Table For Two: Barrington Billionaire's Series: Book Two

by Jeannette Winters

  She felt herself blush slightly. Tessa was a grown woman, trying to show Lexi around, and here she was getting all hot and bothered thinking of the boss. How was it that the one in charge of HR was the one who should be written up for improper behavior with her superior?

  Once they were back in the HR department, she set Lexi up at the same desk she had Zoey use the day before. The one difference was Lexi pulled out her iPhone and put on her earphones. Thankfully there wasn’t anyone else in the department to hear her singing along with the music.

  Tessa shook her head and went back to her office where she hoped to accomplish something before the day was done.

  That wish vanished as the phone rang. And my day just keeps getting better.

  “Tessa, I need to see you in my office now,” Dean demanded. She had been avoiding him ever since their lunch date. After his phone call with Dax yesterday he knew he had to loop her back in and get a feel for what was going on. She had been too quiet. That couldn’t be a good sign. He wasn’t sure what he was going to use as the excuse to get her in front of him, but he would figure it out when he saw her. Tessa was very talented at her little game of loyalty to Poly-Shyn. He was going to make her regret the day she decided to team up with Dax. You picked the wrong person, Tessa. I don’t fall for anyone, under any circumstances.

  Dean understood how a man like Dax Marshall thought; it wasn’t much different from him. There was no doubt in his mind Dax was going to continue to try to acquire Poly-Shyn. One phone call with some threats never would have stopped Dean, so why would it stop Dax? If anything, a good fight only made him want to keep the company even more. Maybe that made him a sick bastard, but he never found weakness in anything or anyone appealing. If it isn’t worth fighting for, then it’s not worth having.

  Those were words he had heard his father say when he was young. It was how he had run his business right up until he died. It didn’t make him a well-loved man, not even liked if you asked around, but it made him feared and powerful. Two things one needed to be in business. Respect didn’t equate to success and money.

  He looked at the file Bennett had given him on Dax. Any other time, he might actually ask him to meet for a drink, and they could talk acquisitions. Right now they both needed to stay on top of their game. If it wasn’t for the one thing that he knew could distract Dax, he might encourage a meeting. But there was no way he would let his friend Kenzi end up with a bastard like Dax. If her family hates me, they sure as hell aren’t gonna welcome Dax with open arms. The last thing Kenzi needs is more pain in her life.

  Dean couldn’t help but wonder what the relationship was between Dax and Tessa. Was she just the hired hand sent to infiltrate the company and gather intel, or was it something more? Even the thought of Tessa with Dax made his blood boil.

  Tessa meant nothing more to him than an afternoon distraction. Her lips tasted sweeter than anything he had ever tasted, and she made him want to pull her into his arms and take her right on his desk, but that didn’t change anything. It was just a sexual attraction. He would have her once, then it would be out of his system like every other woman he had been with.

  “You wanted me?” Tessa said from the doorway.

  More than I fucking should. I’m going to make you beg me to give it to you. “Come in and sit.”

  He noticed she wasn’t carrying herself quite so confidently this morning. Had Dax already called her and told her things weren’t going as easily as they had first thought? Oh, I hope so. This will make it all the more interesting to watch you squirm.

  Tessa took her seat and asked, “How is your secretary working out?”

  Dean wished he had a complaint, but he had none. Brittney-Lynn was young, but she had a good head on her shoulders. For now, she still had the job. If something changed, he had no problem dismissing her as he had the rest.

  “That is not why I asked you here. Yesterday was a very interesting day, wouldn’t you say?” Dean asked and watched her reaction closely. Although she tried to maintain her composure, he noticed her bottom lip tremble slightly. Oh yeah. I got you now.

  “I can explain. It’s not what you think. This was purely an accident. I mean, I was desperate and when opportunity knocks, you just take it sometimes without thinking. But I promise I won’t make such a mistake again.”

  “And why should I believe you?” Dean asked harshly as he leaned forward with his arms resting on his desk.

  “Why would I lie?”

  Dean peered at her. “I question a lot of things you do. Lying is just one of them.”

  Tessa shot up from her seat. “Excuse me? I may be your employee, but I will not sit here and be spoken to like that.”

  He got up from his seat as well and came around the table to face her. Looking down at her, he said, “Tessa, consider yourself lucky you’re a woman. A man wouldn’t be standing right now.”

  Tessa’s bottom lip trembled as she spoke. “I had no idea she was your sister. Why would I? If you don’t believe me, then fire me like you do everyone else, and you can run this damn company by yourself for all I care.”

  Sister? What the hell is she talking about? “What does Zoey have to do with this?” Tessa looked puzzled by his question so he said, “I didn’t know you knew my sister.”

  “I don’t . . . I mean, I didn’t . . . well, I really still don’t.”

  “Make up your mind, woman,” Dean said angrily.

  “When the elevator opened I thought she was the new temp coming in for an interview for the HR data entry position.”

  Dean arched a brow. “You thought she was here for a job? Did she look like she was?”

  Tessa shrugged her shoulders. “No, and that surprised me a bit, but I was in desperate need of help so there was a lot I overlooked.”

  “So you want me to believe that you interviewed her and still couldn’t tell?”

  “I never really did an interview. Her timing was perfect. I kind of just put her to work all morning, entering information in the HR database. Besides, you can’t put all the blame on me. She never said anything to me either. I would have expected her to come to work this morning if I hadn’t eventually found out the hard way.”

  Dean couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Zoey never said anything about being put to work. As far as he had known she had just shown up, not been there for hours. Why would she help Tessa with paperwork and never say who she was?

  “How did you figure out she wasn’t just another member of the staff?”

  This was the first time he saw Tessa relax slightly. “When we encountered Bennett Stone in the elevator, it was mentioned then. He was, should I say, not the most pleasant or friendliest man. I was concerned as to what his intentions were regarding you. I’m not sure if you have noticed, but you don’t make a lot of friends with some of your choices.”

  Dean nodded. He really didn’t care what others thought of him, and if someone was coming up to his office because they had a beef with him, he had no issue settling it himself. The last thing he wanted or needed was a woman fighting his battles for him. She would only get hurt because things normally got ugly when they started to go bad.

  “When I tried to question why he wanted to see you, he became very defensive. Before I could react, Zoey stepped between us and set him straight. I was impressed. She’s fearless, but I guess growing up in a house with all brothers would do that to a person. You should have seen her in action. Zoey’s obviously very protective of you.”

  That thought of family watching out for each other may have appealed to others but not to Dean. She was only four years older than he was, and at a young age Zoey had decided to take him under her protection. It started when their father would come home from work in one of his moods, looking for someone or something to hit. Dean must have been four or five at that time, but he remembered one time Zoey had grabbed him by the hand and led him into a different wing of the house, far away from their father. They had stayed there all night. No one ever tucked them int
o bed so there was no reason for either of them to have been missed. It was every man for himself back then. He was lucky Zoey was there to teach him the art of duck and cover.

  Over the years, Dean had stopped running and hiding and met his father’s abuse head-on. Each hit and each word only made him stronger, made him who he was today. Nothing hurt him anymore.

  “You thought I needed your protection?” Dean laughed. “You should worry more about protecting yourself from me.”

  Tessa’s eyes widened. “And why is that?”

  Dean wanted to tell her he knew who she was, why she was there. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and claimed her lips with his. Nothing about it was soft or tender like before. No, he wanted to make her his. To remove any loyalty or association she had with Dax.

  He took what he wanted, his invasion of her mouth meant to show her he was in control. But the sweet taste of her only made him want her more. Her hands pressed against his chest at first in a defensive mode, but then clung to him. Her mouth firm, now yielding to him, her tongue exploring him. Fuck.

