by Aria Ford
“I was going to walk around and find something to eat. I saw a few places when I was here for the interview,” I replied as she smiled brightly.
“If you like pasta, there’s this cute little place on the corner. Want to join me?” Her blue eyes twinkled, and I nodded “Great. How is your first day going?”
“I like the building, and everyone seems real nice. I just haven’t gotten to know anybody yet,” I replied as she chuckled.
“Everybody is nice.” She led the way to a small brick building and looked back at me with a secret smile. “Martin is the best boss I’ve ever had. You’ll meet his wife and kids soon, and they’re a joy. I think he’s the only guy that’s married here, but that doesn’t mean you should think about dating within the building, if you’re single. That’s brutal in an office setting.”
“I wasn’t planning on that,” I assured with a chuckle her as she walked through the doors. I wasn’t about to tell anyone how hot I thought my boss was. I sensed that Stella was a bit of a gossip and reminded myself to keep my business to myself.
“Paul will hit on you as soon as he has the chance, and he’s cute. He’s a total player, though. Stephen is gorgeous and keeps this place going, but he is so antirelationship. He’s a single dad, and I think that he spends all his time working or at home.” She shook her head and followed the hostess to a table. “From what I’ve heard, his girlfriend walked out on him when the baby was just a year old. He doesn’t even seem to notice that women work in the building.”
“Wow. That must be hard,” I remarked as I picked up the menu.
“Yeah. I can barely handle a job and an apartment,” she joked as we both laughed. We got to know each other a bit over lunch, and I felt like I was making a friend. I meant to go to the gym on lunch but got caught up in the conversation, deciding to go before or after work tomorrow.
I heard my phone chiming in my purse as I walked into my office, setting it down on the desk as I got settled. I checked the screen to see my ex, Chase, was trying to reach me, rolling my eyes.
C: Want to go to dinner tonight?
M: I’m busy, Chase.
C: Come on. I miss you.
Goodness. He was a nice guy, but I found the relationship to be so boring. It was so typical when it started, and then when I thought the sex might make up for his boring personality, I was wrong.
Chase was a missionary kind of man, and that seemed to be it. I gave him a few chances and suggested spicing things up. Once we were together for four months, I knew that I needed to end it and used finals as an excuse. He seemed to buy it, and we both graduated. Why was he back?
M: I am working right now, and I don’t really want to start things back up with you. It didn’t work then.
I figured that since we’d already had the breakup talk back then, it was better to just jump into it. Chase seemed to accept that and left me alone, and it made me think how I never met a man that aroused me the way the ones in the books did. Some of those guys were so dominant and alpha male and, let’s be honest, hot.
I glanced at my office door and thought about the guys that I’d seen here. There were the typical kinds you see at offices, but they seemed to all be older and friendly. I thought back to my interview when I met Stephen for just a moment and how much he’d struck me as just what I might be looking for. He didn’t even notice me, though. He looked tired and distracted. If I didn’t make an impression on him then, and Stella told me that he never dated at work, then it was a silly thought to begin with.
I was here to work. I’d settle into that, and the rest of my life would fall into place. Sure, I wasn’t doing what I loved here, but the salary was great, and I’d learn a lot. I could promote down the line and make something of myself. It would make my family happy, and eventually I’d meet a guy and have a relationship—maybe get married and have kids.
I laughed at the idea. I couldn’t wait to get home to the apartment that I shared with my best friend from all the way back to high school, Vanessa. That seemed like a long time, and I supposed that it was. Our apartment was the one place that I felt safe. I could be my true self there, and she would still love me all the same.
CHAPTER THREE
Stephen
I finished my day a bit later than usual but still had time for the gym. Hell yes. I needed to get on the treadmill and work out some of the endless stress that seemed to be in my life. I cleared it with Danielle and decided to spend an hour in there before going home to Brandon.
