Her expression softened, the light returning to her beautiful blue eyes. “When I was younger, my sister and I loved Super Mario,” she said softly. “I guess it’s a skill you don’t forget.”
“You certainly didn’t.” It was as close of a compliment as he could bring himself to give her.
She glanced at him. “Are you hungry? Did you want dinner?”
“My housekeeper left something in the fridge,” he said. She was aware he usually ate alone.
“Then am I excused for the day?”
Suddenly he didn’t want her to leave, his curiosity about her and the need to learn more and remain in her company riding him hard.
“Join me,” he said, the words bursting out unexpectedly.
“I realize I’m paid a salary, but … dinner. Is it business?” she asked, meeting his gaze. “Because honestly, I’m confused.”
He hesitated to admit the truth, but he recognized she was too smart to fall for a lie. He didn’t know what to do with the new and confounding feelings he had for her that went beyond sexual. He’d only known her a day, but she’d tapped into the part of him he’d buried after Angela blind-sided him with her deceit. And personal assistant or not, he wasn’t ready to let Lexie go.
“I’m not asking you to stay for business. I’m interested in getting to know you better.” It was the shocking truth, and for now, he wasn’t about to analyze why.
Chapter Three
Lexie didn’t think she’d ever been so stunned. On her first day of work, she’d not only held her own with her supposedly tyrannical boss but he’d now expressed interest in her.
Interest she reciprocated. Her mind whirled with conflicting emotions and realities, so she forced herself to recount the truths in her situation.
Fact: It would be stupid to mix business with pleasure.
Fact: Regardless of what was smart, this man intrigued her on a deep level that made her want to know more about him. Like why did he keep himself so withdrawn and apart from the people around him? Why was he so gruff and taciturn? And what did this part of his personality have to do with the photo of him and his brother?
Because no way had he reacted with such anger just because she’d been looking at an old picture. And she was certain she hadn’t imagined the brief hint of longing on his face when he’d stared at the picture. There was much more to Kaden Barnes than the man he showed to the outside world.
Final fact: Bad idea or not, she was already invested, which meant one thing.
She was staying.
She met his gaze and didn’t back down from the oh-so-intense look in his vivid green eyes. “So what’s for dinner?”
The moment she agreed, the wariness in his expression softened a little. “Let’s go find out what Helen left us.”
A little while later, he was heating up spaghetti and meatballs on the stove. “My favorite meal,” he muttered, as if not wanting to admit to such a tiny personal detail.
“My sister and I used to make spaghetti for dinner. When my mother was too sick to make it downstairs and cook.” She retrieved the plates he’d taken out of the cabinet and brought them over to the stove so he could serve the food.
“What was wrong with her?” he asked, deftly placing the pasta on their plates.
“Depression,” she said, having long since come to terms with the word.
Some people considered mental illness a stigma, something to be ashamed of. She thought of it as chronic illness, a burden to bear when it wasn’t controlled, and merely another facet of someone’s life when it was. For her sister, Lexie still had hope.
She didn’t, however, know how Kade viewed things. Not wanting to see judgment in his gaze, she busied herself carrying the plates back to the table.
“I’m sorry. It’s not easy growing up with any kind of issues dragging you down.”
Something about the way he spoke told her not only didn’t he judge, he might actually understand.
She raised a shoulder. “It wasn’t. It isn’t. But when someone is ill, you learn to put them first, no matter what else is going on in life,” she said, knowing she was talking about more than her mother. But he didn’t need to hear about her sister too.
She picked up the fork and began twirling the long strands.
“I admire that,” he said, taking her by surprise.
She swallowed hard, caught up with emotion. “Thank you.”
“Not many women—I mean people—would be so selfless.”
She glanced away. “Well, I’m not an angel.” She lifted the pasta toward her mouth, realizing there were still long pieces attached to the ones on her plate.
She lowered the utensil, shook her head, and began to laugh, breaking the tension between them.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Spaghetti is, hands down, the worst date food on the planet. Not that we’re on a date,” she rushed to correct herself. He was her boss, and though he’d said he wanted to get to know her better, he hadn’t elaborated.
And she shouldn’t presume. “I mean…”
“I know what you mean.” He grinned.
A full-on smile that could only mean he’d dropped his defenses, and it transformed his face. He was sexy at any time, but in this moment, he resembled the young boy in the photo, and she was fully engaged by him.
“Thank you for sharing about your mother,” he said, taking her off guard by returning to their previous conversation.
She nodded. “It’s not easy to talk about things that hurt you.” She deliberately avoided pushing him to open up but hoped he understood she’d listen if he chose to.
“No. But you seem like you’d be a good listener too.”
“I am,” she said and let it go at that.
Silence ticked by, and he stared into her eyes, the emotional tension slowly turning into something different. The kind of undeniable awareness between a man and a woman who were attracted to one another. And she was attracted to this enigmatic man and all his different facets. Especially when he looked at her like he wanted to eat her for dinner. Or dessert.
Feeling breathless, even a little aroused, she did what she could to diffuse the desire arcing between them.
