BUSINESS AND PLEASURE
After a sleepless Monday night, Juliet felt like death on Tuesday morning. After several attempts to call Eric every hour on the hour, she gave up and finally tossed and turned for the rest of the night until morning. To be honest, she wasn't sure how she was feeling about seeing Eric at his office. She was worried and she was angry. She should have just gone to his apartment to check on him. Admittedly, she really didn't know what she should have done.
But since nobody attempted to cancel their meeting, Juliet walked into Reynolds Construction and alerted the receptionist of her presence.
Apparently there was no need to do so. As soon as the girl picked up the phone to call him, Eric stepped out of his office across the small lobby and smiled at Juliet weakly. "Good morning, Juliet," he greeted her, obviously catering to her necessary professionalism, his voice sounding as weak as he looked.
"Um, good morning," she muttered warily.
Eric looked like he'd been hit by a train. The color in his face was nearly non-existent, his blue eyes lacked their usual luster and were lined with sleepless dark circles, and the stubble darkened his chin, evidence of his lack of shaving that morning. He dressed in jeans, a Henley, and a fleece vest--hardly meeting attire--and it was probably the worst she'd ever seen him. Her heart broke for him immediately.
"Um, Mr. Reynolds," the receptionist started. "Miss Carso--"
"Thank you, Hilary," he said politely, nodding toward her. "I have it from here."
Juliet followed Eric into his office and the moment he closed the door behind them, she dropped her briefcase and her purse and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
Chuckling lightly, he returned her hug, running his hands comfortingly along her back. "Hey. I thought you had strict rules about business and pleasure?"
Pulling away from him, she found herself uncharacteristically gazing up at him with concern, running her hand along his prickled jawline. She supposed that the full, warm feeling in her heart at the moment was what it felt like to care about someone. She'd never felt such a beautiful pain before. "You didn't call me last night," she said gently.
"I know," he replied, his voice quiet and full of regret. "I'm sorry, I was...I had to deal with something and..."
"Are you sick?"
"I'm fine now, it's nothing. No worries."
"Well, I was worried. I thought maybe you were using being sick as an excuse to escape me, but now that I look at you, I'm just...worried."
Eric shook his head. "You don't know how bad I wanted to stay with you. And I would have, if I could--"
"So what's the matter?"
"Huh?"
"What happened last night?"
"Oh. Oh, I had a, uh, stomach issue. I'm fine, I just needed to let it, you know--"
"If that's all it was, you could have stayed, I would have taken care of you."
Eric's face turned red. "No, I just...needed to deal with it alone..."
"What kind of stomach issue was it? Does it happen often? I can stock my medicine cabinets--"
"Don't worry about it!" He finally spat. Then he stepped back and ran a hand through his hair, the blood rising to his cheeks. "Look, I'm sorry, I just--you know, sometimes men don't like to discuss the, uh, the lengths of their ailments, okay? I don't--I don't really want to talk about it. It wasn't my finest moment, let's just leave it at that."
She took a step back, startled at his reaction, and ashamed of herself for being so pushy. Lord, help her, she had no idea what she was doing. "Um, I'm sorry," she said quietly, her eyes darting around in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to pry--"
"You're not prying--"
"We should probably just get to work."
Eric blinked at her, the disappointment crossing his face, but she just couldn't pay attention right then. She should have just let it go. She should have just walked in and started this meeting like nothing ever happened. After all, they were on the clock, technically speaking. And he was right, she didn't like mixing business with pleasure. And this exchange was a perfect example of why.
"Uh, sure," he stammered. "Yeah. Okay. Um, have a seat."
As they sat, Juliet carefully retrieved her paperwork from her briefcase while Eric silently prepared his and laid it in careful stacks along his desk. She had to pause for a moment, his organizational skills greatly intriguing, and she was only distracted by the eyeglasses he put on his face. She hadn't realized she was studying him so hard until her head straightened up at the sound of his voice. "Okay. So. I had my attorneys look over the contract, just for good measure, and while they frowned upon...some...of your stipulations, they were generally okay with it and everything is pretty much a go. So, I went ahead and took the liberty of having copies made and here," he said, sliding a packet across the desk, "is the original for you to keep. I'll keep the copy. And..." he paused and smiled at her. "It looks like we're officially in business."
Juliet was silent. She felt like a complete fish out of water and she couldn't pinpoint why. She was uncomfortable. And nervous. And completely unlike herself. This certainly wasn't the first deal she'd ever closed. Closing deals was like second nature to her. So why couldn't she just smile and be happy about it now? This was everything she ever wanted.
Because when she looked up at Eric, this particular business deal meant something more. It meant something that no other business deal had ever meant before. This was it. Eric was going to build her new office building. Her dream. Her home. And she was terrified.
"Juliet," he finally said quietly. "Are you okay? I thought--I mean, I thought you would be happy about this--"
"I am," she finally blurted, fighting herself out of her trance. "I am. I am happy. I'm--I'm ecstatic, I just...I don't know..."
"Is this awkward?" He finally asked her. "You and me, sitting here, pretending to focus on business...?"
"We can't just pretend," she finally said. "We--we have no choice, we have to focus on business."
"I agree," he said, solemnly. "And the good thing about being in the positions that we're in with our companies is that we can conduct our business however we are comfortable conducting it." Then he rolled his chair into his desk and leaned across the desk. "Face it. We do our best talking in bed."
Immediately, Juliet shook her head. "Eric, no. Let's be logical, let's be realistic, let's be--let's be professional here--"
"I can be professional anywhere I want to be. That's not a problem for me. Is that a problem for you?"
Anytime Eric Reynolds was involved, it was a problem for Juliet. Even right now, looking as haggard as he did, she was tempted to lift her skirt and have her way with him right there in his chair. The sexual chemistry between the two of them was so strong, she could barely be on her best behavior in an office chair.
