by Gina Drayer
“Oh, I’m not here to talk to you about Chicago. As I said in the meeting, I want to meet with the key staff, and from what I hear, you’re the go-to person in the office. So, I’m here to learn from you.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. But of course, he didn’t leave it at that. A devilish smile flitted across his lips. “Although, now that you mention it, cupcake, I do have a few things that have been bothering me. Like, why did you run away? And, do you still have my boxers? But you’re right, this isn’t the time or place. Rest assured, there will be a conversation.”
He was enjoying this way too much. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what he thought of her. Had he told Matt about what happened? Was that why they’d passed her over?
Memories of that night were still spotty at best. She remembered almost everything up until just after the bath. After she’d gotten undressed.
Turning to meet his hot gaze, she felt naked all over again. She tried to be aloof, but the hot sting of embarrassment flooded her cheeks. Any illusion of professionalism was gone. So, she went with her gut. “If anyone should be mad, it’s me. Why didn’t you tell me you were Matt’s brother?”
“Would it have mattered?” he asked.
“Of course it would have! This is my job. Those”—she pointed to the closed door—“are my people.”
“I guess that makes me one of your people now,” he said, making light of her words. “As I recall, you said you were very protective of the people you called your own.”
“Whatever you think you know about me is wrong. People say all kinds of things when they’re drunk.” Jason opened his mouth to reply, but she didn’t let him. “And for the record, I don’t care that we had some meaningless fling. When you come in to this office, I expect to be treated like a valued member of the team and not some cheap one-night stand you picked up. If you can’t give me that, I might as well leave now because this will never work.”
The smug smirk vanished. “Meaningless fling? Is that what you think happened? You think I picked you up in the bar and took you back to my room for sex?”
He actually sounded offended. But it didn’t matter; after the morning she’d had, Kira was itching for a fight. She got up and made her way around the desk, standing right in front of him so that she could look down to where he sat.
“I’m sorry if the fact that I’m not fawning all over you hurts your feelings. I don’t have time for games. I’m not the type of woman who goes around picking up strange men in bars, but I do understand the rules. It didn’t mean anything. We met and ended up fu... uhm.” Kira stumbled over the word, but he filled in the blank.
“Fucking?” he suggested. “Screwing?”
“Sex. We ended up having sex. But it was a mistake. Besides that, we have bigger issues. We’re co-workers now and we need to move on. I’d hate to have to send you to sexual harassment training.”
“A mistake, huh?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, a mistake.” She crossed her arms. It felt good to have the upper hand.
Jason’s cell buzzed. He broke eye contact to check the screen. “This conversation is going to have to wait.” Without ceremony, he stood up. She’d been standing so close that his arm brushed hers as he moved around her. A shiver ran up her spine. It was revulsion, she tried to convince herself. But that didn’t explain the blush or the warm feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach.
Jason stopped with his hand poised on the door handle and turned. “Oh, and since we’re laying our cards on the table, I think you should know: we never had sex. You were drunk, and I’m not the type of guy that takes advantage of a woman in that situation.”
She couldn’t hide the deep blush that colored her cheeks, and that only encouraged him.
“Trust me, cupcake,” he said, a smile teasing at his lips, “if we had sex, you’d remember.”
Jason wasn’t sure if he was pissed off or relieved that she didn’t remember the night they’d spent together. They’d shared more than drinks that night. She was the first person he’d opened up to about the end of his marriage. The only person who seemed to understand how devastating it had been for him.
When Bridget left him, his brother called for a national holiday in celebration. His parents and even his friends were relieved she was out of his life. But he’d lost much more than his wife. Everything he’d been working for, the plans they’d made, all gone with one signature. He was pissed off and hurt by how easily she’d tossed away their marriage, as if it had meant nothing to her. No one seemed to understand that. At least, no one until Kira.
She not only understood; she had a lot of those same feelings. He hadn’t been the only one to share that night. No, she’d shared a lot about her own marriage and the hurt and betrayal she felt after her husband died.
So if she couldn’t remember whether or not they’d slept together, she obviously didn’t remember the conversation that led to her coming back to his room.
“That was fast,” Matt said as he entered his new office, the one Matt was giving up. “I figured we’d have to pry you away from Kira. She’s involved in everything. When she took a week's vacation last spring, I thought we were going to have to shut down the office. Whatever you have to do, get on her good side and she’ll keep you out of trouble.”
That might be easier said than done. She already had an opinion about him, and it wasn’t a good one. Would things have been different if they hadn’t met? Would she be happy to work for him? Would he still have this gnawing desire for her?
“Earth to Jason.” Matt snapped his fingers a few times to get his attention.
“Sorry. I’m still a little jet-lagged,” he said, shaking his head. “We didn’t talk much. Kira was busy with another project.”
“She’s always busy. You really should spend at least a day shadowing her. We’ll just schedule something with her this week.” Matt got up from his chair. “Let’s head to the art department first. I want Kim to set up a time for you to sit in on one of the brainstorming sessions, and then I’ll turn you over to Simon.”
