His Distraction

by Tanya Gallagher

  His Distraction

  X Enterprises Book One

  Tanya Gallagher

  Penchant Press

  Copyright © 2018 Tanya Gallagher

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations within critical reviews and otherwise as permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locales is purely coincidental. Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited.

  ISBN: 0-9998620-3-0

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9998620-3-2

  Cover design by Resplendent Media

  Visit: www.tanyagallagherbooks.com

  For Jenny.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Epilogue

  Coming Next

  Books by Tanya Gallagher

  Your Opinion Matters

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  A wrenching wind sent crumpled trash skittering past Vanessa Reese’s feet and threatened to tear the slip of paper from her grasp.

  Not today, wind. I need this.

  She tightened her grip on the page, pushing her hair out of her face so she could read the address she’d neatly printed this morning. She was almost there.

  Vanessa turned left onto Union Street, her heart pounding almost as loud as the rush-hour traffic that surged around her. She may have lived in Seattle all her life, but there was something so foreign to her about hurrying through the historic streets of downtown rather than strolling through the leafy, tree-lined streets of Madrona where she grew up, or the student-crowded University District where she lived now. In fact, all of downtown was a study of opposites—fresh spring blooms pushed up through the buckled sidewalks, and moats of litter ringed the sleek, luminous skyscrapers pitched against a foggy gray sky. The modern buildings themselves were constructed on top of older structures that had been condemned once upon a time thanks to fear of the bubonic plague.

  Vanessa stepped over one of the amethyst panes of glass that hinted at Seattle’s secret underground history, surveying the street in front of her. She felt like a voyeur in her borrowed heels, rubbing elbows with cultured businesspeople hurrying toward their jobs with briefcases and to-go coffee cups clutched in their hands. But this was her life now—at least if she could get to her new office on time.

  Vanessa dodged to the right as a stray soda can clanked down the sidewalk toward her ankles, her pulse jumping. There was nothing like a windstorm on a day you were trying to make a good impression. At this point, her hair was probably hopeless, but X Enterprises wasn’t hiring her to look pretty, now were they?

  She pulled her cardigan close to her body as she stepped into the cool shadows at the base of Two Union Square, but before she reached the intimidating awning, a movement caught her eye. One of Seattle’s many homeless and his dog companion slumped against the side of the building, their bodies askew. While the sidewalks were dry this morning, the cardboard the man sat on was still soaked from last night’s rain. The edges flapped in the gusting wind, making a damp thwap each time they smacked the concrete. The man’s shirt wasn’t nearly warm enough for the weather, and he probably hadn’t shaved in a year. Next to him, the mutt lowered her head onto her paws, her big brown eyes at once imploring and kind. Vanessa could count the dog’s ribs through her unkempt coat.

  Vanessa froze on the sidewalk, tourists and businesspeople streaming past her in a blur of bright colors and ironed clothes. Did she have enough time to help? She tore her glance away from the dog and met the man’s eyes, her heart lurching at the resignation she found in his muddy brown gaze. She needed to make time. It was always the ones with pets who broke her heart.

  Vanessa crossed the sidewalk toward the pair. “Would you like something for breakfast?” She reached into her purse and fished out the granola bars she’d stashed in case of emergency. This counted.

  The man’s eyes widened as he took in the shiny wrappers. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Vanessa handed over the bars and leaned close to the dog. “May I?”

  When he nodded, she scratched behind the dog’s ears. The dog thumped her tail, and Vanessa grinned. “Good girl.” She smiled apologetically at her owner. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything for your dog.”

  The man shook his head. “No, ma’am. This is wonderful.”

  Vanessa’s chest tightened, and she squeezed back tears. A few granola bars were such a small thing, and she wished she could do more. As she held out her hand for the dog to lick, a trilling sound blasted from inside her purse. She reached for her phone and silenced the warning alarm with a frown.

  “Everything all right?” the man asked.

  Vanessa straightened, dropping the phone back into her purse before running her hands over the front of her cardigan. “I have to go. It’s my first day, and I’m supposed to be inside in the next five minutes.”

  “Where are you headed?”

  “The fifty-sixth floor.”

  The man craned his neck and glanced up the steel sides of the skyscraper. “Straight to the top, then.” He dropped his gaze and offered an apologetic smile. “I think you’d better run.”

  Vanessa rubbed her sweaty palms over her skirt as the elevator dinged to announce her arrival. Who knew that only a few of the elevators in the building went to the top floors? The delay while she figured out the system had cost her time, and she stepped onto the fifty-sixth floor just as the clock on the wall struck nine.

  By the skin of my teeth.

  Earlier would have been better, but at least she was here. Although, here appeared to be some club owner’s interpretation of a workspace. The X Enterprises offices took over the whole level and, at a glance, they seemed to be laid out like most corporate buildings she had temped at this year. There was a reception area, a conference room, a few private offices, and rows of desks, and she could tell all of this because of one amazing feature—every wall in the place was made from frosted glass. Light from outside streamed through the exterior windows, highlighting sleek, modern furniture and dark marble floors. Gallery-style lighting fixtures illuminated
artwork on the walls, and cozy leather office chairs made sitting on your ass for eight hours actually look enjoyable.

  She picked her jaw off the floor and approached the receptionist. The X Enterprises marquee on the polished wood slab of the desk was crafted out of shiny gold letters. The letters were probably not real gold, but they looked like they could be. Suddenly her conversation on the sidewalk felt like a lifetime ago.

  She swallowed hard and forced a smile. “Vanessa Reese here to see Ramon Rodriguez.”

  While the receptionist typed away on her computer, Vanessa’s eyes caught on the still-life photograph behind her head. From across the desk, it could be any other still-life, a landscape of rolling sand and carved stone cast in dramatic shades of black and white.

  Wait a second. Was that an ass? She did a double take, squinting at the picture just over the receptionist’s shoulder.

  Yep, yep it was.

  A flutter of fabric at the top of the frame betrayed the real subject of the photograph—a couple locked together, almost completely naked. The photo was cropped so you could only see from the tops of their thighs to their waists, but still.

  Her stomach dropped as her mind whirled through the possibilities. Did she show up at the wrong address? Did she mishear the company name? She could have sworn Macy, her recruiter at Passage & Co., had said the position was for a role in aerospace. What the hell had Vanessa walked into?

  “Excuse me,” she squeaked out. Her face flamed as the receptionist studied her. “I think there’s been a mistake.”

  The receptionist skimmed over her computer screen and smiled. “Nope, no mistake. Ramon’s expecting you.”

  Vanessa’s shoulders tensed, but before she could protest again, a handsome Hispanic man strode toward her with a wide grin.

  “You must be Vanessa.” He wrapped her hands in his and gave her a warm shake. She nodded mutely, and he had the grace to ignore her awkwardness. “I’m Ramon.”

  The receptionist chimed in. “Ramon is the Sales Manager and your direct supervisor. You’ll report to him for your daily tasks. That is, for the time being.”

  Vanessa shot both of them a confused look, and Ramon laughed. “My wife is almost thirty-two weeks pregnant. When she goes into labor, I’ll head out on paternity leave.”

  A baby, at least, was one piece of good news she could hold onto. “That’s super exciting,” she said. “Congrats.”

  “Thank you.” He leaned an elbow on the top of the reception desk. “So, Vanessa, I didn’t get a chance to look at the résumé you sent over. Remind me if you’ve had a Sales position before?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve mostly been temping for the last year and a half. Answering phones, filing, that sort of thing.” She needed to get it together and not blow this opportunity. “But I’m excited to try something new.”

  “That sounds excellent. If you’re a fast learner, then I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Ramon smiled again, his brown eyes kind. “Everyone on the Sales team will be happy to help you, and if you need to, you’re more than welcome to call our Las Vegas facility to ask the production team any technical questions.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Of course. I’m just sorry you won’t get to meet our company owner today. He’s a great guy.”

  She stifled a snort. Could he be a great guy if he thought it was a good idea to hang nude pictures in his corporate office? It wasn’t her style, that was for sure.

  Ramon gestured over his shoulder at the sprawl of offices. “Should we go see what we’re working with?”

  She forced a smile. “Let’s do it.”

  The receptionist waved them on, and Vanessa followed Ramon further into the building for a tour, her body still rigid with shock. Ramon’s voice sounded muffled in her ears as he pointed out the company kitchen, the Accounting department, and the company break room. They stepped around the corner toward the Sales department, and that’s when she noticed the display cases. They were filled with awards—golden statues of couples embracing, and clear, solid trophies—but they were also filled with products. The slender lotion bottles closest to her face clearly spelled out “Personal Lubricant,” and despite the fact that the vibrators were sleek, innocuous silicone models, there was no mistaking the fact that their job was to power orgasms everywhere.

  Holy shit.

  Ramon glanced over his shoulder at her with an expectant gaze. She’d missed whatever he just said. Darn. “Any questions so far?”

  More furious blushing, emphasis on the furious. “Can I, um, use the restroom?”

  Mercifully, these walls weren’t made of glass. Vanessa ducked into the women’s room and gasped again. A creamy white-and-gold quartz countertop stretched under a wall of mirrors, and the hand towels by the sinks were actual fabric. A bouquet of flowers rested on a table that appeared to serve no other purpose than to hold random bouquets of flowers. The whole space was classy and sexy and outrageous. Some employee restroom. Jeez.

  She reached into her purse with shaking hands and retrieved her cell phone. “Macy, where did you send me?” she rasped into the phone. Her whole body vibrated with tension, and she could feel sweat dampen the armpits of her blouse. Thank god her cardigan would hide the evidence of her fear.

  Her recruiter answered with surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “Is this—” She looked around and confirmed no one could hear her. “Is this a sex toy company?”

  Macy laughed into the phone. “No, I don’t think so. You’re supposed to be at X Enterprises.”

  “That’s where I’m at,” she hissed. “But there are literal”—she dropped her voice—“vibrators all over the place.”

  Macy clucked in disapproval. “That can’t be right. Let me just pop onto their website.” There was a pause, followed by, “Oh darn, whoever booked the job must have written down the wrong company description.”

  Oh darn? Oh darn?

  Vanessa pressed the heel of her free hand between her eyes, trying to smooth the crease she knew was forming. “Macy, I can’t work here.” This was so far out of her comfort zone she was practically in another country. It wasn’t that she was a prude or anything, but she wanted to help people get their lives off the ground, not help people get off.

  Macy sighed and made her voice firm. “I know you asked me to find social work jobs, but it’s a tough market out there, Vanessa. Those jobs are few and far between, especially on a temp level.”

  “I know that but there has to be something else.” She cringed at the desperation in her voice.

  She heard Macy clicking on her keyboard. Another sigh. “Nothing that matches your background for the time being.” Her voice brightened like she had the best idea in the world. “But remember, this assignment is one of the temp-to-perm offerings we’ve found. Give it a try, at least, and we’ll keep looking in the meantime.” Macy drew a breath before landing the last blow. “Gotta pay your bills somehow.”

  Thanks for nothing, Macy. It was like she knew Vanessa had stared at her oatmeal this morning wondering how much money she could save if she switched from cooking it with almond milk to using water instead. Pennies, probably. But things were that dire.

  Vanessa huffed out a breath. “Okay. I’ll give it a shot.” At least until any other possibility came her way.

  “Good girl,” Macy said and clicked off.

  Vanessa stepped out of the stall and pushed her shoulders back. She couldn’t believe she was doing this, but it was time to face the music. Or the sex toys. She guessed.

  Chapter 2

  Jeremy Glass strode into the conference room at the X Enterprises Las Vegas facility and tossed a tangle of wires and metal onto the wooden table that dominated the room. The component slid a few inches and came to rest next to the phone in the center of the table. Ten pairs of eyes studied the configuration. Jeremy waited until all eyes were back on him before he spoke.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Surrender. Our latest and greatest wearable vibrator. It’s j
ust a prototype now, but we’ll use silicone for the casing and roll these pretties out in a slew of colors.” He glanced at the phone on the table and cleared his throat. “Since those of you in Seattle can’t see what we’re looking at, I’m going to turn the floor over to Bex for a minute.”

  He nodded at Bex Kingsley, one of X Enterprises’ top sex toy designers. With a tech-savvy mind that could rival any engineer in Silicon Valley and an imagination that would be suited for a romance author, she was one of his most talented employees. She wasn’t afraid to push boundaries and really go there, which was exactly why he’d hired her.

  Bex held up her cell phone and smiled. “The Surrender is remote activated, of course, so couples can enjoy discreet action on a romantic night out.” She filled the team in on the product’s features before asking for any questions.

  The phone crackled and produced a musical female voice Jeremy hadn’t heard before. He’d been in Vegas for the past week, and he assumed this must be Ramon’s new hire. “What’s the expected timeframe for the release? Is it too soon to tell our customers about it?”