by Addison Cole
How could she tell him what was racing through her mind?
“Riley? Am I missing something? Should I have not come back?” he asked.
“No, no. It’s not that. It’s just…” I like this too much. I want to wake up to you. I want you to bring me coffee. I just don’t want to be known as the woman who made her career by sleeping with you.
“Babe? What is it?”
Babe? I love that.
Riley turned away so he couldn’t read her expression. She knew her eyes revealed her emotions. Jade had told her that hundreds of times.
She felt his arms around her. He rested his cheek against hers.
“Whatever it is, we can figure it out,” he assured her.
Riley sighed. “Do you really want to do this?” Why do I sound so scared? I hate that.
“This? You mean”—he pressed his body against hers and kissed her cheek—“or this as in you and me in general?”
“This as in you and me in general.” Please tell me you do. No, please tell me you don’t. Ugh!
He pulled back and narrowed his eyes. “Forget what I want, Riley. What do you want? What will make you happiest? I don’t ever want to thrust myself upon you. If you don’t want to explore what’s between us, I’ll understand, and your job will be safe.”
“No.” She reached for his arm and felt his muscles tense beneath her fingers. “Josh, there’s no doubt in my mind that I want you, and I don’t want to hide and scheme. But I don’t know if I can survive a gossip storm before I even have a chance to prove myself.”
He pulled her close once again, holding the back of her head so her cheek rested against his chest, safe and warm.
“Oh, babe. This is not an easy thing to figure out.” He pulled back and smiled, then cupped her cheek and kissed her. “But I want to figure it out. Let’s talk about it.” He took her hand and led her to the couch.
“Where’d you go this morning?” she asked.
“Running; then I swung by my place and grabbed clothes and toiletries.”
“You ran with your bags?” she asked.
“No. Jay brought them over. I didn’t want you to think I was taking off after last night, but I’m kind of neurotic about my daily run. Was it okay that I came back?”
“Yes, definitely. But why did you—instead of getting ready at your place, I mean?”
“Riley, I wanted to exercise, not be away from you. I want to spend time with you, and if you’re most comfortable that we do that in secret, then I’ll steal every secret second that I can get. Besides, what kind of heel doesn’t bring coffee the morning after a night like that?” He ran a hand through his hair. “I probably should have asked you first. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think that I might get in the way or throw off your mojo. Women have rituals in the mornings.” He laughed. “I’m a big boy. I can get ready at my place, no sweat.” He stood.
Riley pulled him back down. “Josh, that’s not what I meant at all. I’ve never met anyone like you. Most guys would be out the door and thrilled with it. You surprised me, that’s all. Stay. Please stay.”
He caressed her cheek. “I’m not most guys.”
“Yeah, I know that. Most guys wouldn’t offer to talk through a concern, either.”
He raised his eyebrows. “It is a tough one. There aren’t many choices. We can go to work and act like nothing is going on and see where our relationship goes, or we can go to work and face the music and endure the rumor mill. There is no middle ground. I’m up for whatever you think is best.”
“You really are too good to be true. Aren’t you worried at all about dating an employee? A brand-new assistant? You’re not just my boss, Josh; you’re a fashion icon. You run JBD. No, you are JBD. Doesn’t it worry you to date someone from work, or…”
“Or what?”
Riley looked him in the eye and asked what had been nagging at her all morning. “Or have you dated people at work before? Are they used to it? You know, models come and go from JBD all the time.”
Before she could blink, Josh was on top of her, holding her hands above her head and kissing her neck. Riley shrieked in surprise and delight.
“Really? Is that what you think I do? Find lonely assistants and models to sleep with?” He lifted her T-shirt and kissed her belly. “Because let me tell you something, missy, not only have I not dated anyone from work, but I’ve never dated anyone like you before.” He tickled her ribs until she was screeching with laughter.
“Okay. Okay,” she said through broken laughs.
He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her again. I could get used to this.
“I think we’re in trouble,” he said.
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”
Chapter Twelve
JOSH SAT IN his office looking over a portfolio and trying to stop thinking about Riley. When he’d seen her standing by her desk, it had taken all of his willpower not to wrap his arms around her, and his body had reacted in ways reminiscent of his teenage years—even back then the mere sight of Riley incited a rise within his pants. He’d had to retreat to the safety of his office to regain control.
Mia peered into his office. “Treat’s on line two for you.”
“Thanks.” He picked up the phone. “Treat, how are you?” He hadn’t seen Treat since he and Max announced their wedding date a few weeks earlier.
“Great, and you?” Treat’s voice was comforting, familiar.
“Better than ever. What’s up?”
“Max and I are coming into town tomorrow. I’m sorry for the short notice, but I’ve got a business thing, and I thought if you’re free, you could meet with Max about her wedding gown.”
“Sure, whatever you need. When?”
Mia peeked into his office and he waved her in.
“I’ll be done with my meeting around four, and we can meet anytime after that,” Treat answered.
Josh covered the receiver. “What’s on my plate tomorrow evening?” he asked Mia.
“Nothing. I already cleared it for Treat.” She beamed.
Josh thought about Riley and wondered if Treat would mind if he brought her along. He turned his attention back to their call.