The rest of the day was busy. He got his badge, and Zoey from IT set up his email and log-in. It was official. He was now employed by his older brother. That fact might be a blow to some men’s egos, but Jason was grateful for the opportunity. A lot had changed in his life, and he was ready to show his family that he wasn’t the screw-up little brother anymore.
After lunch, Simon went over some of the day-to-day activities they wanted him to do, and took him around one more time. There were a lot more people here than at the main office in Chicago. It was going to take Jason weeks to put all the faces, names, and departments together, despite having met several of them at Simon’s wedding.
Thankfully, the tension from morning’s meeting had vanished and he was beginning to get a feel for the atmosphere. It was definitely a change from corporate finance. There was the dress code, for one thing; flip-flops and shorts would never fly at his last job. But it was also a palpable feeling in the office of … he couldn’t quite place it. It was an ease, a camaraderie—maybe even friendship. He remembered that same feeling at his fraternity, but never at a job. Everyone was chatty and welcoming. It was actually pleasant.
Well, everyone but Kira. She’d avoided him all day. Every time they passed by her office, she’d been out or on a call. If she was in a room they entered, she suddenly left. Jason was pretty sure that he wasn’t going to get another chance to get her alone. So much for continuing their chat.
If he were smart, he’d leave her alone. Pretend like that night never happened. But he’d never known when to leave well enough alone.
As the day drew to a close, Simon, Peter, and Matt slipped away, one by one, heading back to their wives and families. All Jason had to look forward to was a mostly empty apartment and take-out. Not much of a reason to leave. Might as well stay a little while.
He was deep in customer files when a soft knock sounded on the door.
“Are you going to be much l
onger?” Kira asked. “If so, I’m going to have to call my daughter and let her know I’m not going to be home for dinner.”
The clock hanging on the wall across from his desk read six thirty, and Jason shook his head. “What are you still doing here?”
“I don’t leave until everyone else does,” she said, flatly. “So, am I going to make it home for dinner or not?”
“You don’t have to stay on my account.”
She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side, mouth set in a frown. “Do you know how to turn off the lights? What about setting the alarm? Because I’m the one they’ll call if it’s not set or if some executive triggers it on his way out.”
“I didn’t realize I was keeping you,” he said with a sigh and shut down his computer. “I can work on this tomorrow.” He stood up and grabbed his jacket. “Why don’t you show me how to handle the alarm so next time you don’t have to stay.”
“I always stay. It’s my job to be here when the office is in use.”
Something had to give. If he was going to work with Kira, they needed to develop some kind of understanding. “Are we going to be able to get past that night?” he asked.
Kira didn’t answer, and he was pretty sure that was her answer. Maybe in a few weeks, or a month. How long did women hold onto grudges?
Before he got to the door, Kira stopped him. “Were you telling the truth this morning?”
“Which part?” He knew full well what she wanted to know, but he wanted to hear what she’d say.
“Nothing happened that night in your room?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say nothing happened,” he said, teasing her, but she wasn’t amused.
“You know what I mean. We really didn’t have sex?”
“We really didn’t.”
“Why was I there? How did I end up in your clothes?”
“We were having a nice time at the bar. We went back to my room. We continued to talk, and finished off a bottle of champagne.”
“I remember you talking about our mutual dislike of weddings, but after that, things get a little fuzzy.”
“By that time the alcohol really hit you. I was ready to send you on your way, but you didn’t want to go.” He wanted to tell her more about why. He wanted to tell her that there had been something intangible happening between them that he wasn’t ready to let go. But he didn’t think she’d be receptive. “I was worried about you, so I suggested you stay the night.”
“But if nothing happened, why did I have your boxers on?”
“You were impressed with the double bathtub and filled it up while we talked. I would have let you have a bath in private, but you got in fully dressed and insisted I join you.” Jason couldn’t help but laugh at the memory. There they were, three sheets to the wind, bubbles sloshing over the side of the tub. He’d left a hundred on the nightstand for the housekeeping staff the next morning. He’d felt like a kid again. All the trouble and heartache from the last year, gone. Honestly, he fell a little bit in love with Kira that night. But the Kira standing in front of him wasn’t anything like the woman he’d met that night. “After that, I gave you some boxers and a T-shirt to wear and we went to bed.”
“And that’s it?”
“We stayed up talking until you fell asleep,” he said. He left out the part where they’d kissed. Where she’d offered much more and he turned her down, instead falling asleep with the worst case of blue balls in his memory.
“Thank God,” she said on an exhale.
Her visible relief annoyed him, as if sleeping with him would have been the end of the world. So he stepped around her, brushing her shoulder as he went, and whispered in her ear. “But let’s be honest with each other, you weren’t drunk when you asked me back to your room. And while you may have forgotten most of the night, I know you remember the kiss.”
“I don’t—”
Her words cut off when his lips brushed the soft skin of her jaw. She smelled sweet and it took every ounce of willpower to not push her against the wall and taste her lips again. Saving himself a slap to the face, Jason pulled away. “Good night, Kira,” he said, and walked out. “You can show me the alarm next time.”
