Julianne rolled her eyes. “If he asks me out, then he’s probably a jerk. No thanks. I’ll take fake lovers and a good vibrator any day. I’m finished with dating.”
Autumn frowned sympathetically. Julianne had called Saturday to let Autumn know that her date was a dud. He’d attempted the goodnight kiss, but that had fizzled before it began. “At least the last one was forgettable. I advise you to forget him and focus on the future. You deserve to meet someone nice who will worship you for the goddess you are.”
“You’re so sweet. I’m going to get back to my office. Are you going tonight?”
“Yep.” Autumn had a meeting for a potential job, so she’d have to leave Summer earlier than she normally did, but Summer would understand.
“I can’t go. My mom is coming over. She texted something about curtains. I may be in for a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond.” Julianne left, and Autumn buried her face in the spreadsheet on her monitor.
Except now she was thinking about David. If she hadn’t been there as part of a job for Ms. B., then she might have put it on her list of top ten perfect dates. They’d both had fun, and that kiss—that kiss had almost made her forget who and where she was, which could be very dangerous for both Summer and her.
Autumn blamed her distracted state for the fact that she noticed the increased tittering of her co-workers a few minutes later. She looked up to see David entering Carl’s office. Her boss wasn’t a slave driver, which was one of the reasons she liked him. She kept one eye on the door as she worked. What would he say when he saw her? Anxiety pooled in her stomach, turning the jelly sandwich she’d inhaled at lunch back into jelly.
There was no way she was going to survive this. She went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. He’s not joining the accounting department, she reasoned. There would be little reason for them to have to interact. If she could just get through the first meeting, then the rest would go smoothly—as long as she didn’t give herself away by staring at his lips. Then again, if she did that, she’d probably just blend in with the other women mooning over him.
Feeling much better, she dried her hands and face. One more deep breath, and she returned to her desk.
…To find Carl Tucker waiting there with Bill Calder—the owner of the company—and David. Carl smiled as she approached. “There she is.”
Autumn pasted a friendly expression on her face. “I’m sorry, Carl, Mr. Calder. I didn’t have a meeting on my calendar. How can I help you?”
“I wanted to introduce you to David Eastridge.” Mr. Calder seemed to stumble over David’s name. “He’s going to be with us for the next few months conducting a quality review. I’m pulling you from accounting for now. Your job will be to get Mr. Eastridge anything he needs.”
Her face froze. “With all due respect, I’m not a secretary, Mr. Calder.”
Mr. Calder’s face turned to granite, the dark kind with a smooth grain. “You’re not an accountant, either. Your title is Assistant, and I’m telling you to assist Mr. Eastridge while he’s here. I’m setting him up in office 2B.”
Oh, but she’d rather quit. With three years at Calder Co on her resume, potential bosses wouldn’t see the gaping black hole that existed in place of her past. If that failed, she could take on more of the type of work her father had taught her. Too bad Mr. Calder’s face hadn’t actually turned to stone. Where was Medusa when she needed backup?
“Ms. Sullivan, I know this is sudden, but please don’t be upset. My usual assistant was unable to accompany me this time. I promise I’m not hard to work with.” David interrupted her silent planning session with a winsome smile. “I can arrange for you to speak to her by phone if you need more assurances.”
She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“I won’t ask you to bring me coffee, but I will need you to show me around the office and introduce me to key people.”
“You look perfectly capable of meeting people without help.”
Mr. Calder was quickly losing his temper, something Autumn had seen him do before. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but she’d faced worse. “You can either do the job you’re assigned to do, or you can look for employment elsewhere.”
Carl put a hand on Mr. Calder’s arm. “Sir, that’s not necessary. I’m sure Autumn will be happy to assist Mr. Eastridge. She’s working on a file right now, and she doesn’t like to leave a job unfinished. Perhaps she can take the rest of the day to finish up here and hand off her assignments to others, and then she can start as Mr. Eastridge’s assistant tomorrow?”
