Beauty and the Brooding Boss

by Barbara Wallace

  Her heart broke a little more. Yet at the same time it somehow managed to swell. She didn’t know why he chose her to hear his story, but she was honored and humbled that he did. A sense of something deeper than companionship wrapped itself around them. At this moment, in this place, she felt closer to Alex Markoff than she’d ever been with a person. It was like they belonged together, sitting here on this rock.

  “Do you have any idea what you’ll do when you go back? Once this job is over?”

  And like that, the illusion fell away.

  “I don’t believe in thinking too far ahead,” she said, chasing away the dullness in her stomach. “Plans have a way of changing.” Or getting yanked out from beneath you. “There are always temp jobs available. I’ll find something that interests me.”

  “Another difficult boss that pays extra?”

  “Hopefully I won’t need to.” When he cocked his head, she added, “I have a debt I need to pay.”

  “May I ask why?”

  Maybe the tranquil setting lowered her defenses, or maybe she was feeling the remnants of closeness from before, but like the other night, Kelsey found herself wanting to share her own story. “My grandmother forged my signature on a loan application that she never paid back. And before you ask, no, she didn’t have a good reason.” Unless lack of a moral compass counted.

  “Don’t,” she said cutting off what she knew was coming. She recognized the emotion in Alex’s eyes. She hated that look, hated being seen as some pathetic orphan. Especially by him. “She’d never been much of a grandmother to begin with. The loan thing wasn’t a big surprise when I found out.”

  “You know that legally, you don’t have—”

  “To pay? I know, but then I’d have to turn her in to the authorities for fraud.”

  “And you don’t want to.”

  She gave him a weak smile. “Lousy grand mother or not, she’s the only family I’ve got. Besides,” she looked away so he wouldn’t see the shame in her eyes, “she’s already a guest of the state. Check kiting.”

  A fish jumped in the stream, splashing water across her bare toes. Chin resting on her kneecap, she ran a hand up and down her chilled leg. “Punishing her more felt petty.”

  Alex didn’t respond. Kelsey didn’t really expect him to. After all, how do you react when your assistant unloads that kind of information, other than be sorry you asked? From the way he folded into himself at her last comment, he definitely regretted asking. She never should have shared in the first place. Now every time he looked at her, he’d see poor little Kelsey whose grandmother ripped her off.

  Instead of what? Kelsey the employee? Or Kelsey the woman?

  “Just goes to show you really can’t trust anyone, doesn’t it?” she forced herself to say lightly.

  “No, I guess you can’t.” His words, flat and faraway, made her sad.

  “Anyway, thanks to you and Mr. Lefkowitz’s increased pay rate, I’ll have most of the debt paid by the fall and I can put the whole debacle behind me.”

  Unsure what else to do, she reached for her shoes and socks. The movement pulled him back to the present and he looked up. “So my…temperamental behavior serves some purpose after all.”

  “Looks that way.”

  She tied her sneaker and together, they scrambled to their feet. Once again, Kelsey marveled at how effortlessly Alex maneuvered. He must be a sight to behold when he had two working arms.

  “I don’t know why you’re complaining about waiting a month,” she said, nodding at his cast. “You move pretty well.”

  “Move, perhaps. But I’d give my other arm to be able to scratch again. Do you have any idea how much my arm itches? And don’t get me started on having to shower with my arm wrapped in plastic.”

  She held her hands up in surrender. “I take back my words. Your suffering knows no bounds.”

  “Thank you.”

  A crumb from a turnover clung to the hem of his sling. “Looks like we should have brought you a napkin.” She reached out to brush it away.

  The charge started as soon as her fingers touched the heavy canvas. The pull of a connection completed. Without thinking, she traced along the hem, running her fingers downward until they touched the hard plaster. From beneath her lashes, she saw Alex watching her, his eyes bright like silver as they scanned her face. Looking for something.

  The surface beneath her hand went from hard to soft. A couple brushes of her index finger and she realized she was touching Alex’s skin. Color flooding every inch of her, she yanked her hand away.

