“I kissed her and that was it. I stopped it there. It was a mistake.”
“But she wanted to keep going?”
The way she’d looked at me before I’d touched her. Her eyes hooded and her face flushed. The softness of her skin still made my hands long to hold her again. We had fit perfectly together. “I think so. It didn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. She’s too young.”
He nodded like it all made sense. “She wanted to get a job here.”
“You think that’s the only reason why she was interested in me?”
His cockiness amplified. As if he’d decoded the opposite gender. “You could be her dad.”
I’d been a kid when I’d had him, but it didn’t change that he was right. “No, she didn’t think applying here would be a good idea because of your Grams. If she accepts the position, give her a chance to show what she can do before you write her off as a user.”
His steady gaze remained on me for a few beats past comfortable. “Why’d you move that job out here? At one time, she was willing to move to Denver. Why not Williston? She might’ve done work for you, but you can’t know how she is in marketing without references.”
Wasn’t that a million-dollar question? Why not offer it to her first and see if she’d move somewhere a little closer to home? But I’d been like a man with a purpose, organizing the transfer. “She was unfairly fired and helps her family.” She lost her job, but she’d charged her brothers’ baseball fees. I couldn’t let that go.
“It isn’t going to be easy,” he said softly, surprising me that he actually sounded concerned for someone. I lifted a questioning brow. “It’s going to get out that you paid her a special wage for unknown services and then modified a position so she works under the same roof as you. You haven’t damaged the reputation of the women you actually did sleep with like this.”
“People can assume what they want.”
“People can, but Ms. Brinkley has to work for them.”
“Let her know she can come to us with any issues.” Which might make it worse. Shit, why didn’t I think of that? “She’ll have a probationary period like anyone else. Mrs. Chan is her manager. I doubt I’ll even see her most days.”
Aiden made a noncommittal noise, as if he assumed either me or Kendall would go out of our way to see each other.
Would she?
Would I?
I couldn’t. People wouldn’t take lightly to her having a direct connection to me. No, I’d already done enough harm to her professional standing. The best thing I could do for her was to stay far away.
Chapter 13
Kendall
My first day of work. On Friday, before heading into a weekend of applying for jobs, after a week of lackluster interviews, I’d gotten two bursts of good news.
The first was a notification from my bank that a deposit had been made. A sizable one. One that left me beaming and vexed at the same time. I wasn’t a charity case, but damn did I need the money. The amount was close to a month of my previous wages. The paystub I’d been emailed indicated that it was prorated based off an oil CEO executive assistants’ salary.
If that was close to what other executive assistants made then I should’ve followed through on that job with Beckett King.
But no, I had no wish to be in the middle of that level of family drama, especially if it involved Emilia Boyd.
Brendell had stared at me when I’d beelined into his office and asked for help moving my stuff from my parents’ to my new apartment.
The next burst of good news was getting a call from King Oil HR. There was a distance-based entry level marketing position open and I came highly recommended. I didn’t have to ask by whom, and after an interview where the guy interviewing me looked at my legs more than my face, I also didn’t want to push my luck. I accepted immediately.
Smiling to myself, I collected my things and got out of my car. King Oil headquarters loomed in front of me in all its glass-walled glory, reflecting the sun in a way that made the building look like the rich brown of fresh oil. It was four stories tall, and the crown on the emblem that made up the “O” in oil was unmistakable branding.
I strutted inside, my stomach a flurry of tumbling nerves. Would I see Gentry? Had he dived right back into work and forgotten about me? It’d only been two weeks since our time together. I was sure he was the one behind my recommendation for this job, so he hadn’t completely forgotten about me.
At the reception desk, I gave my name and waited until the receptionist called someone named Mrs. Chan.
A woman with short black hair and appraising eyes walked out, her heels clicking on the tile. Her navy suit was impeccable. I felt like a cluttered discount bin facing her in the boots and skirt I’d worn on the flight to Douglas.
She gave me a pleasant smile. “You must be Kendall. I’m Mrs. Chan, the marketing manager for King Oil.”
“Nice to meet you.”
She nodded once and turned, indicating for me to follow her. “Come. I’ll show you to your office and get you started on the HR paperwork and videos. That’ll take up most of your day.”
I looked forward to it and the challenge of learning a new job.
She took me up to the third floor. When the elevator doors opened, I expected a Herman Miller cubicle farm like the one I’d worked in earlier. There were cubicles, but not like I’d ever seen. The walls were much higher and not set as small, squared-off boxes. They were curved and earth toned, using the deeper browns and taupe that accented the exterior of the building. As Mrs. Chan led me by them, I saw people on exercise ball chairs, standing desks, and treadmill desks.
But when she led me to my office, my mouth dropped open. It was a real office. In the corner, facing out the back of the building, overlooking the outskirts of Billings. A walking trail wound through the lawn and at the far edge were remnants of cattails that must mean there was a damn pond on King Oil property.
“This is nice.”
An unreadable expression flitted through Mrs. Chan’s eyes. “Yes. It is.”
My computer was already on, and she walked me through passwords, training courses, and had the forms I needed to fill out already downloaded.
