by Cidney West
CHAPTER 13
Ella had trouble explaining to Scarlett why Cedric Pearce dropped her off. Partly because she didn’t really know why. It was totally random that he’d been on that street at the same time. And even more random that he’d recognized her and then volunteered to drive her home. But it turned out to be a decent end to what was otherwise a difficult evening.
Two days later when she returned to work, she had to force the butterflies swarming in her stomach to settle down. There was no reason to be nervous about going to work.
Or about seeing Cedric again.
All he’d done was take her home. It was unexpected, but it meant nothing. Soon, he’d be gallivanting at a ball, dancing with her stepsisters…. The thought almost made her choke on her bagel. She just could not picture Cedric twirling around a dancefloor with Angie or Marie. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to witness it, either. Then, she reminded herself that she wouldn’t see it because she wouldn’t be there.
Somehow, that didn’t make her feel better about it.
Especially when Cedric was already at the office when she arrived, smiling and chatting with another employee on her floor. Her stomach did little backflips at the sight of him, which she knew was not a good sign. This should not be happening.
But it did happen. Then, it happened again when Cedric caught sight of her and unleashed a lopsided grin. He really should not be allowed to do that to people. Namely, her. Ella smiled back, thinking she needed a minute to sit down and get ahold of herself. Or maybe several minutes.
However, just as she started to settle in for the day, Cedric appeared in her peripheral vision. He still grinned, his eyes twinkling. “As soon as you can, I’d like to talk to you in my office.”
Ella straightened, smoothing her blonde hair down. “I’ll be there in just a minute, Mr. Pearce.”
He gave her a thumbs-up and headed that way, stopping to shake hands with a startled employee who’d just come in. Ella turned to her desk, taking a moment to breathe. He was handsome, yes. He was charming, yes. But she could handle this like a professional.
Ella walked down the hall with her head held high, rapping her knuckles against his open door. Cedric spun around and dug his hands in his pockets. “What do you need, Mr. Pearce?” She snapped herself into assistant mode, prepared for any task he needed her to do.
“Actually, I have a surprise for you.” He shut the door and swiveled around. “How would you feel about taking a ride on my motorcycle after work?” His eyes danced in expectation, but Ella didn’t know what to say. Was she supposed to take rides on the bike belonging to her current employer?
“Well…I…” Ella met his hazel eyes, so much deeper and brighter than she thought when they first met. And somehow, she just couldn’t disappoint him. “That sounds…a little frightening…but I’d like to try it.”
Cedric beamed. “I promise you’ll like it. It just takes getting used to.”
Ella could imagine. What she didn’t imagine was how quickly she was getting used to Cedric’s company.
Ella flew home after work to change, and pull her hair into a secure bun, and then paced around the apartment until the roar of an engine sent her dashing to a front window. It was Cedric, so she slipped into her sneakers and ran downstairs. Cedric met her on the front stoop in his leather jacket with his helmet tucked under an arm, just the way he looked when they first met. He looked her over with approval and brought her over to his bike.
“Nervous?” Cedric said, helping her squeeze into the helmet. As he did so, his fingers brushed along her cheeks and a wave of chills swept over her.
“A little.” Honestly, she hadn’t thought that much about the motorcycle itself. Her stomach knotted thinking about putting her arms around Cedric and she wasn’t sure she could handle it. But she couldn’t back out now.
After giving her some brief instructions, mostly because Ella kept peppering him with questions, he made sure she was secure on the back of his bike. “Can you hear me all right?” His voice came through the helmet and Ella involuntarily set her hands against the sides of hers as if she had earphones on.
“Oh…I can hear you,” she said in surprise. She had no idea helmets were that sophisticated.
Cedric peeked over his shoulder, the lines around his eyes crinkling up. “That’s what I asked.”
“Oh, sure. Sorry. I can hear you just fine.” She raised her voice to be clear.
He eyed her again. “And you can talk at a normal volume. It’s perfectly clear.”
Ella was grateful most of her face was hidden as she felt her cheeks grow rosy. Could she act any more dense? “Right. Sorry.”
Cedric laughed lightly. “Relax, all right? I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Their eyes locked and Cedric’s were about as serious as she had seen them since they met. No teasing, no playfulness. He meant what he said. A tingling sensation spread from her middle outward and Ella thought she might start bouncing in her seat like Angie.
With his eyes still firmly on her, Cedric added, “Just hold tight.” She was so preoccupied with suppressing her urge to bounce or wiggle or do something that she didn’t really listen to him. When she didn’t budge, he wagged his eyebrows through his open visor.
“Oh…what?”
His eyes crinkled up again. “Put your arms around me.”
Ella wasn’t sure she heard him correctly and blinked back.
When she didn’t respond, his eyes widened in question. “Do you not want to put your arms around me? Because that’s kind of how this works.”
Ella tried to snap herself out of her stupor, but it wasn’t working. “No…I mean, yes, I do…” Her mouth parted to fix what she’d just said but no sound came out. Somehow, she’d just told Cedric Pearce she wanted to put her arms around him. What was wrong with her?
A sparkle appeared in his eyes. He twisted around, flipped her visor down, then took one arm in each hand and deliberately wrapped her arms around his middle until her fingers touched. And it felt like he took his time about it too.
Cedric cleared his throat. “Ready?”
Ella could barely nod as every nerve lit up like millions of little fireworks with her body adhered to his. “Ready,” she squeaked, her mouth dry.
“All right. It’s about to get loud.” He gave her a thumbs-up and revved the engine. Ella hugged him, trying not to grip too tight. But as soon as they started moving, she panicked and squeezed with all her might. She thought a squeal escaped her mouth as they took off down the street. It occurred to her that she never asked where they were going. She assumed he was just going to take her around the block or something, but it became obvious quickly that they were going farther than that.
It also became obvious to her as the initial panic subsided and she relaxed that his broad shoulders weren’t an illusion. Even through the leather jacket, Ella could tell that Cedric Pearce was a finely cut specimen of a man. And that only made her more self-conscious as her arms and hands dug into his clothes. She also realized she could be one of several women who’d done this, maybe even that week. While that thought was depressing, she took comfort in the fact that her stepsisters might get to dance with him, but they wouldn’t be this close no matter what.
Eventually, they left the hum of the city behind them. Ella seriously wished she’d asked Cedric where they were going. Finally, he pulled off toward a beach and parked. After he cut the engine, his feet planted on the asphalt, Cedric said, “It’s safe to let go now.”
Realizing her arms were frozen around his middle, she jerked back, her cheeks flushing again. “Sorry…” She pried herself off the seat, taking a moment to get the feeling back in her legs.
Cedric grinned, a twinkle in his eyes as he helped her take off the helmet. She tried to smooth out her hair, though she was certain the helmet had made a mess of things. While she paused to take in the salt air that hit her face, Cedric fiddled with the compartment on the back of his bike, revealing a coup
le of paper bags.
“I thought you might be hungry,” Cedric said. Ella followed him to a boardwalk, where they sat on a bench to eat. Cedric pulled out foil containers, examining the contents through the clear covers. “I knew for sure you liked Thai food, so I just grabbed some takeout.”
Ella happily took a container off his hands, her stomach rumbling at the aroma.
“So, what did you think?” Cedric popped a top off of one of the containers.
“It was scary at first. But once I realized we wouldn’t tip over on the turns, I thought it was kind of fun.”
Cedric aimed a fork at her. “I knew you’d like it. But I could tell you weren’t totally relaxed either.”
Ella dropped her eyes, flushing again as she thought about wrapping her arms around him. She would try to ease her grip on the ride back.
“You get used to it,” Cedric added. “But you did great. I could tell you weren’t terrified, either.”
Ella wasn’t sure about that. “I don’t know. When you first took off, I think I screamed.”
Cedric laughed. “Oh, you definitely screamed.” He tugged on his earlobe. “My ears are still ringing.”
Ella pushed hair behind her ears, focusing on her food. “I didn’t know you were going take off like lightning.”
“How else was I supposed to take off?” From the smile he suppressed, Ella figured he did that on purpose. “Regardless, I’m happy you didn’t hate it.”
Nope. Ella definitely didn’t hate it. And she didn’t hate sitting there in front of the beach, having an early dinner with Cedric Pearce. That she didn’t hate at all and that could be a serious problem for her. No one like Cedric, with his money and good looks, was going to consider Ella seriously. She was an assistant with very little to her name. Not to mention, she knew she’d never fit into Cedric’s universe. Maybe her family had had money, but that wasn’t her reality now. She had a hard time imagining it any other way.
It was still nice to do something fun with Cedric, even if she knew it was temporary.
CHAPTER 14
As he had lunch with Ella at the beach, Cedric realized he didn’t really have anyone right now whom he could just hang out with in a pressure-free way. He’d never had a lot of friends he trusted implicitly, and Hunter remained the one person he knew he could trust through and through. But Hunter was married now and things between them had changed after Hunter’s accident anyway.
And despite the dates he went on, it was tough to sit down and have a normal conversation with most women. They were often either overwhelmed or too comfortable with the situation. But Ella was just normal. At least, she had acted that way so far. She didn’t seem blown away by his presence, but she didn’t act eager to be a part of the high life either. It was too bad he wouldn’t be around for much longer, though he knew this situation was temporary from day one. Ella would just have to stay a short-lived acquaintance.
When he’d dared to tiptoe into Knightley Media’s offices the next morning, Cedric had overheard that the board wanted to get rid of him. Vannoy hadn’t even complained. But Cedric knew no one but his father wanted him in this position. And he guessed he wasn’t handling things the way they wanted. They wanted to plow into Vannoy and bring in new departments and cut any fat along the way.
Cedric just didn’t want to do it. Yes, they needed an update, but couldn’t they ease into that instead? They might not even need to hire all new people for the changes. Some might be willing to switch assignments or learn new skills. It would make more sense to use what they already had in place rather than spend loads of money and time hauling in a whole floor of newbies.
But what did he know? He was just the loser son of Knightley’s CEO.
Seeing Ella once he reached the Vannoy office a short time later only reinforced that. He had other plans regardless. But she was such a hard worker and he was sure she realized he wasn’t up to her level. Some twit with money wouldn’t be enough for a woman like her.
That still didn’t prevent him from making a beeline for her desk and creating an excuse to need her help. Of course, even by the time they walked to his office, his mind was still blank what that excuse should be.
Ella waited patiently with her hands clasped in front of her, her blue eyes open wide, waiting for him to talk. “Thank you for all of your help,” he said, desperate for something to say. He was usually quicker on his feet than this, but as soon as she’d gazed up at him, his mind had turned to scrambled eggs. He reminded himself his sole mission was to get out of this job.
Ella blinked, confusion crossing her face. “You’re welcome, though it’s what I’m here for. What do you need?” She glanced around him to the desk. “A coffee, perhaps?”
Cedric rubbed his neck, catching the smile tugging on her lips. Apparently, she realized he was slow this morning too. “I’m good–I think.” He searched his mind for anything he could pull out as a valid excuse for dragging her back there. “I know I’ve seen everyone’s reports. But I’d like to know everybody’s skills. All of them.” That wasn’t as specific as he’d like but it was something. Though he had no idea where he was going with it.
Ella leaned into one leg, her eyes on the wall a moment. “Would you like to see everyone’s resumés?” She arched an eyebrow uncertainly. He supposed it was an odd request.
He breathed out, nodding. “If it’s not impossible.”
“It’s not impossible…” She drifted off a moment, studying him. “But may I be honest with you?”
