by Mia Carson
“I called her because you were falling apart,” Kelly noted with a pointed look at his office. “She looked pissed. I wonder if she spotted the mess in here.”
“I don’t need her here,” he argued, but Kelly laughed.
“You’re a great boss, Greyson, but admit it, you never could handle the paper-pushing part of your job,” she told him. “I suggest you buy that girl some flowers and take her out for a fancy dinner for saving your ass.”
Greyson didn’t want to admit it, but Kelly was right. He did his best to straighten up his office, but when Belle’s boots stomped towards his office an hour later, he had barely found his desk.
“Why am I getting panicked phone calls from Kelly?” she asked and stopped as her eyes widened at the sight of his office. He visibly cringed. “What the hell did you do?”
“I may have had some trouble while you were gone,” he admitted quietly.
She nodded slowly, stepping into his office. “Grown man, my ass,” she mumbled and redid her hair, pulling it all back in a ponytail. “Get out.”
“What?” he asked.
“You heard me, out of your office. Bob said you lost some contracts and maybe everything else, so go take a nice long lunch before I deck you for completely disrupting all the systems I had in place,” she growled, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her toe angrily.
Greyson shoved his hands into his pockets and stormed past her out the door. He turned, ready to tell her he was capable, when she slammed the door in his face and locked it. She waved him away from the other side before turning her back and getting to work, sorting out the mess he’d made in her absence. He raised his hand to knock but thought better of it and, defeated, walked to Tim’s desk and sat on the edge of it.
“Well, you look positively radiant,” Tim mocked. “I hear your girlfriend is ready to rip you a new one.”
“What gave you that idea?” He groaned and rubbed his face. “Was I always that bad?”
Tim laughed loudly, and Davis joined in, sitting across from him. “Oh yeah, you just never saw it until Kelly hired your first assistant a few months after we started, but she couldn’t handle it. We let you go for a while until you kept losing paperwork.”
“And then started the stream of other assistants,” Davis chimed in, “which then, in turn, led you to Belle. I guess you really should be thankful that you’re a mess.”
“Are you saying I wouldn’t have a girlfriend if I wasn’t a slob?” Greyson asked.
Tim and Davis exchanged a nod. “Pretty much,” the latter said. “I suggest while she’s in there slaving away, you do something nice for her.”
Greyson pushed off the desk, and after checking to be sure Belle was still busy, he ducked down the stairs, his car keys jangling in his hands.
***
Belle sat on the floor in Greyson’s office, her boots tossed to the side and her hair falling out of her ponytail, and tried to make sense of the stack of papers in her hand. She'd found the contracts, at least, and handed them over to Bob, but everything else was a disaster. She’d thought it was bad the first time she started, but that had been right after his other assistant quit.
This time was full-on Greyson at his worst. At least he wasn’t around. She was ready to tug his beard right off his face. She’d been so close to finishing one of her projects when Kelly called in a panic.
“He’s never going to live this down,” she muttered angrily, tossing a paper in a pile. “Never.”
“Never what?” he asked from the doorway, the deep timbre of his voice warming her body immediately. She wasn’t going to turn around, but the sharp scent of garlic hit her nose, causing her mouth to water. “I had to make it up to you somehow.”
Slowly, she turned, and when she spotted the pizza box in one hand, a bottle of red wine tucked under his arm, and the bouquet of red roses, she laughed. “Sweet, and thank you, but you’re nowhere near off the hook,” she informed him as he set everything down on the desk but handed the roses to her.
“I know, I’m an idiot, and yes, I’ve always been this bad, apparently,” he said quickly. “What can I say? I don’t enjoy being the CEO all the time.”
He took her free hand and hoisted her to her feet, dragging her into his arms for a kiss.
“Why don’t you appoint someone to take control of this part of the company then?” she asked, slipping from his arms and going for the pizza. “Kelly cares enough, and she’d be good at it.”
“Nah, she takes care of my people,” he said, eyeing her curiously.