  His cock hardened with the feel of her breast crushed against him. If he didn’t stop this now, he would pick her up and take her right on his desk. It didn’t matter who heard her cries of passion.

  Dean pulled away from her, leaving her standing staring at him, confused. Her lips were swollen from his assault, her breast heaving with want. He needed to remind himself why Tessa was here. If she thought getting him into her bed was going to knock him off his game, she was mistaken.

  He watched her as she bolted out of his office with her hand over her mouth as though ashamed of what had just happened between them. Dean knew better. Anger filled him as he went back to his desk. I’m not falling for your sweet innocent act any longer.

  Chapter Six

  Tessa couldn’t make it back to the safety of her office fast enough. If she never had to see Dean Henderson again, it was fine with her. How he could kiss her like that and then push her away in disgust was beyond her. Was he purposely out to drive her crazy? First he kissed her in the car, now the office. But at the same time, he accused her of lying to him. Who does such things?

  As she got off the elevator, she was met by Miss Sunshine herself. That was the last thing she needed right now.

  “Tessa, are you okay?” Lexi asked.

  “Fine,” Tessa answered as she walked past her desk.

  Lexi obviously didn’t get the hint that she didn’t want to talk and wanted to be left alone. “You sure don’t look fine. Was it the boss? Did he yell at you or something? You did say he could be a jerk.”

  Tessa didn’t remember using those exact words, but right now they sure fit. “Please Lexi, go back to your desk and just do what you are here to do.” She couldn’t believe how cold and mean she sounded. That wasn’t her. No matter how she was treated, she never treated others that way.

  Lexi had already turned and headed back toward her desk. Tessa knew she had hurt her feelings. God, what a jerk I am. Dean, you must be rubbing off on me and not in a good way either.

  “Lexi, wait,” she called after her. “I’m sorry I snapped at you like that. I’m not having the best morning.”

  Lexi turned, looked her over, and said, “I know exactly what will change that.”

  Tessa raised a questioning brow. With all the crazy things that Lexi had already said in the few hours she had been there, Tessa couldn’t begin to guess what that would be. “Getting my work done is what I need to do right now.”

  “Don’t even think about it. Trust me. I’ve seen that look before. You need to get out of this office for awhile. So why don’t we take an early lunch and go shopping?”

  Tessa laughed softly. “For one, I have a job to do and so do you.”

  “Tessa, what good are you going to do today? I mean look at you. You look all discombobulated. Anything you try to work on now is probably going to be shit. So let me show you where I go to unwind. Besides, from the way you are dressed, I think you could use my help. I think you and my sister, Willa, shop at the same stores. And for the record, that’s not a compliment.”

  Great, now I have no taste in clothes either. My day is just getting better and better. “Speaking of lunch, I thought you were meeting your sister today. Or have you forgotten?”

  Lexi shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll say an emergency situation has come up. One thing about having a twin, we always understand each other, sometimes better than we do ourselves. So no more excuses. Get your purse, and let’s blow this joint.”

  Nothing today was her normal behavior. She’d kissed her boss and had practically thrown herself at him, begging for more, so why not go all the way and take Lexi up on the offer? Really what is the worst thing that could happen? He finds out and fires me? That’s probably a blessing in disguise.

  “Two hours but that’s all Lexi. Then back to work for the both of us. Understood?”

  Lexi grinned. “Deal.”

  It wasn’t long before Lexi had Tessa trying on what she would normally consider date night clothes, not office clothes. The slacks were sleek and hugged her round hips, and the blouses were cut to accent her breast. Lexi even chose a cocktail dress, saying every woman needed one in her closet; you never knew when Mr. Right might show up unannounced. Tessa didn’t want to break the news to Lexi that the odds of the dress sitting in her closet for a few years was pretty high. Tessa could see how men would be knocking down Lexi’s door. She was fun to be around, extremely confident, and drop-dead gorgeous. They were on two different spectrums. What did Tessa know about dating? She hadn’t been on one since moving to Boston. Things here moved much faster than she was used to back home. There was something nice about being from a small town. Everyone knew each other. The dates back home would never require her to dress in such a manner. But here she felt like she was in the lion’s den at all times. So she spent all her time working or reading or studying. Maybe if I hadn’t, then I wouldn’t be alone right now.