I talked to my brother, Kevin, before I clocked off for the night. He had tickets to a baseball game on Sunday and asked me to come along. He told me that he was bringing his wife, Terry. I knew there would be a few beers in it for me in that case if I wanted them.
Terry was the one that set me up with Lacy all those years ago. She thought that we’d be good together and have some fun. I wouldn’t say that she was wrong. We did all of that, and then she ended up getting pregnant because I got drunk a couple of times and didn’t use anything. I tried to make a go of it with her, but after the first rough year with the baby, Lacy walked away.
I would never blame my brother and Terry for that. Lacy acted like a jerk just fine on her own and abandoned her son, and we all adored the little guy. He changed the whole family dynamic with all of us and made me a better man.
“Bring a date along,” Kevin suggested, and I laughed aloud.
“Who the hell am I going to ask?” I shot back at him as I leaned back in my chair. I hadn’t noticed a woman in years. I was too damn busy working and being a dad. “I’ll bring Brandon. You know how much he loves games.” Shit. He’d been sick the last few days and might not be better by Sunday afternoon. “Damn it. He’s been sick. I’ll have to see how he feels.”
“I know you love him, Stephen. I just want you to have a life beyond that. Go out with a girl. Laugh. Get laid. They’re not all like Lacy,” he said, the pain in his voice clear.
“When the hell do I have time to date? I’m at this office all day and then home with Brandon,” I replied irritated at his words.
“You know that you have help. All you need to do is ask. Brandon loves spending the night at our place or with Mom.” Kevin’s words were gentle, and I knew that he meant well.
“I’ll try to figure something out, Kev. I am going to go to the gym and head home, see how the little man is doing. He wanted to do something tomorrow, and I hate to break plans, but I’ll work on the game.” We ended the call, and I dressed for a workout before heading up to the gym.
Most of the employees went after work, and tonight was no different. I nodded at Paul on a treadmill and walked over to join him, rolling my eyes at his antics. He was hitting on every fucking girl in the room. I just shook my head.
“How about drinks after this, Nadine? I know that you’re working up a thirst over there,” he called to the blonde as she shot a dark look our way.
“You’re such an asshole,” I muttered as I turned on the machine to a steady jog.
“I’ve managed to get more pussy than you,” he told me in a low voice as I shot him an incredulous look. Did Paul even realize how different our lives were? “Do you know many girls in the office want your dick, Stephen?”
“Enough,” I said, wanting him to stop before anyone heard his stupid babble. “I have more important things going on in my life.” I glanced up, looking across the gym to see a redhead in front of the bulletin board with some flyers in her hand. I frowned as I looked at her and then over at Paul. “Who’s that girl?”
“New girl. You met her the day she was interviewed. Martin was giving her a quick tour, and she met a lot of us. She’s hot, right? Single too!” Paul said as I tried to think what day he was talking about. Oh yeah. It was a couple of weeks back, and my boss showed a few people around before the main part of the interview. I’d been sharing a cold with Brandon and was tired that day. Hell, I was beyond tired. I took in her dark auburn hair and sweet curves and realized that I’d have to be dead no
t to take an extra look at her.
Wait a second. I hadn’t looked at a woman since Lacy bailed on me. I never looked at work to start something, because it only caused problems in the end. But something about being a single father took away all my spontaneity. The woman was fine, though, and as she leaned up to pin something to the large board, I felt something inside me that I had thought was dead.
I felt alive. Attraction. I felt the urge to get to know someone again.
Paul noticed me looking her way for a beat longer than I normally would and tilted his head at me. “Is Stephen actually noticing a girl that works with us? Are you feeling sick?”
“Fuck off,” I told him in a low voice as I stared forward again. I was a man, and I had needs, even if they’d been lying dormant for years. Kevin’s words about having help played through my mind as I kept running and took a deep breath. Maybe he was right, but Brandon already had a mother that walked out on him. He needed me, and I had no clue how to have a son and a relationship.