"Yes," she finally said. "That is a problem. Because you are a CEO and I'm a business-owner and that is not the way professionals conduct business. We conduct business right here, in an office, between the hours of eight and five, five days a week. That is how it works."
"You and I both know you spend your spare time alone, working from home. Except this time we'll be working together. From my home. Creatively."
"I don't have time for creativity."
"Let me make you dinner," he smiled, with a twinkle in his eye. "You come over tonight and we'll have dinner. Bring all your business plans and I'll have mine. We'll be in an environment where we're comfortable with each other and we can say anything we want about anything we want. No holds barred."
Juliet's face fell and her fidgeting nearly wreaked havoc on her thumbs. "But we need to learn to be comfortable here. Or in my office. We can't let our staffs know that we're conducting business the way we are--"
"Nobody has to know how or when we conduct our business. Hell, for all my office knows, everything we've discussed has come out of this meeting. Right?"
Glancing up at Eric again, his boyish smile peeking out from behind his exhausted face, she knew she couldn't deny him. She was learning her weaknesses quicker than she wanted to. And those blue eyes and that adorable smile turned her knees to jelly every single time.
He winked at her and he whispered, "I won't bite unless you ask me to."
Finally, she relented on her fidgeting and she looked him in the eyes. "Are you sure you're feeling up to it?"
"What?" He asked with a puzzled expression.
"I mean, after last night--"
"I am fine," he assured her. "Practically good as new. And I want to make you dinner. I want to do this. I'll even pay attention to the cholesterol factor and stuff. Okay? Just let me do this. Bring your building plans and let me do this."
Juliet nodded, conceding to him and trying not to admit to herself that she was all over the idea the moment he proposed it. "Okay," she said. "That, um, sure. Yeah. A different work environment might help..."
Eric grinned in triumph. "Of course it will. And I'll even promise you no funny business if that'll make you feel better."
"Hey," she barked suddenly. "Let's not be hasty. I like to, you know, take breaks..."
His grin widened into a smile and nearly into a blush. Juliet was grateful to see color on his face. "What time is good for you?"
"Uh, well, I just need to go home and throw a bag together--"
"A bag, huh?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. "You plan on staying with me tonight?"
"You did say we do our best talking in bed."
"Touche," he winked.
She couldn't help but giggle at him. Even when he looked worn out, he was adorable. "You could be so bad for me, you know that?"
"I could," he agreed. "Except that I'm just. That. Good."
Laughing harder, she gathered up her paperwork, including her coveted building contract, and packed them all back into her briefcase. "Okay. I'm going to leave it at that. I have a busy afternoon. I need to get this contract back to the office, get with my realtor about the building, and then I have another prospect I'm looking at for a new project, so I'll be tied up with that--"
"And then you're all mine."
"Yes," she grinned, the heat rising to her cheeks. "Yes, I am."
"Fantastic."
With that, their morning meeting was over. Juliet regretted not having gotten anything done, but she did have a completed, signed, active contract in hand, so it hadn't been a total waste. In the back of her mind, she did feel bad about intruding on Eric tonight because he looked completely exhausted, but he'd insisted, and who was she to deny him? Besides, it was a bit of a relief, knowing she would be spending the night with him that night. Because now she had to speak to Jason about the building--and they had yet to make up from their last meeting. She would need the peace and the comfort tonight, she was sure of it.
_____________________________________
Eric looked at himself in his bathroom mirror and cursed. He'd wasted no time leaving the office and heading straight home to make himself presentable for the dinner he'd volunteered to make for Juliet. What the hell was he thinking? He was fucking exhausted. But he'd made the plans and she agreed and the way she observed his obvious exhaustion did not go unnoticed. Now he intended to make this the quickest shower and shave in history.
Dressing himself comfortably in jeans and an old football sweatshirt, he shamelessly spritzed a little cologne on his neck and made sure his aftershave didn't clash with it. Running a quick comb through his hair, he ignored his bare feet and proceeded to his kitchen to start dinner.
His heart raced in anticipation with every second that she wasn't there. It was a struggle, focusing on the food and not harassing her until she walked through his door. When roughly half an hour passed after starting dinner, and he actually started to smell the vegetable lasagna that baked in the oven, he finally relented and texted her. "My kitchen smells amazing."
She texted her reply almost instantly. "I'm sorry! My meeting ran late and I haven't been home long. I should have called."
Eric's heart sank, feeling shameless self-pity at his impatience. "You already look beautiful, just come over."
"Who said I was primping?"
"We all primp."
"Did you primp?"
"I look fantastic. Come over."
"Give me half an hour. Or so."
"You're killing me!"
"Don't be so impatient, I'm coming."
"Hey. Save that for later."
"Ha ha, you're so funny."
"I know. Hurry up."
"Then stop texting me. Haven't we been through this before?"
She was right. They had. But he couldn't help messing with her a little bit, anyway.
Looking around, he searched for a distraction. Anything to pass the time and ease his anxiousness. He set the table, which took about two seconds. He cut vegetables for a salad, cut the bread and arranged it to be ready to warm, and washed any dishes he'd left behind. Finally, he'd done all he could do, so he wandered into the living room and turned on the TV. He had forgotten that there was a fight coming on tonight and he'd gotten himself a little wrapped up in the pre-fight commentary when his doorbell rang. Turning the volume down, he grinned and made his way eagerly to the door.
He opened the door to Juliet, standing there in a tight, black mini dress under her long coat, bags in her hands, and a smile on her face. Upon sight of him, her face immediately fell. "I'm overdressed."
He blinked his eyes as he took her in. "You are not overdressed."
"Yes, I am. You're comfortable."
"You're perfect," he breathed.
Momentarily, she looked uncomfortable. "Um, well...okay. I brought dessert!" She announced proudly.
His eyes shamelessly fell on her smooth, bare legs and he nodded. "You sure did," he muttered.