When she apprised me of enough to keep me busy until the end of the day, she rose. “The break room is down the hall. I can take you around and introduce you to the team before break and show you where everything is at.” Her lips pursed. “And introduce you to the rest of management.”
Did that include Gentry? Or Aiden? Did everyone here call them Mr. King, and did it get confusing? “Thank you.”
I was about to turn back to my screen, when she closed the door and faced me. “I hate to bring it up before you even have a chance to begin, but I wondered why Mr. King moved a position from Williston to the home office.” She speared me with her direct gaze. “But then I heard about the trip to Douglas.”
I recoiled. What? So everyone here thought I got the job because I slept with Gentry?
I didn’t have a chance to ask before she continued. “Just know that I’m trying to be open-minded and not scrutinize your work more than any of the others, but you will be held up to the standards of everyone else.”
“I’d expect no less,” I said stiffly.
She feathered her fingers over her hair, the conversation seeming to bother her as much as it did me. “He’s never done this before with any of his others and I can’t argue that there’s no reason this couldn’t be a distance position, but it would’ve helped if you were around your actual team for a while.”
He’d never done this before? So now, not only did everyone think I got this position because I had sex with Gentry, but that I must have a golden pussy as well. Was that better or worse?
“Mrs. Chan, I didn’t sleep with Mr. King.” My cheeks burned and I feared someone would jump out and yell liar. I slept with him a lot. Fully clothed. I refused to think about the kiss. “But while we were stranded, I offered to help him with work since I had nothing to do.”
She cocked her head and I was reduced to being a bug under her lens. “I certainly hope that’s the case. I hope you impressed him with your skill and knowledge and that’s why he bypassed other more highly qualified applicants.”
Could he do that? Legally? He must’ve. Otherwise the news of me being hired wouldn’t have spread so fast.
She pointed to the phone. “Dial 301 or shoot me a message if you need anything.”
I glanced out the door as she left. Humiliation swaddled me like a prickly blanket. I wanted to crawl out of my skin and into the nearest black hole.
He’s never done this before with any of his others. Getting up, I went to my door and closed it. I needed more than a few minutes to face everyone in this building, including Gentry.
Break came way too soon. Mrs. Chan knocked on my door and popped her head in. “Ready to meet everyone?”
No. Absolutely not. “Yes, thank you.”
Getting shown off on the first day of a new job always ranked as the most uncomfortable experience in adult professional life. Today, a healthy dose of steroids was dumped into that experience.
I greeted everyone, forcing myself to stand still under their inspection. It was like I could hear what was going on in their heads. She’s the one he did this for? I bet she doesn’t know a lick of marketing. Will she disappear into his office for nooners?
My face burned so hot, I feared the top layers of skin would peel off.
Then to make things worse, Mrs. Chan led me to the elevator. “Time to meet Aiden and swing by Mr. King’s office.”
Now I knew how to address each of them. “Does Ms. Boyd have an office here too?” When I met with her, she’d met me in public, at a restaurant.
“She doesn’t work too often anymore, with the exception of board meetings. Most things have been turned over to Aiden and Mr. King.” Thank goodness. “But she’s in today.”
For fuck’s sake. I wasn’t catching a break at all.
The fourth floor was blinding. Light streamed in all the windows, unencumbered by cubicle walls. A desk with a young man in a cornflower-blue suit sat in the middle. Each corner had a door and there were a few desks making up a waiting area by the assistant’s desk.
“Morning, Phillip.”
Phillip grinned. “Happy Monday.” His gaze landed on me and I stood still for his perusal. “You must be Ms. Brinkley. You guys can go on into Aiden’s office. Mr. King just took a call.”
Mrs. Chan’s gaze flicked to me, as if she was assessing my giddiness over getting to see Gentry again.
I wanted to bolt when Mrs. Chan swung open the door to Aiden’s office. This was the guy who couldn’t stand his dad’s lifestyle and had used his wife to throw it back in Gentry’s face. What the hell was he going to think of me?
A younger version of Gentry sat behind an imposing desk. He looked up, his expression unchanging. I might as well have been another stack of reports. His face was more angular than Gentry’s, and his hair had a cowlick on the right side that had probably been adorable as a kid. His desk was sparse, save for one photo by his phone. His wife? I couldn’t tell.
The pictures on his walls looked like Montana countryside, but farther east where it was flatter.
“Aiden. This is Ms. Brinkley. Have you two met?”
His intense scrutiny was focused on me as he stood. He was a couple inches taller than Gentry, and while Gentry had a lean and muscular frame, Aiden was stockier, if that term could be used to describe someone who towered over everyone.
“I haven’t, but I’ve heard my father rave about your work.”
“Thank you. I plan to surpass the compliments.”
He lifted a brow in a move that could be construed as arrogant, but I didn’t get that impression. Everything about Aiden’s demeanor could be written off as conceited, like the way his upper lip curled just a little. But I think it was just him.
“Good to hear. You’re from Billings?”
“Born and raised.”
“My wife works at the library. She’s our age. Kate McDonough.”
