Managed Hearts (Players of Marycliff University, #3)

by Jerica MacMillan

  Damn it, he was determined to get that back again. Draw her out of her self-imposed shell and demolish the distance that had grown between them. He’d been making great progress on that goal when Megan and Chris had stumbled in and interrupted them. There’d been no recovering from that. Hannah had been embarrassed, and he’d known she was going to turn him down when he suggested they move to his room. Hell, she’d come right out and told him she wouldn’t have sex with him. There was no reason to be surprised, but he’d been disappointed all the same. God, the feel of her, the taste of her, was better than he remembered. And having that taste again was going to drive him nuts until he could devour her like he wanted, as much as he wanted, whenever he wanted.

  “Fuck,” he muttered to himself, annoyed that his cock responded again to the feel of her tonight and the memories from before that kept resurfacing. Since he’d realized who she was, he’d jerked off to those memories every damn night. Tonight was apparently not going to be any different.

  His hand closed around the base of his cock, and he decided he was just going to get it over with quick and dirty for some basic relief. Just as that warm tingling started, and his balls drew up tight on the verge of unloading, someone pounded on his bedroom door. Not someone. Chris. Megan didn’t knock like that.

  “Fuck!” He almost yelled it this time. Chris had the worst fucking timing in the world tonight. He grabbed the first thing he found off his floor and yanked on a pair of boxers, wrenching the door open, glaring at his asshole roommate. “What do you want, Chris?”

  Chris’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and his hands came up, palm out. “Sorry, man.” His eyes darted around the room behind Matt before settling on his face again. “You took her home, right? I didn’t think I could be interrupting anything.”

  Matt let out a breath, schooling his features into something more neutral, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorjamb. “Yeah, I took her home. It’s late. Did you need something?”

  Chris took in his face and shrugged. “I just wanted to say sorry, dude. You didn’t say you were bringing a chick home. If you had I would’ve let you know we were on our way or something. Tell me next time. You know I’m not down with cockblocking friends.”

  Matt nodded. “Yeah, sure. Okay.”

  “Seriously, dude. If you’re going to bring a chick home, just give us a heads up. We’ll stay out of your way. Megan doesn’t mind, as long as she’s not going to walk in on you doing the nasty in the living room.”

  Matt laughed. “Doing the nasty? And seriously? I’ve walked in on you guys more times than I can count. And don’t even get me started on the shit I’ve had to listen to.”

  Chris grinned, looking relieved that Matt didn’t seem so pissed anymore. “Yeah, that’s Megan’s phrase, not mine. And I’ve been telling you to get earplugs or something for a long-ass time. Our noise level isn’t likely to change. Or you can start competing. Whichever.”

  “Dude, that’s disgusting. I’m not going to bring some chick home just to see who can be louder.”

  It was Chris’s turn to laugh. “That’s the first girl you’ve brought to the house since you dumped your old tutor—what’s her name—last year. Don’t be shy just because Megan’s here now.”

  Matt rolled his eyes. “You know I’m not a slut like you, dude. If I want to bring someone home, I will. I did tonight, after all.”

  Chris gasped. “I’m not a slut!”

  Matt just laughed, shaking his head. “You were for a long time. I guess I can thank Megan that it’s just her now and not a string of randos wandering in and out like we used to get. At least I keep my random hook-ups away from home.”

  “Yeah, you’re a true gentleman. Whatever. I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings.”

  Matt suppressed a snicker, glad that he’d kept his lower body behind the door. There had definitely been some hard feelings, but not like what Chris meant. “Nah, man. We’re fine.”

  “Cool. Night.” Chris turned and wandered back to his own room, leaving Matt on his own again. He ditched the boxers again, still half-hard, but not sure he still felt like doing anything about it. He was tired of jerking off to memories of Hannah instead of creating new memories with her. He’d figure out a way to get her in his bed again. And God, he hoped it would be soon.

