Naughty or Nice

by Jennifer Hanks

  My eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  “Yeah, and she admitted she has a hard time balancing her professionalism or something like that.”

  “Did she say why today was different?”

  “I asked her, and she said someone had pointed out that she was alienating her staff so she was trying to change.”

  I grinned slowly. “Really?”

  “Who do you think…?” She tilted her head, and her eyes widened further. “You? Did you tell her that?”

  I nodded. “Yep.”

  “When?” Kate whispered loudly.

  “Yesterday.” She looked over my shoulder and nodded, so I continued. “We argued about the Martin house and then said some other things.”

  She looked confused, but I shook my head. “I can’t say much more, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some things change around here.”

  Kate nodded. “Wow. I can’t believe you said anything.”

  I was just about to respond when her eyes widened, and she shook her head. I looked to my left when another agent walked in. He glanced back and forth between me and Kate and grinned. “Hope your husband doesn’t find out, Kate.”

  She rolled her eyes. “We’re just talking, Tom.”

  He snorted and pulled a coffee mug from the small cabinet above the coffeemaker. “Sure.” He poured his coffee and turned to face us, smirking.

  I glared at him. “Fuck off, Tom.”

  He chuckled and walked out of the room.

  “He’s an ass,” Kate said.

  “He is,” I agreed, already knowing I would be talking to him later. I didn’t need him causing any shit for Kate and Luke. And he was the type who would.

  The phone on Kate’s desk rang, and she frowned. “Damn.” She patted my chest and moved around me. “We’ll talk later, okay?”

  I nodded, and she rushed to her desk to answer the still ringing phone. I leaned against the doorjamb and thought about what Kate said, the grin returning to my lips when I remembered our conversation last night.

  Yeah, there was a hell of a lot more to Taylor Hawkins than met the eye.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Taylor

  The knock on my door caused goose bumps to break out along my arms. I still couldn’t believe I did that when he was talking to Tricia, but for some reason, when I started back to my office and saw them deep in conversation, I had to walk that way. When I heard her talking about dinner, I didn’t think, I just reacted. I knew he was surprised and probably doubted I had anything to talk about, so I made sure I gathered some information and made a list of questions to discuss so we could decide fairly who was getting the house.

  “Come in.”

  He pushed the door open and walked through, closely it behind him. He strolled over to my desk and threw a folder down before sitting in the chair across from where I still sat.

  He smiled. “Hey.”

  I nodded. “Mr.…umm…” I cleared my throat, remembering this morning. “Aaron.”

  “Good job.”

  I tapped the folder I had sitting in front of me. “I think we need to discuss the Martin house and how we’re going to make a decision.”

  He crossed his ankle over the opposite knee and leaned back. “I agree.”

  “I made a list of questions so we could discuss the sale of their home rationally.”

  “Sure.” He gestured toward my folder. “Go ahead.”

  I was a little surprised he was being so compliant but nodded and opened the folder. I glanced down at the paper lying inside, but then closed the folder and sat back in my chair. “Questions aren’t going to help, are they?”

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  I pointed at his folder. “What’s in your folder?”

  “The amount I’m prepared to offer for the house.”

  I nodded. “Can I see it?”

  He tilted his head to the side, and his eyes twinkled mischievously. “No.”

  I sighed. “How are we going to solve this problem, Aaron?” She motioned between us. “I doubt either of us is going to back down.”

  “I’ve wanted this house for two years,” he said.

  I smiled, remembering riding my bike past that beautiful Victorian more times than I could count. “I’ve wanted this house since I was in elementary school.”

  He dropped his leg and leaned forward, his face serious and placed his elbows on his knees. “What?”

  “Nothing.” I waved it off.

  “Tell me, Taylor.”

  My head snapped up when he said my name, and I thought for a moment that I should tell him we needed to go back to the formalities, but I stopped myself. I liked talking to Aaron, and I wanted to make him understand why I went behind his back, why it meant so much to me, even though I myself had a hard time understanding.

  “My sister, Renee, and I used to ride our bikes past that house every weekend on the way to our cousin’s house. Every weekend, we’d pass the Martin house, and I’d tell Renee, ‘I’m going to live there someday.’ It looked like a castle out of a fairy tale to me, and there were always kids outside playing and laughing together.” I shrugged. “It seemed almost magical to me.”

  He stood and moved around my desk until he was leaning against the corner and looking down at me. “Why did you go to your cousin’s house every weekend?”

  I took a deep breath and exhaled. “It’s funny because we never planned to, but it seemed every Saturday, we’d wake up excited to be home from school, and by lunch, we were sick of listening to our parents argue. So we’d pack up our backpacks and go to my Aunt Kellie’s house to play with our cousin, Rachel.”

  “Your parents didn’t care that you left every weekend?” he asked.

  I snorted. “I don’t think they really noticed. As long as we were home before dark, it was fine with them.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.

  I waved off the feeling of disappointment I still felt over my parents and their relationship. “It wasn’t that bad. It was just always nice to escape and imagine what it could be like in a family without all the fighting and drama.”

  “It had to be tiring to them too,” he said, and I nodded.

  “Can you believe they’re still together?”

  His eyes widened. “Seriously?”

  “Yep.” I leaned back. “And still miserable.”

  Aaron grabbed the arms of my chair and spun me around until our knees bumped. He leaned down and put his face close to mine. “It’s yours.”

  “What?” I whispered.

  “I’m retracting my offer.”

  My eyes flicked back and forth between his, and I noticed nothing but sincerity in his expression. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I do. I’ve only wanted it for a couple of years and not for reasons like yours.” He grinned and ran his hand up my arm. “Besides, I could never steal a little girl’s dream.”

  I let the warmth of his words wash over me and decided to act purely on instinct. I pushed forward and laid my lips against his, moaning softly when he pressed his lips firmly against mine and deepened the kiss.

  I slammed back into my chair when there was a knock on my door. Aaron only grinned and walked around my desk to sit in the chair opposite me before I called out, “Come in.”

  The door opened, and Kate peeked her head in, looking at the two of us. “Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Martin’s son, Andrew, is here to see you.”

  I stood from my seat. “Oh, okay, you can send him in, Kate. Thank you.”

  She nodded and smiled before shifting her attention to Aaron and lifted her finger to tap against her bottom lip. “You have a little lipstick right here.”

  He lifted his finger and wiped it across his bottom lip when she giggled and backed out of my office.

  My eyes widened almost comically when he chuckled, and I hissed, “It’s not funny.”

  He laughed harder. “Yes, it is.” He motioned toward the door. “You don’t have to worry about Kate; she
won’t say anything.”

  “I know that,” I admitted begrudgingly. “But still, it’s unprofessional.”

  When another knock sounded on the door, I called out for them to come in. I watched a young man, probably in his mid-twenties, walk through, and I stood to move around my desk.

  I held out my hand, which he immediately took and shook. “Hi, Mr. Martin. I’m Taylor Hawkins.” I pointed at Aaron. “And this is Aaron Barlett.”

  He shook Aaron’s hand. “Nice to meet you and call me Andrew.”

  I gestured toward the empty chair beside Aaron. “Of course, Andrew. Please, have a seat.”

  He sat, and I moved around to sit behind my desk once again. Aaron turned to face Andrew and smiled easily. “Your father said you were due in town, but I thought it wasn’t for a couple of weeks yet.”

  Andrew smiled sadly. “It was initially, but I was able to get him in with a specialist in Florida and the appointment is next Friday, so I came early to pack them up.”

  Aaron sat up straight as did I. “Specialist?”

  Andrew shook his head. “I had my doubts he’d said anything to anyone.” He glanced at me and Taylor. “He has multiple sclerosis. We found out last year, and he was managing fine with the treatment the doctors here had set up, but it has progressed. Long story short, my brother, sister, and I think he’ll do better in warmer weather, and I found a found a specialist in Florida who would like to try some new treatments that are available. He’s already reviewed his case and said he’d be a good candidate.”

  “Andrew, man, I’m sorry. He didn’t say anything.”

  “It’s not life-threatening, but it is debilitating, so we want to get him close. It’ll be better for our mom too, since she’ll need the help as his disease progresses. Unless the treatments slow it down,” he admitted, a sad edge to his tone.

  “Let’s hope they do,” I said sincerely. I felt Aaron’s eyes on the side of my face, but I couldn’t look at him. He makes me feel too vulnerable, and I didn’t need that during a professional meeting.

  “Thanks.” Andrew smiled. “Anyway, my parents said you were both interested in the house, and I thought I’d stop by and see if that was still the case or if you plan to list it.”

  Aaron spoke up before I could. “Ms. Hawkins is planning to buy it. We discussed it and decided it was a better fit for her.”

  Andrew glanced back and forth between us and smiled slowly. “Okay, well that’s great then. They’ll be relieved it’s not sitting on the market, especially in the winter.”

  “I agree, and sales are down right now, so I think it would sit for a while,” Aaron agreed.

  “I can come to your parents’ house now and meet with all of you if you have time,” I offered.

  “That would be great.” Andrew stood while Aaron and I did the same. “We’ll be there all afternoon, packing.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Andrew held his hand out to Aaron, and they shook. “Nice meeting you, man.”

  “You too,” Aaron replied.

  We both watched him leave, and I waited for Aaron to face me again. When he did, I rounded the desk and stood in front of him. “Are you sure you want to retract your offer? I feel like I’m taking your dream away, and it’s not fair that I’m getting mine.”

  He lifted his hand and wrapped it around the side of my neck before leaning down and putting his face close to mine. “I have a feeling I haven’t lost my dream.”

  He slid his lips over mine softly before he backed up and left the room, closing the door behind him.

  I watched him leave.

  But a warmth I’d never experienced before settled in my chest.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Aaron

  “Mom!”

  My head snapped up from staring at my computer screen when I heard the small voice call out. I smiled when I saw Kate’s son, Andy, run around the side of her desk to give her a hug. He looked over her shoulder, and his eyes landed on mine. He threw his hand up in a wave. “Hi, Aaron.”

  I stood from my desk and walked across the room, squatting down in front of Andy, who was now standing beside his mom. I held out my fist, and he giggled when he tapped his own against it. “Hi, little man.”

  Standing up again, I reached out my hand to Luke’s dad, Jack Dimarco, which he took right away and shook. “Hi, Mr. Dimarco.”

  “I told you at the wedding to call me Jack.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Didn’t I, son?”

  I grinned. “You did, Jack.”

  “What did I do to deserve this surprise?” Kate asked.

  “We came to take you to eat since Dad’s working really long today,” Andy said loudly. I watched Kate’s eyes soften when Andy called Luke, “Dad.” Andy’s biological dad had left him and asked to give up his rights when Andy was still very young, and I knew to Kate, being able to give him Luke as a father meant more than almost anything else.

  Jack rubbed his hands together. “That’s right. Andy and I decided to celebrate the first day of winter break from school with an early dinner, and we think burgers is the way to do that.”

  “Where are the other kids?” Kate asked.

  I’d been wondering that too. From what I knew from Kate, it was odd for Jack and his wife, Anna, to only be babysitting one of their many grandchildren at a time.

  “Bray’s sick.” Andy frowned. “And Seth’s with Sophie and his aunt Natalie. They were going Christmas shopping.”

  “That covers the boys.” Kate smiled down at him before looking at Jack. “What about the girls?”

  Jack smiled. “Anna has the babies, and Gia and Kasey took Lexi and Mia shopping.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “How the hell do you keep track of everyone?”

