UPTOWN GIRL
BY THE END of the first full week of January, life finally seemed to return to normal. Routines picked back up, coffee brewed at the same time every morning, same old Manhattan traffic was battled on the way to work, same old morning meetings, same old business lunches, same old race to stay one step ahead of T&K Contracting.
The only difference was, Eric was now doing it all with a bigger pep in his step.
He whistled. That was something he’d caught himself doing one morning and he’d stopped and furrowed his brow in confusion. Eric whistled? Had he ever done that before? He thought that was something that only happened in movies, just for effect.
But, no. Eric whistled. Real, actual catchy tunes. Well, then. Who knew he had it in him?
The weekend that Travis had dragged him to the spa resort with the girls was nothing short of interesting. In short, Beth ended up with a sprained ankle in her relentless attempt to show Travis up on the slopes and Travis spent the weekend uncharacteristically catering to her every want and need. And Juliet? Well, she found herself on a snowboard. Eric had never pegged her as the sporty type and he was right. But they’d been looking out the window of the lodge and she’d expressed interest in trying it and he was ecstatic to help her out. She was, by no means, anywhere close to an Olympic medal, but she’d enjoyed herself and that was all Eric could have asked for.
It wasn’t until after the weekend was over that he realized that that was their first vacation together.
The couples hadn’t made it through the first night before switching rooms. As adamant as Beth had been against making any changes to hers and Juliet’s trip just because the twins were tagging along, it had been her idea to make the switch. She’d shown up at their door around midnight and ordered Eric very directly to “get out” and she hadn’t had to say it twice. In seconds, his bag was packed and he was on the elevator.
He and Juliet were, to this day, still celibate.
Juliet wanted to take it slow. Painfully slow. She wanted old fashioned, traditional dating: dinner and a movie, holding hands in the park, or, most recently, snowboarding and hot cocoa. She wanted everything she’d missed out on as a girl before her innocence was stolen from her. Eric got it. He understood it. He wanted to give her everything she wanted, anything it took to make her smile. But, Jesus Christ, every time she walked past him, every time she laughed at a joke, every time he caught a wave of her perfume—it was like there was a wild animal inside him, clawing its way to get out.
Celibacy with Juliet Carson was fucking torture.
It wasn’t like he was alone in the agony, however. He knew Juliet felt the same way. He could see it in her eyes, the way they drifted over his body. He could see it when she chewed on her lip and in the way she dug her fingernails into her palms, her fists clenching with restraint. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
But she wanted it to be right.
She was right, though. Their relationship began with sex and had a tumultuous beginning. In her mind, lack of sex would only strengthen their connection. Lack of sex would make it real.
Lack of sex also caused blue balls.
Fuck, he had to stop thinking about it.
Which didn’t turn out to be as difficult as he thought it would be. Because any hard-on he could even think about having at the thought of Juliet was quickly chased away at the vision that was a red-faced Gary Sterling, who was fidgeting around the reception desk at Reynolds Construction that Friday morning.
This was not the ideal start to Eric’s day.
As he plastered on his best smile and extended his hand, the portly, forty-something salesman ignored the gesture. “Must be nice to just be able to come into work whenever you feel like it,” he huffed.
Annoyed by the accusatory once-over, Eric shifted his briefcase to his right hand and looked at his Rolex. “Um…yeah, we actually don’t open for another ten minutes, so…good morning? How can I help you?”
“You can’t.”
Eric eyed his competitor’s representative warily. “Are you sure…?”
“I’m sure. I’m waiting for that good-for-nothing uncle of yours.”
“Well, uh…you’re gonna be waiting awhile. He’s meeting with potential clients this morning.”
“Convenient,” Gary spat. “One of them happen to be Johanssen Properties?”
At this, Eric arched an eyebrow, momentarily displacing his professionalism. “What’s it to you?”
Curtly, Gary whipped a card out of his coat pocket and nearly flicked it at Eric. “How about you have him call me? If you really knew how to run your old man’s company, your uncle wouldn’t be running amuck all over the city, in over his head, and letting the shit run over.”
Finally, Eric was growing agitated. “What kind of business do you have with Walt? Does your boss know you’re here?”
If it was possible for Gary to turn more red, he did. “Just pass the message along.”
Turning on his heel, Gary Sterling marched toward the elevator. After him, Eric called out, “He has a phone, you know!”
Gary stepped onto the elevator. “Then maybe you should teach him how to use it.”
As the elevator closed and began its descent, Eric seemed frozen where he stood. He studied the steel doors as if they might solve this puzzle for him, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. He was the CEO of Reynolds Construction. It was his job to know about every last detail of every last operation. What the hell had he missed?
Angry at the knot that was now forming at the pit of his stomach, he turned on his heel to face Hilary, who stopped what she was typing, seemingly in mid-sentence, as she stared back at him like a deer in headlights. Eric never wanted to be the boss that his staff feared, but he had bigger things to focus on right now. “Is Kim here, yet?”
Hilary stammered her response. “Um, I—I’m not sure, actually.”
“Find out for me, will you? And send her to my office.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Eric headed for his office, he suddenly felt like an asshole. In that moment, he felt like his father. Not that his father was an asshole, but that the uneasy interaction with his receptionist just then made him feel guilty. He didn’t want to be that guy. He didn’t want to bark orders and make his staff feel unappreciated.
So he stopped and he turned around. “Hilary.”
She nearly dropped the stack of files she had cradled in her arms. “Yes, Mr. Reynolds? Er, Eric?”
He offered her a smile—a genuine one. “You’re awesome. Don’t ever forget it. I appreciate everything you do here.”
Her smile was full of gratitude and relief and that was good enough for him. Feeling a little better about himself, he settled himself into his office and contemplated his already-eventful morning.
He had just fired up his computer when there was a knock at the open doorway. “Eric?” Kim said cautiously. “You wanted to see me?”
Jesus, why was everyone walking on eggshells this morning?
“Yeah,” he confirmed. Then his head leaned to the side to try to see around her, looking for nothing in particular. “Shut the door, will you?”
Seconds later, his former receptionist sat in front of him and he blanked. He examined the young girl with her new fiery red hair and her black-rimmed glasses. She pulled off nerdy chic well in lavender, puffy short sleeves and a gray pencil skirt with fishnet stockings and fire engine red lipstick. She was cute, in an eccentric way, and he imagined that if he was still in college, he might be attracted to her.
“Are you firing me?”
This shook him out of his momentary trance. “What?”
“Look. I only hacked into a competitor website one time, but in my defense, all I was trying to do was see what code they used for their banner. It was a learning experience, I wasn’t doing any insider trading or conflicting interest or anything like that.” Then she held up three fingers, closed together. “Scout’s honor.”
Eric’s eyes widened. “You did what?”
Her eyes darted around suddenly before she waved her palms in the air. “This is all a dream. Soon you’ll wake up and—“
“Don’t ever let me find out you’re doing something like that again.”
She nodded diligently. “Absolutely. Never again.”
Silence filled the air once more as he found himself, once again, studying the head of his IT department. In actuality, he wanted to talk to Travis, but he was on a worksite today. Aside from him, Kim was the only other person in the company that Eric felt like he could truly trust.
“Look, Eric,” she leveled with him. “I know I’m hot. I know that I give off this…this fantasy nerd vibe or whatever and, don’t get me wrong, you’re a total babe. But you’re not really my type. Besides, I’m already kinda seeing someone and work relationships can get complicated—“
Eric’s expression flattened and he deadpanned, “I am not trying to…to hook up with you or whatever.”
“Then why am I here? All you’ve done is sit there and stare me down and it makes me feel like—“
“Because I’m still trying to figure out how exactly I want to broach this subject and I picked you because you’re the only other person here that I trust completely besides Travis. You’ve been with us almost since the beginning and I know you’ll be straight with me, no matter what.”
“So…you’re not trying to pick me up?”
“No.”
She stiffened her spine. “Well, why the hell not?”
Eric was amused. “Do you want me to?”
“No. That would just make things awkward.”
Eric smiled. “I’m happily off the market, sorry to disappoint.”
Kim lifted her chin. “Well, so am I.”
“He’s a lucky guy.”
“And don’t he know it,” she muttered.
Eric chuckled. “He has his hands full, doesn’t he?”
“Every damn night—“
“Okay!” Eric lifted his hands to stop her as if directing traffic. “That’s enough. Let’s get serious. I need you to, um…”
What exactly did he need her to do?
