“My head?” His brows momentarily furrowed. “Oh, you mean the whiskey.”
Hugging her arms to her body, she nodded. “Yeah.”
“I drank too much,” he said bluntly.
Something in his voice rang false.
“Let me guess.” She let out a wry laugh. “You can’t remember what happened last night, but the liquor is to blame, right?”
That was an excuse she’d heard once or twice before. She’d even used it herself, in fact.
“No.” His gaze met hers for the first time that morning. “I’m not going to wuss out that way. I remember everything.”
The tightness in her limbs eased, and she let out a breath.
Andrew shook his head. “But it was still a mistake.”
A mistake.
His words wrenched her gut, filling her mouth with a bitter taste.
“Why?” she found herself whispering.
With a bitter laugh, he snatched a second towel and used it to wipe his damp chest and hair. “You really have to ask that? We work together, Hailey. You’re technically my employee, for god’s sake.”
“I told you that didn’t matter—”
“One night, right?” He turned to face the sink, dropping the towel beside it. “That’s what we agreed to.”
“Yes.” She studied his face in the mirror. Watched as he dug into the little black bag on the counter and withdrew an electric shaver.
He looked so cold. So impersonal. Nothing like that passionate, sensual man who’d spent all night making love to her.
“Well, the night is over.” When his eyes met hers through the glass, they were the eyes of Andrew the boss, not Andrew the lover.
Swallowing hard, Hailey tried to ignore the burn in her throat. Why did his words bother her so much? He was right. They hadn’t signed on for anything permanent. She’d gotten exactly what she wanted, which was a night of hot sex with the man she’d always longed for.
And now it was done.
If it stung just the slightest bit that Andrew didn’t seem interested in continuing what they’d started last night, that he didn’t find her as addictive as she found him…well she’d let herself think about that later. When she was alone.
“You’re right.” She adopted her poker face, the one that had gone head-to-head with the Poker King and won a round or two. “It was fun, but now it’s over.”
Something heated flashed in his gaze, but it was gone in an instant. “Good. Back to normal, then?”
She couldn’t stop the crooked smile that crept to her lips. How could things ever be the same again? But if that was the way he wanted to play it, she would too.
“Back to normal,” she agreed.
The shaver clicked on, its vibrating noise unnaturally loud in the loaded silence stifling the room. Andrew held it up to his neck and started shaving. “I’ll be staying another day, but you don’t need to be here. I’ll have the driver take you back to the city around noon.”
So now that he’d gotten what he wanted from her, he was totally done? Ouch. That hurt.
You asked for this, Hailey. You’re the one who suggested a one-night stand.
She couldn’t complain because he was now abiding by their terms. Even if the wrench in her heart told her their encounter had meant more than she wanted to admit.
Still, she wouldn’t just slink away. That wasn’t her. If he wanted her gone, she’d leave…but not without giving him something to remember her by.
“Sounds good.” She opened the robe and let it slip from her shoulders. Then she stepped toward Andrew, mindful of the way he froze and his free hand gripped the counter like it was a lifeline.
Not as unaffected as he wanted to be. That was good to know.
Sliding in behind him, she pressed a kiss to the back of his shoulder, then gave him a sultry smile through the mirror. “Thanks for a great night. I’ll see you tomorrow…boss.”
Putting some extra swing in her hips, she turned and sashayed toward the door.
The heat of his gaze followed her the whole way there.
Chapter Six
The following Monday at work was interesting, to say the least. Andrew pretended Hailey didn’t exist, while she did her best to make him remember all the naughty things they’d done together less than forty-eight hours before. Because what was the point in sleeping with your brother’s former best friend and current boss if you couldn’t later torture him about it?
It’s funny. Hilarious.
It had to be, because otherwise she’d get pissed off about it.
“Miss Thompson.” Miranda stalked up to Hailey’s desk, her navy business suit perfectly starched. “I need you to run to Manzo’s Deli and get Mr. Everly a sandwich. He’s on a phone call and I fear it will take him through lunch.”
“Yeah sure, a sandwich for his majesty,” she muttered. At least it would get her out of the office.
The deli Andrew favored was down the block from the office building, which meant she got to deal with the torture of being out in the amazing summer weather but not being able to enjoy it. The mouth-watering aroma wafting from the pizza parlor she passed just about killed her, and a couple of teenage kids were break-dancing on the street corner.
Man, she loved New York. More and more every day.
No sooner had she entered the deli than she ran into James, the middle Everly brother. He was on his way out, but he stopped when he saw her.
“Hailey.” A broad grin transformed his face. Unlike Andrew, he’d actually seemed happy the first time they met again after so many years. A lot less uptight than his older brother, too. But then, being the eldest sibling came with its own set of responsibilities. Just ask her brother Evan.
“Are you here for lunch?” he asked.
“Picking something up for your brother. He’s on a conference call.”
“Ah.” He gave her a crooked grin as he held up his white paper sack. “Guess I should’ve stopped by his office first on my way out.”