Belle shrugged and opened the pizza box. She stared at it for a second, then turned to him with a raised brow. “How the hell did you know my favorite pizza?”
He shrugged. “I asked around. Who doesn’t like black olives with jalapenos?” he teased.
He continued to watch her, and Belle shifted on her feet, wondering if he knew that she knew the lie about the phone call last week. He hadn’t done anything else to make her worry, so she’d tried to put it behind her. The look he gave her now wasn’t worry, it was something else—pride, maybe? Or curiosity. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but when he didn’t look away, she laughed, and after swallowing a mouthful of pizza, poked him in the chest.
“What? You think I’m going to throw something at you for letting your office get trashed?” she asked.
“No, I’m just picturing you behind a desk,” he mused.
Belle paused, the bottle of wine in her hand as she looked for something to open it with. “I have a desk,” she said slowly. “What other desk are you picturing me behind?”
“You’ll find out one day… maybe,” he said quietly and kissed her gently again.
He took the wine and pulled a corkscrew out of his desk—not that she was surprised—and opened it. He didn’t have any glasses so he passed her the bottle. Belle took it, her mind racing with what he could possibly be talking about, and took a large gulp. She needed it after the past week, and from the glimmer of mischief in his eyes, the fun was just getting started.
Chapter 3
Several more days passed, and Greyson watched the tension build in Belle’s eyes as her spring break ended quickly. Though she tried to hide it, her having to step in and save Greyson ate at her. She didn’t give him the cold shoulder, but that would’ve almost been better than what she was doing. The over-cheeriness was not like her at all, and he gritted his teeth every time he heard her answer the phone at work.
He asked her if she was holding up alright under the workload, but she brushed off his worry until he wanted to drag her butt back to his house and force her to relax. As far as he was concerned, she didn’t need to finish school. She had a job with him at his company, and, if she would go for it, he had just the position for her.
His cell rang, but he ignored it, watching Belle work at her desk. Her shoulders slouched, and she rubbed her eyes, trying to stay awake. She’d been working through the night again, and guilt tore at him. He stood, ready to tell her to go home, he’d survive for a day, but his cell rang again.
Muttering, he snatched it up and gripped it tighter when he saw Aiden’s number. “What?”
“I found a lead, but need an advance on the next payment,” she said, getting straight to business, and Greyson sat back down.
“How big of an advance?”
“Enough to get me to Sister Bay in Wisconsin and from there, three more stops. I’m onto several leads, but they’re all out of state,” she informed him. “Look, these leads have some meat to them. I think I may have found her mom at the first place and possibly both parents alive at the rest, so if you want me to find out, I need several tickets and money for a rental car and hotels.”
Greyson ran his fingers through his beard, debating his next move. He didn’t trust Aiden, and the amount of money she’d need was more than he’d already paid her. “Are you sure it’s her?”
“I won’t know unless I go,” she told him, and he heard the honesty in her words. They mig
ht have only been lovers, but he’d known her for a long time. She wasn’t lying, and she’d skipped her usual flirting. She was definitely onto something. “Greyson? I need to know ASAP. Found a plane leaving this afternoon, and it’s going to take me a few days.”
“Fine, I’ll get it to you, but I’m coming with you,” he grunted.
“Why?” she asked harshly, but then she gasped and laughed. “Oh, I see, trouble in paradise perhaps? Do you need a stress reliever?”
“I’m coming with you to ensure you’re actually doing what I’m paying you to do,” he growled. “I am happy with Belle, and I’m going to continue to be happy with her. This is nothing more than a business trip, and if you try anything, I’ll find someone else to hunt down her family.”
Silence filled his ear before Aiden finally spoke again. “Plane leaves in two hours. Meet me there.” She hung up, and a moment later, texted him the flight they needed tickets for.
Greyson bought them quickly and said he would be there as soon as he could. The airport wasn’t far away, at least, but he needed an excuse to leave for a few days. Not a chance in hell was he telling Belle what he was really up to, not yet. No point getting her hopes up just to have them dashed if this were another false lead. He didn’t even want to tell Tim. The second Greyson mentioned Aiden’s name, Tim would insist he go in Greyson’s place to avoid that woman finding a way to get under his skin again.
His cell phone in hand, he dialed his personal office phone, tucking the cell under his leg. He answered it after the first ring and made sure to look disgruntled when he spoke to the fake person on the other end.
“What do you mean there’s an issue at the warehouse?” he snapped loudly enough to make Belle turn around. “I don’t care. That’s not an excuse.” He drummed his fingers on the desk, counting off the seconds in his head before he groaned and leaned back in his chair. “That’s not acceptable. We have deadlines, and you promised this would be taken care of. I’m flying out there so we can get this sorted.”
He hung up and tapped a few keys on his keyboard, pulling up a flight to California. “Belle, could you get Tim for me?” he called out his door.
“Sure. Everything alright?” she asked, poking her head into his office.
“No, but I’ll tell you both when he gets over here,” he said and watched her hurry to Tim’s desk. “God, if you ever find out, I hope you forgive me.”
If she found out what he was up to before he had the chance to explain, it would be the end of their relationship. She had forgiven him for so much already. Going behind her back like this was worse than dealing with his lack of office skills or putting up with his overbearing attitude. This could change her life forever, for good or ill.
“What’s up?” Tim asked when he returned with Belle.
“Problem out in California,” he lied. “I'm flying out this afternoon to take care of it personally. They’re threatening to not send the next shipment if we don’t sort this out by the weekend.”
Tim cursed, but Belle’s eyes flared with suspicion for a second before it disappeared. “How long are you going to be gone?” Tim asked.
“A few nights, not sure yet,” he told them, “but I’ll call you, keep you updated. Think you can hold down the fort for me?”
“I think we can manage now that Belle’s back to keep your shit in order.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “I guess I’ll head back to the dorm after work today.”
“Nope,” he said and handed over his keys. “Stay at the house and take care of my car. I’ll be back soon for all three of you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked as he folded her fingers over the keys and hugged her tightly, lifting her off her feet until she giggled. He kissed her hotly until Tim cleared his throat and Greyson set her back on her feet.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Call Carrie to come over if you want, or there’s always my mom,” he said, and she tilted her head as if seriously considering it. “I’m sorry I have to rush off like this.”
She shrugged and shoved him out of his office. “It’s your job. Just go so you don’t miss your flight. I want you back home as soon as you can be.”
Greyson’s chest tightened, the truth on his lips. She stood on her toes and kissed him before he could say anything. The elevator doors opened, and he backed into them. He called a cab once inside, and by the time he reached the curb, it was ready and waiting. The drive to the airport was quick; he could pick up a few necessary items once they landed.
When he reached the airport, Aiden waited outside for him wearing jeans and a plain t-shirt, out of character for her. “Ready?” she asked, carrying a small suitcase.
“How long do you think we’ll be gone?” he asked.
“It depends on how cooperative this woman is and if we get lucky and don’t have to hit all four stops,” she told him. “Did you happen to tell your dear, sweet Belle what you were up to with your ex-lover?”
“Why would I? We’re not starting anything, remember that, or I’ll strand your ass in Wisconsin,” he warned. “Let’s go find Belle’s mom.”
“Whatever you say, lover,” Aiden whispered behind him, and he ground his teeth but didn’t turn around. It was going to be a long night, but he was not going to let her get to him.
Just think of Belle and you’ll be fine, he told himself once they boarded the plane. Think of her smile when you tell her that you found her mom.
Greyson settled back in his seat, closed his eyes, and waited for take-off.
Chapter 4
The first night Greyson was gone, he called her to let her know he’d landed safely and would be at the warehouse all night long. The building didn’t have great reception, so he told her not to worry if he didn’t respond right away. Worrying wasn’t what she wanted to do the whole night, but when she finally left the office and walked into his house alone, that was all she did. Working didn’t do anything to soothe the doubts pushing through her mind. She spent most of the time wandering around his house instead of finishing her mid-terms. Almost all of them were completed and only one remained.
She had until Friday to turn it in and told herself there was plenty of time, but in reality, two nights was not a lot. She should’ve been buried face-first in her work instead of pining for Greyson.
Around midnight, she opened a bottle of wine to ease her mind and started to work when the house phone rang. Belle frowned and ignored it, knowing Greyson would call her cell. She heard the answering machine pick it up in Greyson’s office, but the voice wasn’t loud enough to hear. She focused on her work when a minute later, the phone rang again. This time, after the beep, Tim’s yelling echoed through house, and she ran to pick it up before he disconnected.
“Tim? What are you doing? Greyson’s gone,” she reminded him.
“We have a problem, and I can’t get ahold of him.”
“He said his cell might not have service,” she tried to explain, but Tim was already talking again, words pouring out of him in a rush.
“I called the warehouse, but they said he’s not there. I think he’s at his hotel. Did he happen to tell you which one he was staying at?”
Belle’s heart sank to the floor as she fell back in the chair. “He texted me, said he landed, but that was it.”
“I got the same. Maybe he’s going to the warehouse in the morning. I don’t know, but we need all hands on deck, and that includes you, noob.”
“I don’t know enough to help,” she insisted, shaking her head. Where the hell was Greyson?
“Yeah, you do. I need you on the phone with our partner’s marketing department and IT. The rest of us are not qualified.”
Belle frowned. “You’re not qualified to talk on the phone?”
“Eh, not like you are, and besides, they like you, so do me a favor? If we can fix the issue tonight and everyone gets their butts in gear, we should be right by morning,” he said. His voice shook, and Belle’s gut told her whatever happened the second Greyson left
the state was not an easy fix. “Listen, if we can’t correct this problem, we’ll be behind on our launch date by at least a month.”
“What does this have to do with the marketing department?”
Tim sighed. “We got a sample of the poster they’re releasing next week at the local comic con and they’re three months off. They say it’s going to be released in July.”
“What?” she snapped. “Are they insane? I told them it wouldn’t be ready until the holidays!”
“Yeah, well, that’s part of the problem. Apparently, we got a call from someone at their office saying Greyson approved a moved-up date. Some idiot in ours tried to make it happen and crashed the servers for the whole building,” Tim growled. “All of our current games are down, too. Look, Belle, we really need you here. Please?”
“I’m on my way. Be there in ten,” she said and hung up. She rushed back through the house to grab her purse and boots then stopped at the front door. “What the hell am I doing? I can’t do this!” She hadn’t even graduated yet. She was just the boss’s personal assistant, and they were asking her to fix this problem? Her purse fell from her shoulder as she stared at the front door. There was no way she could do it… But then she imagined Tim on the phone with the other company and ran out the door.
***
Greyson glanced at his cell the next afternoon and frowned. He’d texted Belle over an hour ago, but nothing. Aiden maneuvered them through traffic on the interstate as they headed north towards Sister Bay.
“She doesn’t want to talk to you?” Aiden asked with a leer. “Pity. Guess you’ll have to talk to me instead.”
“Not necessarily,” he grunted.
“Oh, come on, we had some fun times together, didn’t we?”
“We had sex, Aiden, lots of meaningless sex with no strings attached. You know that,” he said sharply. “Why are you so upset about me ending it? I never blabbed any secrets to you, is that it?”
Her hands tightened on the wheel as she changed lanes, and for a moment, Greyson saw the woman she could have been if she’d chosen a different path. A gentle woman, a kindhearted person looking for love, but he knew her story. She’d been burned badly by her fiancé and took her revenge by ruining his company. It was how she started her little business of secrets from the Midwest to the California coastline, and she was damn good at it.