  “We—we should probably head back.” She balled her fingers into a fist, blasting herself for the slip.

  But Alex simply continued to study her, a new layer marking his inspection. Some new facet in his silver-gray eyes Kelsey couldn’t describe. “There’s a hogback another half a mile upstream with an amazing view,” he said, tucking a stray tendril behind her ear. “Interested?”

  “Sure.” She had no idea what a hogback was, but at that moment, with him watching her like that, she’d follow him anywhere.

  It was dusk by the time they returned. Impossibly, the second location was more idyllic than the first. A space among the trees where the rock formed natural stairs and you could sit and see the green valley below. Together they’d sat and watched the raptors catch thermals while finishing the last of the turnovers. The birds were, of course, captivating, but she’d found herself more captivated by the man whose knees provided her backrest. He was a presence that was impossible to ignore. A brush of his elbow, the whiff of his scent. Dear Lord, if he ever were to smile—really smile—in her direction, she’d be a goner. As it was, her pulse quickened every time he so much as looked in her direction.

  “Thank you,” she said as they climbed up the stairs to their rooms that night. “Today was…” She didn’t have the words.

  Turns out she didn’t need them. “Yeah, it was.” Alex leaned against the balustrade, his perpetually intense eyes dark and smoky in the dimly lit hall.

  Kelsey’s pulse skipped a beat. Her first instinct was to break his gaze and focus on something else. The energy in the air reminded her of a first date, although though they were a million miles from such a scenario. But still, a note of expectancy hung in the air. Like those nervous last minutes, right before the good-night kiss, when your mouth runs dry.

  She bet Alex kissed wonderfully.

  Alex pushed himself away from the rail and moved slowly toward her. Kelsey’s insides started to spin. Her mouth went dry.

  Seeking ballast, she reached for the doorknob behind her. “Good night.”

  He didn’t miss a beat. In fact, he’d been reaching for his own door. But his eyes were still smoky and dark when he looked in her direction. “Good night, Kelsey. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  The heat that night was oppressive. Or so it felt to Kelsey. Long after she said good-night to Alex, she lay on top of the covers, heat pressing down on the thin cotton T-shirt she wore as a nightshirt. That her sleeplessness was related to anything other than the heat, she didn’t want to consider, even if images of Alex appeared every time she closed her eyes. Alex sitting by the river. Alex’s eyes as he said good-night.

  Speak of the devil. In the next room she could hear his bed creak and the sound of footsteps on the floor. Apparently she wasn’t the only one having trouble sleeping in this heat as well. Interestingly, the humidity didn’t feel nearly as strong earlier. A weather front must have moved in.

  Maybe if she opened the window wider the air flow would improve.

  With a sigh, she eased herself off the bed and padded to the window. At first, she was surprised to see a soft light spilling out onto the pine trees, till she realized the moon was directly overhead, lighting the yard like a spotlight. She heard the scrape of a window opening to her left. Then a second. Alex? Curious, she raised her window screen and looked out, coming face to face with her neighbor.

  “Shhh,” he admonished when she opened her mouth to speak. H
e pointed toward the trees. Kelsey followed his finger, wondering what he was doing.

  Then she heard it. A soft, distinct hoot-hoot coming from the tree. A second later, a giant owl swooped down past her window, gliding low over the ground and disappearing into the shadows.

  “Wow.” In the night air, her stunned whisper sounded loud.

  “Beautiful creature, isn’t she? Usually she hangs out deeper in the woods, but she must have decided to do a little exploring tonight.”

  Kelsey looked down at the shadows, to where the bird vanished. She’d never seen anything like that before. “Think she’ll be back?”

  “Not tonight anyway.”

  “Isn’t there some kind of rule about owls outside your window being bad?”

  “Only if she shows up three nights in a row. I think you’re safe.”

  “Good. I’d hate to have more bad luck.”

  “You and me both.”