Leave it to Carl to find a compromise. While it might not be true, it gave both her and Mr. Calder an out that was more effective than David’s assurance of being an affable boss.
“That’s fine,” Mr. Calder said, leaping on the solution.
Autumn didn’t want to give in, but she forced herself to do it. For Summer. She was here in the first place for Summer. She channeled her inner twelve-year-old for the eye roll and accompanying sigh. “Fine. Tomorrow, then. I’ll move my things to the desk outside office 2B. Carl, do you have ideas on who should take over which accounts?”
“Not really.” He patted her shoulder. “Go with your gut.”
Five o’clock came too soon. Autumn had planned to finish up with her most urgent spreadsheet tomorrow morning. Try as she might, there was no way she was going to get it done tonight. Her compatriots hadn’t been thrilled about their increased workload, either, but they’d accepted the extra work gracefully. Stephanie Ceichelski had pointed out that anyone else would have been thrilled to work so closely with David. She even used his first name like she actually knew him. Autumn managed to hold back a derisive snort. If anybody at CalderCo knew him, it was her, and she was the only one who’d earned the right to call him by his first name.
She passed 2B on her way to the elevator. David stood in the doorway, casually lounging against the metal frame and nodding to people as they left for the day. When he saw her, he lifted his hand. “Ms. Sullivan, can I see you for a moment?”
Though tempted to keep going, she reasoned that he was now her boss, and it was never a great idea to piss off your boss before the first day. She felt her lips tighten as she tried to force them into a smile shape. “Of course.” She went into his office, and he closed the door behind them. Though it had a window in the upper half, it still gave them plenty of privacy. “What can’t wait until tomorrow morning?”
If this were one of Julianne’s romance novels, he’d sweep her into his arms and kiss her senseless. But it wasn’t. He gestured toward a chair, but she shook her head, refusing to get comfortable. “I wanted to apologize. I didn’t know your boss was such a dickhead. I had no idea he’d threaten your job.”
“He’s not usually so…harsh. I think having you here rattles him, but I don’t know why. After all, you’re here because he hired you to conduct a quality assurance review. Right? You’ll be analyzing resource allocation and employee productivity?”
“Among other things. For the record, I didn’t ask for you. I asked for an efficient assistant who could get things done even if they seemed impossible. Calder chose you, and Tucker confirmed that you were the best suited for the job.” He came closer, stopping just inside the perimeter of her personal space. “Autumn, I won’t lie. I’m glad I’ll be working with you.”
She should really take a step back, but she wasn’t willing to give up the ground. Instead she crossed her arms over her chest. “I still won’t go out with you.”
“Why not?”
“You mean, besides the ethical considerations?”
He shrugged. “I’m a contractor, not bound by an employee conduct code, which means I’m fair game. Or so I’ve been informed by at least three women today.”
Did he honestly think his rating on the Office Desirability Scale meant anything to her? The number was obviously inflated by his status on the Fresh Meat Scale. “Then maybe you should take one of them up on their offer and leave me alone.”
&nbs
p; Leaning closer, he rested his palms on her arms. “We have chemistry. It would be a mistake not to see where it goes. Come to dinner with me tonight.”
“I have plans already.” She glanced at the clock on his desk. “I’d better get going if I’m going to have a chance of being on time.”
He hauled her so close that her breasts grazed his jacket, and primal fierceness darkened his eyes. “A date? Or a date?”
“Neither. Or both.” She didn’t owe him an answer.
His mouth tightened, but he let her go.
“That could have gone better.” Talking to Summer had always been her preferred way of venting. While she couldn’t exactly vent to her about the thing that had been on her mind for the past three years, she could safely talk about David.
Summer, for her part, slept soundly.