Glaring at him playfully, she shoved the white, plastic bag at him and walked past him through the doorway. "I only brought dessert, I didn't actually make it. But there's this...this fudgery that makes the best fudge just a block away from my apartment. You will not be disappointed."
Busily, she made herself at home, removing her coat and dropping her bags as Eric closed the door and eyed the bag full of sin that dangled from his hand. He didn't have time to mentally complete the math in his head before she took the bag from him and sat it on the island. In the most sinful of distractions, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply with intent and purpose. Looking up at him, she smiled. "I've been dying to do that all day long."
"You look incredible," he whispered.
"Well," she blushed, smiling sheepishly as she glanced downward. "You said dinner. And I know you kind of like my legs..."
"Kind of?" He blinked, his eyebrows raised.
She giggled. "Well...well, thank you. You're much too kind."
"There's plenty more where that comes from."
Her smile didn't waiver as she took a step back and looked around the room. "Wow. You weren't kidding. It does smell amazing in here. What are you whipping up?"
He was mesmerized by her. He was mesmerized by the sleeveless black dress with the plunging neckline. He was mesmerized by the legs that went for days. He was mesmerized by the perfect, subtle cleavage whose soft curves made itself much too known to him. And he was mesmerized by her long, thick dark hair that fell in wild waves down her back. Her brown eyes were lined in seductive eyeliner, her lashes luscious and dark. She was a work of art.
Shaking himself out of his trance, he blinked before he answered, "Uh, vegetable lasagna. Bread and a little salad. Nothing fancy."
She widened her eyes in surprise. "Vegetable, huh? I'm surprised it's not triple meat or something, as much of a carnivore as you are."
"Um," he momentarily drew a blank as his eyes darted around. "I was just, uh, trying to be considerate. I hope it's okay..."
Finally, she smiled. "It's perfect."
He smiled back at her, his knees weak with relief.
A short while later, they had abandoned the dining table in favor of informal bar stools, and ate lasagna and wine at the kitchen's island. Small talk was incessant, shifting from one subject to the next. Juliet had a project she was hot and heavy involved with that she was trying to get started in Florida and Reynolds Construction had a new project that they would be breaking ground on in the next week.
As they sat there and they talked, eating dinner after a long day at work and recanting each of their workdays, a feeling, warm and fulfilling, came over Eric and he found himself zoning out on whatever Juliet was saying in favor of staring at her and losing himself in the moment. Could this be his future? Could this be what life was like with her, coming home after a long day and unwinding with dinner and drinks? Watching her sit there, sipping her wine and smiling as she spoke about whatever it was she was talking about, Eric realized that it was everything he ever wanted. He thought he'd wanted it once upon a time with someone different, but he realized that having this life with just anyone wasn't an option. He wanted this life with Juliet, and only Juliet. She was it.
When she paused in her conversation, Eric blurted out something he knew was completely unrelated to the subject at hand, but he was in the moment and he couldn't help himself. "Juliet. I want you to know that I'm all in."
She looked at him, blinking at him blankly. "You're what?"
"All in," he clarified. "Committed. To you, to us. This isn't just some fling to me, no 'let's just see how it goes,' nothing like that. I'm in it. Wholeheartedly. And I, uh, just wanted you to know that."
She blinked her eyes rapidly, moving her food around on her plate with her fork. "Where did, um, where did that come from all of a sudden?"
"I don't know," he said quietly. "You just--you look so beautiful, sitting there with your smile and--and fitting in so perfectly in my apartment, I just...I guess I just felt like saying it. But I mean it. Every word."
"Oh. Oh, okay..."
"I don't expect you to say anything back. I know this is...it's new for you. And maybe a little strange. I'm not trying to pressure you, I just wanted you to know how I feel. I want you to feel secure with me."
She swallowed and she put her fork down, resting her hands in her lap. Her eyes darted around uncomfortably as she took in a breath. "I, um, I don't really know what to say--"
"How's your dinner?" He smiled.
"Delicious."
"Good," he said, turning up his water glass. "I'm glad you like it."
In some strange turn of events, relief washed over him as if he'd dodged some kind of bullet. He shouldn't have let that fly out of his mouth so quickly like that. Not that he had any problem telling her exactly how he felt about her. But if she was willing to try her hand at a relationship with him, the last thing he wanted to do was to get too serious too early and scare her off. He wanted to keep her. And with that in mind, he decided to try to think more before he spoke.
___________________________________________
Several hours later, the pair found themselves sitting up in Eric's bed, their legs under the covers, wearing tee shirts and glasses, both of them with a laptop open in front of them, with mounds of paper scattered between them. For the past hour, they had surprisingly found themselves engrossed in their work, ironing out plans and details for the project, everything they had intended to do in Eric's office earlier that day. Juliet didn't know what it was, but Eric had been right--they did seem to do their best talking in bed. And while this was a business practice that Juliet had never engaged in before, she had to admit, they were getting much more work done than they were in the office and the fact that she was able to concentrate as hard as she was came as a pleasant surprise.
"I think this pretty much covers it," Eric said after awhile. "If you really want to get on this as fast as possible, I have an opening on Thursday, we can all get together and iron out the final plans with Travis and the foreman and be prepared to get our hands on this thing as soon as we get the green light."
Juliet smiled, removing her glasses and laying them on the end table next to her. "You know, I'm truly impressed, I have to admit. As much as you like to flirt and mess around, I'm really impressed with your focus and your professionalism when it's time to get down to business. It's, uh, it's kinda sexy, actually."
"Yeah?" He smirked as he clicked around on his computer and closed it up. "You know what would be sexier?"
"What?"
"Tearing that place down. I know it seems really stupid, but we don't do many demolitions. And those are my favorite. How was your meeting with the realtor today?"
Juliet sighed and glanced down at her computer as she saved and closed out the programs. "There wasn't one. He, uh, he wasn't available today. I left a message, though."