  * * *

  Hannah sat in her car in the parking lot of Eco Utilities locking and unlocking her phone, debating with herself. Matt had texted her on Saturday, asking if she wanted to get together and hang out or something, but she hadn’t responded. Elena had cornered her and tried to force her to talk about what had happened with Matt. She’d given her the barest details, but hadn’t wanted to talk about it. Elena had made a face at her, but let it go. For now. Hannah knew her best friend better than to expect that Elena wouldn’t force her to talk about every minute detail so she could analyze it, as well as every thought and feeling Hannah had about the experience both during and after.

  Since Hannah wasn’t sure what to think or feel about it, it made it hard to know what to tell Elena. Now she was back at Eco Utilities, where she may or may not end up face to face with Matt. She’d brought his sweatshirt with her with the intention of giving it back to him. Glancing around the parking lot, she hoped to magically know which vehicle was his. She knew it was a green pickup, but there were three that she could see right now.

  “It’s probably locked anyway,” she muttered to herself while she got out of the car and locked her own. If she didn’t run into him while she was here, she’d text him at the end of the day to let him know she had his sweatshirt.

  The next few hours were busy. The marketing team was preparing to roll out a new campaign, so they were frantically putting last minute changes and revisions in place after gathering the data from their test group. Hannah spent a lot of her time running things from one place to another, even getting snacks and coffee from the break room for the team.

  She was on her way out of the break room, juggling two coffee cups, an apple, a banana, and three candy bars when she almost collided with someone. She looked up just in time to try to pull up short, firm hands grasping her biceps kept her from smashing into the chest in front of her. A little coffee sloshed over the lip of one of the mugs onto the floor. “Shit!” She tried to step back but the hands on her arms held her in place. Raising her head, her gaze collided with Matt’s stormy blue eyes.

  “Hey.”

  One corner of his mouth tugged up in response to her lame greeting. “Hey.” His brows came together. “What are you doing? You’re not supposed to be doing grunt work.”

  She shook her head and tried again to step back. This time he let her, dropping his hands, but not before running them down her arms in what was definitely a caress, much more intimate than a normal workplace exchange. “No, I’m not doing grunt work. Everyone’s just busy. We have a new campaign coming out this week, and I volunteered to get stuff for them.” The look on Matt’s face conveyed his doubt. “No, really. I’m learning a lot. I promise. They’re not taking advantage of me. I’ve been involved with the process as much as possible, given that they all know way more than me about everything. But I’ve gotten to look over the data from the test groups and see why they’re making the changes they’re making and even offer my opinion a few times.”

  “Okay, good. You’re sure?”

  Hannah nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. It’s great. I mean, we’ve talked about some of this stuff in classes, but it’s cool to see how it works in a real life situation, you know? And I love even more that we’re helping people, helping the environment, not just trying to make money.”

  “Well, money is an important part of it.” The corners of Matt’s lips had tugged up again, the smile more sardonic this time than amused.

  Hannah narrowed her eyes at him. “I know that, Matt. I’m not stupid. I get how business works. But I like being involved with a business that doesn’t rape the earth and destroy everything in the name of the botto
m line. I like that we’re helping other businesses be more responsible with their resources, which benefits the businesses financially as well as benefitting conservation efforts. It’s a big part of why I wanted this internship.” She gestured with one of the coffee mugs, but stopped when she almost spilled coffee again.

  Matt nodded, the sardonic look replaced by one of respect, though he did grin at her near-spill. “Yeah. It is nice. I agree. I like that about this place too.”

  “Well, good to see you. I gotta get going.”

  Matt put a hand on her arm to stop her. “Hey, I don’t know if you got my text this weekend—“

  “Right. Yeah. Sorry about not responding. It was a busy weekend.” She didn’t know where he was going with that, but she didn’t want to have it out in the hallway outside the break room where anyone could overhear or interrupt. She vaguely remembered something from her orientation about a non-fraternization rule. But she’d been a little distracted by unexpectedly seeing Matt again, and hadn’t been paying close attention. “Um, I have your sweatshirt in my car to give back to you. I’ll text you before I leave so we can figure out where to meet so I can get it to you.”