She lifted one brow. “You get your own lunch?”
“Andrew would too, if Miranda didn’t insist on spoiling him so much. It’s not her fault, though. She got used to treating the boss that way, back when our dad was the head honcho.”
“A little less spoiling would probably do Andrew some good,” Hailey said without thinking.
James let out an amused laugh that highlighted how good-looking he was. If there hadn’t been Andrew, she might have been truly interested. But in her eyes, James’ rugged beauty paled in comparison to Andrew.
“I take it everything’s not so great in paradise?” James asked.
“No, I didn’t mean…” Hailey’s cheeks heated. Her and her stupid mouth.
James seemed to notice her discomfort, because he saved her from having to answer that question by asking, “How’s the job search going? Found anything comparable to your old gig yet?”
“No.” The sort of jobs she was qualified for were few and far between, even in a city this size.
“Good. I think you could be good for my brother.”
That made her blink. “Because I pick up his dry cleaning?”
Another grin transformed his face. “Because you knock him off kilter. And if there’s anything Andrew needs, it’s a little shaking up.”
“Maybe,” she murmured. But as she and James said their goodbyes, she couldn’t help but think she’d already given that her best shot. It had worked…but only for one night.
And she was beginning to think that was all there’d be.
***
Andrew was in Hell.
This past week had been torture of the purest kind. He didn’t know what had possessed him to think he and Hailey could go back to working together after what had transpired in Atlantic City, but clearly he’d been certifiably insane.
Her scent drove him crazy every time she was near. Those short skirts she favored only served to remind him of how silky and smooth her legs had been when wrapped around his waist. When he�
��d been buried balls deep inside her tight, clenching heat.
Every time she came into his office he got an instant hard-on that took an hour to dispel.
The worst part was the knowledge that it was completely his damn fault. The smartest thing he could’ve done would have been to leave her alone, but barring that, insisting their encounter was a one-night only thing had been pure and utter stupidity on his part.
Everything Hailey had said and done, at least until their discussion the morning after, hinted that she probably would have been okay with a friends-with-benefits type of deal. But he’d been too dumb, too caught up in worrying about what his father would have wanted him to do, to suggest it. And now he couldn’t get her out of his damn mind.
Case in point, here it was, noon on Saturday, and instead of concentrating on work, he was thinking about the delicious weight of her body. The intoxicating scent of her desire.
Shit. He had to get these visions out of his head. They were driving him crazy.
Maybe a short walk would help.
That was how he found himself leaving his empty office, shoving through the throng of pedestrians wandering the streets, and then hopping the crowded subway to Brooklyn.
Before he even processed what he was doing, he found himself across the street from Hailey’s apartment building. It was a seven-story walk-up in a faded but still decent part of town. Technically he shouldn’t even know where she lived, but Human Resources kept the home addresses of all employees on file, and, well…he hadn’t been able to resist.
A warm summer breeze caressed his face as he stood there, staring, for longer than he’d care to admit. Debating his next move.
Finally, he let out a groan. What are you doing here, Everly?
Cursing his stupidity, he took a step backward. But before he could turn, a familiar figure came breezing out of the apartment building.
Hailey.
She wore a blue, polka-dotted sundress that ended at mid-thigh and had thin little straps on the shoulders. Flat, nude sandals covered her feet. Her playful skirt swished around her legs as she walked, and her long, wavy hair hung loose around her shoulders. She looked fresh and sunny, like she could be on her way to the beach.
She was, in a word, stunning.
He should leave before she saw him, he knew that. But for some reason he stood frozen in place, locked on the sight of her. And even though there were people milling here and there, even though that should’ve afforded him some level of protection from being spotted, she took no more than a few steps before her gaze landed on him.
She faltered, then called out to him. “Andrew?”
Shit.
Hailey lifted her sunglasses from her eyes, as if that would somehow alter what she saw. “Is that you?”
Too late to run. Too late to hide.
Straightening, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks and watched her approach from across the street. Pretended the sight of her didn’t affect him nearly as much as it did.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice incredulous.
Double shit. He couldn’t tell her the truth. That would make him seem like a stalker.
“I had some business in the area.”
Her brows furrowed. “In Brooklyn?”
The tone of her voice indicated just how ludicrous she found that excuse. But since he couldn’t very well take it back, he merely said, “Yes.”
“Oh.”
Her tongue came out to flick against her lower lip, sparking a flashback to the hotel, and he bit back a groan.
“Well…” She shifted in her spot, looking distinctly uneasy. “Are you done with your business?”
He gave her a cautious look. “Yes.”
“Good.” She flashed him a smile, then grabbed his hand. “Come with me, then.”
Without giving him a chance to protest, she turned and started down the street, leading him through a crowd of passersby. He frowned, but even though he knew he should break away from her, he simply couldn’t bring himself to.
She was too tempting. Too luscious. Too full of life.
They walked a block before the crowd thinned enough for her to fall into place beside him. She brushed a curly strand of hair from her face and looked him up and down. “This is the first I’ve seen you without a suit.”