“I need access to T&K Contracting’s current client listing. And…and I think I need Walt’s schedule spanning…the last four to six months or so.”
Kim didn’t hide her surprise. “What’s going on?”
“Probably nothing. Can you…can you access T&K’s records? I mean—you know I wouldn’t ask you to do anything illegal or—“
“You’re not asking me to do anything that isn’t public information.”
He furrowed his brow at her. “Um, actually—“
“If you sweet talk the right people, that is.”
“Do I want to know where this is heading?”
“I happen to know firsthand that their accounts receivable guy has the hots for me. He tried to hit me up on Facebook not too long ago. Something told me he might come in handy someday…”
Eric cleared his throat. “You know what? This is—nevermind. I shouldn’t even be asking—“
“Don’t worry about it, no sweat. Really.”
He was unbelievably uncomfortable. “I want you to know that I don’t conduct business like—“
“Eric. I know. That’s why I’ll work for you until you kick me out. You’re a great leader and a standup guy and you conduct business with the utmost integrity and respect. I know. But I also know we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now if you didn’t have a legit reason.”
The corners of his mouth twitched as he brushed his hand along his chin. “I think I underestimate you sometimes. You could do so much more than just IT.”
She shook her head. “No, thanks. Computers are my life, that’s where I’m happy. I don’t do management. So don’t go getting any bright ideas.” Then she smiled. “But I appreciate the compliment.”
“Anytime. I can’t count how many times you’ve saved my ass, Kim. You’re an asset to this company.”
She blushed. “Oh, stop it. Flattery will get you everywhere. Anyway, give me a day or two. I’m sure dude won’t be that hard to crack.”
“Just do me a favor,” he murmured, lowering his voice. “Keep this between us?”
“Keep what between us?”
A grin crept across his face. “Get out of here and go find some computer nerd stuff to do. What the hell am I paying you for, anyway?”
With a laugh, Kim left his office and Eric’s smile faded with her departure, the knot retying itself in the pit of his stomach. Rubbing his fingers over his lips, he let out a breath through his nose as his eyes bore into the closed door. What the hell was going on under his nose?
IT WAS COLD as shit outside, but Travis was happy to be on the worksite and out of the stuffy suit. He hated wearing that damn suit, regardless of the fact that it had been his idea to wear it, but he would never tell Beth that. He could practically see her salivate every time he walked out of the bedroom in the mornings and removing his shirt and tie in the evenings had become one of her favorite preludes to sex.
Well, maybe the suit wasn’t so bad, after all.
It was a gray day as Travis instructed his crew to break for lunch. They were all covered in Carhartts, hard hats, and muddied steel-toed boots and Travis and a small group of them were standing around by the curb, trying to pick a place to go to lunch where they wouldn’t be judged by their attire on this side of town. Travis’s wild, long hair spilled out the bottom of his gray, knit toboggan, his hardhat discarded on the back of one of the work trucks.
“Okay, where to?” Travis asked. “Something quick? Any food trucks around here?”
One of the guys, a bit on the larger side with a thick southern accent, craned his neck past Travis’s head. “I think I’m going wherever they’re going.”
“Damn…” a guy they called Mex murmured.
“Ah, dream on,” a tatted-up Boston accent chimed in. “Chicks like that don’t go for dirtbags like us.”
Turning around, Travis zeroed in on the scene unfolding across the street. Three chic-looking women and an equally chic-looking man walked up the sidewalk toward the upscale restaurant that faced the curb they were standing on. Travis’s lips curled up in a smirk.
“Wanna bet?” He challenged them.
“Yeah,” Boston replied. “And high. I’m about to win this shit. If you can cross that street and get a date with one of those high-class ladies, looking like the bum dirtbag that you look like right now, I’ll hand you my left fucking nut plus a hundred bucks.”
Travis grinned and spit out the chewing gum he’d been smacking on. “I don’t want either one of your nuts. But I’ll take your money. Your lack of confidence in me is hurtful, I gotta admit.”
“I prefer to call it my lack of insanity. I got this, easy. Go ahead and embarrass yourself and then come back with my money. Ain’t no high-class broads like them gonna blink an eyelash at a scruffy, barbarian-looking guy in muddy boots. You might clean up like GQ, boss, but out here, you’re one of us.”
Travis frowned as he looked at his reflection in the truck’s small side mirror. He rubbed his gloved hand over the two-day-old blonde scruff along his chin. Beth loved his scruff, but only when it was scruff. He’d have to shave in another day.
“I dunno,” he mused. “I thought beards were the thing now?”
Now Big South chuckled. “Not on this side of town.”
The group across the street was approaching the restaurant’s door and Travis knew he had to act fast. “Fine. Hundred bucks says I walk right across the street and kiss one of them.”
“Just like that?” Mex asked. “Just walk right up and kiss ‘em?”
“Yep. Just like that.”
“Didn’t we just hear something like that recently? From a politician or something?” Boston asked.
“Yeah, a fake politician,” Big South snorted.
“All right, all right, I got this. And if I win, I’ll buy you guys lunch, what do you say?”
“You’re already buying us lunch,” Big South smirked.
“Next week’s lunch, then. All week. Give me two minutes.”
As Travis stepped onto the street, Big South hollered, “Make it a big, ol’ wet one!”
But Travis had tuned them all out as he stormed across the street with purpose. God, she was fucking beautiful. Her cream-colored, knee-length dress peeked out just below her matching collared coat, and her matching cream pumps set off her tan skin like fire. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. Right now, in this moment, as he approached the sidewalk she stood on, was everything his fantasies had ever been made of. Just a girl like her and a guy like him, looking like the most unlikely pair on the outside, but never more perfect on the inside. Claiming her, helplessly, as his own, staking his claim for all the world to witness. He’d never felt an insatiable, powerful craving quite like this before.
Her innocent brown eyes widened in surprise as his intense gaze locked on her. Without a second to spare, he jerked his gloves off of his hands and he reached his right hand underneath her hair and pulled her neck into him as he captured the most passionate kiss he had ever laid on a woman in his entire life. He felt it all the way through his Carhartts and down into his steel-toed boots and he nearly lost control of his knees. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her handbag slapped lightly against his back and her tongue danced with his with a passion desperate enough to give him a run for his money.
Speaking of money, he had to remember that he was in control. His crew was watching him. And for that, he broke the kiss abruptly and tore himself away from her.
She was breathless as she blinked at him, her jaw slackened, and his only response was a wink as he turned his back and headed for the curb.
He wasn’t out of earshot, though, when the pretty boy suit practically shrieked, “What the fuck was that?”
“My boyfriend,” she breathed dreamily.
A triumphant grin was now permanently glued to Travis’s face.
His phone vibrated in his pocket before he even made it across the street. His grin widened when he pulled it out of his pocket.
“You are SO getting laid tonight.”
“That so?”
“Yes. In every damn way possible. Oh, and you know that thing you always want to do but I never let you? We’re doing that, too.”
Holy fuck…
“For real? Over a kiss?”
“That was the hottest kiss I’ve ever had. I’m stopping by the store on the way home. Next time I see you, you better be naked.”
“Your wish is my command, my queen.”
Swallowing hard, Travis shoved his phone back into his pocket and focused on a wide-eyed crew as he approached them, inviting the freezing January air to cool his boiling blood. By the time he reached them, he was cool and collected and Boston was angrily rooting around in his pockets.
“The fuck was I thinking, sending you over there on a fucking bet like that?” Boston grumbled. “Is your dick made out of gold or some shit?”
“We’re off the clock right now, so I’m letting that slide,” Travis deadpanned.
“What do you know about women that we don’t know?”
Travis flashed him a shit-eating grin. “About that one? Everything. I’m dating her.”
“Aw, come on!” Boston shouted, followed by a chorus of defeated complaints.
“Hey, you set us up, Holmes,” Mex pointed out.
“No, not really. You bet me fair and square. I just took you up on it because I knew I would win. Anyway, keep your money, I’m still buying your lunch. You guys ready to head out?”
“You’re damn right you’re buying us lunch,” Boston spat as the men now walked along the street. “I want white tablecloths and fucking candlelight, dude. The waiters better be in coattails and gloves with the napkins over their wrists. You fucking owe us, dude.”