He married a McDonough? I’d heard he’d gotten married, and then only what else Gentry had told me about it. But not who. The boys in that family were on a first-name basis with every law enforcement officer in Billings, and probably the sheriff’s office and highway patrol as well. I vaguely remembered the McDonough brothers had a sister. She was quiet, a book nerd, and a real wallflower.
“I think I’d recognize her if I saw her, but I recall nothing but good things.”
That earned a hint of a smile. Perhaps he wasn’t using Kate. I didn’t get the impression he smiled much, unless it was good for business.
“Let me see if my father is off the phone.” He crossed to a door that connected his office to Gentry’s and just walked on in.
I couldn’t see Gentry, but the offices looked similar.
“I believe you’ve already met our newest employee.” Aiden stepped aside, like a big reveal. Here’s the woman you slept with, and we all know it.
Gentry’s gaze lifted from his screen. His expression could be considered pleasant but there wasn’t a smile ready to happen. “Ms. Brinkley, welcome to King Oil.”
“Thank you, Mr. King.” There. I was just as cool and collected as him even if my insides were roiling. His suit jacket hung on a hook by the other door, and his pewter shirt only made his shoulders look impossibly wide. I’d seen him in business clothes on a private plane and in a hotel room, but I couldn’t picture him as a desk guy until now.
There was no doubt he owned the space. The giant windows behind framed a Montana landscape that had seemed to form especially for him. His office overlooked the walking path and park behind the building. His office was also directly above mine.
My cheeks warmed. He’d been directly above me once before. Then it was all over before we got started.
He turned his focus back to his computer. We’d all been dismissed.
Hurt reflected through me. What did I expect? That he’d ask about Wendell and Lenny’s baseball? Or Brendell’s baby?
Mrs. Chan’s smile was tight but her eyes were relieved, as if she’d expected Gentry and I to eye-fuck each other. “Come. I’ll show you where the break room is.”
I looked toward Aiden to thank him for the welcome, but he was eyeing his dad with an introspective expression. Gentry had made him sound like a hard-ass, but he’d been the most congenial one I’d met. Mrs. Chan didn’t radiate hostility. More like a “fine, if I have to” attitude about training me.
I followed her out. Aiden trailed behind me.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d read into this position until now. That Gentry more than liked me as a person. That he couldn’t forget me. That our short make-out session had meant something. I knew my place now, and it was nowhere near Gentry King.
Chapter 14
Gentry
A message popped up on my screen. I usually ignored the notices. After all this time, I could tell if it was important or not in the periphery of my vision. This one caught my full attention.
Sender: Kendall Brinkley.
I hadn’t seen or heard from her in the three weeks since she’d been my employee. I pulled up her message.
I wanted to thank you for paying for those hours worked in Douglas. It wasn’t necessary, but since you did I was able to secure an apartment. And thank you for the job.
That was it. I wanted to know more. Had her brothers started baseball? Was anyone giving her problems with the job? Was she free Saturday night?
None of those answers were my business. I could ignore her email. I should ignore it. Not many lower level employees emailed me directly unless they were given approval by their manager. But Kendall’s supervisor was in North Dakota and I hadn’t spent four days with any other employees other than my son.
I swept the cursor over the delete button. It hovered there.
Dammit. I typed a reply. You’re welcome.
I was about to hit se
nd when I recalled the hurt simmering in her eyes after my curt dismissal of her in my office after she’s started working. Telling myself it was necessary didn’t make it better, but I also didn’t miss how Mrs. Chan seemed satisfied that I didn’t roam around Kendall like a prize bull looking to mate. Aiden had looked at me like he’d never seen me before.
I added, How’s the job going? Before I lost my almost forty-nine-year-old nerve sending a woman an email, I hit reply.
There. It was done.
But I couldn’t go back to work. I watched the wave of dots that told me she was replying. Fuck the reserve reports. I waited.
It’s good. Really interesting and more than what I went to school for. I didn’t realize how stifled I was at my old job. I’m even going out with some coworkers tonight.
So much for Aiden’s fear.
Have fun. I paused. Giving up my internal battle, I typed, Have the twins started baseball?
Just the workouts and practice, no games yet. The smiley face after her words only made me imagine her grin and how her teal eyes lit up. Then I compared them to how dark they got when she was in my arms and under me.
Aw, hell. The pressure was back. My blood headed south. Not again. Just when I was getting to a point where I didn’t think about her every second. I was going to have to go out for a few drinks. No plans to pick up any company, but a delay to keep from jacking off in the shower, alone, on another Friday night. Good thing no one told my teenage self that things didn’t change much by the fifth decade.
The next words I typed flew out of my fingers and my thumb hit enter before I could stop it. Dawson played ball and we have a lot of land if they ever want to practice. I could give him a call. King’s Creek was a couple of hours away. What the hell was I thinking?
The wavy dots held me captivated. When her reply hit, I started to laugh. Please tell me Dawson’s not turning twenty-nine soon and this isn’t a setup. I heard the words in her wry tone.
Promise. No hidden agendas. But if Emilia ever invites you out…
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