“So how about we dig into this meal and stop worrying about who gets sauce on their face?” she said, giving him an easygoing smile.
“Sounds like a plan,” he said, that sexy gaze never leaving hers. And as a result, she spent the rest of the evening in a heightened state of sexual desire for a man she had to face in the morning.
As her difficult, demanding boss.
* * *
Lexie arrived at work the next morning after a night spent tossing and turning, thanks to the afternoon and evening spent with her boss. But he hadn’t felt like her boss when she’d confided in him about her mother. Lexie didn’t normally talk to people about her problems or her past. Heck, she didn’t have any friends left to confide in. No one had patience for the way Lexie chose to live her life.
As she’d insinuated to Kade, she put her sister first. And that cost her friends she’d stood up or walked out on early when Kendall had needed her. It’d cost her her high school sweetheart, who’d gone to the same college and had stuck around through all of the trials and tribulations that came with Lexie. Until she’d decided to take a leave in order to be there for Kendall during her first hospitalization.
As much as John cared and even tried to understand, he’d wanted her to put her own life first. To put them first. And she just couldn’t leave her twin in an institution in another state and focus on school or her own love life. Even the patient John had had his limits. As had any man who’d come after him. Until she no longer bothered to date, putting her love life on hold.
She shook off those thoughts and focused on work, walking in earlier than nine a.m., when Kade was supposed to be in. She stopped by the windows overlooking the city, where the coffeemaker was located, a high-end office Keurig single-serving machine, and carefully mixed three sugars
into the black coffee, setting it on her boss’s desk at 9:00.
By 9:05, he hadn’t arrived, and she dumped the cup, keeping in mind he liked his coffee hot. She’d have reheated it in the microwave, but Kade also liked his coffee fresh. And nobody else in the office wanted it quite so sweet. She’d asked.
From that point on, she settled in to wait for him to arrive, keeping an eye on the elevator that opened up directly onto the floor. Her plan was to make the coffee whenever he showed up, and she jumped every time the noise sounded to announce the elevator’s arrival. Ten minutes passed. Then twenty.
While she waited, both Lucas’s and Derek’s personal assistants stopped by her desk to introduce themselves. Everyone was on a first-name basis, including the men in charge, which made for a lighter atmosphere. Their PAs, Tessa and Becky, were both around Lexie’s age and extremely friendly. Although they offered their condolences because she was Kade’s newest assistant.
She didn’t mention that so far she’d held her own with him, aware that his moods could change in an instant as could her standing. She was also afraid any real conversation about her boss would lead to her remembering last night’s more personal discussion and the feelings he aroused inside her. She couldn’t explain away the blush that was sure to follow.
She glanced at the time on her computer, noting he was half an hour late. He was her boss and had every right to make his own schedule, but because he’d made such a point of mentioning his coffee, her nerves were on edge. And since it was only her second day, and she’d already arranged his work space, she’d need further instruction on what he needed her to do. So she sat at her desk, one eye—and ear—on the elevator, and twiddled her thumbs.
At nine forty-five, he finally arrived. She made a beeline for the Keurig and prepared his coffee the way he liked it, meeting him at his desk as he unloaded his laptop from the carry case.
She placed the cup down and studied him. He wore a pair of comfortable-looking jeans and a faded beige top with unreadable brown writing. But for the scruff covering his face, he looked more like the incredibly handsome software geek she’d seen last night.
“Morning,” he said, finally looking up, a relaxed expression on his face. Obviously he still held a good feeling from their time together yesterday.
So did she.
“Good morning,” she said, standing in front of the aluminum desk.
He lowered himself into his plush leather seat, immediately picking up his coffee and taking a sip. “Hot and fresh. You’re already ahead of my last assistant,” he said, sounding surprised.
“What time is it?” she asked him.
He glanced at his Apple watch. “Nine forty-six,” he replied. “Why?”
“Well, I have a suggestion … assuming you’re open to one.”
He cocked an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest. “Go on.”
She swallowed hard. On hiring her, Derek had specifically told her not to let him intimidate her and to do what she thought was best for him. She pulled that information around her now.
“I realize you’re the boss and can make your own hours, but you told me you’d be in at nine. You also said you like your coffee fresh and hot—”
“Which I just complimented you on, so what’s wrong?”
“It’s just that it would be more convenient for your assistant—me—to know what time you plan on coming in. Considering you like to have your coffee on your desk, fresh and hot when you arrive. I jumped up every time the elevator dinged. I was beginning to feel like a Mexican jumping bean.”
“Your point?”
She smoothed her hand over the shiny desktop before meeting his gaze. “If you’re going to be late, I’d appreciate a call or a text. This way I know and can arrange your schedule—and your coffee—accordingly.”
He reached into his front jeans pocket and curled his hand around whatever object he’d retrieved. “Here,” he muttered, depositing a key down on the desk. “I change the lock to my apartment after each assistant leaves.”
“Must be a full-time job,” she quipped, realizing too late she shouldn’t have let that joke slip.
To her surprise, his lips twitched in a near smile, and that tiny gesture gave her immense pleasure.
