I tucked my purse away in the bottom drawer of my desk. Firing up my computer, I plopped into my office chair and smoothed out my dress. So far, things were going good. The past two days of working with Hunter had gone much better than I expected. Although, his presence was like fodder to the office rumor mill. Well, that, and the story of Bartlett’s injury. The sleaze ball sustained a hairline fracture to his hand. When I asked Rhonda about it, she said the whole thing happened accidentally when he was shaking hands with Hunter. I’m not sure how hard you have to squeeze someone’s hand in order to cause a hairline fracture, but I have the strange suspicion Hunter was trying to protect me. He was outraged at the way Bartlett grabbed me in the employee kitchen. I may have had my reservations about my new boss, but he was actually a decent human being. Really, the only problem I had with Hunter was the way he looked in a suit, because it was a big freaking distraction.
Seriously, the man should be a model.
“Good morning, Ms. Vaughn.”
I glanced up to see Hunter walking toward me.
“Morning, Boss,” I answered. “And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Violet?”
“My apologies. How is the day looking, Violet?” he asked, setting a cup of coffee on my desk.
“Good. Although, I do need to borrow your cell phone because I want to sync it with the calendar on my desktop.”
He smiled and produced his phone. “Here.” I watched as he unlocked the screen before handing his phone over to me. “That coffee is for you, by the way.”
“Thank you! You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to,” he said, bracing his palms on the edge of my desk.
I took a sip of coffee while I waited for his iPhone to connect with my computer. Once I had access to the Cloud on his phone, everything would merge together. I started adding in various appointments and meetings I’d written in my planner.
“I already scheduled meetings for you with several clients for next week, and I’ve added them into my calendar, so it should show up on your phone too.” I quickly programmed my number into his phone before handing it back. “Also, I added my cell number in there just in case you need it.”
He arched a brow at me and glanced at his phone. “You added lunch with my mother to my calendar?”
“And there is a monthly employee meeting on the first Thursday of every month that I added in too.”
“Nothing escapes your attention, does it?”
“Not usually.”
As I shuffled a few loose papers around my desk, something caught Hunter’s eye. He pulled out my acceptance letter to BU’s Paralegal Studies program. “You’re studying to be a paralegal?” he questioned, his gaze fixing on me.
My skin heated underneath his scrutiny, and I swallowed thickly. “Yeah. I start in a couple months.” I shrugged, dropping his gaze. “I don’t want to be a secretary forever.”
“I think it’s wonderful.”
The utter honesty in his voice touched my heart.
“You do?” I questioned, unable to hide my surprise.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know.”
“Have you told anyone about it?”
“No.” Truth be told, the only people I cared to tell were Rhonda and Nadine. Rhonda would think it was amazing, and Nadine wanted me to stay as far away from Vegas as possible. When we worked at The Lounge together, the only thing she wanted me to do was save up enough money to move away and stay away. As a dancer, Nadine was electrifying. She was a performer through and through, and she belonged on that stage. But I never really fit in anywhere. Especially not with my family. “Not yet. I was going to tell Rhonda today or sometime next week.”
“You don’t want to tell your family?”
“They wouldn’t care. They don’t even know where I am.”
“They don’t know you’re in Boston?”
“Nope. I haven’t been close with my family for a really long time.”
“Is that why you pushed me to have lunch with my mother?”
“Yeah,” I answered honestly. “You have people who genuinely care about you, and that is everything.”
“You’re right, it is everything.” He leaned in closer, concern evident in his furrowed brow. “Are you saying you don’t have any family who cares about you?”
“I’m saying I have a father who is a raging alcoholic who can’t stand the sight of me and a brother who spends more time in jail than out of it because he likes to cook meth. And don’t get me started on my sister, Jasmine. She likes to pretend I’m dead.” My hand slapped over my mouth to keep any more secrets from spilling out. Usually, I never talked about my family, never wanted to, but there was something about Hunter that made me want to confide in him.
He moved his hand to rest on top of my shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he replied gently.
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”
“Doesn’t sound like it’s your fault either.”
“It is what it is.” I smiled at him. “Thanks again for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome.” He stood and backed away toward the door to his office. I hadn’t realized how warm his touch felt until it was gone. “Do you mind if I ask you one more thing about your family? If I’m prying too much, you can tell me to fuck off.”
I chuckled at his choice of words. “I don’t mind at all. What do you want to know?”
“Why can’t your father stand the sight of you?”
“Oh,” I sighed heavily. “I look almost identical to my mother. Whenever I’m around and he’s wasted, it confuses him. He thinks I’m her. And when I’m around and he’s more lucid, it only reminds him of the pain he tries to drink away.”