“You already cleared my schedule with Mia?”
“Hey, you’re a busy man, and so am I.” Treat laughed.
“It’s cool. Actually, it’s a big help. Do you mind if I bring Riley along? I’d love to hear her thoughts about Max’s dress.” Josh watched Mia raise her eyebrows. He covered the receiver again. “Did you need something else, Mia?”
“Just to let you know that Claudia is beyond evil today. I thought you might like to know.”
His nerves twitched just thinking about Claudia treating Riley badly. It was one thing to allow her to remain as an employee out of loyalty and another to allow her to abuse his sense of loyalty and do harm to others. Is my relationship with Peter worth this? If only it were that easy to decipher. In the fashion industry, someone like Peter could make or break a designer’s career, and vice versa.
“Oh, and don’t forget,” Mia added, “you have a seven-o’clock conference call tonight. Do you need me to be here?”
He made a mental note to have a stern talk with Claudia and to delay his date with Riley. “No, I can handle it. Thanks, Mia.” He watched her leave the office.
“How’s it going with Riley working for you?” Treat asked.
He knew his brother well enough to hear the silent question carefully wrapped within the verbal one, and he chose to ignore it. “She’s doing a great job.”
“And?”
“What makes you think there’s an and?” He’d never been able to pull the wool over Treat’s eyes. He didn’t know why he expected to now.
“Josh, you brought her to Dad’s for lunch a while back. You’ve never brought a single woman to Dad’s for anything. Am I to believe that you were just being nice by bringing her to lunch because she’s from our hometown?”
Josh leaned back in his chair. He’d spent ye
ars watching Treat in action. His brother owned resorts all over the world; he charmed some of the smartest businessmen into deals no one else would ever be able to secure. Josh had learned a lot about negotiations and manipulation from him, and now he couldn’t come up with a single sentence to waylay his brother’s inquiry.
“That would be nice, yeah,” Josh said with a smile.
“Yeah, okay, so we’ll pretend. You’re still young. You have time to figure these things out.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. Let’s cut to the chase. Riley and I just started dating. Yesterday.”
“Yesterday? Wow, you did well. She’s been in New York for a week and you held back a whole six days.”
“Ha-ha,” Josh said. “It wasn’t my plan to date her when I brought her here. It just kind of happened. And I like her. A lot.”
“Wait a second. Josh, you just admitted to dating someone. You haven’t admitted to a single date in six years. Which takes this dating situation to a whole new level. You know that, don’t you?”
He really was losing his grip when it came to all things Riley. Josh never talked about his personal life with Treat or anyone else. He’d been photographed with models and celebrities, and he’d never once opened his mouth to the media or to his family about the depth, or lack thereof, in his relationships with any of them. What was he doing? And why did it feel so good to talk about her?
“Treat, can we keep this just between us?”
“You know Max will be there to discuss the dress, right?” Treat pointed out.
“Between the three of us, then? Seriously. Riley wants to keep it on the down low for professional reasons.”
“She does or you do?” Treat pried.
“She does. I was ready to tell everyone, but she doesn’t want to be seen as sleeping her way to a career, and I don’t blame her.”
“Wait. You were ready to go public after one date?” Treat asked.
Josh hadn’t thought of it that way. Had it really been just one date? He felt so close to her already. From the moment Rex had asked him to look at Riley’s portfolio, the feelings Josh had had for her all those years growing up came rushing back. He’d been drawn to her again, like he’d been waiting for her his whole life and never realized it. Everything about being with her was different—better—than with any other woman. That’s why I was so ready to shout it from the rooftops after the play. Because it’s Riley. “Yeah, I guess I was,” he admitted. “I don’t know what it is about her, Treat, but she makes me happy. Happier than I’ve been in years.”
Treat laughed. “I never thought I’d hear those words from your lips, bro. I’m happy for you. Who would have thought you’d end up with a girl from our little hometown? Wait till Dad hears this. He’ll be in hog heaven, making all sorts of plans for you to move back home again.”
“Not happening,” Josh said, and just in case, he added, “Promise me, Treat, not a word to Dad or anyone else. This is Riley’s choice to keep things hush-hush. I respect her wishes, and I’d like you to as well.”
“Josh.” Treat used his most serious tone, and Josh pictured his dark eyes narrowed, his brows pulled together, and his arms crossed over his broad chest. “Riley might be okay with this, but are you? Rex and Jade tried to keep their relationship a secret, and it was really stressful for both of them. Are you sure this is the best route for a relationship you might want to build a future on?”
As the oldest, Treat had always stepped in with sound advice. Josh had been thinking about the same thing, and he didn’t know the answer.
“If we tell everyone, she could go through hell on the career front. She’ll get hurt more than I will. People expect me to date anyone I want. In fact, they’d probably applaud me for dating a newbie employee. People are so messed up. But Riley? They’ll tear her down and rip her to shreds.” His chest tightened. “She’ll be tagged as the girl who slept her way to the top, and she’ll run the risk of not being taken seriously. There is no easy answer, but I do think I’d rather be uncomfortable than have her being hurt from every angle.” He ran his hand through his hair, hoping Treat might see an avenue that he hadn’t. “Treat, what would you do?”
