught sight of me standing at the bottom.
“You’re here already,” Alisha said, visibly surprised. She smoothed a hand over her blond hair that was pulled elegantly back in a French braid. “I didn’t hear you ring the doorbell.”
“I rang it twice,” I said. “You look beautiful, by the way.”
A blush filled Alisha’s cheeks as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She glanced over at her grandmother, who smiled in encouragement.
“Go on now,” she said, showing us to the door. “I can take care of everything here. Don’t you worry about that.”