Even though he knew he shouldn’t mention that night, the devil on his shoulder prompted him to cock a brow. “Really?”
She flushed at the insinuation behind his tone. Somehow it made her look both adorable and alluring as hell: the perfect blend of innocence and seduction.
“I mean, besides Atlantic City, of course.”
He glanced down at his tan slacks and short-sleeved Polo shirt. This was about as casual as he got outside the gym.
“It’s Saturday,” he said in response.
“Yes, it is.” She smiled broadly. “My favorite day.”
“Why?” It was just another day to him.
“Because there’s no work, silly. Also, it’s Greenmarket day.”
Frowning, he asked, “Greenmarket?”
They reached the end of the block and she turned right. He followed her around the corner, and the street opened to the entrance of a park. White, red, and green tents had been set up all around, and tables were lined with flowers and produce.
“Oh,” he said.
Something in his expression must have betrayed him, because she gave him a knowing glance. “Don’t like public places like this?”
Andrew shrugged. “I’ve never been one for outdoor events.”
Not since his mother had died. She’d loved these sorts of things. He’d lost count of the number of outdoor art festivals she’d taken him and his brothers to when they were younger.
“Well, I love them,” she shouted, throwing her arms out and lifting her face to the sky. Like a cat arching into a ray of sun.
The road cleared out enough for them to cross, and she ran to the other side, coming to a stop in front of the park entrance. Turning back to him, she waved her hand wildly. “Come on!”
The situation struck him as absurd. Here he was, on the eve of completing the expansion his father had only dreamt of, and instead of spending the day at work he’d found himself in Brooklyn of all places. With Hailey.
He hesitated, torn between the strong urge to escape this madness and the aching desire to see more of Hailey’s exuberant face.
Finally, the latter won out. He strode across the street to join her.
The corners of her mouth tugged upward. She swiveled on her heel, marching toward one of the nearest tables. Picking up an apple, she examined it for bruises and then grabbed a couple of peppers. “You’ve never been to a greenmarket before?”
“No.”
“Not even with your father?”
That made him laugh. “Andrew Senior was not a produce market kind of guy.”
She paid for the produce and moved on to the next table, which was laden with flowers. Grabbing a pretty yellow sunflower, she held it to her nose and sniffed. “What kind of guy was he?”
“He worked all the time. Until we were old enough to go work with him, we spent more time with our maid, Lupita.”
Hailey’s gaze lifted to his face, her eyes boring into him through the shield of her sunglasses. “Was she a good woman?”
The hopefulness in her voice was so sincere Andrew couldn’t help but smile. One of his hands crept from his pocket to absently rub the velvety-soft petals of a bright pink rose.
“She was.” She tried at least, but she was still a poor substitute for a parent.
“How did your brothers handle your mom’s passing?”
Hailey’s innocent question made his chest tighten. He hated this topic. Normally, he refused to even discuss it. But somehow, with Hailey, the memories didn’t seem quite as bad.
“They did the best they could. It was hardest for Sam. He was the most like our mom, and his personality always clashed with Father’s.”
Andrew swallowed hard. “Yeah.”
Of the three of them, Sam had needed a parent the most. So Andrew had stepped up wherever he could. He’d helped his younger brothers with their homework. Been there when they’d had trouble at school. He’d made an effort to be the one person they could always rely on.
But, although he’d never admitted it, sometimes he’d needed someone too. For him, there was no one to lean on.
“You were the eldest brother, the one with the most responsibility. Couldn’t have been easy on you either,” Hailey said astutely.
“No.”
His response came out far gruffer than he’d intended, and he gave an inward wince. But if she noticed it she didn’t comment. Merely put the flower back into place and moved on.
The ache in his chest eased a bit, and he fell into place beside her. Strange, but even with this topic of conversation, he felt more at ease now than he had in a long time. Almost…content.
Which puzzled him more than a little bit.
“Evan told me about your father,” he finally said to break the silence. “I’m sorry to hear he passed.”
When her cheerfulness dimmed a fraction, Andrew cursed himself for bringing it up. But then she said, “Yeah, he was so young. It was unexpected. But I’d always told him he worked too much. Worried too much. Stress is a killer.”
Somehow that sounded like an implicit admonition.
Before he could respond, she spotted a man seated on an old paint bucket strumming a beat-up guitar. He strummed a few lazy chords and then launched into a rendition of an old song that took Andrew a moment to recognize. He finally placed it as Boys II Men.
“Ooh, I love this song,” Hailey exclaimed. “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.”
Andrew laughed. “You were just a kid when it came out, weren’t you?”
“I still love it.” Grinning widely, she started singing, seamlessly lending her voice to the song. She knew all the words, which lent credence to her claim. And no surprise, her voice was good. Strong and steady. “Come on, let’s dance.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the small group of people surrounding the musician, but he dug his heels in before they could reach the others.
Wild Girls Rule Page 8