Travis chuckled and shook his head as he took one last glance back at the restaurant that Beth had gone inside of. “The first time that woman ever laid eyes on me, I was late meeting the guys at the bar. I had just come off the worksite, thrown on a random shirt and jeans, and walked in the door. I hadn’t even showered. But apparently that was good enough for her; I’m sleeping with her every night now. She was interested in me before she even knew anything about me. So you fellas don’t sell yourselves short. High-class ladies do go for guys like us. You just gotta find the right ones.”
Except that not only did Travis have the right one, he had the best. And tonight would be the absolute best Friday night in his twenty-seven years, guaranteed.
“I HOPE YOU like Thai,” Juliet announced breathlessly as Eric opened his door. She stood there, her arms loaded down with takeout bags. “It was the quickest place I could find between work and here.”
Juliet hadn’t heard from Eric all day. It was sort of unlike him but she knew that it had been a busy week for both of them as their businesses were getting back into the swing of things after the holiday break. She knew all about busy. There were days when she couldn’t even locate her cell phone, much less have time for personal communication. But she had to admit, she felt the sting at five o’clock when there were no messages on her phone.
At ten after, however, when she was halfway home, a text came through.
“Dinner at my place tonight? Sorry for the short notice, I just need to see you.”
How could she say no?
After she’d inquired of his preferences and he’d said he didn’t care, she paid the cab driver to let her out a block away from her destination so that she could grab takeout at Thai Garden.
And now here she was, in front of a blue-eyed Adonis, whose eyes seemed like they were another world away.
“It’s fine,” he murmured, standing out of the way to let her in. “Thank you.”
Something was off. The real Eric would have instantly relieved her of her food burden and forced her not to lift another finger. Juliet’s heart pounded with nerves.
He hadn’t even changed his clothes. He padded barefoot across his kitchen, his white shirt open and untucked from his black pants. His belt lay uncharacteristically on the dining room table and she cautiously lay the bags down on the island as she watched him retrieve two beers from the refrigerator. Now was not the time to question him about his diet, she’d decided.
As if he’d read her mind, he looked at her and lifted the bottles that dangled from his fingers. “Beer is good for dulling the spice.”
Her jaw slackened. “Oh, no. Should I have gotten Chinese instead? I’m so sorry, I should have asked. I can place another order, it’s no problem.”
As she hurriedly fidgeted with her purse, searching for her cell phone with shaking hands, she heard the bottles clink on the counter and her heart raced faster and not in the deliciously good way it normally did around him. Damn it, she hated herself in this moment. She could feel an episode coming on and she tried her hardest to silently will it away as she finally found what she was looking for.
As he approached, she nearly dropped the phone out of fear. Stop it. God damn it, stop it, Juliet. This is not happening. He is not going to hurt you. STOP IT!
“Jules,” he said gently, taking the phone from her hand and dropping it back into her purse. His face had softened and the twinkle had returned to his eye. “I love Thai food. It’s perfect. You could have brought me a ninety-nine cent can of ravioli and I’d be happy. I’m just glad you’re here.”
The relief nearly sent Juliet to the floor and the calming of her nerves felt like it had drained all the energy from her body. She could feel the corners of her eyes glistening but she forced herself not to let it go any further than that. She forced a smile past the flush in her cheeks. “Next time I’ll ask.”
Eric smiled warmly, wrapping her now phone-free hand in his. “Don’t ask next time. I love it when you surprise me. You know me so well, I trust your judgment.” Letting go of her hand, he gently tipped her chin and placed a soft, tender kiss on her lips. “This smells amazing and I’m starving,” he whispered. “Thank you.” Pulling away, he reached for the bags on the counter. “Let’s take it in the living room. I need to stretch out.”
Following Eric’s lead, Juliet grabbed the beer bottles off of the island and trotted after him, her heels clicking along the way. As she walked into the living room, he was depositing the bags onto the coffee table and she instantly knew that this was going to be a picnic kind of a night. She was glad that she’d worn a pantsuit to work so that she didn’t have to fight with a skirt. Sitting the bottles down, she kicked off her heels and discarded her blazer across the arm of the couch, before she looked at the table and huffed.
“We forgot a bottle opener. Be right back.”
“No need,” he replied, settling himself down onto the floor. He picked the opener up off of the coffee table. “Got it right here.”
Her first instinct was to ask him how many beers he’d already had but, once again, she chose her battles. Battling was something she didn’t want to do at all. So, instead, she smiled and settled herself behind the coffee table beside him and reached for a takeout bag. “Well, good, then we’re all prepared.”
“I’ve only had one,” he informed her as he rested his back against the couch, stretching his feet out in front of him.
His ability to read her mind astounded her.
“I didn’t say a word,” she replied, setting up their dinner picnic.
“I know. I appreciate that.” Glancing over at her, he scowled. “There’s a table leg separating us. I don’t like that.”
Turning her head to face him, she smiled sweetly. “If your legs were under the table, like mine, then you couldn’t put your knees up. I’d rather you were comfortable. I’m comfortable. We’re fine. We can snuggle up for dessert.”
He nodded as he mused over her answer. “Fair enough.”
For the next few minutes, the pair dined in silence over noodles and curry, in their now normal family-style, sharing the containers instead of eating off of their own plates. They’d abandoned plates awhile ago and she knew that method contributed to some of the looks they received in restaurants, but she didn’t care. The simple act of sharing food with Eric was just as intimate to her as kissing was and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
But after awhile, the silence began to bother her. Clearly something was troubling Eric—it had been written all over his face since he’d answered his door and she dared realize that she detected it in his text. So, finally, after her belly felt the fire of Thai spice and she’d guzzled down half her bottle of beer, she’d unintentionally let out a loud belch and it caused Eric, for the first time that night, to laugh.
“Must be good,” he responded as she giggled and covered her mouth.
“I didn’t mean for that to happen. But I feel better.”
“Yeah, I bet,” he snorted.
Wiping her mouth with her napkin, she dropped it onto the table and sat back against the couch. Creeping her hand over, she laid it over Eric’s that rested on the floor beside him, and caressed his thumb with hers. “Eric,” she said softly. “Are you ready to talk?”
Letting out a sigh, he offered her a weak smirk. “That obvious, huh?”
She nodded.
Sitting back against the couch, himself, he rested his beer bottle in his lap and ran a hand through his hair. “Jules, what would you do if you suspected one of your employees was…I dunno, double-crossing you? A longtime employee. Someone you thought you trusted.”
She blinked as she contemplated her answer, admittedly surprised by his question. The truth was, she wasn’t sure she’d ever run into that situation before. “Um, well…I mean there’s my former receptionist who left me for T&K Contracting. I wouldn’t necessarily consider that a double-cross, but she did quit without notice, which I hadn’t expected.”
Eric’s entire body bucked as he scoffed a laugh. “T&K. Always comes back to them, doesn’t it?”
“What’s going on? Did something happen today?”
“That’s just it, I have no idea. Walked in this morning and Gary Sterling was standing in my lobby, looking for my uncle.”
“Ugh, I hate that worm,” Juliet sneered as she turned up her beer bottle. “I mean, Gary Sterling, not…I wasn’t talking about your uncle…”
“Yeah? What’s your deal with Gary Sterling?”
“There isn’t one. Not anymore. That’s how I ended up in a contract with you. I found out that he was a weasely liar, no better than a car salesman. Thought he was going to erect a Carson Innovations creation while his company is still under a safety violation lawsuit. Like I wouldn’t find out. Wasted six months of my time with that slime ball. The hell was I thinking?”
“Ah. Right. I never trusted him, either, and there’s a reason why his clients always come to us after they’ve dealt with them. But I just—they’re my direct competitor, you know? Why the hell was he in my office, looking for my uncle? It rubbed me the wrong way, the whole thing does.”
“Has that never happened before?”
“Not to my knowledge. And the way he made it sound, they practically talk on a regular basis.”
“Well…I mean, they could be friends outside of work. You think that’s it? It might not have been work-related at all. Maybe your uncle owes him money or something.”
“No. No, that’s not it. I mean, what Walt does in his spare time is none of my business, but Gary said something about Walt being in over his head and letting the shit run over. What the fuck does that even mean?”
Juliet shrugged. “It could go back to gambling. Maybe Walt does owe him money. Maybe Gary’s trying to collect.”
“No,” Eric shook his head. “No, I don’t—it just doesn’t feel right. I don’t like it. I don’t like Gary Sterling or T&K Contracting to even be within a five-mile radius of my employees or my projects. They’re shady and they’re crooked. I don’t like them.”
“So…what do you think, then?”
Finally, he turned his head and he looked at her, his expression pained. “I don’t even think I can say it.”
“Your secret’s safe with me. You know that anything we discuss never leaves the room.”
His chest heaved as he blew out a breath. “I’m afraid Walt might be leaking info about potential clients to Gary…probably for a price. I’m afraid they might have some kind of agreement. Shit, it makes me sick just saying it.”
Realizing her hand was still on his, she squeezed it reassuringly. “Surely that’s not happening. That’s—I mean, if that were the case, your uncle would not only be betraying you, but he’d be betraying your father, too, wouldn’t he? Surely he wouldn’t do something like that.”
“I just—I don’t know. That’s the problem. It’s something that…god, I hate fucking thinking it, but—but I’m looking into it. Is that--? Should I be? Should I be worried? Am I overreacting?”
Juliet frowned as she tucked her hair behind her ear with her free hand. “As much as I hate that you’re feeling this way—and as much as I despise having to say this—I think that it’s best not to ignore your gut. Especially in business. You have a good, solid, reputable company there. You can’t afford to have that reputation jeopardized. I know I don’t have to tell you that.”
“But it’s just—he’s family. You know? Family doesn’t do that shit to each other.”
“And maybe he isn’t. It’s very possible that it looks worse than what it is. For all we know, it could be completely personal. Innocent until proven guilty, right?”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I have someone looking into it. Kim, our IT girl. She’s—she knows people. She’s going to ask around. I feel like a fucking snake, having to go behind Walt’s back like that, though.”
“But you’re the CEO and his boss. Going behind him is your job. Family or not.” Carefully, she removed herself from her seated position and walked around the coffee table. Placing herself on the other side of Eric so that she could be close to him, she took his hand in hers and held onto it tightly. “It’s going to be okay,” she said to him softly. “It’ll all work out. I promise.”
With his face so close to hers, she picked up on the beer and the Thai spice on his breath. Somehow, on him, that smelled like heaven, combined with the faded aroma of his aftershave. So, when he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, she welcomed the kiss with open arms. Or, in this case, with an open mouth.
He deepened the kiss for a moment before he abruptly pulled away and bore his eyes into hers. “When can we have sex?”
She blinked at him, taken aback by the sudden question. She thought they were having dinner. Or…or even a conversation. Dinner conversation. He was troubled and she was comforting him and…and now sex? Her head spun.
Her head shook. “Eric, I—we—we have an understanding, I thought we—right? I thought we—understood…”
“Please, Jules. I need you right now, please.”
She looked him over, her eyes darting all over his face. God, he looked so pitiful. She felt so bad, she knew he needed her, but…but was sex the only answer?
He was so irresistible, with his crystal blue eyes and his soft blonde hair and those lips that just…begged to be kissed. And the way he sat there with his shirt open, exposing his hard chest, she couldn’t help her eyes from landing on the beltless seam of his pants. And then she thought…well, she could help him a little…
Her decision made, she nudged her nose against his and she reached for the button on his pants, but she had barely touched the material before his hands clamped around her wrists. “No. I want more than a blow job. I want you. I want all of you, I want to be close to you, I want to feel you, I want to be inside you. I have a lot weighing heavy on my mind today and I need this. Please.”
Her jaw dropped mindlessly. Oh. So, it wasn’t about her or his desire for her. It was about distracting himself from work. Never mind that he had two weekend days coming up to help him with that, he was just going to try to pull at Juliet’s heartstrings to get his way. In spite of herself, and in spite of the way she honestly did want to go to bed with him right that instant, she couldn’t help but be a little bit offended by his argument. She pulled her hands away and she backed away from him.
“Does it have to be sex?” She asked him earnestly. “Aren’t I enough? Can’t I just be here for you and support you?”
She saw the immediate regret in his eyes, but it was too late for her. He cupped her cheek and rested his forehead against hers. “You’re right,” he murmured. “I’m sorry. You’re just…so damn irresistible. Being with you is just…it’s like…”
“But it’s not about me. Not right now, not like this. And I want to be more than that. I am more than that. I’m a person, I’m not just a body.”
“Baby, I know. I know. I’m sorry. Look, let’s—let’s talk about something else. How ‘bout, um, uh…”
Her heart heavy, she pulled back and scooted away, bending her knees in preparation to stand. “It’s getting late…”
He shook his head rapidly. He knew what was coming. They both did. “No. No, no, it’s not. It’s only—it’s only just after seven, it’s Friday—“
“I’ll help you clean this up. And then I should go.”
“But—I thought we were having dessert?”
“I’m too full for dessert.”
He stood along with her, trying to take her hand as she bent over the coffee table, collecting their leftover takeout containers. “Jules, come on. You’re upset. Please don’t leave here upset. Don’t—don’t leave.”
“I’m not upset,” she replied, as brightly as she could muster.
“You are.”
Standing, she kissed his cheek. “It’s been a long day, for both of us. I think, right now, it’s best that we just chill out and recoup from it.”
“Together,” he whispered. “We can do that together.”
“It’s best that I go.”
Minutes later, after she had discarded their empty dinner containers, she walked around the block in the New York City winter air, swallowing the lumps in her throat, willing herself not to cry. This was best. Leaving for the night, sleeping in her own bed…that was best. Right? Wasn’t it? Was it wrong of her to leave Eric the way she had, troubled and hurt like that? Had she been unfair? Had she overreacted? Had she caused a scene over a moment of weakness just because he’d had a shitty day?
God, she’d wanted to sleep with him until his shitty day went away so bad she nearly couldn’t stand it.
The truth was, she didn’t know what to think or what to feel in that moment. She’d gone from being a good girlfriend to a terrible one in a matter of minutes. What the hell did he see in her? She couldn’t even comfort her own boyfriend in his time of need. What the fuck good was she, anyway?
He couldn’t be happy in this relationship. There was no fucking way. Who would be? Who would be happy in a relationship with a clueless, neurotic nutcase who knew nothing about everything? Who wanted that? He could do so much better. He could be happy with a woman who knew how to treat him right, who knew how to date like a normal person, and who wouldn’t deny him something as simple as sexual gratification just to release a little tension. She wouldn’t be selfish, she wouldn’t be crazy, and she wouldn’t have notoriously slept with seventy-five percent of white-collar Manhattan. She would be normal. And loving. And absolutely not detrimental to his good reputation.
Why couldn’t Juliet be that woman?
Once at home, curled up in her bed after a glass of wine and an unanswered text message to Beth, Juliet had just calmed herself down and prepared to click through a self-help book she had just ordered on her Kindle when her phone rang.
It was Eric. She snatched her phone up in a split second.
“Baby,” he whispered helplessly. “I’m so sorry.”
“No. I’m sorry.”
“No. After you left, I thought about what you said and I was a bastard.”
“You weren’t. You absolutely weren’t.”
“Jules, you practically begged me to see you as a human being and you should never have to say something like that. Ever. I promise you I’m not all about sex. I mean…I’m a red-blooded male, sure, but I’m not—“
“You don’t think this is difficult for me, too?” She asked softly. “You think it’s easy to be close to you and not…not give in to temptation? I don’t think you realize what a force you are, Eric. You don’t realize the affect that you have on me, but I feel like my entire life has been defined by sex. You’re so important to me, I just want everything to be right.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have pressured you—“
“I shouldn’t have left.”
“What?”
“I shouldn’t have left. You needed me and I left and…and I was wrong.”
“Jules, no—“
“Also, we’re adults. And while I don’t want us to be defined by sex, I can’t keep acting like a frigid prude when we both know that it’s an act that comes so naturally when we’re together.”
Eric cleared his throat. And then he cleared it again. “What, um, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that…that when we’re together…I’ve never felt something so right. And, maybe…maybe next time I won’t hold back anymore. You deserve to be shown how special and appreciated you are—in every way.”
Eric’s voice came through strangled. “Juliet.”
“I want you.”
“Juliet.”
“Let’s just sleep on it tonight. Call me in the morning?”
There was a momentary hesitation on the other end, like he tried to speak, but ended up changing his mind. Then, finally, “You’re always the first thing I think of when I wake up.”
A smile crept across Juliet’s face of pure delight. “Goodnight, Eric.”
“Sweet dreams, beautiful.”
After ending the call, Juliet grinned up at her ceiling and let out a giddy squeal fit for a schoolgirl. The next time she saw Eric, she would certainly give him his due. Over. And over. And over.