  Tessa carried several bags filled with clothes and shoes and even some sexy intimate apparel that Lexi said she needed. Lexi’s rational remarks were priceless. “You wouldn’t want to get caught in granny panties if a sexy fireman ever needed to rescue you.” Tessa wanted to argue and say she wouldn’t care at that moment, but that would’ve been a total lie. She did love rugged men in uniform. Never had she thought she would be attracted to the office type, but there was one who would not leave her thoughts, and it was disturbing her greatly. This little getaway provided a short distraction, but with each item she tried on she thought of what Dean would think if he saw her wearing it. Oh, give it a rest girl. He’s only playing with you. There is no way someone like him would be interested in someone like you. And even if he was, you come from two different worlds. His father was rich and powerful, leaving a legacy many envied. Your father is a preacher who is content with exactly what he has. If only you were.

  Tessa and Lexi finally headed back to the office. It had been fun, but she wasn’t sure if it was the shopping or trying to keep up with Lexi’s endless energy that had tired her. There wasn’t going to be anything productive happening today. That is what they made tomorrows for.

  “This has been so much fun, but I’m starving. We never did get to eat,” Lexi reminded her.

  “Do you know the afternoon is half gone already? I’m never going to get anything done at this point. How about we head back and order something to be delivered?” Tessa tried to reel them back into the responsible employee role but her heart wasn’t in it. Not today at least. How could it be after what happened between her and Dean? She could tell herself that it was all him, but even now, hours later, every nerve in her body was still heightened.

  “Tessa, do you always do the right thing?”

  How was it that when Lexi said it, it sounded like a bad thing? “I try to,” Tessa replied.

  Lexi shook her head. “Not today. You have made the first step of breaking free from being a stick-in-the-mud, so why not go al
l the way? It’s only one day. When you go back to the office on Monday, you can crawl right back into your shell if you want to, but just enjoy today for once in your life.”

  Tessa wasn’t sure if this was the best hire she had made so far or the worst, but at least Lexi was entertaining. Although we probably both will be unemployed shortly.

  “Okay, a quick bite but that is all. Some of us need to work for a living, you know.”

  Lexi laughed. “You think I don’t? Oh, wait till I tell you all about my prior jobs over lunch. You won’t believe the things I have done.”

  Ain’t that the truth? Tessa found she really was enjoying Lexi’s company. It had been way too long since she laughed so hard that her sides hurt. As they finished lunch, she said, “Lexi you really do live an exciting life, don’t you?”

  “I’m just trying to find my niche. Willa has such a great head on her shoulders. She and Kenzi are like two peas in a pod. But they also have the same problem: neither one ever says what they really want to say because they are worried about someone getting their feelings hurt. So they say and act like people expect or need them to.” She looked at Tessa and said, “Kind of like you, I think. Boy, you three all need my help. At least you and Kenzi have seen the light and let me help you with shopping. Willa might be a lost cause.”

  “Who is Kenzi? Another sister of yours?”

  “No. There is just Willa and me. Kenzi Barrington is one of our best friends. We met years ago at an all-girls boarding school.” Lexi raised her hand. “Don’t ask. Yes, it was pure hell for me. No boys at all except for the few who snuck up to see one of us once in a while.”

  “I feel your pain. I’m an only child and was homeschooled,” Tessa admitted.

  “Oh, I think that is worse. At least, I had my friends with me each day. You should meet them, I mean Willa and Kenzi. They would love you. I’ll work on putting something together for us all to go out. Of course, Kenzi is going through some difficult times right now.”