  He dropped his hand, nodding once. “Right. Okay. I’ll talk to you later then.”

  She flashed him a quick smile, and then scurried back to the marketing department where people were waiting for their coffee and snacks. Keeping busy kept her mind off Matt for the most part, but she kept an eye on the clock, and felt a little flutter low in her belly as the minutes ticked by, getting her closer to seeing him again. With the way they’d left things Friday night, she doubted he was satisfied with her half-assed explanation that she’d been too busy to return his text. The Matt she’d known had been persistent, and from what she could tell, that hadn’t changed.

  As she gathered her things at the end of the day, she slipped on her coat and pulled out her phone. Nerves and anticipation warred in her belly, making her breath come short. She hesitated a moment, trying to decide what to say. Finally she decided on simple and direct. I’m done for the day. Meet me in the lobby?

  CHAPTER NINE

  Matt’s phone buzzed on his desk, and he picked it up to see Hannah’s text. He thought for a moment about the best course of action. It would be safer for both of them to meet elsewhere, away from the prying eyes and listening ears of their coworkers. They were a nice group of people, but they weren’t exempt from office gossip. And the new HR manager escorting the marketing intern to her car was sure to catch a few people’s attention. Plus, he wasn’t quite ready to go, and even though her text made him want to grab his jacket and leave, he couldn’t give into that impulse. He really did need to finish what he was working on before he left, and this was the best way to protect Hannah and himself. And the fact it meant he’d get to spend more time with her was just a bonus. At least that’s what he told himself before sending a text back.

  I still need to finish up a few things. Meet me at Lucy’s on the corner. I’ll be there in about 15 mins.

  He turned back to his computer to finish up and close everything out, keeping his phone next to his keyboard waiting for her response. Satisfaction coiled in his chest when she texted back right away.

  Okay.

  Matt didn’t think he’d ever finished his end of day work as fast as he did today. His plan was to buy Hannah a drink and invite her to join him for dinner. See if he could convince her to spend more time with him.

  When Matt walked into the place he’d picked about ten minutes later, he let out a low groan. He spotted Hannah right away. As well as what looked like half the marketing department, all of the interns, several of the sales guys, and even the head of HR. Damn it. He should’ve known better than to pick somewhere so close to work as their meeting place.

  Hannah raised her eyes, her gaze connecting with his. She shrugged one shoulder and offered a sheepish smile before turning back to the person next to her and saying something. He watched for a moment, enjoying the way her face lit up in laughter at something the woman next to her said, appreciating the way her lips closed on the rim of her glass, drinking in the elegant way her fingers wrapped around her glass, wishing he could’ve felt them wrapped around him over the weekend.

  “How many?”

  The hostess’s voice interrupted his lustful thoughts. Tearing his eyes away from Hannah, he offered the hostess a weak smile and gestured to the group of his coworkers. “I’m with them.”

  She nodded and handed him a drinks menu, gesturing for him to feel free to join his friends. The only seat open was at the end away from Hannah, next to Janine, the head of HR.

  She gave him a friendly smile. “I didn’t know you’d be joining us.”

  “Yeah. I, uh, found out people were coming here just before I left and thought I’d come too.” His answer sounded stupid and forced to his ears, but Janine didn’t seem to notice.

  “Well, the waitress should be back shortly and you can get a drink then. A few of us are splitting some appetizers. You’re welcome to have some if you’d like to pitch in.”

  Matt shook his head. “Thanks. I’ll just stick with a drink.”

  He tried to keep up with conversation around him and not seem like an antisocial jerk. But he didn’t give a shit about any of it. Frustration that he’d made such a bad choice colored what should’ve been an enjoyable round of post-work drinks with his coworkers. This wasn’t the first time he’d joined a group here like this. And he usually enjoyed himself. But today his gaze kept drifting back to Hannah, even though he tried not to stare. He caught her looking at him more than once, and each time she gave him a rueful smile that he returned.