I looked over to see the girl walking to the board closer to us. She was putting up a flyer about a tennis camp at the YMCA for kids. It reminded me that I’d been looking for something to do with Brandon that would keep us active, get us out of the house. That might do the trick, since he’d taken to watching the sport on television as of late.
I stopped the treadmill and Paul stared at me as if I was insane. Maybe I was. I wrapped the towel around my neck and walked over to where she was finishing, reading about the weekend camp that ran for a few weeks.
Saturday. I checked, and it started tomorrow, just in time for the beginning of summer. That might be fun for both of us. I knew that Brandon missed me because I worked so much, but it was difficult to explain to a young kid how hard it was to be an adult. It was even harder to be a parent and an adult. I could only hope that he’d understand someday.
I looked at the girl. She was a few inches shorter than I was. I was caught off guard by her light, bright green eyes that had specks of emerald green in the irises. She smiled shyly at me, looking a little scared as our eyes locked. “Hi there. I’m Stephen James. I hear that it’s your first day.” I offered her my hand, and the woman stared at it for a moment, acting like it might bite.
Fuck, she was gorgeous. She wasn’t dressed for a workout, but her dress hinted at full breasts and a toned body underneath. I’d already looked at her ass, and that was spectacular.
“Yeah, I’m new. I met you at the interview, but…yeah. Anyway, my name is Mandy Miles.” She offered me a sweet, genuine smile and shook my hand, looking into my face. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ll be helping you out with the financial end of the business with you, I’m told.”
“Great,” I said as I felt the sparks between us. Mandy’s eyes widened, and she jerked her hand away to stare at it in shock. I felt my cock stiffen in my pants and shuffled on my feet. I hope that she didn’t notice. I hadn’t been affected by a woman like that ever, thinking back to all the casual hookups in my life.
I felt doubt wash through me for a moment before I smiled crookedly at Mandy. “Tell me more about this tennis camp. I think it’s something that my son might enjoy. Is it too late to register?”
CHAPTER FOUR
Mandy
I blinked up at him slowly, shaking my head.
“No, of course not. That’s why I was putting these up. I’m an instructor there.” I smiled, realizing how gorgeous Stephen really was. He was tall, over six feet, and had that lean muscular body that I thought was sexy. I hated the guys that hung out at the weights and just got bigger and less human by the day. It was disgusting. Stephen was cut in all the right places and had perfect messy brown hair that most men could never achieve. His hazel eyes were wide and deep set. He stared down at me. “How old is your son?” He didn’t look old enough to have a kid that was old enough for my camp.
“Brandon is seven. He’s been watching a lot of tennis, and I thought that he might like to play it. This goes for four weeks?” Stephen asked as I nodded slowly. I knew that in addition to being gorgeous, he was also one of the most important people in the company. I wanted to make a good impression on him. “Are you planning on working out?”
“I didn’t bring anything to wear today for it. I didn’t know about the gym,” I said as he looked a little disappointed. Then I remembered something and grinned.
“Let’s talk about the camp after I get a run in. I’ll be done in about forty-five minutes,” he said, and I pressed my lips together. “I’ll take the number that’s attached here. Is it your personal number?” I shook my head, and he asked if I would give him mine, since he’d like to talk to me personally about it. Well, of course I would. I wasn’t going to lose the shot. I took the phone that he offered me and punched in my information before I faked remembering that I did have some clothes in my bag.
“I just remembered that I brought clothes for the Y in my purse. I usually go over there and play some tennis in the evening, but I can run tonight. I like running if that’s okay with you?” I offered as he grinned. “I am going to change, and I’ll join you. We can talk now.” I didn’t want to lose the opportunity, and I walked over to the bathroom with my big purse, feeling the eyes of the women on me as I pushed through the doors.
Stephen was a wanted man, and from the way he looked at me, I thought that he might want me. I wasn’t going to waste the chance. I dug into my purse, and while I didn’t have my nicest workout clothes, I could run in my skort and tank top. I changed into them and pulled my hair back low on my neck before changing into the shoes I wore on the court. I surveyed myself in the mirror, aware that I was going to be sweaty soon if I were to keep up with the Adonis out there. I didn’t run as much as I’d like it to sound, but I could hold my own for tonight. It would be worth every bit of the pain that I’d be in later tonight.