What Juliet had chosen not to say was that she'd blown up Jason's office phone and she'd texted him--and had ultimately decided that she was being ignored. It was apparent that he was still reeling from their last meeting and now she wondered if turning her business over to him had been the best idea. After all, she couldn't very well go crawling back to Michael Wayne, could she?
"This new guy...he's not sounding very spectacular," Eric observed.
Juliet whipped her head around to look at him. "What does that mean?"
"Well, I mean, you say he's judging your personal life. And now he's hard to get ahold of. If I were in his position, I would be chomping at the bit to get this sale. I mean, what, does he have more important clients than you right now? And if so, who could that possibly be?"
She couldn't help to sneak a smile at him, the blood rising to her cheeks. "You're too sweet..."
"Hey. I know what will cheer you up," he said. "Saturday night there's a party--well, not exactly a party, I guess. More like a small get-together. My older brother and his wife are flying in for a visit and they're hitting New York before they head up to Rhode Island to stay with our parents. Anyway, they wanted to get together with Travis and I and a few old friends and we decided to make a night out of it. How would you, uh, like to be my date?"
Juliet swallowed and tried to ignore the racing of her heart and the sweat on her palms that seemed to form in an instant. "Um, you want me to meet your family?"
"It's just my brother and his wife," Eric shrugged. "At this rate, he and my mother are the only ones you haven't met, anyway."
"Well I haven't exactly met your other family members in casual, informal settings, either..."
"It'll be fine," he assured her. "It's just drinks, maybe a little dinner...nothing fancy, nothing to fuss over. You can wear jeans."
As Juliet smiled at his effort to convince her, she chewed on the situation for a moment. She never felt like she was the kind of woman you introduced to your family. On the other hand, though, if his older brother and his wife were flying in for a visit, that meant that they didn't live in the area--which ultimately meant that they likely had no idea who Juliet and her reputation were. Which meant that she had the opportunity to make an impression that didn't consist of her feeling defensive of her apparent social status. She could just be herself and be comfortable. She liked that idea.
"Juliet?" He said, shaking her from her thoughts. "Is that...is that too much?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "No, that's--I'm honored that you want to introduce me to your brother, I--sure, I'd love to be your date, that's--yes. I'll be there."
A grin spread across Eric's face and his blue eyes sparkled, causing Juliet to melt. "Awesome. I'll pick you up at your place at six--"
Then she frowned. "I'll have to meet you there. I have a couple of appointments that day that can't wait."
"Okay. That's no problem. You do what you have to do. When I find out what restaurant it's at, I'll let you know."
She knew Eric was probably disappointed, but there was no way she was going to that party with overgrown nails and grays peeking out of her hair. No, she needed to pay Manuel a visit this Saturday, and not a moment too late.
Once they had each gathered their papers up and put them away in their respective portable filing systems, Eric wasted no time crawling over to her side of the bed and kissing her with a smile, lowering her onto her back. While she enjoyed the way his body felt against her and the sensual way his hand explored her, she couldn't help her concern. "Eric," she breathed. "Aren't you tired? You should probably sleep."
"I'll sleep when I'm dead," he whispered, his lips trailing to her neck.
At that, she was putty and she melted into him, losing herself in the sexual bliss that she knew would soon follow.
****************
Several hours later, still naked and fully sexually satisfied, Juliet found herself waking up from a seemingly sound sleep. The bedroom was dark, save for the lights from the city that dimly shone from the massive window, and normally it was quiet, except that it was the sounds that came from Eric that had woken her up.
Turning toward his side of the bed, it took a second or two for her sleepy eyes to adjust to the subtle onslaught that was going on on his pillow. Laying on his stomach, his fist bore weakly into it and he whispered inaudibly through his teeth in seemingly steady conversation. She watched him for a moment as he dreamed and only decided to react when his speech grew louder and more distressed.
"Eric," she whispered, lightly touching his bare shoulder. "Eric."
It took a moment for him to respond, but when he finally did, he shook himself violently out of his sleep and pushed his torso up off the bed and looked up at her. "Huh? What?"
"You were dreaming," she said quietly. "I...I think it was maybe a nightmare. Do you, uh, do you want to talk about it?"
He looked around, his expression lost for a moment, before he slowly collapsed back down onto his back. "No," he finally said. "I don't want to talk about it."
"It might help--"
"I already dreamed it, why would I want to relive it?" He snapped at her.
She opened her mouth to speak, but only silence came out. She hated feeling the sting every time he got annoyed like this. He had the right to be aggravated, he'd just woken up from something that had apparently bothered him. But, still, she couldn't help but be hurt by his tone when it happened, so she simply whispered, "I'm sorry," and settled herself back down into the bed.
"No," he said after a few moments, taking Juliet by surprise. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. It wasn't your fault."
"You should sleep," she whispered.
"I'm okay," he replied.
Lying there on her back, her eyes wide open, clutching the comforter to her chest, she said, "Eric? How can we be together if we keep having nightmares in the same bed together?"
"Because we're here to chase each other's nightmares away."
As Juliet stared up into the darkness and pondered his reply, Eric lifted his back off the bed and turned his body over and rested his elbow on the opposite side of her head as his lips softly met hers. She kissed him back, reaching up with both hands and holding his face for a moment before running her hands gently through his hair.
After a moment or two, he broke the kiss and she detected the smile on his face from the city lights that shone through the window. He, then, lay back down on his stomach beside her, nestled his face into her neck, and draped his arm across her chest. His breathing quickly became deep and even and she found herself listlessly caressing his forearm as it lay across her. To her surprise, he responded with the light running of his thumb on her shoulder, indicating that he wasn't quite asleep yet.
She turned her head and managed to reach his thumb with her lips and kissed it softly. He returned the favor by kissing the shoulder that he rested on and Juliet smiled. This was bliss. This was heaven. This was happiness.
After a sleepless Monday night, Juliet felt like death on Tuesday morning. After several attempts to call Eric every hour on the hour, she gave up and finally tossed and turned for the rest of the night until morning. To be honest, she wasn't sure how she was feeling about seeing Eric at his office. She was worried and she was angry. She should have just gone to his apartment to check on him. Admittedly, she really didn't know what she should have done.
But since nobody attempted to cancel their meeting, Juliet walked into Reynolds Construction and alerted the receptionist of her presence.
Apparently there was no need to do so. As soon as the girl picked up the phone to call him, Eric stepped out of his office across the small lobby and smiled at Juliet weakly. "Good morning, Juliet," he greeted her, obviously catering to her necessary professionalism, his voice sounding as weak as he looked.
"Um, good morning," she muttered warily.
Eric looked like he'd been hit by a train. The color in his face was nearly non-existent, his blue eyes lacked their usual luster and were lined with sleepless dark circles, and the stubble darkened his chin, evidence of his lack of shaving that morning. He dressed in jeans, a Henley, and a fleece vest--hardly meeting attire--and it was probably the worst she'd ever seen him. Her heart broke for him immediately.
"Um, Mr. Reynolds," the receptionist started. "Miss Carso--"
"Thank you, Hilary," he said politely, nodding toward her. "I have it from here."
Juliet followed Eric into his office and the moment he closed the door behind them, she dropped her briefcase and her purse and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
Chuckling lightly, he returned her hug, running his hands comfortingly along her back. "Hey. I thought you had strict rules about business and pleasure?"
Pulling away from him, she found herself uncharacteristically gazing up at him with concern, running her hand along his prickled jawline. She supposed that the full, warm feeling in her heart at the moment was what it felt like to care about someone. She'd never felt such a beautiful pain before. "You didn't call me last night," she said gently.
"I know," he replied, his voice quiet and full of regret. "I'm sorry, I was...I had to deal with something and..."
"Are you sick?"
"I'm fine now, it's nothing. No worries."
"Well, I was worried. I thought maybe you were using being sick as an excuse to escape me, but now that I look at you, I'm just...worried."
Eric shook his head. "You don't know how bad I wanted to stay with you. And I would have, if I could--"
"So what's the matter?"
"Huh?"
"What happened last night?"
"Oh. Oh, I had a, uh, stomach issue. I'm fine, I just needed to let it, you know--"
"If that's all it was, you could have stayed, I would have taken care of you."
Eric's face turned red. "No, I just...needed to deal with it alone..."
"What kind of stomach issue was it? Does it happen often? I can stock my medicine cabinets--"
"Don't worry about it!" He finally spat. Then he stepped back and ran a hand through his hair, the blood rising to his cheeks. "Look, I'm sorry, I just--you know, sometimes men don't like to discuss the, uh, the lengths of their ailments, okay? I don't--I don't really want to talk about it. It wasn't my finest moment, let's just leave it at that."
She took a step back, startled at his reaction, and ashamed of herself for being so pushy. Lord, help her, she had no idea what she was doing. "Um, I'm sorry," she said quietly, her eyes darting around in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to pry--"
"You're not prying--"
"We should probably just get to work."
Eric blinked at her, the disappointment crossing his face, but she just couldn't pay attention right then. She should have just let it go. She should have just walked in and started this meeting like nothing ever happened. After all, they were on the clock, technically speaking. And he was right, she didn't like mixing business with pleasure. And this exchange was a perfect example of why.
"Uh, sure," he stammered. "Yeah. Okay. Um, have a seat."
As they sat, Juliet carefully retrieved her paperwork from her briefcase while Eric silently prepared his and laid it in careful stacks along his desk. She had to pause for a moment, his organizational skills greatly intriguing, and she was only distracted by the eyeglasses he put on his face. She hadn't realized she was studying him so hard until her head straightened up at the sound of his voice. "Okay. So. I had my attorneys look over the contract, just for good measure, and while they frowned upon...some...of your stipulations, they were generally okay with it and everything is pretty much a go. So, I went ahead and took the liberty of having copies made and here," he said, sliding a packet across the desk, "is the original for you to keep. I'll keep the copy. And..." he paused and smiled at her. "It looks like we're officially in business."
Juliet was silent. She felt like a complete fish out of water and she couldn't pinpoint why. She was uncomfortable. And nervous. And completely unlike herself. This certainly wasn't the first deal she'd ever closed. Closing deals was like second nature to her. So why couldn't she just smile and be happy about it now? This was everything she ever wanted.
Because when she looked up at Eric, this particular business deal meant something more. It meant something that no other business deal had ever meant before. This was it. Eric was going to build her new office building. Her dream. Her home. And she was terrified.
"Juliet," he finally said quietly. "Are you okay? I thought--I mean, I thought you would be happy about this--"
"I am," she finally blurted, fighting herself out of her trance. "I am. I am happy. I'm--I'm ecstatic, I just...I don't know..."
"Is this awkward?" He finally asked her. "You and me, sitting here, pretending to focus on business...?"
"We can't just pretend," she finally said. "We--we have no choice, we have to focus on business."
"I agree," he said, solemnly. "And the good thing about being in the positions that we're in with our companies is that we can conduct our business however we are comfortable conducting it." Then he rolled his chair into his desk and leaned across the desk. "Face it. We do our best talking in bed."
Immediately, Juliet shook her head. "Eric, no. Let's be logical, let's be realistic, let's be--let's be professional here--"
"I can be professional anywhere I want to be. That's not a problem for me. Is that a problem for you?"
Anytime Eric Reynolds was involved, it was a problem for Juliet. Even right now, looking as haggard as he did, she was tempted to lift her skirt and have her way with him right there in his chair. The sexual chemistry between the two of them was so strong, she could barely be on her best behavior in an office chair.