BY THE END of the first full week of January, life finally seemed to return to normal. Routines picked back up, coffee brewed at the same time every morning, same old Manhattan traffic was battled on the way to work, same old morning meetings, same old business lunches, same old race to stay one step ahead of T&K Contracting.
The only difference was, Eric was now doing it all with a bigger pep in his step.
He whistled. That was something he’d caught himself doing one morning and he’d stopped and furrowed his brow in confusion. Eric whistled? Had he ever done that before? He thought that was something that only happened in movies, just for effect.
But, no. Eric whistled. Real, actual catchy tunes. Well, then. Who knew he had it in him?
The weekend that Travis had dragged him to the spa resort with the girls was nothing short of interesting. In short, Beth ended up with a sprained ankle in her relentless attempt to show Travis up on the slopes and Travis spent the weekend uncharacteristically catering to her every want and need. And Juliet? Well, she found herself on a snowboard. Eric had never pegged her as the sporty type and he was right. But they’d been looking out the window of the lodge and she’d expressed interest in trying it and he was ecstatic to help her out. She was, by no means, anywhere close to an Olympic medal, but she’d enjoyed herself and that was all Eric could have asked for.
It wasn’t until after the weekend was over that he realized that that was their first vacation together.
The couples hadn’t made it through the first night before switching rooms. As adamant as Beth had been against making any changes to hers and Juliet’s trip just because the twins were tagging along, it had been her idea to make the switch. She’d shown up at their door around midnight and ordered Eric very directly to “get out” and she hadn’t had to say it twice. In seconds, his bag was packed and he was on the elevator.
He and Juliet were, to this day, still celibate.
Juliet wanted to take it slow. Painfully slow. She wanted old fashioned, traditional dating: dinner and a movie, holding hands in the park, or, most recently, snowboarding and hot cocoa. She wanted everything she’d missed out on as a girl before her innocence was stolen from her. Eric got it. He understood it. He wanted to give her everything she wanted, anything it took to make her smile. But, Jesus Christ, every time she walked past him, every time she laughed at a joke, every time he caught a wave of her perfume—it was like there was a wild animal inside him, clawing its way to get out.
Celibacy with Juliet Carson was fucking torture.
It wasn’t like he was alone in the agony, however. He knew Juliet felt the same way. He could see it in her eyes, the way they drifted over his body. He could see it when she chewed on her lip and in the way she dug her fingernails into her palms, her fists clenching with restraint. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
But she wanted it to be right.
She was right, though. Their relationship began with sex and had a tumultuous beginning. In her mind, lack of sex would only strengthen their connection. Lack of sex would make it real.
Lack of sex also caused blue balls.
Fuck, he had to stop thinking about it.
Which didn’t turn out to be as difficult as he thought it would be. Because any hard-on he could even think about having at the thought of Juliet was quickly chased away at the vision that was a red-faced Gary Sterling, who was fidgeting around the reception desk at Reynolds Construction that Friday morning.
This was not the ideal start to Eric’s day.
As he plastered on his best smile and extended his hand, the portly, forty-something salesman ignored the gesture. “Must be nice to just be able to come into work whenever you feel like it,” he huffed.
Annoyed by the accusatory once-over, Eric shifted his briefcase to his right hand and looked at his Rolex. “Um…yeah, we actually don’t open for another ten minutes, so…good morning? How can I help you?”
“You can’t.”
Eric eyed his competitor’s representative warily. “Are you sure…?”
“I’m sure. I’m waiting for that good-for-nothing uncle of yours.”
“Well, uh…you’re gonna be waiting awhile. He’s meeting with potential clients this morning.”
“Convenient,” Gary spat. “One of them happen to be Johanssen Properties?”
At this, Eric arched an eyebrow, momentarily displacing his professionalism. “What’s it to you?”
Curtly, Gary whipped a card out of his coat pocket and nearly flicked it at Eric. “How about you have him call me? If you really knew how to run your old man’s company, your uncle wouldn’t be running amuck all over the city, in over his head, and letting the shit run over.”
Finally, Eric was growing agitated. “What kind of business do you have with Walt? Does your boss know you’re here?”
If it was possible for Gary to turn more red, he did. “Just pass the message along.”
Turning on his heel, Gary Sterling marched toward the elevator. After him, Eric called out, “He has a phone, you know!”
Gary stepped onto the elevator. “Then maybe you should teach him how to use it.”
As the elevator closed and began its descent, Eric seemed frozen where he stood. He studied the steel doors as if they might solve this puzzle for him, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. He was the CEO of Reynolds Construction. It was his job to know about every last detail of every last operation. What the hell had he missed?
Angry at the knot that was now forming at the pit of his stomach, he turned on his heel to face Hilary, who stopped what she was typing, seemingly in mid-sentence, as she stared back at him like a deer in headlights. Eric never wanted to be the boss that his staff feared, but he had bigger things to focus on right now. “Is Kim here, yet?”
Hilary stammered her response. “Um, I—I’m not sure, actually.”
“Find out for me, will you? And send her to my office.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Eric headed for his office, he suddenly felt like an asshole. In that moment, he felt like his father. Not that his father was an asshole, but that the uneasy interaction with his receptionist just then made him feel guilty. He didn’t want to be that guy. He didn’t want to bark orders and make his staff feel unappreciated.
So he stopped and he turned around. “Hilary.”
She nearly dropped the stack of files she had cradled in her arms. “Yes, Mr. Reynolds? Er, Eric?”
He offered her a smile—a genuine one. “You’re awesome. Don’t ever forget it. I appreciate everything you do here.”
Her smile was full of gratitude and relief and that was good enough for him. Feeling a little better about himself, he settled himself into his office and contemplated his already-eventful morning.
He had just fired up his computer when there was a knock at the open doorway. “Eric?” Kim said cautiously. “You wanted to see me?”
Jesus, why was everyone walking on eggshells this morning?
“Yeah,” he confirmed. Then his head leaned to the side to try to see around her, looking for nothing in particular. “Shut the door, will you?”
Seconds later, his former receptionist sat in front of him and he blanked. He examined the young girl with her new fiery red hair and her black-rimmed glasses. She pulled off nerdy chic well in lavender, puffy short sleeves and a gray pencil skirt with fishnet stockings and fire engine red lipstick. She was cute, in an eccentric way, and he imagined that if he was still in college, he might be attracted to her.
“Are you firing me?”
This shook him out of his momentary trance. “What?”
“Look. I only hacked into a competitor website one time, but in my defense, all I was trying to do was see what code they used for their banner. It was a learning experience, I wasn’t doing any insider trading or conflicting interest or anything like that.” Then she held up three fingers, closed together. “Scout’s honor.”
Eric’s eyes widened. “You did what?”
Her eyes darted around suddenly before she waved her palms in the air. “This is all a dream. Soon you’ll wake up and—“
“Don’t ever let me find out you’re doing something like that again.”
She nodded diligently. “Absolutely. Never again.”
Silence filled the air once more as he found himself, once again, studying the head of his IT department. In actuality, he wanted to talk to Travis, but he was on a worksite today. Aside from him, Kim was the only other person in the company that Eric felt like he could truly trust.
“Look, Eric,” she leveled with him. “I know I’m hot. I know that I give off this…this fantasy nerd vibe or whatever and, don’t get me wrong, you’re a total babe. But you’re not really my type. Besides, I’m already kinda seeing someone and work relationships can get complicated—“
Eric’s expression flattened and he deadpanned, “I am not trying to…to hook up with you or whatever.”
“Then why am I here? All you’ve done is sit there and stare me down and it makes me feel like—“
“Because I’m still trying to figure out how exactly I want to broach this subject and I picked you because you’re the only other person here that I trust completely besides Travis. You’ve been with us almost since the beginning and I know you’ll be straight with me, no matter what.”
“So…you’re not trying to pick me up?”
“No.”
She stiffened her spine. “Well, why the hell not?”
Eric was amused. “Do you want me to?”
“No. That would just make things awkward.”
Eric smiled. “I’m happily off the market, sorry to disappoint.”
Kim lifted her chin. “Well, so am I.”
“He’s a lucky guy.”
“And don’t he know it,” she muttered.
Eric chuckled. “He has his hands full, doesn’t he?”
“Every damn night—“
“Okay!” Eric lifted his hands to stop her as if directing traffic. “That’s enough. Let’s get serious. I need you to, um…”
What exactly did he need her to do?
“I need access to T&K Contracting’s current client listing. And…and I think I need Walt’s schedule spanning…the last four to six months or so.”
Kim didn’t hide her surprise. “What’s going on?”
“Probably nothing. Can you…can you access T&K’s records? I mean—you know I wouldn’t ask you to do anything illegal or—“
“You’re not asking me to do anything that isn’t public information.”
He furrowed his brow at her. “Um, actually—“
“If you sweet talk the right people, that is.”
“Do I want to know where this is heading?”
“I happen to know firsthand that their accounts receivable guy has the hots for me. He tried to hit me up on Facebook not too long ago. Something told me he might come in handy someday…”
Eric cleared his throat. “You know what? This is—nevermind. I shouldn’t even be asking—“
“Don’t worry about it, no sweat. Really.”
He was unbelievably uncomfortable. “I want you to know that I don’t conduct business like—“
“Eric. I know. That’s why I’ll work for you until you kick me out. You’re a great leader and a standup guy and you conduct business with the utmost integrity and respect. I know. But I also know we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now if you didn’t have a legit reason.”
The corners of his mouth twitched as he brushed his hand along his chin. “I think I underestimate you sometimes. You could do so much more than just IT.”
She shook her head. “No, thanks. Computers are my life, that’s where I’m happy. I don’t do management. So don’t go getting any bright ideas.” Then she smiled. “But I appreciate the compliment.”
“Anytime. I can’t count how many times you’ve saved my ass, Kim. You’re an asset to this company.”
She blushed. “Oh, stop it. Flattery will get you everywhere. Anyway, give me a day or two. I’m sure dude won’t be that hard to crack.”
“Just do me a favor,” he murmured, lowering his voice. “Keep this between us?”
“Keep what between us?”
A grin crept across his face. “Get out of here and go find some computer nerd stuff to do. What the hell am I paying you for, anyway?”
With a laugh, Kim left his office and Eric’s smile faded with her departure, the knot retying itself in the pit of his stomach. Rubbing his fingers over his lips, he let out a breath through his nose as his eyes bore into the closed door. What the hell was going on under his nose?
IT WAS COLD as shit outside, but Travis was happy to be on the worksite and out of the stuffy suit. He hated wearing that damn suit, regardless of the fact that it had been his idea to wear it, but he would never tell Beth that. He could practically see her salivate every time he walked out of the bedroom in the mornings and removing his shirt and tie in the evenings had become one of her favorite preludes to sex.
Well, maybe the suit wasn’t so bad, after all.
It was a gray day as Travis instructed his crew to break for lunch. They were all covered in Carhartts, hard hats, and muddied steel-toed boots and Travis and a small group of them were standing around by the curb, trying to pick a place to go to lunch where they wouldn’t be judged by their attire on this side of town. Travis’s wild, long hair spilled out the bottom of his gray, knit toboggan, his hardhat discarded on the back of one of the work trucks.
“Okay, where to?” Travis asked. “Something quick? Any food trucks around here?”
One of the guys, a bit on the larger side with a thick southern accent, craned his neck past Travis’s head. “I think I’m going wherever they’re going.”
“Damn…” a guy they called Mex murmured.
“Ah, dream on,” a tatted-up Boston accent chimed in. “Chicks like that don’t go for dirtbags like us.”
Turning around, Travis zeroed in on the scene unfolding across the street. Three chic-looking women and an equally chic-looking man walked up the sidewalk toward the upscale restaurant that faced the curb they were standing on. Travis’s lips curled up in a smirk.
“Wanna bet?” He challenged them.
“Yeah,” Boston replied. “And high. I’m about to win this shit. If you can cross that street and get a date with one of those high-class ladies, looking like the bum dirtbag that you look like right now, I’ll hand you my left fucking nut plus a hundred bucks.”
Travis grinned and spit out the chewing gum he’d been smacking on. “I don’t want either one of your nuts. But I’ll take your money. Your lack of confidence in me is hurtful, I gotta admit.”
“I prefer to call it my lack of insanity. I got this, easy. Go ahead and embarrass yourself and then come back with my money. Ain’t no high-class broads like them gonna blink an eyelash at a scruffy, barbarian-looking guy in muddy boots. You might clean up like GQ, boss, but out here, you’re one of us.”
Travis frowned as he looked at his reflection in the truck’s small side mirror. He rubbed his gloved hand over the two-day-old blonde scruff along his chin. Beth loved his scruff, but only when it was scruff. He’d have to shave in another day.
“I dunno,” he mused. “I thought beards were the thing now?”
Now Big South chuckled. “Not on this side of town.”
The group across the street was approaching the restaurant’s door and Travis knew he had to act fast. “Fine. Hundred bucks says I walk right across the street and kiss one of them.”
“Just like that?” Mex asked. “Just walk right up and kiss ‘em?”
“Yep. Just like that.”
“Didn’t we just hear something like that recently? From a politician or something?” Boston asked.
“Yeah, a fake politician,” Big South snorted.
“All right, all right, I got this. And if I win, I’ll buy you guys lunch, what do you say?”
“You’re already buying us lunch,” Big South smirked.
“Next week’s lunch, then. All week. Give me two minutes.”
As Travis stepped onto the street, Big South hollered, “Make it a big, ol’ wet one!”
But Travis had tuned them all out as he stormed across the street with purpose. God, she was fucking beautiful. Her cream-colored, knee-length dress peeked out just below her matching collared coat, and her matching cream pumps set off her tan skin like fire. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. Right now, in this moment, as he approached the sidewalk she stood on, was everything his fantasies had ever been made of. Just a girl like her and a guy like him, looking like the most unlikely pair on the outside, but never more perfect on the inside. Claiming her, helplessly, as his own, staking his claim for all the world to witness. He’d never felt an insatiable, powerful craving quite like this before.
Her innocent brown eyes widened in surprise as his intense gaze locked on her. Without a second to spare, he jerked his gloves off of his hands and he reached his right hand underneath her hair and pulled her neck into him as he captured the most passionate kiss he had ever laid on a woman in his entire life. He felt it all the way through his Carhartts and down into his steel-toed boots and he nearly lost control of his knees. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her handbag slapped lightly against his back and her tongue danced with his with a passion desperate enough to give him a run for his money.
Speaking of money, he had to remember that he was in control. His crew was watching him. And for that, he broke the kiss abruptly and tore himself away from her.
She was breathless as she blinked at him, her jaw slackened, and his only response was a wink as he turned his back and headed for the curb.
He wasn’t out of earshot, though, when the pretty boy suit practically shrieked, “What the fuck was that?”
“My boyfriend,” she breathed dreamily.
A triumphant grin was now permanently glued to Travis’s face.
His phone vibrated in his pocket before he even made it across the street. His grin widened when he pulled it out of his pocket.
“You are SO getting laid tonight.”
“That so?”
“Yes. In every damn way possible. Oh, and you know that thing you always want to do but I never let you? We’re doing that, too.”
Holy fuck…
“For real? Over a kiss?”
“That was the hottest kiss I’ve ever had. I’m stopping by the store on the way home. Next time I see you, you better be naked.”
“Your wish is my command, my queen.”
Swallowing hard, Travis shoved his phone back into his pocket and focused on a wide-eyed crew as he approached them, inviting the freezing January air to cool his boiling blood. By the time he reached them, he was cool and collected and Boston was angrily rooting around in his pockets.
“The fuck was I thinking, sending you over there on a fucking bet like that?” Boston grumbled. “Is your dick made out of gold or some shit?”
“We’re off the clock right now, so I’m letting that slide,” Travis deadpanned.
“What do you know about women that we don’t know?”
Travis flashed him a shit-eating grin. “About that one? Everything. I’m dating her.”
“Aw, come on!” Boston shouted, followed by a chorus of defeated complaints.
“Hey, you set us up, Holmes,” Mex pointed out.
“No, not really. You bet me fair and square. I just took you up on it because I knew I would win. Anyway, keep your money, I’m still buying your lunch. You guys ready to head out?”
“You’re damn right you’re buying us lunch,” Boston spat as the men now walked along the street. “I want white tablecloths and fucking candlelight, dude. The waiters better be in coattails and gloves with the napkins over their wrists. You fucking owe us, dude.”