I folded my dress and shoved it into my bag with the shoes, thankful for my big purse. I walked back into the gym, hearing more voices as I looked around. Stephen was on a treadmill close to the one he’d been using earlier. Yes, I noticed. I noticed a few of the men in the gym, but he was the one that caught my eye the most from the beginning.
How could he not?
I went to take the machine beside him, smiling as I set down my bag. “How long do you run?” I asked as he looked me over with a sharp gaze, making my entire body heat up. Was I really going to attempt to jog?
“I go for about an hour, but I did fifteen minutes already. You up for that?” he asked with a hint of sarcasm as I smirked.
“I’ll do my best,” I assured him, getting on and setting a speed after seeing that he was going nearly as fast as he could. Holy shit.
“How long have you been into tennis?” Stephen asked, only reminding me about my parents and their views on the matter as I shook that off.
“Since I took lessons myself as a kid. Several teachers encouraged me to pursue it, but I thought that finance might provide more of a stable future for me. I still teach tennis just to keep myself involved in it,” I spoke slowly as I got used to jogging.
“Stable but boring. I mean, I am great at my job, and it’s natural. Nobody can claim that it’s exciting, though.” He took a breath as he increased the speed and my eyes went right to his hot body, more on display in a damp tank top. Oh Mamma.
“True. I guess that’s what we fill the rest of our lives with,” I mused as I smiled sadly, giving him another look. “Is there anything else that you wanted to do?”
Stephen seemed to stiffen for a moment before taking a deep breath. “I always wanted to be in numbers, since it came easily to me. I didn’t necessarily think that it would be in a company like this one.” He lowered his voice and looked around quickly. “I am raising my son on my own and it provides for the two of us. I can take care of him this way.”
“On your own?” I asked as he nodded somberly. I could tell that it was hard for him, and I wanted to reach out and touch him, just for some comfort. I had two parents, and they
had a hard time. I got a lot of loans for college because their jobs put them in a lower middle-class rank that only afforded their day-to-day life.
I often wondered why I didn’t just consider something in sports, since I’d be paying back the loans myself.
“I am so sorry,” I offered lamely as he shrugged.
“I have family that helps and a godsend of a nanny. She spends a lot of time with Brandon and gives me time to work and do this, since it releases a lot for me,” Stephen further explained as I stared at him.
“That’s crazy. You’re so strong,” I blurted out as he smiled dryly at me.
“I do what I have to do, just like anyone else. I’m sure that you work hard as well.” He looked into my face, his eyes sweeping over me as I felt sweat pooling in my hair.
“Sure. I pay bills and such, but I share a place with a roommate,” I replied as he smiled.
“Where did you work before?” Stephen pressed as he seemed to move away from the topic.
“I did the books for my college bookstore as well as a record store. I am certain that my degree had a lot to do with this job.” I chuckled as he looked at me with a small smile.
We talked about the company and a little more about the camp as we ran, and Stephen seemed very interested in the fact that it was interactive for the parents as well. I couldn’t help wondering if he tried to make up for the time that he was at work and just enjoyed the little bit of time that he allowed himself. I wanted to ask him if he was overcompensating, but I bit my tongue. That was none of my business.
When the time was up, I was beyond sore. I wanted a gallon of cold water and dinner, but I kept my complaints to myself. It was a nice conversation, and the view was worth every ache. I popped into the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face before we walked out to the parking lot.
Stephen walked beside me, keeping a good eye on our surroundings. I wondered why the mother of his child wasn’t in the picture anymore. Stephen was gorgeous and protective, and I noticed an alpha vibe from him. Was that a bad thing, though? I was as independent as the next woman, but I liked the idea of this man dominating me to some degree.