To be honest, my father preferred being drunk around me. He made that clear on more than one occasion.
“That has to be really hard on you.”
“Truthfully, it’s all I know.” I sucked in a deep breath and suppressed the feelings that arose whenever I thought about the childhood that had been stolen away from me. “I lost my family a long time ago.”
“If you ever want to talk about it, my door is always open, so to speak.”
“Thanks, but with all my emotional baggage, you’d have to start charging me by the hour,” I said with a laugh.
He smiled, tapping his hand against the doorframe. “Well, the offer always stands if you change your mind.”
“I appreciate it.”
I watched him disappear into his office. Hunter Desmond was a mass of contradictions, or at least, that was my assessment of him. He had the face and body of a player. I’d known his type before. Handsome and educated with a well-paying job. Men like that tipped me in fifties when I waitressed, and more often than not, they had one-track minds. I got more offers to be taken home when I worked at that strip club in Vegas than I cared to admit. Those were the men I was reminded of the first night I met Hunter. And when he’d kissed me, I was convinced he knew I was his secretary. Believing the rumors about him was easy because he had to be a womanizing player. Or so I thought.
He never explicitly stated the rumors about him were false, but he was pissed when I threw my accusations in his face. Typically, silence indicated guilt, but Hunter’s closed-lipped approach to his own problems only made me suspect he was innocent. Appearances aside, he had a caring nature to him, and he’d demonstrated that to me on more than one occasion. Even if it had only been a few days since we started working together, he had been a man of his word. He was a complete professional around me, and he was clearly passionate about his work.
“You wore your hair down today!”
My reverie was cut short by the sound of Rhonda’s voice. She padded toward me, her petite frame perfectly poised in her low heels.
“Sometimes I wear it down.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do!” I glanced behind me at the open door to Hunter’s office.
“Oh, I see.”
I rolled my eyes, g
roaning loudly. When Rhonda was intrigued by something, she was like a dog with a fucking bone. And she always refused to let go first. “Can we not right now?”
“You look nice too!” she added, rounding the side of my desk. “You know how much I love that dress!”
My gaze dropped to the black dress I wore. It was form fitting even though it had a high neckline, and it was covered in white polka dots. I even paired it with my black heels Rhonda was so fond of.
“Yes, I know, Mother.”
“Is he busy right now?” she asked, inclining her head toward Hunter’s office.
A quick look at the phone informed me he wasn’t on a call. “He’s not on the phone or in a meeting, but he stays pretty busy.”
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me. “Oh, that’s so nice, Violet!” she called out loudly. “He may be available for dinner sometime this weekend, do you want me to ask him and see?”
“What the hell are you doing?” I questioned in a hushed whisper.
“Answering a question I have.”
Rhonda barely had time to reply when Hunter moved to stand in the doorway.
“It sounds like the two of you are having a good time out here,” he said with a grin.
“You know us girls. We can’t resist a good time,” Rhonda replied. “I was actually just telling Violet how much I liked her dress. Isn’t it lovely?”
I glared at her. What the fuck was she up to? Hunter was my boss, not an inebriated man at Eddie’s Bar.
His attention shifted to me. “Yes, it’s quite lovely.”
My cheeks filled with warmth. Hoping neither of them caught sight of my blush, I turned back toward my computer and pulled up my office email account. “Is there something you needed, Rhonda?”
“Actually, yes.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Rhonda turning to face Hunter. “There is a new client that needs representation. This one is a big fish and Mr. Beakman’s case load is full at the moment,” she said. “You had an excellent track record for winning cases at your old firm, and if you want to snag a big case here, ask Bob for it. I have it on good authority that he would give it to you.”
“Really?” he asked, clearly surprised.
“I wouldn’t tell a lie.”
Hunter had already shed his suit jacket this morning. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame. “I’m guessing there is something you want in exchange for this information?”
Rhonda beamed at him. “Nope. I don’t want anything from you.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive. Just be sure to ask Bob as soon as you get the chance. Eventually, word will spread around here about the case.”
“I will. Thank you for giving me the heads-up.”
“Anytime.” Rhonda turned on her heel and began walking away from us. Then, after a few steps, she turned around. “You got that bit of information because of her,” she announced, gesturing to me. “She thinks highly of you, and we tend to look after one another at this firm. All I ask is that you help her out if she needs anything.”
“I will, you have my word.”
“Thank you, Hunter.” She clapped her hands together once. “Well, you kids have fun down here.”
I thought Hunter had returned to his office, but when I swiveled around, he was still leaning against the frame of the door.
“Jesus! I didn’t realize you were still standing there.”