Autumn dusted the dresser as she chattered, carefully wiping down every object and photograph there. Her father would have told her to get rid of the pictures because they posed a risk to their current identities, but Autumn didn’t see the harm. Nobody here knew her and Summer as anything but Summer and Autumn Sullivan, devoted sisters who had the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The nurses liked Autumn because she brought them regular gifts, and housekeeping liked her because she kept the place clean. Not only could sitting there get boring, but Autumn’s cleaning standards were a bit higher than the staff’s.
“Friday night was perfect, though, as I already told you. Most Doms move too quickly. They want to get you tied to their bed or St. Andrew’s cross before you’ve found out their middle name.” Autumn touched Summer’s face. She didn’t know what it was like to be in a coma, but she figured that no human being could go without a loving touch for too long. The nurses sometimes gave Autumn strange looks, especially when she would lay down next to Summer, but she didn’t care. This was her sister, and she treated her the way she would if she were awake.
“I know, I know. You’re going to say that it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten laid. I could say the same thing about you, Summer. I didn’t tell you this, but I had a fling last summer with the UPS delivery guy. I’d meet him at his truck, and we’d duck inside while he took his break. Then his route changed, and I never heard from him again. It’s not like we were soul mates or anything. He did the job I needed him to do.” She finished with the dresser and took the wet sweeper from the closet. “I’m going to do behind the furniture today. It’s that time of the month in more ways than one.”
She scooted the dresser out and cleaned behind it. “Anyway, David is different. I think I could really like him, and that’s dangerous. He’s friends with all these FBI agents, and even though he says he’s there to do a quality analysis, I kind of think that’s a cover. I wish you could meet him because I think you’d draw the same conclusion.”
The dresser creaked and groaned as she moved it back. It wasn’t due to a struggle on her part; the thing was old and on its last legs. “I mean, I don’t think he’ll find anything wrong with my accounts. I’m very careful to keep them neat and tidy. I didn’t swim much the first year you were here, so I had to get exercise from somewhere. Still, I was careful not to disturb the leaves or break any sticks. But when I realized you were going to be here a while, I took up swimming again. Had to. Bills to pay.”
Though she spoke in code, if Summer was listening, she’d know that Autumn hadn’t taken any B-and-E jobs the first year; she’d supplemented her income by skimming a little from various accounts. It amounted to petty cash, and she’d taken less than ten thousand dollars. The totals were hidden in the books because she’d moved money around in a complicated shell game. After that, when she’d realized she was going to be with CalderCo for the time being, she stopped stealing from them and started taking jobs for hire. Her salary at CalderCo didn’t quite cover the cost of Summer’s care.
“I’m meeting someone tonight about a new practice schedule. I’ll let you know how that goes.” Finished with cleaning the small room, she slid onto the bed next to Summer and put her head on her sister’s shoulder. “Are you in the mood to find out what Huck Finn is up to next?”
Summer’s eyes opened, and Autumn’s breath caught. She sat up and smoothed Summer’s hair away from her face. “Summer? It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe.” Her sister wasn’t on a vent, but she did have a feeding tube. “Don’t freak out. You’ve been asleep for a while, and we had to put a feeding tube through your nose.”
From the calm in Summer’s hazel eyes, Autumn could tell that Summer knew where she was. Tears pricked at her eyes, and she struggled to keep from crying. The last thing Summer needed right now—and she might only be awake for a few minutes—was to have Autumn break down. She clasped Summer’s hand.
“I know you have a lot of questions, but they’ll have to keep for now. I sweep for listening devices all the time, but you know, the nurses kind of need them, so I can’t get rid of those. For now, just know that I’m taking care of everything. You’re safe. I swear it.”
Summer squeezed her hand, showing that she understood. Then she squeezed it again, and the slightest bit of a frown creased between her eyebrows.
“What? You want me to read to you?”
The crease didn’t go away.
Autumn sighed. “Is it David?”
The crease eased, and a sparkle came into Summer’s eyes.
“I can’t go for it. He’s the kind of guy who’ll dig into my past, and I’d hate to have to kill him.”