Chapter 4
Be Prepared for Reality
Your life isn’t a romantic comedy, so you can’t count on a happy ending. If you’re smart, you’ve prepared for the reality of office dating. Relationships are complicated enough, but when you add in office politics, promotions, and gossip, it’s a lot more like “Apocalypse Now” than “The Proposal.”
* * *
It was close to seven by the time Kira made it home. Normally, she’d have dinner ready for herself and Riley by this time. But today wasn’t a normal day. She took a deep breath before entering the front door to stave off the irritation.
That guy has some nerve. It wasn’t so much what he said, but rather how he said it. That cocky attitude and the easy way he inserted himself in her life were enough to drive her insane. Too bad strangling a co-worker was against the law, because she had justification. Not only because he was a jerk and crossed a line, but because he was right.
She remembered kissing him in the tub. She remembered the feel of his strong lips pressed against her, his teasing tongue exploring her mouth. She remembered wanting more.
But it wasn’t going to happen, so she really needed to stop thinking about it. She had too many responsibilities to let herself get lost in a fantasy. Responsibilities like feeding her teenage daughter.
“Riley!” Kira called, setting her bag down in the entrance hall. She saw her daughter’s backpack, but not her daughter. “Want to order a pizza?”
After a moment, Riley’s reply came from the back bedroom. “Pepperoni and sausage, please!”
Kira smiled. She grabbed her phone and ordered two pizzas—pepperoni and sausage for Riley, pineapple and Canadian bacon for herself—and went to change. She wished she could just go to bed right now, she was so tired, but she had things to do. Dishes, maybe a load of laundry. Did they have milk in the fridge? She couldn’t even remember at this point.
Kira poked her head in her daughter's room to check on her. Riley sat at her desk, working on her homework, music blaring, and with a chat window open. Kira could never figure out how she managed to concentrate with all that chaos, but as long as Riley kept her grades up, she didn’t complain.
“Have a good day at school?” Kira asked.
“S-same as always,” Riley said, with a shrug. “John hit Danielle in the face with a ball in PE and got a bloody nose, though.”
“Is she okay?”
“She might get a black eye, but she survived. She did bleed all over the gym.” Riley grinned. “You should’ve seen John’s face! Danielle kept crying and screaming that he had broken her nose, and he turned white as a ghost. I thought he was going to faint right there in front of all us.”
Kira snorted. Danielle was Riley’s best friend, but the girl was the biggest drama queen Kira had ever met. Still, she was sweet and Riley loved her, so Kira couldn’t really be upset over the friendship.
“Anything else happened?” Kira asked. “Did you learn something? Anything? What kind of education am I paying for?”
Riley rolled her eyes. “It’s public school, Mom. You aren’t paying for anything. And we learned stupid t-t-things.” She tapped her lip. “I learned in health that condoms fail twelve percent of the time.”
Kira groaned. “How are you old enough for sex ed? Just yesterday you were watching ‘The Little Mermaid’ twice a day.”
“Mom.”
“Pizza will be here soon. Can you handle getting the door when it’s here? I’d like to take a quick bath.”
“Sure,” Riley said, turning back to her computer.
“The pizza’s all paid for, but be sure to add a tip. Don’t try to carry it in yourself. Just have the guy set it on the counter.”
“God, I can handle pizza, Mom.”
“I was just making sure.”
&nbs
p; Kira heard Riley give her the long teenage sigh before leaving. She stripped out of her skirt and ugly T-shirt—which she was going to burn—and then pulled off her bra and underwear with a sigh of relief.
She wanted to soak in a hot bath with a glass of wine, but ended up taking a quick shower, trying not to think about the day from hell. She was not going to think about Jason, or how they had apparently hung out in a hotel bathroom and talked about their lives for hours. She was not going to think about the way her skin tingled when his lips brushed her skin.
Nope. Those thoughts, like the man himself, were off limits.
She was not the type of woman to hook up with some guy she met in a bar. Okay, they hadn’t slept together. But they had shared a kiss ... and a bath. And even if he wasn’t her new boss, Jason had to be at least five years her junior, maybe more.
She stood in front of the mirror, wiping away the fog. As she glanced at her body, she didn’t have to work hard to find her flaws. She’d gained some weight over the years; her breasts weren’t quite as perky as they’d once been; and there was no way to hide the stretch marks from her pregnancy. None of these things particularly bothered her, but she knew what society thought.
Would he have been attracted to her if he hadn’t been drunk? Now that was a depressing thought. She’d never been self-conscious of her body. People aged. It was natural. And she didn’t need some twenty-eight year old guy deeming her worthy.
After getting dressed in her flannel PJs, Kira joined Riley in the kitchen for pizza. This was her life. She didn’t need a relationship to be fulfilled. Her marriage had been a loveless shell, and then Cole had been killed in action when Riley was only six. She’d been alone so long, Kira didn’t think she could be part of a couple even if she wanted to. Not that she was considering anything like that with Jason.
But try as she might, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that night in Chicago. Over the past month, to fill in the memory gaps her imagination had created wild fantasies about what happened. And now she didn’t know whether to be happy or disappointed that they were no more than that, fantasies. The whole situation was frustrating. It was bad enough that she didn’t remember most of that night, but now he would be just a few feet away from her five days a week.