"Yes," she finally said. "That is a problem. Because you are a CEO and I'm a business-owner and that is not the way professionals conduct business. We conduct business right here, in an office, between the hours of eight and five, five days a week. That is how it works."
"You and I both know you spend your spare time alone, working from home. Except this time we'll be working together. From my home. Creatively."
"I don't have time for creativity."
"Let me make you dinner," he smiled, with a twinkle in his eye. "You come over tonight and we'll have dinner. Bring all your business plans and I'll have mine. We'll be in an environment where we're comfortable with each other and we can say anything we want about anything we want. No holds barred."
Juliet's face fell and her fidgeting nearly wreaked havoc on her thumbs. "But we need to learn to be comfortable here. Or in my office. We can't let our staffs know that we're conducting business the way we are--"
"Nobody has to know how or when we conduct our business. Hell, for all my office knows, everything we've discussed has come out of this meeting. Right?"
Glancing up at Eric again, his boyish smile peeking out from behind his exhausted face, she knew she couldn't deny him. She was learning her weaknesses quicker than she wanted to. And those blue eyes and that adorable smile turned her knees to jelly every single time.
He winked at her and he whispered, "I won't bite unless you ask me to."
Finally, she relented on her fidgeting and she looked him in the eyes. "Are you sure you're feeling up to it?"
"What?" He asked with a puzzled expression.
"I mean, after last night--"
"I am fine," he assured her. "Practically good as new. And I want to make you dinner. I want to do this. I'll even pay attention to the cholesterol factor and stuff. Okay? Just let me do this. Bring your building plans and let me do this."
Juliet nodded, conceding to him and trying not to admit to herself that she was all over the idea the moment he proposed it. "Okay," she said. "That, um, sure. Yeah. A different work environment might help..."
Eric grinned in triumph. "Of course it will. And I'll even promise you no funny business if that'll make you feel better."
"Hey," she barked suddenly. "Let's not be hasty. I like to, you know, take breaks..."
His grin widened into a smile and nearly into a blush. Juliet was grateful to see color on his face. "What time is good for you?"
"Uh, well, I just need to go home and throw a bag together--"
"A bag, huh?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. "You plan on staying with me tonight?"
"You did say we do our best talking in bed."
"Touche," he winked.
She couldn't help but giggle at him. Even when he looked worn out, he was adorable. "You could be so bad for me, you know that?"
"I could," he agreed. "Except that I'm just. That. Good."
Laughing harder, she gathered up her paperwork, including her coveted building contract, and packed them all back into her briefcase. "Okay. I'm going to leave it at that. I have a busy afternoon. I need to get this contract back to the office, get with my realtor about the building, and then I have another prospect I'm looking at for a new project, so I'll be tied up with that--"
"And then you're all mine."
"Yes," she grinned, the heat rising to her cheeks. "Yes, I am."
"Fantastic."
With that, their morning meeting was over. Juliet regretted not having gotten anything done, but she did have a completed, signed, active contract in hand, so it hadn't been a total waste. In the back of her mind, she did feel bad about intruding on Eric tonight because he looked completely exhausted, but he'd insisted, and who was she to deny him? Besides, it was a bit of a relief, knowing she would be spending the night with him that night. Because now she had to speak to Jason about the building--and they had yet to make up from their last meeting. She would need the peace and the comfort tonight, she was sure of it.
_____________________________________
Eric looked at himself in his bathroom mirror and cursed. He'd wasted no time leaving the office and heading straight home to make himself presentable for the dinner he'd volunteered to make for Juliet. What the hell was he thinking? He was fucking exhausted. But he'd made the plans and she agreed and the way she observed his obvious exhaustion did not go unnoticed. Now he intended to make this the quickest shower and shave in history.
Dressing himself comfortably in jeans and an old football sweatshirt, he shamelessly spritzed a little cologne on his neck and made sure his aftershave didn't clash with it. Running a quick comb through his hair, he ignored his bare feet and proceeded to his kitchen to start dinner.
His heart raced in anticipation with every second that she wasn't there. It was a struggle, focusing on the food and not harassing her until she walked through his door. When roughly half an hour passed after starting dinner, and he actually started to smell the vegetable lasagna that baked in the oven, he finally relented and texted her. "My kitchen smells amazing."
She texted her reply almost instantly. "I'm sorry! My meeting ran late and I haven't been home long. I should have called."
Eric's heart sank, feeling shameless self-pity at his impatience. "You already look beautiful, just come over."
"Who said I was primping?"
"We all primp."
"Did you primp?"
"I look fantastic. Come over."
"Give me half an hour. Or so."
"You're killing me!"
"Don't be so impatient, I'm coming."
"Hey. Save that for later."
"Ha ha, you're so funny."
"I know. Hurry up."
"Then stop texting me. Haven't we been through this before?"
She was right. They had. But he couldn't help messing with her a little bit, anyway.
Looking around, he searched for a distraction. Anything to pass the time and ease his anxiousness. He set the table, which took about two seconds. He cut vegetables for a salad, cut the bread and arranged it to be ready to warm, and washed any dishes he'd left behind. Finally, he'd done all he could do, so he wandered into the living room and turned on the TV. He had forgotten that there was a fight coming on tonight and he'd gotten himself a little wrapped up in the pre-fight commentary when his doorbell rang. Turning the volume down, he grinned and made his way eagerly to the door.
He opened the door to Juliet, standing there in a tight, black mini dress under her long coat, bags in her hands, and a smile on her face. Upon sight of him, her face immediately fell. "I'm overdressed."
He blinked his eyes as he took her in. "You are not overdressed."
"Yes, I am. You're comfortable."
"You're perfect," he breathed.
Momentarily, she looked uncomfortable. "Um, well...okay. I brought dessert!" She announced proudly.
His eyes shamelessly fell on her smooth, bare legs and he nodded. "You sure did," he muttered.
