by CJ Andrews
“I work here. Mr. Jamison’s assistant.” I smiled. “He had something to take care of, but he’ll be back shortly. Let me take your coat, and you can relax in his office.” I led him to the conference table and gripped the back of the chair across from him. “Can I get you something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?”
“Nothing right now, thanks.”
“I’ll be right outside. At my desk. Let me know if you need anything.” Logan had been fun to talk to at lunch on Saturday, but there was a palpable tension between us this time. I was glad for the opportunity to escape and go back to my own space.
“Wait, aren’t you going to keep me company?”
I stopped in the doorway and turned to face him. “Oh. Well, I guess I could.”
It was an unusual request from a client, but I didn’t see how I could refuse. I slid back a chair and sat on the edge with my hands in my lap, tracing the hem of my skirt. An awkward silence hung heavy in the air. Was he expecting me to say something?
“You can relax. Nico won’t be here today.”
I lifted my eyes to look at him, hoping they didn’t betray me. “Why would I—”
“Don’t bother trying to hide it. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other.” He propped his elbow on the table and stroked his chin, continuing to watch me.
Kristi’s earlier remark about Logan popped into my head. I hadn’t taken a close look at him on Saturday—no doubt because I hadn’t been able to pull my eyes off of Nico long enough. I wasn’t sure dreamy would be my choice to describe Logan though. A small scar below his right eye added character to his rugged face. And a bump near the bridge of his nose suggested it had been broken at one time. Together, they gave him a distinctive bad-boy charm.
“He’s a really good guy, you know.” Logan let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair. “I’m just not sure where his head is right now. I mean—” He rubbed his hands over his short-cropped hair and seemed to struggle choosing the right words. “I’m just sayin’ that Nico knows you’re married. And I know him well enough to say he would never cross that line.”
“Well, I’m certainly not looking for an affair. But I am curious how you can be so sure about Nico.” I folded my arms over my churning stomach and waited for his response, hoping his reason would make me as confident as he appeared to be.
He hesitated, a conflicted look on his face. “That’s not my story to tell. You’ll just have to trust me on it.”
And that wasn’t the answer I needed to hear. “Honestly, I’m not sure why you’re telling me any of this. I barely know him, and I’ll prob—”
“That’s exactly why I’m telling you.” He leaned toward me. “You see what he wants you to see—the image he works so hard to portray. I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“Then maybe you should tell him to stop hitting on a married woman.” I placed my palms on the table and leaned forward to look him in the eye.
“Yeah well, we covered that pretty in-depth on Saturday.” Logan paused to rub his hand. “He’s really upset about the way he behaved.”
I got the impression that meant Logan had torn into Nico until he realized he was wrong. Maybe because I’d overheard Logan’s initial remark when Kendra and I were leaving the deli.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is just cut him some slack. Give him a chance to work it out.” He raised his hands. “And—don’t take this the wrong way—but I have a feeling you need to work out a few things yourself.”
“I already—”
“Logan! It’s so good to see you again.” Mr. Jamison entered the room.
“He’s all yours, Peter.” I jumped from my seat, eager to escape. “Logan, it was . . . interesting.” I was through the doorway before the words were completely out of my mouth.
“Thanks for the company, Danni. I enjoyed our chat.”
The office door opened at quarter to twelve, and my stomach clenched. Nico entered, looking incredibly sexy. He wore a navy suit with a crisp white shirt, and his usual air of confidence. His eyes caught mine as he approached, but they lacked the playful spark they’d had the other times I’d seen him.
“Looks like you’ve changed the dress code at The Next Level.” A nervous laugh slipped out, but I tried to pass it off as laughing at my own joke.
Nico seemed to relax a bit. “Good to see you again, Danni. Logan gave me some papers that Mr. Jamison needed me to sign.” He held up a folder I hadn’t noticed before. “I’m just dropping them off.”
Apparently Logan also told him to behave. I hesitated, trying to make sense of Nico standing in front of me at work, my surprise-free zone.
He dipped his head, meeting my stare. “I’m Logan’s business partner. Sorry, I assumed he told you.”
“Oh, I think he forgot to mention that one tiny detail.” Deep breaths, Danni. You’re at work. Be professional. “Do you need to see Peter about any of them?”
“We already discussed them over the phone last week.” He tapped the edge of the folder on my desk, hesitating before handing it to me. “Listen, it’s just about lunch time. I thought maybe you’d like to grab a bite?”
I was glad to be sitting right now. My legs might not be able to support me if I were to stand. “I’m really sorry. I have other plans.” Now or never. You know what you need to do. “But even if I didn’t, I don’t think it would be a good idea.”
Nico looked as though he’d been slapped. His jaw tensed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I realize the way I acted before isn’t acceptable. And I’d really like to be friends—I need at least that much.” He watched me, waiting for my answer.
I picked up his folder. “I-I don’t think I can. Thank you for dropping these off. I’ll see Peter gets them.” I stood to escape to his office, hoping Nico would be gone by the time I came back out.
He grabbed my wrist as I stepped away. “Please stop running.”
I turned to look at him but didn’t know what to say.
“Give me a chance. Friends, Danni. Nothing more. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
I swallowed hard and looked to his face. The right thing to do was tell him it wouldn’t work. Why couldn’t I make those words come out? “I need to think about it.”
“That’s better than no.” One corner of his mouth turned up in a lopsided grin. “I’ll take it.” He stepped back and let his hand slide to mine, squeezing it gently before releasing me. “Bye, Danni.” He winked then turned to leave.
Kristi emerged from the back section of the office suite as Nico walked toward the door. Her eyes popped, and her mouth opened slightly. She looked between the two of us as she approached my desk.
“Holy hell! Who . . . was that?” Her voice was a little louder than need be. But at least the door had closed, with Nico on the other side, before her words flew out.
I groaned and grabbed my coat. “That was trouble. Let’s get lunch.”
Chapter Twelve
Tempting Offer
The brief encounter with Nico at my office on Monday was the only time I’d seen him all week. In person, that is. He still made nightly appearances in my dreams—gazing at me with his warm chocolate eyes, his dark hair perfectly messed and looking like he’d been rolling around in bed with me for hours.
I let out a faint sigh and shook off the fantasy before his soothing, deep voice started whispering seductive promises again.
And now I’ve got this to deal with. I couldn’t stop staring at the e-mail that arrived a few minutes ago.
“Danni!”
My head snapped up as Kristi approached my desk, bubbly as always and wearing a huge smile that screamed weekend. Her pace quickened, and her rushed words started spilling out before she reached me.
“I’ve got great news! And you are going to be so excited—at least you better be. So I just talked to Ben. Well, technically we texted, but that part doesn’t matter. Except to me, of course, because I didn’t get to hear that sexy voice of his.” She paused and ga
ve a wistful sigh. “Anyway, the important thing is that his band is scheduled to play next Friday night at Metro Sky. Which means . . . girls’ night out!” Kristi gave a restrained squeal, quietly clapping as she bounced in her wedged heels. “But, even better, you don’t have to wait that long to meet him, because he’s going to join us for happy hour tonight. You did get my message about that, didn’t you?”
She stopped rambling long enough to scan my cluttered desk and gave me a questioning look. “Why aren't you cleaned up and ready to go?”
“Sorry. I just told Peter I’d stay late to help him with some last-minute changes on the VanBergen account.” I grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Kendra will still be there, but shoot, if I’d known Ben—”
“Don’t worry.” She covered my hand with hers. Her look of disappointment was gone as quickly as it had appeared. She leaned down to give me a hug. “I plan on keeping this one. You’ll have plenty of other chances to meet him. Like next Friday?” She pulled back to look at me.
I’d never been to Metro Sky. The trendy nightclub, located on the top floor of a high-rise downtown, had opened over the summer and had quickly earned a reputation for being “the place” for the upscale crowd to hang out. Flashbacks of the guests at Logan’s New Year’s Eve party flooded my mind, reminding me how uncomfortable I felt among people like that—so out of place.
Kristi waited for me to answer, her hopeful expression pleading with me to agree.
How could I refuse? “Sure. Next Friday. Sounds like fun.” I smiled, a lame attempt at looking enthused. Maybe she didn’t notice.
She released me but didn’t straighten up. My stomach clenched as her gaze locked on my computer screen and the open e-mail I should have deleted. Damn.
“Danni?” Kristi drew my name out in long, tense syllables. She turned her head toward me and lowered her voice. “I thought you said you were focused on Will? That Nico had just been a temporary distraction—a little bump on your road to happiness?
“But this?” She waved her hand at the screen. “Well, it sounds to me like he plans on sticking around until you come to your senses and pick him. Not that I’m saying that’s what you should do . . . although he sounds really hot, and Will can be a total ass at times.” Her hands flew to her mouth, and she gasped before offering a muffled apology. “Inner voice—I didn’t mean for that to come out. Oh God, Danni. I’m so sorry!”
I hated that she said it. I hated more that it all was true. “You’re entitled to your opinions. And I’m glad you share them so freely. That’s what friends do, right?”
“I just want you to be head-over-heels, sappy in love. Like me.” She gave me another tight squeeze. “Speaking of which, I better get going. Don’t want to give Ben time to shop for a replacement.” She giggled as she walked away. When she reached the door, she turned back to throw me a kiss.
After she was gone, my eyes wandered to the e-mail I’d already read six or seven times.
I’ll be at The Next Level tomorrow morning with a clear schedule. Hope you’ll join me. We can put together a custom workout for you while we get to know each other better. Looking forward to spending some time with my new friend. ~Nico
“Shit.” My finger hovered over the Delete button as I read through the message one last time.
“Everything okay, Danielle?”
Great. I let my finger drop to the keyboard, deleting the e-mail before I got wrapped up in another conversation and forgot about it again. “Alexia, hi. I didn’t realize you were still here.”
“I was in one of those comfy chairs in reception. I think I may have dozed off waiting for my dad to finish.” She gave a dainty stretch then casually smoothed the fabric of her peplum top. A faint smile lit her face when she returned her attention to me. “Guess I’m not used to working. I’m just so exhausted by the end of the day.”
“There’s still some coffee in the break room if you’d like a little pick-me-up.”
“Oh, no thanks. I need to stay away from caffeine.” She shrugged but didn’t elaborate.
I studied her, wondering what her life had been like growing up without her dad. Had her mother loved and nurtured her? She was so beautiful and sweet but apparently very shy. I hadn’t seen her talk to anyone in the office all week.
“You know, some friends and I are having a girls’ night next Friday. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.”
She bit her lip, making her smile barely noticeable. “I have plans for that weekend, but thanks for inviting me.” Her green eyes sparkled over rosy cheeks.
I recognized that look, the same one I’d seen in the mirror when planning my night away with Will a few weeks ago. “Okay, maybe the next time.”
“That would be nice. I’d like us to be friends.” She brushed her chestnut hair away from her face, tugging at the long strands in what appeared to be a nervous habit.
“Since we are kinda like sisters, right?” I said.
She laughed.
“Well, I better get back to work so you can go home and get some rest.”
Chapter Thirteen
Excuses
Running errands Saturday morning gave me a valid excuse for passing on a trip to the gym. When my phone vibrated on the kitchen counter, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Kendra's name on the screen. Actually, I would have been shocked if she hadn’t called.
I pressed the button. “Hi, Ke—”
“So you bail on happy hour, and you blow off Nico’s invitation to the gym. You avoiding your friends for any particular reason? Or are you just trying to hide from the truth?”
“Jeeze, who wound you up already today?”
“He was looking for you, you know. The whole time. And he looked pretty damn hot too.”
I rolled my eyes at her melodramatic rant. “So did you meet Ben last night?”
Kendra laughed. “You’re not getting off the hook that easily, sweetie. But I’ll concede for now.”
“Because you love me,” I teased.
“Because I’m feeling generous.” Kendra never could stay mad at me, and I could hear the smile in her voice already. “Ben got delayed in some board meeting, and I had to leave to pick up Callie from cheer practice, so I missed meeting him. Anyway, I told Kristi we’d go with her to Metro Sky. All of us. So don’t bother trying to come up with some lame-ass excuse to get out of it.”
“Yes, dear. Besides, I already promised Kristi I’d go. It’s just—”
“Nope. Don’t you dare say it.”
I sucked in a breath and forged ahead. “It feels wrong going out while Will’s away.”
Kendra groaned. “That makes it perfect. It’s a girls’ night. And this way you don’t have to feel all guilty about leaving Willy-nilly home alone, or whatever. Enough about him though. I need to run. Just called to see what brilliant excuse you came up with for avoiding Nico today, but I see you don’t have one yet. You’re gonna have to face him sooner or later, you know.”
“I vote for later. Much, much later.”
“Oh, sweetie, you can’t hide from love. See ya.” The line went dead.
I stared at the lifeless phone in my hand. “I am not in love with Nico, and I can ignore him for as long as I want.”
She did have a point about Will though. It wasn’t like he’d be going with us if he were home. So why does it feel like such a bad idea?
Resignation setting in, I typed a quick text to Jen. Hitting the club Friday night with Kendra and Kristi—bring your party dress.
Her response came a few seconds later. Awesome idea! But how pissed is Will?
He didn’t trust Kendra and hated when I went out with the girls, which Jen knew from my years of complaining about it. I typed my response. He doesn’t know. Probably won’t tell him.
Jen replied, You sure that’s a good idea? Sounds more like looking for trouble than fixing a relationship.
I groaned, hating that she was right. Not sure about anything lately. See you Friday.
Chapter Fourteen
Rejections
How did Friday morning get here so fast? I missed Will already, and he didn’t even leave for his trip yet.
Hot water pulsed against my body, failing to ease the tension that had been building for days. It was getting late. I turned off the faucet and pushed aside the steamy glass door.
Will stood brushing his teeth, his back to me. He seemed oblivious to my presence as I dried off and secured the towel around my chest. I moved behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, tracing my fingers across his abdomen. My chest heaved as I snuggled against him, starved for physical contact.
“You know, I could still call off work today—take a personal day and go with you.”
His body tensed.
I raised my head enough to catch his reflected gaze in the small section of mirror he’d wiped clear. Will looked away after only a moment. He leaned forward to spit his toothpaste into the sink then dragged the back of his hand across his mouth.
“Drop it, Danielle.” A weary undertone clung to his flat voice.
He’d been under a lot of stress—putting in a lot of hours in preparation for tomorrow’s presentation and meetings. I could help him relax if he’d stop shutting me out.
“I ju—”
“How many times must we go over this? I can’t have any distractions on this trip. I can’t take you with me. Period.” He pushed away from the counter, easily breaking free from my hold. “I need to get ready.”
His image grew blurry as he stormed from the room. Don’t you dare cry.
I sucked in a shaky breath, biting the inside of my lip to steel myself. Following him into our room, I sat on the foot of our bed and watched him get dressed. “Did I do something wrong?”
He continued buttoning his shirt without looking at me. “Other than piss me off when I’m trying to get ready to leave on a trip? No.”
“It’s just . . . well, you’ve seemed off all week. Distracted or something.” I hated the vulnerability, the weakness, in my voice.