The crease came back, this time more severe.
“I’m kidding. I’m not into wet work. Plus, he’s not a bad guy. If you heard me earlier, I’m afraid he’s in league with the government.” She didn’t want to tell Summer that she was sure David had followed her to Sunshine Acres. She didn’t want her sister to worry.
Summer blinked, and Autumn knew she was fading.
“I love you, Summer.”
Sometimes it was harder when Summer woke up. No matter how she prepared herself, Autumn always hoped it was permanent, and when Summer fell back into the coma, it was like losing her all over again. Heartache stabbing her chest, an hour later, she washed the evidence of tears from her face and dragged herself to the scheduled meet.
Without an umbrella, standing in the rain sucked. The temperature had dropped, both because it was night and because the cold front had moved in. David pressed closer to the building across the street from where Autumn was meeting with a man. The guy didn’t look like anything special. He was middle-aged with a medium build and mediocre looks. Even his khaki slacks and polo shirt were nondescript. The pair drank coffee in the warmth and dryness of the shop, soft light pooling around them from the low-hanging bulb.
Autumn’s expression had even become neutral. She spoke. He spoke. The man occasionally smiled or frowned as he asked a question, but Autumn seemed very subdued. Something wasn’t right. After twenty minutes, the pair stood. Autumn left without once having made physical contact with the man, so if this was a pre-date meeting, it hadn’t gone well.
She exited the shop and looked at the sky. He could almost hear her sigh as she noticed the rain. She ducked her head and trudged across the street toward her car, which wasn’t far from where he was standing. Taking a chance, he hurried out of his spot and pretended he’d been walking down the street.
“Autumn?”
She didn’t respond, and he frowned. He’d spoken loud enough.
Hurrying to the passenger side of her car, he tried again. “Autumn.”
Now she looked up, but she didn’t look surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m staying down the street.” He gestured toward the penthouse his father kept for nights he worked late. It was off-limits to him while David was staying there. “Nice night for a stroll, or so I thought until it started raining. Any chance you’ll give me a ride home?”
She got in and reached across to unlock the passenger door. The car definitely wasn’t one that someone who’d stolen thr
ee million dollars would be driving. It wasn’t a Pinto, but it was nearly as ancient.
“You’re a lifesaver. Thanks. Do you live nearby?”
“Close enough.”
Noncommittal responses didn’t sit well with him. He pushed a little harder, but he couched it as a joke. “I could look at your personnel files and search your address.”
“Might as well, since you’re already stalking me and all.” Her tone was flat, but it didn’t seem like she was angry. She turned the key, and the car roared to life for almost three seconds. A second try produced better results.
“Stalking you?”
She turned, nailing him with a glare devoid of heat or ice. “Are you going to pretend you haven’t spent the last half hour standing over there, watching me while I met with a man who wasn’t you and had coffee? I drank it extra slow just to see how long you’d stand out in the rain.”
David paused to think through possible responses. Of utmost importance was the fact that she’s spotted him, and she hadn’t let on to the fact the whole time he’d been watching. Either she had experience being tailed, or this was one big, unlikely coincidence. He decided to play semi-innocent. “When did you first notice me?”
“When you followed me from the parking garage at CalderCo all the way to the nursing home.” She put the car in gear and pulled into traffic. “You’re good. Not great, but skilled. You’re not in the FBI, but you’re also not in analytics.”
How much of his cover had been blown? And who the hell was Autumn Sullivan? He didn’t think she’d pull into a deserted side street, kill him with an untraceable firearm, and go on about her life. She didn’t give off a heartless killer vibe. “Actually, I am in analytics. I trained with Special Forces.”
“What are you now? A mercenary?”
Surprised at how quickly this conversation was going where he didn’t expect, he coughed. “Are you in WITSEC?”
Re/Leased (Doms of the FBI Book 5) Page 6