“Hi.” Hunter smiled at me as if he were privy to a secret I wasn’t.
“Hi.” I took another sip of my coffee and stood. “Don’t you have anything to do?”
He smirked at my attempt to tease him and followed behind me as I walked toward the filing cabinet on the far side of his office.
“Nope.”
“Apparently,” I huffed. I pulled out a drawer, removing three different files. “You should go ask Mr. Beakman for that case before he gives it to someone else.”
“Which one of us is supposed to be in charge?”
He laughed as I rolled my eyes at him. “We both know the one in charge is me.”
“True,” he answered. “Strangely, I have no problems with you being in charge, Vi.”
I stopped suddenly, turning to face him. “My mom was the only person who ever called me Vi.”
“I’m sorry, it just slipped out.”
“I like it . . . I’ve missed being Vi.”
“So, it’s okay if I call you that?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I smiled, my hands squeezing the files I held. “Now, go get that case!” I yelled, slapping the files against his chest.
“Damn.”
“Go!” I hit him again for good measure.
“I’m going!”
“Hope I’m not interrupting anything.” I glanced toward the door only to see Joel, the office IT guy, standing there. “You look very nice today, Violet.”
“Thank you, Joel. Did you need something?”
“Just need to install a quick update on both of your computers.” He grinned at me warmly before shifting his attention to Hunter. Joel regarded my new boss with blatant disgust.
“I’ll take care of this. Go talk to Mr. Beakman,” I said to Hunter.
“Thanks.” He nodded to Joel as he left the room.
“We can start with my computer.”
Joel followed me back to my desk. I set the files down and stood beside my chair as Joel sat in front of my computer.
“You should be careful around him,” he said, pulling up a web browser on my computer.
“Mr. Desmond?”
“Yeah.”
“And why is that?”
“You’re a nice girl, and he’s got a reputation.”
“And you know this how?” I questioned, not caring to conceal the irritation in my voice. Joel has had a crush on me since the first day I started at BB&B. I’d never agreed to go on a date with him, but that didn’t keep him from asking either.
“Sometimes when you work in IT, you come across emails.”
“I appreciate you wanting to look out for me, Joel, but I can take care of myself. And you shouldn’t be so quick to believe office gossip. Not every rumor turns out to be true.”
“I’m sorry.”
“How much longer is this update going to take?”
“Just a few minutes, and then I’ll get started on Mr. Desmond’s computer.”
“Fantastic.”
I manned the phones while Joel finished his update. I don’t know why his assumption irritated me so badly, especially since I’d made the same one just two days prior. But something about Joel’s tone irritated the fuck out of me. He acted like Hunter was a piece of trash. If only Joel knew the truth. Hunter hailed from a respectable family, had an ivy league education, and a good job. My best friend was an exotic dancer who I met while serving alcoholic drinks to horny men in a Las Vegas strip club. My dad was drunk more often than not, and my brother had nearly burnt down the single wide I grew up in on more than one occasion trying to “cook.” If one of us was trash, I was a hell of a lot closer to the title than Hunter was.
Typically, talking about my family was off limits. Rhonda knew the basics of my childhood because the woman was like a blood hound on the hunt when she was curious about something. I skipped all the major details with her, but something about Hunter made me want to take him up on his offer. Talking to him was easy, natural, and after everything that had happened with Ted, I needed to bare my soul to someone. Especially someone who wouldn’t judge me, and I had a feeling after everything Hunter had been through in Chicago, he wouldn’t dream of judging me.
“Alright, that’s it,” Joel stated, standing at the edge of my desk.
“Thanks. Have a good rest of the day, Joel.”
“You know, I was thinking, if you aren’t busy this weekend, would you like to grab some dinner with me?”
I looked up at him. Like Garrett, Joel was cute enough, but I wasn’t in the mood
to start another relationship at the moment.
“That’s so sweet of you, but I’ve got a lot of errands and chores to catch up on.”
“Maybe another time.”
Hunter sauntered past us, watching Joel out of the corner of his eye. “Ms. Vaughn, may I speak with you in my office whenever you have a moment?”
“Of course.” I minimized the document I was working on and stood. “Thanks again, Joel. And maybe another time.”
“Right.” He nodded slightly before heading in the direction of the elevators.
I opened the door to Hunter’s office. He was already seated behind his desk and I moved to sit on the edge of it. “So?” I asked excitedly.
“I got the case!”
“That’s awesome! I had no doubts you would. Truth be told, I think Beakman values Rhonda’s opinion over both his managing partners’.”
“Really?”
“You don’t make it here without Rhonda’s approval.”
“I guess I should thank you for putting in a good word for me.”
“Eh, don’t worry about it. