by Lexi Aurora
Why the hell had I offered to take them on a picnic? I’d never been on one in my entire life. I was supposed to be creating distance between myself and Julie, not giving her excuses to hang around.
There was another message from Miles. He wanted to know how the confrontation with Darleen went, but I ignored it. The last thing I wanted to do was explain that I’d hired Julie and bedded her within a week of her working for me.
The investment call ran much longer that I’d anticipated because an unexpected voice on the other end was Reid Foster, a Stonecutters fraternity brother from my college days. The friendly rivalry between the two of us that had us competing in drinking games at our exclusive rich-boy-frat-parties back then had us negotiating over percentage points today. I’d barely scratched off my to-do list when Daniel messaged me again to tell me that Julie and Tyler were waiting.
Trying to stow my irritation, after all, it was my idea, I unbuttoned the top buttons of my shirt and headed down the stairs. Tyler took one look at me and immediately frowned. “Why are you so dressed up? I thought we were going to the garden.”
“Tyler!” Julie shushed him, but I could see the same question in her eyes as well. “There’s no need to join us if you’re busy.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to suggest that they go without me, but I craved her nearness. Work was forgotten the minute that unhappy line creased her forehead. All I wanted to do was kiss her and tell her that there was nothing more I wanted to do.
“I have to eat as well,” I said with a stiff smile. “And I promise that I can play just as easily in these clothes as I could in something else.” Not to mention that I didn’t really own any casual clothes. My life didn’t really require it.
Sarah glared at me as she handed me the picnic basket. I thanked her, but she ignored me as she bent down and ruffled Tyler’s hair. As she told him to have a good time, I realized that my staff was rebelling against me.
How could they judge me when they clearly liked Julie and Tyler as much as I did? Did it really matter that we wanted them for two different reasons?
Tyler chatted incessantly about their morning activities as we walked to the gardens. There were picnic tables, but Sarah had packed a blanket, and Tyler insisted that we spread it out on the ground. I realized how much we must have looked like a happy family to any passerby's, and I found it difficult to breathe.
“Graham? Do you want chicken salad or tuna salad?” Julie asked as she pulled out the two containers. “Sarah also packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but I think Tyler might wrestle you for it.”
My stomach turned as I stared at her. “I’m not hungry,” I muttered.
Julie turned her head and watched Tyler scamper through the flowers. “This was a mistake,” she said softly. “I should never have agreed to this.”
“To what? It’s just lunch.” Hadn’t I said that before?
“It’s not just lunch,” she snapped. “Tyler is getting attached to you, and that’s dangerous. He’s getting to that age where he’s going to want to have a father figure around, and we both know where this is going.”
Her words were like a slap in the face. All at once, I saw her face in the bed last night. I’d wanted to lave attention on her, and she just wanted to be fucked. “Where is this going?”
“You got what you wanted last night. I figured I’d be lucky if I kept my job for another week before you found some reason to let me go. This is not stable, and with all the instability in Tyler’s life, I can’t have him thinking that you’re going to be sticking it out.”
I clenched my jaw. “Are you telling me that you wanted to fuck me so bad that you were willing to lose your job over it?”
She inhaled sharply, but before she could reply, Tyler had returned. “Mr. Porter, there’s a man coming to join us.”
Whipping my head around, I saw Miles crossing the lawn towards us. He was grinning like a fool, and I knew the only thing that could make this situation worse was if he got involved.
“That’s my cousin,” I said as I stood. “I wasn’t expecting him. You two enjoy your picnic. If I can’t rejoin you, I’ll try to make it up to you.”
To his credit, Tyler didn’t complain as I walked away, and Julie never said a word. All I could think about was how many times my own father had promised me something only to fail to follow through.
“Did you get yourself a wife and kid while I was gone?” Miles asked as I joined him. “Flat chest, but damn, look at the curves on her hips.”
I didn’t think twice as I pulled my elbow back and sent my fist smashing into his jaw.
Chapter Ten- Julie
Just as I suspected, I didn’t even see Graham in the coming week. Although he texted me regularly, he never said a word about the night we spent together or the terrible day afterward. I wasn’t surprised when he left the picnic early, although I was annoyed that he even suggested it to begin with. What wasn’t tolerated was the violent punch that he’d thrown right in front of Tyler. I was so angry that I couldn’t even look back at him as I gathered the picnic things and hurried away.
Tyler was a flurry of questions, and I couldn’t answer a single one of them. It took all afternoon to finally get him settled, and then I had to hide from Crystal to avoid her questions.
There was a simple note the next morning with a list of things he wanted me to do. At the very end were two simple words.
I’m sorry.
Graham didn’t seem like a man who apologized easily, and I couldn’t figure out what he was apologizing for. Was he saying that he never should have touched me? That he initiated contact with my son? That he left us in the middle of everything?
I didn’t have the nerve to ask. I was ashamed to admit that even though I was angry, and even though I knew it would never end well, I missed his touch. I missed his lips on mine, the feel over his body pressed against mine, the way he took the time to learn everything I liked.
I was in way over my head.
“Miss, you can’t come in here! Miss!”
At the sound of Daniel’s frantic voice, I snapped my head up. Before I could even rise from my desk, the door flew open and those telltale heels clicked across the hardwood floor. “You fucked him, didn’t you!” Darleen shrieked.
“I’m so sorry,” Daniel gasped as he chased after her. “I guess Mr. Porter forgot to revoke her access code. I’ll call the police.”
“Darleen, do you want Daniel to call the police?” I asked in a calm voice. “Or do you think we can sit down and discuss this like adults?”
For a moment, I thought she’d throw something at me, but she slid into the chair and crossed her arms. “I think we’re fine here,” I told Daniel. “I’ll let you know if that changes.”
“Mr. Porter will not be happy that she’s here,” he muttered under his breath as he walked away.
Although my voice was even, my heart was pounding something crazy. I didn’t think for a single second that Darleen was sane when it came to Graham. “I want you to know that I was happy with our arrangement. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Then you shouldn’t have taken the job,” she hissed.
“I need the money. You know that.” I looked at the woman and felt some pity. It was obvious that she’d had her sights set on Graham, and it was just as obvious that she didn’t know a thing about him. And you do? My inner voice taunted me, and I ignored it. “I have a son to think about.”
“Were you thinking about your son when you spent the night last night? When you went to dinner with him wearing that slutty dress?”
My back stiffened. “And how would you know all that?”
“I have my sources,” she said as she stuck her nose up in the air. “You know just as well as I do that you don’t belong in his world. You’re just some piece of trash who lives out of a motel, and he’ll figure you out for the gold-digging slut that you.”
Even though she hadn’t raised her voice, she was getting nasty. “You don’t kn
ow the first thing about me,” I reminded her coldly.
“And neither does he,” Darleen snapped. “Look at you. You’re pathetic. You can barely take care of yourself or that creepy kid of yours, and you think sucking a rich man’s cock will get you everything that you want.”
“That’s enough,” Graham said coldly. Darleen gasped and whirled around. I hadn’t even realized that he was in the house, and I’d never seen such anger in his face before. His gaze shot daggers of ice, and for a moment, I thought that perfect control of his would snap. “Get out before I throw you out.”
To my surprise, Darleen didn’t even seem upset as she stood. In fact, she smirked. “I’m going to remember this moment when it all comes tumbling down around you,” she said as she glanced my way. When she stroked Graham’s arm on the way out, I wanted to pick up the potted plant on my desk and hurl it in her direction.
“Are you okay?” he asked me when she’d walked away. “I’ve already had her access code revoked, so this won’t happen again. I should have done it immediately.”
“I’m fine, but I’m fairly certain that she’s stalking you. You might want to look into that.” I didn’t like the concern in his eyes when he watched me. It made me feel secure, and the last thing that I needed to do was feel secure around him. “Have you been here all week?”
He leaned against the door, and I realized that there were circles under his eyes. “Yes,” he said quietly.
I wanted to remind him that a vague apology on paper meant nothing, but I also wanted to keep my job. Forcing a smile, I nodded my head. “I’m sure you’ve been busy. I’m actually ahead of schedule today, so if you need me to do anything else, feel free to let me know.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Why would I be angry? This is your home, and I work for you. So long as you pay me, I don’t need to concern myself with where you are.” The words were almost stuck in my throat, and I had to force them out.
To my utter dismay, he stepped inside and closed the door. “Since I’m here, I’d like to talk with you about what happened.”
“It’s not necessary.” There was no escape. “I’m perfectly happy pretending that it didn’t happen.”
“I’m not.”
Of course he wasn’t. If there was one thing that I was learning about Graham Porter, it was that he wasn’t predictable in the slightest. “Very well. We can acknowledge that it happened and that it won’t happen again.”
He turned his head up slightly, and a sexy smile spread across his face. “Won’t it? Even right now, my body is screaming for me to touch you. Why should I ignore that?”
“Sex is complicated,” I whispered.
“It doesn’t have to be. We can avoid the awkward days after by avoiding spending the night together. It’s a simple solution.”
“If all you want is sex, I’m sure that women will be lining up outside your door for a night with you.” I tried to sound bored as he sat in the chair across from me and stretched out his legs. Why did he have to be so tempting?
“They’re not you, and there are things that I haven’t done with you yet. I haven’t tasted you. I want to slide my tongue across your clit until you scream for mercy. And I believe we already talked about your fantasy of spreading your legs for me on a desk. Was it this desk?”
Swallowing hard, I tried not to look at the desk. I kept my gaze trained on him as though I wasn’t growing wet at his words or tormented by the mental images in my head. “Why me?” I whispered. “Is it just because you know you shouldn’t? Is it about control?”
“My urges are a little more basic than that,” he said in a low voice. “I want you, Julie. Pure and simple. It has nothing to do with anything else.”
Before I could respond, there was a knock on the door and it swung open. To my surprise, the man from the garden strolled in with a cocky grin. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something? I was fairly certain that I heard screaming earlier, and I thought I might be missing out on all the fun.”
Graham growled. “The door was closed for a reason.”
“I knocked.” The younger man was just as handsome as Graham, and I knew without a doubt that they were related. He winked at me as he stretched his hand out. “Graham has terrible manners, so I’ll introduce myself. I’m Miles Porter. You must be the lovely and mysterious Julie Dennings. The first time I heard your name, Graham was certain that you were up to something truly devious. If his original assumptions were correct, you’re a master at worming your way into the heart of the Porter mansion.”
“For God’s sakes, Miles,” Graham muttered. “Do you have to be such an idiot?”
I wasn’t one to let another smooth talking Porter catch me off-guard. “Deception of the Porter family isn’t high on my list. How’s that jaw feel, by the way?” I fixed a steely look at Graham. “My son wanted to know why he wasn’t allowed to punch people like that.”
Graham had the decency to glance at the floor, but Miles chuckled. “I’m afraid the punch was well deserved. Graham was simply defending your honor, although I suppose we owe the boy an apology. I was looking forward to getting to know him. Daniel tells me that he’s quite the charmer, and this house could use a little charm.”
“I need to get back to work,” Graham said suddenly as he stood. “Julie, we’ll finish this conversation up at a later date. If my cousin doesn’t keep you too long, you’re welcome to go home early.”
His voice was chilly, as if the conversation in question hadn’t heated his blood the way it had heated mine. I was left puzzled as he stormed out. “Don’t mind him,” Miles said as he took Graham’s seat. “He is emotionally stunted. It’s the Porter genes. Did I miss a good catfight? I always wanted to know how Darleen would fair with those huge jugs of hers slowing her down.”
The idea of Darleen and I in a knock-down-drag-out fight was so absurd that I had to laugh, although I was sure that was Miles’s plan all along. I’d known him for less than ten minutes, and I already liked him. He had a way about him that made me feel at ease, and he was so different from Graham. I wondered if his parents were a little more warm and loving. “You didn’t miss anything,” I said easily. “Although it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a fight, I don’t think Darleen is the type who cries at a broken nail despite her prissy attitude. She’d probably surprise everyone.”
Miles leaned forward, and the light caught his eyes. I realized that they had the same greyish tint that Graham’s had. “You? In a fight? Do tell.”
“Oh yeah,” I laughed. “I took down Mark Golding with one swift kick when he tried to take my Barbie lunchbox. I saved up six months worth of allowance to buy it, and I was not about to let him get his grubby hands on it!”
Miles whistled. “One kick, huh?”
“To the groin. Works every time.”
He visibly winced, and I chuckled. I wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon talking to him and maybe grilling him about Graham, but he stood and stretched. “Unfortunately, I’m not just here for pleasure, but I do want to get to know more about the woman who has made my cousin resort to violence.”
“I’m sure you don’t have to worry about that again,” I said as a dull flush creeped up my cheeks. “It was just a bad day for everyone.”
“You should get to know him,” Miles said softly. “I think you might be surprised by what you find.”
I was speechless when he walked away. Surely Miles knew that I wasn’t the kind of woman that should be getting to know Graham, but his words echoed in my head. Maybe I had painted Graham unfairly. Just because the circumstances resembled Jonathan’s didn’t mean that they were two peas in a pod. Maybe I’d spent so much time protecting myself and Tyler that I didn’t realize how much we were both lacking.
It sounded insane in my head, but maybe Miles was right. Maybe I should take a chance and see what Graham had to offer.
Especially since I was already half in love with the man.
Chapter Eleven- Graham
It put me in the worst mood, and having my cousin around didn’t make things better.
“I think you made the right choice by not investing with Calloway’s new business,” he announced at breakfast. “It’s already falling apart. Word around the water cooler is that his lovely new wife found out that he’s been enjoying multiple women on the side, and she’s gearing up to take half of everything he owns.”
“That’s what he gets for getting married,” I grunted as I reached for my coffee. “And you don’t have a water cooler.”
“I know.” He sighed. “It makes me think that we missed out on something great. Maybe we should get a water cooler. Do you think the staff will gossip around it?”
“They’ll gossip about you.” I had a terrible headache, and I was in no mood to listen to his banter. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I finalized the paperwork for the condos yesterday, but I’ve missed you, Graham. I thought I might stick around and see how you were. I’m concerned about your health. You’re not sleeping. You’re not eating. You’re not fucking that lovely woman that you seem so obsessed about.”
“Do you want me to hit you again?” I hissed as I glared at him. The bruise was just now starting to fade, and I had no problems giving him another one. “I already told you that Julie is not an obsession.”
“Maybe if you say it with more conviction, I’ll believe you,” he grinned. “Did you know that she’s staying in the Sunny Side Up Motel? Why haven’t you asked her to live here? She is part of your staff.”
“I can’t sleep with her if she lives here,” I pointed out.