  His comment only fueled her unsettled insides. What was it about his sadness that touched her so deeply?

  “Still,” she said, keeping the subject light, “she was beautiful.” She turned her head to look at him. “I’m glad I got to see her.”

  “Me too.”

  And then, to her surprise, he smiled. A real, honest-to-God, full smile that put the owl’s beauty to shame. It lit up his face and melted her insides.

  Breathtaking.

  Fifteen minutes later, Kelsey was back on her bed counting sheep. This time she didn’t even try to blame her sleeplessness on the heat.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  SINCE she was awake early anyway, Kelsey decided to head into town for more pastry. She and Alex had eaten the entire batch on their hike. A thrill passed through her remembering the feel of his body shielding hers on the trail, another still as she recalled his smile last night. Then she firmly pulled herself together. It was just a hike and a bird-watching moment. Don’t read too much into it. After all, who said the smile was directed at her? Maybe he was simply happy to see the owl up close.

  Like it had been the day before, the Bean was jammed with customers, most in line for gourmet takeout. Here and there she caught snatches of conversation, all excited commentary about the gala concert that night. Farley, meanwhile, held court at the register, grumbling and grousing with each sale he rang up. Kelsey chuckled.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were stalking me,” a voice said in her ear.

  Startled, Kelsey jerked her cup away from the coffee she was pouring, splashing it on the counter. She turned around to find Tom standing behind her wearing another of his ubiquitous tropical shirts. “Sorry,” he said handing her a napkin. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “Since you’re the one who’s always walking up on me, shouldn’t I be the one worried about stalking?” she asked, mopping up her spill.

  He smiled. “Good point. Why don’t we chalk it up to a mutual love of caffeine.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  He reached past her to grab a cup. As he did, Kelsey got a whiff of flowery aftershave. Pleasant, but nothing like Alex’s earthy scent. That, of course, conjured up another memory from yesterday. Without meaning to, she sighed.

  “That was a pretty contented sound,” Tom remarked. “What’s got you in a such a good mood?”

  “Who says I’m in a good mood?”

  “For one, the sparkle in your eyes. Along with that smile.”

  “Just enjoying the beautiful weather.”

  “And here I thought it was my charming company.”

  Kelsey kept quiet while he prepared his coffee. She didn’t mean to be coy, but Tom’s comments left her unsettled. Despite his jovial tone, she sensed an edge. Probably wasn’t used to women turning him down, she imagined. Reaching for the half-and-half she shot him a smile, silently letting him know her lack of interest wasn’t personal. He just wasn’t her type.

  “Do you have any potato salad with fat-free mayonnaise?” a woman at the counter was asking Farley.

  “We got two types of potato salad. With and without egg. You want nonfat, you have to make it yourself.”

  Both Tom and Kelsey snickered. “Will you listen to him?” Tom chuckled. “You’d think he doesn’t like making money.”

  “Nah, it’s all show for the customers. I bet he’d miss them if they left.”

  “Unlike your boss.”

  Kelsey’s smile faltered. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing. I only meant Farley pretends to not like crowds, while Markoff really doesn’t.”

  “Al—I mean, Mr. Markoff, likes his privacy.” And she wasn’t about to betray it now with Tom. She turned to leave.

  “Hey,” he said, catching her shoulder. “I didn’t mean anything. I can appreciate the quirks of creative genius, and God knows, Markoff is a creative genius. I hope I didn’t tick you off.”

  Some of her annoyance faded. “No, you didn’t. I simply—well, my job requires discretion.”

  “Of course. I understand.” He started to sip his coffee, then stopped suddenly with a thought. “Hey, you still not interested in the music festival?”

  Kelsey had to hand it to him; he had perseverance. “Thanks, Tom, but I think I’ll pass.”

  “Oh, no, I didn’t mean come with me. I, uh—” he blushed “—already found another date.”

  “Good.” It was Kelsey’s turn to blush.

  “Some friends of mine from New York bailed at the last minute and I have a couple extra tickets. If you’re interested, you can have them.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure. I’m not one to hold a little thing like rejection against a fellow coffee lover. You can take a friend. You interested?”

  Despite knowing better, an image of Alex and her sipping wine in the moonlight flashed into her mind. She imagined him smiling again, only this time maybe standing a little closer.

  It was a fantasy.

  On the other hand, what would it hurt to take the tickets? She could always go alone.

  “Sure,” she answered. “I’m interested.”

  The local radio station talked of nothing but the upcoming event as she drove back to Nuttingwood. A gala like none the Berkshires had ever seen. Kelsey got a thrill listening to the buildup. Moonlight and music. Sounded like a wonderful evening.

  Alex was already out on his walk when Kelsey got to the house. Leaving the turnovers she bought on a plate next to the coffeemaker, she filled her new green coffee mug and took it, along with her other surprise, into the office.

  “Hey, Puddin’, look what I brought home for you.”

  The cat meowed hello and trotted out to greet her. Or more accurately to greet the plate of fresh tuna she brought with her. “Everyone gets a treat this morning,” she said, scratching his head. “You can have the rest before we go out tonight.”

  Her hand reached into her pocket and felt the tickets Tom had given her. What did one wear to a gala like none had ever seen? All she had was a pink cocktail dress left over from New Year’s Eve. It had cost too much to donate away or stick in storage, so she’d brought the garment along. She loved the dress, but was it glamorous enough? Alex would know; he had far more experience with society events than she did.

  With that one thought, reality regained control. All this thinking about Alex and his smile. And the concert. Why would Alex go to an event like that in the first place, let alone go with her? It wasn’t like they had some kind of relationship.

  But you’d like to, wouldn’t you?

  No, she wouldn’t. She didn’t want a relationship with Alex other than the one they had. They weren’t even relationship material. He was too busy being angry with the whole darn world and she…she was temporary in every sense of the word. In a few more weeks, she’d be out of here, and they’d never see each other again.

  Besides, she knew better than anyone that any feeling this good could never last.

  “Tell me that cat isn’t eating tuna fish from a plate.”

&nb
sp; She looked up in time to see Alex step onto the terrace. Their gazes locked, and he stopped in his tracks. Kelsey’s insides, on the other hand, went into free fall. All of a sudden she felt very shy.

  “Morning,” he said, his voice dropping to a honeyed baritone that sent the free fall into overdrive. “You were up and out early.”

  “So were you.”

  “I couldn’t sleep. The heat.”

  “I know. I mean, about the heat.” In the early morning light, his eyes glinted like polished silver.

  Unable to hold his stare, Kelsey looked to Puddin’. “I couldn’t sleep either so I went to Farley’s for coffee. Brought back some turnovers.”

  “Pastry and tuna. That’s quite a combination.”

  “Well, Puddin’ didn’t think humans should have all the fun.”

  “Interesting. I didn’t realize you and he were on such intimate terms.” Hearing the word intimate slip off his tongue so easily, Kelsey’s breath hitched. It caught again when Alex grinned. Not as wide or bright a smile as the night before, but every bit as breathtaking.

  “He’s a very good listener,” she replied, unable to stop herself from nervously tucking hair behind her ear.

  “I bet. Any topics I’d be interested in?”

  “I’ll never tell.”

  “Ahh,” he said, grinning wider. “You might not, but I know your partner’s weakness.” He leaned down to look at the cat licking his whiskers. “From the looks and smell, I’d say albacore white packed in water.”

  “You wouldn’t sell me out for a serving of tuna, would you, Puddin’?”

  The glint that had been shining in the sun grew hard. “People will always sell you out, Kelsey.”

  Ouch. The lightheartedness began to fade.

  She was struggling with how to rescue the atmosphere when Alex turned to head inside. “I have two tickets to tonight’s fund-raiser,” she said in a rush, stopping him in his tracks. “Would you like to go?”

  Alex didn’t answer. He simply stared, looking as surprised as she felt.