Glaring at him playfully, she shoved the white, plastic bag at him and walked past him through the doorway. "I only brought dessert, I didn't actually make it. But there's this...this fudgery that makes the best fudge just a block away from my apartment. You will not be disappointed."
Busily, she made herself at home, removing her coat and dropping her bags as Eric closed the door and eyed the bag full of sin that dangled from his hand. He didn't have time to mentally complete the math in his head before she took the bag from him and sat it on the island. In the most sinful of distractions, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply with intent and purpose. Looking up at him, she smiled. "I've been dying to do that all day long."
"You look incredible," he whispered.
"Well," she blushed, smiling sheepishly as she glanced downward. "You said dinner. And I know you kind of like my legs..."
"Kind of?" He blinked, his eyebrows raised.
She giggled. "Well...well, thank you. You're much too kind."
"There's plenty more where that comes from."
Her smile didn't waiver as she took a step back and looked around the room. "Wow. You weren't kidding. It does smell amazing in here. What are you whipping up?"
He was mesmerized by her. He was mesmerized by the sleeveless black dress with the plunging neckline. He was mesmerized by the legs that went for days. He was mesmerized by the perfect, subtle cleavage whose soft curves made itself much too known to him. And he was mesmerized by her long, thick dark hair that fell in wild waves down her back. Her brown eyes were lined in seductive eyeliner, her lashes luscious and dark. She was a work of art.
Shaking himself out of his trance, he blinked before he answered, "Uh, vegetable lasagna. Bread and a little salad. Nothing fancy."
She widened her eyes in surprise. "Vegetable, huh? I'm surprised it's not triple meat or something, as much of a carnivore as you are."
"Um," he momentarily drew a blank as his eyes darted around. "I was just, uh, trying to be considerate. I hope it's okay..."
Finally, she smiled. "It's perfect."
He smiled back at her, his knees weak with relief.
A short while later, they had abandoned the dining table in favor of informal bar stools, and ate lasagna and wine at the kitchen's island. Small talk was incessant, shifting from one subject to the next. Juliet had a project she was hot and heavy involved with that she was trying to get started in Florida and Reynolds Construction had a new project that they would be breaking ground on in the next week.
As they sat there and they talked, eating dinner after a long day at work and recanting each of their workdays, a feeling, warm and fulfilling, came over Eric and he found himself zoning out on whatever Juliet was saying in favor of staring at her and losing himself in the moment. Could this be his future? Could this be what life was like with her, coming home after a long day and unwinding with dinner and drinks? Watching her sit there, sipping her wine and smiling as she spoke about whatever it was she was talking about, Eric realized that it was everything he ever wanted. He thought he'd wanted it once upon a time with someone different, but he realized that having this life with just anyone wasn't an option. He wanted this life with Juliet, and only Juliet. She was it.
When she paused in her conversation, Eric blurted out something he knew was completely unrelated to the subject at hand, but he was in the moment and he couldn't help himself. "Juliet. I want you to know that I'm all in."
She looked at him, blinking at him blankly. "You're what?"
"All in," he clarified. "Committed. To you, to us. This isn't just some fling to me, no 'let's just see how it goes,' nothing like that. I'm in it. Wholeheartedly. And I, uh, just wanted you to know that."
She blinked her eyes rapidly, moving her food around on her plate with her fork. "Where did, um, where did that come from all of a sudden?"
"I don't know," he said quietly. "You just--you look so beautiful, sitting there with your smile and--and fitting in so perfectly in my apartment, I just...I guess I just felt like saying it. But I mean it. Every word."
"Oh. Oh, okay..."
"I don't expect you to say anything back. I know this is...it's new for you. And maybe a little strange. I'm not trying to pressure you, I just wanted you to know how I feel. I want you to feel secure with me."
She swallowed and she put her fork down, resting her hands in her lap. Her eyes darted around uncomfortably as she took in a breath. "I, um, I don't really know what to say--"
"How's your dinner?" He smiled.
"Delicious."
"Good," he said, turning up his water glass. "I'm glad you like it."
In some strange turn of events, relief washed over him as if he'd dodged some kind of bullet. He shouldn't have let that fly out of his mouth so quickly like that. Not that he had any problem telling her exactly how he felt about her. But if she was willing to try her hand at a relationship with him, the last thing he wanted to do was to get too serious too early and scare her off. He wanted to keep her. And with that in mind, he decided to try to think more before he spoke.
___________________________________________
Several hours later, the pair found themselves sitting up in Eric's bed, their legs under the covers, wearing tee shirts and glasses, both of them with a laptop open in front of them, with mounds of paper scattered between them. For the past hour, they had surprisingly found themselves engrossed in their work, ironing out plans and details for the project, everything they had intended to do in Eric's office earlier that day. Juliet didn't know what it was, but Eric had been right--they did seem to do their best talking in bed. And while this was a business practice that Juliet had never engaged in before, she had to admit, they were getting much more work done than they were in the office and the fact that she was able to concentrate as hard as she was came as a pleasant surprise.
"I think this pretty much covers it," Eric said after awhile. "If you really want to get on this as fast as possible, I have an opening on Thursday, we can all get together and iron out the final plans with Travis and the foreman and be prepared to get our hands on this thing as soon as we get the green light."
Juliet smiled, removing her glasses and laying them on the end table next to her. "You know, I'm truly impressed, I have to admit. As much as you like to flirt and mess around, I'm really impressed with your focus and your professionalism when it's time to get down to business. It's, uh, it's kinda sexy, actually."
"Yeah?" He smirked as he clicked around on his computer and closed it up. "You know what would be sexier?"
"What?"
"Tearing that place down. I know it seems really stupid, but we don't do many demolitions. And those are my favorite. How was your meeting with the realtor today?"
Juliet sighed and glanced down at her computer as she saved and closed out the programs. "There wasn't one. He, uh, he wasn't available today. I left a message, though."