“Whew, that’s a tough one. I guess you’re doing the right thing. Small-town girl in a new city, cutthroat business. There’s no easy way around this. Even if you date for a year, and she gets a promotion in that time period, she’s still going to be tagged as that girl.” Treat laughed. “Bro, you really know how to come out of the closet, don’t you? First you say nothing, and when you finally do come clean, you do it with the most difficult situation you could possibly get involved in.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Riley’s a nice girl. Jade speaks very highly of her, and Jade and Max have gotten really close since she and Rex got together. So, my best piece of advice is to be sure of whatever it is you want before taking it public. You’re a Braden. You can weather any storm. But women, they’re different. Even the tough ones are sensitive. They care about what people think far more than we do, and Riley’s bound to get caught in some crossfire that she’s unable to handle.”
“Yeah, I know. Thanks, Treat. Hey, does seven work for you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, seven’s fine. Should we meet you at your place?”
My place? Josh realized that he was already thinking of wherever Riley was as where he would be. He really was moving fast. But it was what it was, and he had no intention of changing it. As long as Riley wanted to keep their relationship a secret, she wouldn’t be staying at his place, and they’d have to show up at the restaurant separately so they didn’t give the impression of being on a date. That meant no touching, no holding hands, no…Ugh. This was going to be torture.
“Do you care where we eat?” Josh asked.
“Never, why?” Treat answered.
“Riley is staying at Savannah’s until she finds an apartment. Why don’t we have dinner there? I can whip something up, or have something delivered, and then the stress of being seen together is out of the picture.”
“Works for me. Where’s Savannah?”
“She’s in LA for two weeks. She let Riley stay there until she found an apartment.”
“Sounds good. Does Savannah know you’re doin’ her roommate?” he teased.
“Wow, Treat. That’s a little raunchy, don’t you think? And no, she doesn’t know. No one knows.”
“I’ll bet Jade does.”
“Maybe,” Josh said, wondering if she did.
“It’ll be nice to see you.”
“You too, Treat, and thanks for keeping this between us.”
“Do me a favor, Josh. Have a backup plan. Things like this don’t stay hidden for long. I think Rex and Jade lasted for less than two weeks before Rex lost it and had to tell everyone. Figure out your what-if plan, and make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. You taught me well.”
Chapter Thirteen
“TRADE SHOWS ARE one of the most important aspects of our jobs,” Claudia began. “We are a reflection of JBD, therefore”—she ran her eyes slowly down Riley’s cream blouse and black pencil skirt, both of which were not high-fashion pieces, but they were stylish and professional—“you need to represent JBD. Get something from the closet. If you can find something that fits.”
Riley clenched her jaw. Let it go. Just let it go. “I’ll do that.”
“You need to be there an hour early to set up the booth. Be sure the layout is perfect.”
“Aren’t you going to be there?” Riley asked. This was to be her first trade show. She had no idea how Josh liked things arranged.
“Yes, but I’ll have things to do. I’ll join you right before we open. And the show is trying something different this year. They’re doing an evening premier, not morning, so plan on sticking around until ten at least. This is their first pre-Christmas show, and if it goes poorly, it’ll be the last.”
“Are there guidelines for the booth ar
rangement?” Riley’s pulse sped up with the sneaking suspicion she was being set up to fail.
“Simone can fill you in on those details.” Claudia waved a dismissive hand in the air, and when Riley waited for further direction, she snapped, “What?”
Riley blinked several times. Are you for real? “You made such a big deal about the trade show, I figured there was much more to it. I feel like I have no information. What do I put up? What about accessories? What can I expect at the show? Is it okay to show buyers alternative clothing arrangements? Accessories?” She had a million questions, and by the pinched look on Claudia’s face, she knew she would walk away with all of them unanswered.
“Simone. Go see her.” Claudia spun on her heel and walked away.
Riley gritted her teeth and headed for Simone. Simone. Go see her. What am I? A dog? A child? Riley was by no means a wallflower, and if anyone back home had treated her that way, she’d have set them straight, but she couldn’t afford to piss off Claudia. She needed to learn the ranks. Learn the ranks. Riley stopped in her tracks. Maybe she’d been playing Claudia all wrong, acting strong, taking direction without question. She’d seen women like Claudia before. Claudia needed to be the queen bee, and luckily for Riley, she didn’t mind being the unwanted stepsister. At least for now.
Instead of seeing Simone, she headed back to Claudia and approached her with a furrowed brow.
“What?”
“I know you said to see Simone, but I really want to learn from the best.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “And Josh says there’s no one better than you. I really wish you’d show me around a little. It’s obvious that you know exactly what needs to get done, and according to Josh, no one does it better than you.” She opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth. “Oh goodness, please don’t tell anyone I told you that. Josh probably didn’t mean for it to be public knowledge.” She bit her lower lip, then turned, fidgeted with her hands. “Never mind. I’m sure I’m overstepping my bounds.” Riley took a step away.
“Stop,” Claudia said.
Riley bit the insides of her cheeks to ensure a smile wouldn’t suddenly appear and give her ruse away.