Travis chuckled and shook his head as he took one last glance back at the restaurant that Beth had gone inside of. “The first time that woman ever laid eyes on me, I was late meeting the guys at the bar. I had just come off the worksite, thrown on a random shirt and jeans, and walked in the door. I hadn’t even showered. But apparently that was good enough for her; I’m sleeping with her every night now. She was interested in me before she even knew anything about me. So you fellas don’t sell yourselves short. High-class ladies do go for guys like us. You just gotta find the right ones.”
Except that not only did Travis have the right one, he had the best. And tonight would be the absolute best Friday night in his twenty-seven years, guaranteed.
“I HOPE YOU like Thai,” Juliet announced breathlessly as Eric opened his door. She stood there, her arms loaded down with takeout bags. “It was the quickest place I could find between work and here.”
Juliet hadn’t heard from Eric all day. It was sort of unlike him but she knew that it had been a busy week for both of them as their businesses were getting back into the swing of things after the holiday break. She knew all about busy. There were days when she couldn’t even locate her cell phone, much less have time for personal communication. But she had to admit, she felt the sting at five o’clock when there were no messages on her phone.
At ten after, however, when she was halfway home, a text came through.
“Dinner at my place tonight? Sorry for the short notice, I just need to see you.”
How could she say no?
After she’d inquired of his preferences and he’d said he didn’t care, she paid the cab driver to let her out a block away from her destination so that she could grab takeout at Thai Garden.
And now here she was, in front of a blue-eyed Adonis, whose eyes seemed like they were another world away.
“It’s fine,” he murmured, standing out of the way to let her in. “Thank you.”
Something was off. The real Eric would have instantly relieved her of her food burden and forced her not to lift another finger. Juliet’s heart pounded with nerves.
He hadn’t even changed his clothes. He padded barefoot across his kitchen, his white shirt open and untucked from his black pants. His belt lay uncharacteristically on the dining room table and she cautiously lay the bags down on the island as she watched him retrieve two beers from the refrigerator. Now was not the time to question him about his diet, she’d decided.
As if he’d read her mind, he looked at her and lifted the bottles that dangled from his fingers. “Beer is good for dulling the spice.”
Her jaw slackened. “Oh, no. Should I have gotten Chinese instead? I’m so sorry, I should have asked. I can place another order, it’s no problem.”
As she hurriedly fidgeted with her purse, searching for her cell phone with shaking hands, she heard the bottles clink on the counter and her heart raced faster and not in the deliciously good way it normally did around him. Damn it, she hated herself in this moment. She could feel an episode coming on and she tried her hardest to silently will it away as she finally found what she was looking for.
As he approached, she nearly dropped the phone out of fear. Stop it. God damn it, stop it, Juliet. This is not happening. He is not going to hurt you. STOP IT!
“Jules,” he said gently, taking the phone from her hand and dropping it back into her purse. His face had softened and the twinkle had returned to his eye. “I love Thai food. It’s perfect. You could have brought me a ninety-nine cent can of ravioli and I’d be happy. I’m just glad you’re here.”
The relief nearly sent Juliet to the floor and the calming of her nerves felt like it had drained all the energy from her body. She could feel the corners of her eyes glistening but she forced herself not to let it go any further than that. She forced a smile past the flush in her cheeks. “Next time I’ll ask.”
Eric smiled warmly, wrapping her now phone-free hand in his. “Don’t ask next time. I love it when you surprise me. You know me so well, I trust your judgment.” Letting go of her hand, he gently tipped her chin and placed a soft, tender kiss on her lips. “This smells amazing and I’m starving,” he whispered. “Thank you.” Pulling away, he reached for the bags on the counter. “Let’s take it in the living room. I need to stretch out.”
Following Eric’s lead, Juliet grabbed the beer bottles off of the island and trotted after him, her heels clicking along the way. As she walked into the living room, he was depositing the bags onto the coffee table and she instantly knew that this was going to be a picnic kind of a night. She was glad that she’d worn a pantsuit to work so that she didn’t have to fight with a skirt. Sitting the bottles down, she kicked off her heels and discarded her blazer across the arm of the couch, before she looked at the table and huffed.
“We forgot a bottle opener. Be right back.”
“No need,” he replied, settling himself down onto the floor. He picked the opener up off of the coffee table. “Got it right here.”
Her first instinct was to ask him how many beers he’d already had but, once again, she chose her battles. Battling was something she didn’t want to do at all. So, instead, she smiled and settled herself behind the coffee table beside him and reached for a takeout bag. “Well, good, then we’re all prepared.”
“I’ve only had one,” he informed her as he rested his back against the couch, stretching his feet out in front of him.
His ability to read her mind astounded her.
“I didn’t say a word,” she replied, setting up their dinner picnic.
“I know. I appreciate that.” Glancing over at her, he scowled. “There’s a table leg separating us. I don’t like that.”
Turning her head to face him, she smiled sweetly. “If your legs were under the table, like mine, then you couldn’t put your knees up. I’d rather you were comfortable. I’m comfortable. We’re fine. We can snuggle up for dessert.”
He nodded as he mused over her answer. “Fair enough.”
For the next few minutes, the pair dined in silence over noodles and curry, in their now normal family-style, sharing the containers instead of eating off of their own plates. They’d abandoned plates awhile ago and she knew that method contributed to some of the looks they received in restaurants, but she didn’t care. The simple act of sharing food with Eric was just as intimate to her as kissing was and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
But after awhile, the silence began to bother her. Clearly something was troubling Eric—it had been written all over his face since he’d answered his door and she dared realize that she detected it in his text. So, finally, after her belly felt the fire of Thai spice and she’d guzzled down half her bottle of beer, she’d unintentionally let out a loud belch and it caused Eric, for the first time that night, to laugh.
“Must be good,” he responded as she giggled and covered her mouth.
“I didn’t mean for that to happen. But I feel better.”
“Yeah, I bet,” he snorted.
Wiping her mouth with her napkin, she dropped it onto the table and sat back against the couch. Creeping her hand over, she laid it over Eric’s that rested on the floor beside him, and caressed his thumb with hers. “Eric,” she said softly. “Are you ready to talk?”
Letting out a sigh, he offered her a weak smirk. “That obvious, huh?”
She nodded.
Sitting back against the couch, himself, he rested his beer bottle in his lap and ran a hand through his hair. “Jules, what would you do if you suspected one of your employees was…I dunno, double-crossing you? A longtime employee. Someone you thought you trusted.”
She blinked as she contemplated her answer, admittedly surprised by his question. The truth was, she wasn’t sure she’d ever run into that situation before. “Um, well…I mean there’s my former receptionist who left me for T&K Contracting. I wouldn’t necessarily consider that a double-cross, but she did quit without notice, which I hadn’t expected.”
Eric’s entire body bucked as he scoffed a laugh. “T&K. Always comes back to them, doesn’t it?”
“What’s going on? Did something happen today?”
“That’s just it, I have no idea. Walked in this morning and Gary Sterling was standing in my lobby, looking for my uncle.”
“Ugh, I hate that worm,” Juliet sneered as she turned up her beer bottle. “I mean, Gary Sterling, not…I wasn’t talking about your uncle…”
“Yeah? What’s your deal with Gary Sterling?”
“There isn’t one. Not anymore. That’s how I ended up in a contract with you. I found out that he was a weasely liar, no better than a car salesman. Thought he was going to erect a Carson Innovations creation while his company is still under a safety violation lawsuit. Like I wouldn’t find out. Wasted six months of my time with that slime ball. The hell was I thinking?”
“Ah. Right. I never trusted him, either, and there’s a reason why his clients always come to us after they’ve dealt with them. But I just—they’re my direct competitor, you know? Why the hell was he in my office, looking for my uncle? It rubbed me the wrong way, the whole thing does.”
“Has that never happened before?”
“Not to my knowledge. And the way he made it sound, they practically talk on a regular basis.”
“Well…I mean, they could be friends outside of work. You think that’s it? It might not have been work-related at all. Maybe your uncle owes him money or something.”
“No. No, that’s not it. I mean, what Walt does in his spare time is none of my business, but Gary said something about Walt being in over his head and letting the shit run over. What the fuck does that even mean?”
Juliet shrugged. “It could go back to gambling. Maybe Walt does owe him money. Maybe Gary’s trying to collect.”
“No,” Eric shook his head. “No, I don’t—it just doesn’t feel right. I don’t like it. I don’t like Gary Sterling or T&K Contracting to even be within a five-mile radius of my employees or my projects. They’re shady and they’re crooked. I don’t like them.”
“So…what do you think, then?”