“I stopped at a locksmith on the way here so I could make you a copy,” he said. “To facilitate your job. Not to make it more difficult.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
He met her gaze, those green eyes warmer than she was used to. “You’re welcome.”
She sighed, her suddenly needy body swaying closer even though he was a full desk away. She jerked herself upright, forcibly shaking herself out of the spell he effortlessly wove around her.
She cleared her throat. “After you’re settled in, I’d like to go over my duties and how you handle your appointments and calendar. Things like that.” She cursed the huskiness in her voice caused from just a near smile. Man, either she was sex-starved or in big trouble.
“Give me a few minutes and I’ll call you in,” he said gruffly.
She inclined her head, turned, and started for the door.
“Lexie,” he said, the rough timbre of his voice sending more shivers of awareness rushing through her.
She grasped the doorframe, and yes, she squeezed her thighs together, because her body reacted to his use of her name, her panties growing damp.
“Yes?” She glanced over her shoulder, meeting his gaze.
“Point taken. Next time I’m going to be late, I’ll let you know.” No sooner had he spoken than he looked down, busying himself on his cell.
Stunned, she walked back to her desk on trembling legs … and waited for him to call her in to work.
A few minutes later, Derek and Lucas walked into his office and slammed the door behind them, giving her more time to wait. And to think about Kade, the man who seemed to be softening … and she hadn’t even been here long.
* * *
Kade was drinking the best damned cup of coffee he’d ever had just because Lexie had it made as soon as he’d walked in the door. He leaned back against his chair, feet on his desk. He was unfamiliar with the emotions coursing through him. From pleasure at seeing her in his office to appreciating how she’d picked up on his needs.
Yeah, he’d told his other assistants that he wanted his coffee hot and fresh as soon as he arrived in the morning, but somehow they’d all screwed it up. And though it was just coffee, he understood the need was as much a part of his routine as the way he put on his socks, right foot, then left, or brushed his teeth, also right side, then left.
But Lexie seemed to roll with his demands despite the fact that he could be a pain in the ass. The truth was, there was also part of him that liked to see how far he could push people before they walked away … because they always did.
Except for Derek, Luke, and once upon a time, Julian. Brothers in fraternity and in reality. Julian had chosen drugs over his best friends. Demons and addiction had driven him. Kade didn’t worry about anything pulling Derek and Luke away. They were solid. They were his family.
Now there was this spitfire of a woman who’d barreled into his life twenty-four hours ago, and he couldn’t think of anything else. He’d be a damned liar if he didn’t admit that after she’d left, her scent lingering in his apartment, he’d wrapped his fingers around his cock and brought himself much-needed relief. He’d come all over his hand like a horny adolescent, Lexie’s face in his mind, imagining it was her body he was fucking instead of his hand.
He tried to remind himself that she worked for him, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He still wanted her. Just as he knew she could and probably would let him down.
Without warning, his office door banged open, hitting the wall behind it, and his partners stormed in.
Derek took one look at him and asked, “What’s with that grin on your face?”
Feeling like an ass, Kade ignored the comment. “What’s wrong?” Because they hadn’t come barrel
ing in for no reason.
“We have a fucking problem,” Luke said.
Derek slammed the door shut and hit the lock. That meant shit just got real. “What’s going on?”
The two men glanced at each other.
“Just spit it out,” Kade ordered them, not enjoying being in the dark.
“Somehow Julian knows,” Derek said. “And this company and everything we’ve worked for is in jeopardy.” He didn’t need to elaborate.
There was only one thing Julian could have uncovered that would threaten everything they’d built—were building.
Kade was the weak link and he knew it. “How?” he asked his friends.
“He hired a PI who went digging through your past.”
Kade didn’t have to ask why Julian had gone after him and not the others. When shit had gone down with Julian, it was Kade who’d stood by him the longest … until he hadn’t. Couldn’t. Not anymore. Once he’d sided with Derek and Luke, agreeing that Julian’s refusal to get treatment would only drag their business down, Julian had been thrown out of anything to do with Blink—and the money that came with it.
Julian made it clear he blamed Kade. Because he’d been closer to Kade than to the other two men. It was Kade on whom he’d seek revenge.
Although Kade’s father had tried to make certain the past stayed buried, nothing was foolproof.
“How did he uncover the information?” Kade asked.
Derek ran a hand through his dark hair. “He found Lila.”
“Fuck!” Kade slammed his hand into the wall, not caring about the consequences.
“Hey, man, calm down. We’ll counter anything he throws at us,” Luke said, coming up behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Really? We’re taking this company public. You think a date rape accusation against one of the CEOs won’t hurt? No matter how false it is?” His breath caught in his throat, panic surfacing along with the memories.
He’d been twenty-one and a cocky college junior, home from school for Thanksgiving break, and determined to break free from the geek stigma he’d been nailed with in high school, like he already had in college. He’d met Lila at a neighborhood bar. He’d been attracted to her the minute she walked through the door, with her short skirt and I’m available attitude.
Summer Heat: A Steamy Romance Boxed Set Page 3