  “Careful there.” Janine’s voice pulled his attention back to her after one such exchange.

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  Janine nodded in Hannah’s direction before taking another sip of her martini. “You two seem to be flirting across the table. She’s an intern, and you’re in charge of the interns for the semester. Don’t do anything stupid. Use your big head, Matt, not your little one.”

  Matt spluttered, choking on his drink, not used to having his boss, a woman who was roughly the same age as his mother, make casual dick references in conversation. He coughed a few times before regaining control, and he saw Hannah shooting him a quizzical look from the other end of the table, several people turning their attention his way after his coughing fit. He ignored them all, though, instead focusing on Janine. “What?”

  Janine gave him a knowing look. “Just a friendly reminder about the company fraternization policy. I like you, Matt. You’re a good worker and you have a lot of potential to go far. I don’t want to see you do anything stupid to jeopardize that.”

  Matt opened his mouth to respond, but Janine cut in before he could. “Don’t bother to deny anything. In fact, don’t say anything one way or the other. I’ll pretend I didn’t notice anything as long as you keep it to no more than this.”

  He nodded once, his mouth now a firm line. He finished the beer he’d ordered in a few chugs, even though it had lost all appeal. It was time to go. He pulled a few bucks out of his wallet and tossed them on the table to cover his drink, muttering goodbyes to the people around him.

  He could feel Hannah’s eyes on him as he did so. With barely a glance, he nodded at her once and left, the beer he’d drunk churning in his guts, making him feel like puking even though he’d only had one. Janine’s warning ringing in his ears warred with the desire to make Hannah his again on his way out to his truck. He didn’t know what to do about either of them. Could he stay away from Hannah until after her internship? Not entirely, not in his capacity as the intern’s manager. And she’d agreed to model for Megan.

  With a groan, Matt started the car and dropped his head against the steering wheel. He was fucked. And not in a good way.

  * * *

  Matt was in the process of tossing his keys on his dresser and hanging his coat on the back of the desk chair in his room when his phone buzzed in
his pocket. He pulled it out to see a text from Hannah.

  Sorry about the crowd. When I got there, a few of them were already there and wouldn’t take no for an answer when they invited me to join them.

  He sighed, trying to figure out how he should navigate this situation. No problem. It’s a popular after work drinks spot. I should’ve thought about that when I suggested it.

  I still have your sweatshirt.

  Moving to the kitchen, he grabbed a beer out of the fridge, even though he’d just had one at the restaurant. He took a long pull before responding again, trying to decide what to do. Should he invite her over? Offer to go get it? Tell her to keep it until she came over to model for Megan? The last one was the smart thing to do, especially with Janine’s warning so fresh in his mind.

  But he’d been aching to see her since Friday, and the brief touch in the hallway outside the break room when she almost ran into him wasn’t enough, much less sitting across a crowded table from her where they couldn’t even talk. Fuck it. He was going to invite her over. What Janine didn’t know wouldn’t hurt anyone.

  Want to bring it over? I was just about to figure out dinner. You could stay and eat with me.

  He forced himself to set his phone down on the kitchen counter and take a few steps away instead of staring at it like a crazy man, willing her to respond. Instead he leaned against the counter on the opposite wall, drinking his beer, staring at it like it was a ticking time bomb.

  His beer was gone by the time her text came in. He reached for it with steady hands, despite the anticipation coiled tight inside of him, like a spring about to snap. I can’t tonight. I have an early class tomorrow and lots of reading to do tonight. Matt’s heart fell at her words, the tension releasing with a twang that he felt in his gut.

  Then another text came in. A single word that gave him hope again.

  Tomorrow?

  CHAPTER TEN

  Hannah took a deep breath before turning off her car. She checked her phone again to make sure the number on the little brick house she’d parked in front of matched the address Matt had given her. It looked kind of familiar, but with her nerves she wanted to be sure. Everything looked different in the fading twilight than it had in the full darkness from the weekend. Plus, she hadn’t been paying close attention to what the house looked like, too distracted by Matt to care.