Finally, he turned his head and he looked at her, his expression pained. “I don’t even think I can say it.”
“Your secret’s safe with me. You know that anything we discuss never leaves the room.”
His chest heaved as he blew out a breath. “I’m afraid Walt might be leaking info about potential clients to Gary…probably for a price. I’m afraid they might have some kind of agreement. Shit, it makes me sick just saying it.”
Realizing her hand was still on his, she squeezed it reassuringly. “Surely that’s not happening. That’s—I mean, if that were the case, your uncle would not only be betraying you, but he’d be betraying your father, too, wouldn’t he? Surely he wouldn’t do something like that.”
“I just—I don’t know. That’s the problem. It’s something that…god, I hate fucking thinking it, but—but I’m looking into it. Is that--? Should I be? Should I be worried? Am I overreacting?”
Juliet frowned as she tucked her hair behind her ear with her free hand. “As much as I hate that you’re feeling this way—and as much as I despise having to say this—I think that it’s best not to ignore your gut. Especially in business. You have a good, solid, reputable company there. You can’t afford to have that reputation jeopardized. I know I don’t have to tell you that.”
“But it’s just—he’s family. You know? Family doesn’t do that shit to each other.”
“And maybe he isn’t. It’s very possible that it looks worse than what it is. For all we know, it could be completely personal. Innocent until proven guilty, right?”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I have someone looking into it. Kim, our IT girl. She’s—she knows people. She’s going to ask around. I feel like a fucking snake, having to go behind Walt’s back like that, though.”
“But you’re the CEO and his boss. Going behind him is your job. Family or not.” Carefully, she removed herself from her seated position and walked around the coffee table. Placing herself on the other side of Eric so that she could be close to him, she took his hand in hers and held onto it tightly. “It’s going to be okay,” she said to him softly. “It’ll all work out. I promise.”
With his face so close to hers, she picked up on the beer and the Thai spice on his breath. Somehow, on him, that smelled like heaven, combined with the faded aroma of his aftershave. So, when he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, she welcomed the kiss with open arms. Or, in this case, with an open mouth.
He deepened the kiss for a moment before he abruptly pulled away and bore his eyes into hers. “When can we have sex?”
She blinked at him, taken aback by the sudden question. She thought they were having dinner. Or…or even a conversation. Dinner conversation. He was troubled and she was comforting him and…and now sex? Her head spun.
Her head shook. “Eric, I—we—we have an understanding, I thought we—right? I thought we—understood…”
“Please, Jules. I need you right now, please.”
She looked him over, her eyes darting all over his face. God, he looked so pitiful. She felt so bad, she knew he needed her, but…but was sex the only answer?
He was so irresistible, with his crystal blue eyes and his soft blonde hair and those lips that just…begged to be kissed. And the way he sat there with his shirt open, exposing his hard chest, she couldn’t help her eyes from landing on the beltless seam of his pants. And then she thought…well, she could help him a little…
Her decision made, she nudged her nose against his and she reached for the button on his pants, but she had barely touched the material before his hands clamped around her wrists. “No. I want more than a blow job. I want you. I want all of you, I want to be close to you, I want to feel you, I want to be inside you. I have a lot weighing heavy on my mind today and I need this. Please.”
Her jaw dropped mindlessly. Oh. So, it wasn’t about her or his desire for her. It was about distracting himself from work. Never mind that he had two weekend days coming up to help him with that, he was just going to try to pull at Juliet’s heartstrings to get his way. In spite of herself, and in spite of the way she honestly did want to go to bed with him right that instant, she couldn’t help but be a little bit offended by his argument. She pulled her hands away and she backed away from him.
“Does it have to be sex?” She asked him earnestly. “Aren’t I enough? Can’t I just be here for you and support you?”
She saw the immediate regret in his eyes, but it was too late for her. He cupped her cheek and rested his forehead against hers. “You’re right,” he murmured. “I’m sorry. You’re just…so damn irresistible. Being with you is just…it’s like…”
“But it’s not about me. Not right now, not like this. And I want to be more than that. I am more than that. I’m a person, I’m not just a body.”
“Baby, I know. I know. I’m sorry. Look, let’s—let’s talk about something else. How ‘bout, um, uh…”
Her heart heavy, she pulled back and scooted away, bending her knees in preparation to stand. “It’s getting late…”
He shook his head rapidly. He knew what was coming. They both did. “No. No, no, it’s not. It’s only—it’s only just after seven, it’s Friday—“
“I’ll help you clean this up. And then I should go.”
“But—I thought we were having dessert?”
“I’m too full for dessert.”
He stood along with her, trying to take her hand as she bent over the coffee table, collecting their leftover takeout containers. “Jules, come on. You’re upset. Please don’t leave here upset. Don’t—don’t leave.”
“I’m not upset,” she replied, as brightly as she could muster.
“You are.”
Standing, she kissed his cheek. “It’s been a long day, for both of us. I think, right now, it’s best that we just chill out and recoup from it.”
“Together,” he whispered. “We can do that together.”
“It’s best that I go.”
Minutes later, after she had discarded their empty dinner containers, she walked around the block in the New York City winter air, swallowing the lumps in her throat, willing herself not to cry. This was best. Leaving for the night, sleeping in her own bed…that was best. Right? Wasn’t it? Was it wrong of her to leave Eric the way she had, troubled and hurt like that? Had she been unfair? Had she overreacted? Had she caused a scene over a moment of weakness just because he’d had a shitty day?
God, she’d wanted to sleep with him until his shitty day went away so bad she nearly couldn’t stand it.
The truth was, she didn’t know what to think or what to feel in that moment. She’d gone from being a good girlfriend to a terrible one in a matter of minutes. What the hell did he see in her? She couldn’t even comfort her own boyfriend in his time of need. What the fuck good was she, anyway?
He couldn’t be happy in this relationship. There was no fucking way. Who would be? Who would be happy in a relationship with a clueless, neurotic nutcase who knew nothing about everything? Who wanted that? He could do so much better. He could be happy with a woman who knew how to treat him right, who knew how to date like a normal person, and who wouldn’t deny him something as simple as sexual gratification just to release a little tension. She wouldn’t be selfish, she wouldn’t be crazy, and she wouldn’t have notoriously slept with seventy-five percent of white-collar Manhattan. She would be normal. And loving. And absolutely not detrimental to his good reputation.
Why couldn’t Juliet be that woman?
Once at home, curled up in her bed after a glass of wine and an unanswered text message to Beth, Juliet had just calmed herself down and prepared to click through a self-help book she had just ordered on her Kindle when her phone rang.
It was Eric. She snatched her phone up in a split second.
“Baby,” he whispered helplessly. “I’m so sorry.”
“No. I’m sorry.”
“No. After you left, I thought about what you said and I was a bastard.”
“You weren’t. You absolutely weren’t.”
“Jules, you practically begged me to see you as a human being and you should never have to say something like that. Ever. I promise you I’m not all about sex. I mean…I’m a red-blooded male, sure, but I’m not—“
“You don’t think this is difficult for me, too?” She asked softly. “You think it’s easy to be close to you and not…not give in to temptation? I don’t think you realize what a force you are, Eric. You don’t realize the affect that you have on me, but I feel like my entire life has been defined by sex. You’re so important to me, I just want everything to be right.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have pressured you—“
“I shouldn’t have left.”
“What?”
“I shouldn’t have left. You needed me and I left and…and I was wrong.”
“Jules, no—“
“Also, we’re adults. And while I don’t want us to be defined by sex, I can’t keep acting like a frigid prude when we both know that it’s an act that comes so naturally when we’re together.”
Eric cleared his throat. And then he cleared it again. “What, um, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that…that when we’re together…I’ve never felt something so right. And, maybe…maybe next time I won’t hold back anymore. You deserve to be shown how special and appreciated you are—in every way.”
Eric’s voice came through strangled. “Juliet.”
“I want you.”
“Juliet.”
“Let’s just sleep on it tonight. Call me in the morning?”
There was a momentary hesitation on the other end, like he tried to speak, but ended up changing his mind. Then, finally, “You’re always the first thing I think of when I wake up.”
A smile crept across Juliet’s face of pure delight. “Goodnight, Eric.”
“Sweet dreams, beautiful.”
After ending the call, Juliet grinned up at her ceiling and let out a giddy squeal fit for a schoolgirl. The next time she saw Eric, she would certainly give him his due. Over. And over. And over.