  Jack slapped his hand against my shoulder. “It’s easier than it looks.”

  I felt cool air and looked up to see the door had opened, and Taylor stood just inside, her eyes moving across the people standing just to the side of Kate’s desk.

  “Did they accept your offer?” I asked, unable to stop myself. She’d been gone close to an hour, so I assumed they had, but now knowing what it meant to her, I felt just as invested in her getting the house.

  She closed the door and smiled softly; her eyes locked on mine. “They did. I’ll take them the paperwork and check on Monday.”

  “Good,” I said sincerely.

  I held her stare until she cleared her throat and looked over at Kate. “Who is this handsome little man?”

  Kate smiled and pulled Andy to her side, tucking him close. “Ms. Hawkins, I’d like you to meet my son, Andy.”

  She nodded at Kate before looking down at Andy. I watched as a smile spread across her face. “Hello, Andy.”

  He waved shyly, and I remembered that he’d reacted just as shyly the first time he met me. “Hi.”

  Kate kept her eyes on Taylor but motioned toward Jack. “And this is my father-in-law, Jack.”

  She shifted her attention and held out her hand to Jack, who took it immediately. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Dimarco.”

  “Call me Jack.”

  She nodded and dropped his hand. “What brings you to the office?”

  “They’re surprising me with dinner,” Kate answered for them.

  “What a great idea.”

  “We’re going to have burgers!” Andy said loudly.

  “Really?” Taylor responded to Andy with genuine enthusiasm. “Burgers are my favorite. Well, maybe tied with french fries.”

  Andy bounced on his toes next to Kate. “Me too!” He turned his head and looked up at his mom. “Mom, can she come too?”

  Taylor’s eyes widened in surprise, and I smirked. Glancing over at Jack, I saw his expression mirrored my own, but I had the feeling that while I was watching Taylor, he was watching me. “Oh, no, that’s so sweet, Andy, but I don’t want to interrupt dinner with your mom.”

  “I don’t mind,” Kate said. “If you want to come, it’s fine with me
.”

  Taylor shook her head. “I don’t think…”

  “You have to now,” Andy said seriously. “Mom said so.”

  She smiled sweetly down at Andy, but he shifted his attention to me. “You too, Aaron.”

  I looked at Kate, who nodded and smiled before looking back down at Andy. “You got it, little man.”

  “Yay!” He grabbed Kate’s hand and tugged.

  “Oh, wait, what about the phones?” Kate asked seriously.

  Taylor scanned the office, and when she saw it was almost empty, she flicked her wrist. “Don’t worry about it. If anyone calls, they can leave a message.”

  I dropped my head and grinned at my feet. She was letting go a little bit, and it was making all the difference. Jack ushered the ladies and Andy out in front of us and fell into step beside me while we walked down the street toward the Burger Joint on Main Street. It was only a few blocks, and it wasn’t that cold, so in my opinion, it was the perfect day to walk.

  I listened to Andy chatter to Kate, but my eyes were on Taylor, who looked completely enamored with Andy. I understood that. When I’d taken Kate on our one and only date, Andy came along, and we went to the Burger Joint. Once he’d gotten over his initial shyness, he was talkative and entertaining. I could see why Taylor was so invested.

  “She’s something special,” Jack said quietly beside me.

  I smiled. I knew Jack loved all his daughters-in-law and had a special place in his heart for each one, but he seemed a little more attentive to Kate in my opinion. She’d been through a lot in her life and I’d thought more than once that he and Luke seemed very protective of her.

  “She is. Luke’s a lucky man.”

  Jack chuckled, and I glanced over at him while we crossed the street to the next block. “Luke is a lucky man, but I wasn’t talking about Kate.”

  “Oh.” I smirked. “How’d you know?”

  “Been around a long time, son. I know what a man looks like when he’s smitten.”

  I shoved my hands in the front pockets of my pants. “Smitten?”