What Juliet had chosen not to say was that she'd blown up Jason's office phone and she'd texted him--and had ultimately decided that she was being ignored. It was apparent that he was still reeling from their last meeting and now she wondered if turning her business over to him had been the best idea. After all, she couldn't very well go crawling back to Michael Wayne, could she?
"This new guy...he's not sounding very spectacular," Eric observed.
Juliet whipped her head around to look at him. "What does that mean?"
"Well, I mean, you say he's judging your personal life. And now he's hard to get ahold of. If I were in his position, I would be chomping at the bit to get this sale. I mean, what, does he have more important clients than you right now? And if so, who could that possibly be?"
She couldn't help to sneak a smile at him, the blood rising to her cheeks. "You're too sweet..."
"Hey. I know what will cheer you up," he said. "Saturday night there's a party--well, not exactly a party, I guess. More like a small get-together. My older brother and his wife are flying in for a visit and they're hitting New York before they head up to Rhode Island to stay with our parents. Anyway, they wanted to get together with Travis and I and a few old friends and we decided to make a night out of it. How would you, uh, like to be my date?"
Juliet swallowed and tried to ignore the racing of her heart and the sweat on her palms that seemed to form in an instant. "Um, you want me to meet your family?"
"It's just my brother and his wife," Eric shrugged. "At this rate, he and my mother are the only ones you haven't met, anyway."
"Well I haven't exactly met your other family members in casual, informal settings, either..."
"It'll be fine," he assured her. "It's just drinks, maybe a little dinner...nothing fancy, nothing to fuss over. You can wear jeans."
As Juliet smiled at his effort to convince her, she chewed on the situation for a moment. She never felt like she was the kind of woman you introduced to your family. On the other hand, though, if his older brother and his wife were flying in for a visit, that meant that they didn't live in the area--which ultimately meant that they likely had no idea who Juliet and her reputation were. Which meant that she had the opportunity to make an impression that didn't consist of her feeling defensive of her apparent social status. She could just be herself and be comfortable. She liked that idea.
"Juliet?" He said, shaking her from her thoughts. "Is that...is that too much?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "No, that's--I'm honored that you want to introduce me to your brother, I--sure, I'd love to be your date, that's--yes. I'll be there."
A grin spread across Eric's face and his blue eyes sparkled, causing Juliet to melt. "Awesome. I'll pick you up at your place at six--"
Then she frowned. "I'll have to meet you there. I have a couple of appointments that day that can't wait."
"Okay. That's no problem. You do what you have to do. When I find out what restaurant it's at, I'll let you know."
She knew Eric was probably disappointed, but there was no way she was going to that party with overgrown nails and grays peeking out of her hair. No, she needed to pay Manuel a visit this Saturday, and not a moment too late.
Once they had each gathered their papers up and put them away in their respective portable filing systems, Eric wasted no time crawling over to her side of the bed and kissing her with a smile, lowering her onto her back. While she enjoyed the way his body felt against her and the sensual way his hand explored her, she couldn't help her concern. "Eric," she breathed. "Aren't you tired? You should probably sleep."
"I'll sleep when I'm dead," he whispered, his lips trailing to her neck.
At that, she was putty and she melted into him, losing herself in the sexual bliss that she knew would soon follow.
****************
Several hours later, still naked and fully sexually satisfied, Juliet found herself waking up from a seemingly sound sleep. The bedroom was dark, save for the lights from the city that dimly shone from the massive window, and normally it was quiet, except that it was the sounds that came from Eric that had woken her up.
Turning toward his side of the bed, it took a second or two for her sleepy eyes to adjust to the subtle onslaught that was going on on his pillow. Laying on his stomach, his fist bore weakly into it and he whispered inaudibly through his teeth in seemingly steady conversation. She watched him for a moment as he dreamed and only decided to react when his speech grew louder and more distressed.
"Eric," she whispered, lightly touching his bare shoulder. "Eric."
It took a moment for him to respond, but when he finally did, he shook himself violently out of his sleep and pushed his torso up off the bed and looked up at her. "Huh? What?"
"You were dreaming," she said quietly. "I...I think it was maybe a nightmare. Do you, uh, do you want to talk about it?"
He looked around, his expression lost for a moment, before he slowly collapsed back down onto his back. "No," he finally said. "I don't want to talk about it."
"It might help--"
"I already dreamed it, why would I want to relive it?" He snapped at her.
She opened her mouth to speak, but only silence came out. She hated feeling the sting every time he got annoyed like this. He had the right to be aggravated, he'd just woken up from something that had apparently bothered him. But, still, she couldn't help but be hurt by his tone when it happened, so she simply whispered, "I'm sorry," and settled herself back down into the bed.
"No," he said after a few moments, taking Juliet by surprise. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. It wasn't your fault."
"You should sleep," she whispered.
"I'm okay," he replied.
Lying there on her back, her eyes wide open, clutching the comforter to her chest, she said, "Eric? How can we be together if we keep having nightmares in the same bed together?"
"Because we're here to chase each other's nightmares away."
As Juliet stared up into the darkness and pondered his reply, Eric lifted his back off the bed and turned his body over and rested his elbow on the opposite side of her head as his lips softly met hers. She kissed him back, reaching up with both hands and holding his face for a moment before running her hands gently through his hair.
After a moment or two, he broke the kiss and she detected the smile on his face from the city lights that shone through the window. He, then, lay back down on his stomach beside her, nestled his face into her neck, and draped his arm across her chest. His breathing quickly became deep and even and she found herself listlessly caressing his forearm as it lay across her. To her surprise, he responded with the light running of his thumb on her shoulder, indicating that he wasn't quite asleep yet.
She turned her head and managed to reach his thumb with her lips and kissed it softly. He returned the favor by kissing the shoulder that he rested on and Juliet smiled. This was bliss. This was heaven. This was happiness.