That was never his favorite question. But…this was Ella. “Sure.”
She switched legs, taking her time before speaking. “You don’t love paperwork.”
Now Cedric arched an eyebrow. “It’s that obvious?”
Ella let go of a small smile. “It is to me.”
“And that’s relevant because?” He waved his hand, trying to figure out what she was saying.
“Do you know how many resumés you’re asking for?” She met his eyes squarely and Cedric had to fight not to wiggle under her steady gaze.
“No…”
She licked her lips. “It’s a lot, Mr. Pearce. I doubt the reports were as bad.”
Oh. She had a point. And he didn’t consider that. Of course, he was just groping for something to request because he wanted to talk to her…
“How about this?” Ella splayed her fingers out, stepping closer. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for and I can narrow down the list.”
Cedric smiled. She was efficient. But that led to another problem. What was he looking for? He thought through that morning and the stuff with the board and how he thought it would be better to use the employees they already had. So, maybe asking for resumés could be useful. “Technical skills.” That sounded like a good starting point. “Computer skills, more specifically.”
“Like IT?” Based on her questioning expression, he hadn’t been specific enough.
Cedric thought that over. What skills did they need to bring Vannoy into the digital world? “Maybe…and stuff like, I don’t know, web design? That sort of thing.”
Ella’s eyes darted to the side like she was grappling to put it all together. “Okay…” After a beat, she smiled. “I think I have an idea of where you’re going with this.”
“You do?” That was amazing since even he didn’t.
“Yeah, I do. I’ll see what I can find…and narrow down the amount of reading you’ll need to do.”
Cedric gave a lopsided grin. It hadn’t taken Ella long to figure him out. “That would be great.”
“I thought so.” Her eyes twinkled as she turned to leave.
“Ella?” He reached out, wanting to take hold of her arm but stopped himself, though the memory of her arms locked around him the day before tugged on him. He had to admit, he’d liked how that felt. He’d liked it a lot.
“Mm-hmm?” She pivoted back toward him.
His mind drew another blank. He hadn’t called her name for any particular reason, e
xcept that he wanted her around. “Thanks…again…” He smiled, feeling like a goofy teenager.
Ella didn’t seem to mind and smiled back before leaving for real. Once she’d shut his door, he closed his eyes, sighing. What an idiot. Could he look any more like a dunce in front of this woman?
He had to answer: Probably.
Not that it seemed to repel her, but this was her job. In any case, even if she only remembered him for being a dope, at least she might remember him.
Ella couldn’t help the way she smiled for no real reason at random the rest of the morning. She didn’t want to accept that it was Cedric’s doing, but she knew it was. And the only thing that could dampen her mood came at lunchtime. The second she heard the ringtone while she sat in the breakroom eating her salad, she knew she was in trouble.
She finished her meal and disappeared into the restroom to call back. Angie answered with a huff. “Why are you always late?” she whined.
Ella bit back a sharp remark. “Late for what?” she said slowly.
Angie huffed again. “Dress buying! You were supposed to meet us here today.” She could practically hear Angie stamp a foot.
Ella had never received anything from Angie or Marie since the dinner. She was hoping they’d forgotten all about it. It was a vain hope, but she’d clung to it anyway. “I didn’t get your message.” She could argue that they’d never bothered to contact her, but it was pointless. “I’ll meet you another day. You have better taste than I do anyhow.” If you went on the “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” adage.
“You will not!” Angie’s voice pierced through the phone. “We have to be ready for the ball now. Cedric Pearce is dancing with me and no one else.” They had plenty of time, Ella thought. But, again, it was useless to argue. Though Marie might take issue with Angie’s statement. And she did.
“Only you?!” Marie yelled.
“Where are you?” Ella asked before the insults started flying.
Angie ignored Marie long enough to tell her, then said, “Just get here already!” As she hung up, Ella could hear a verbal brawl start.
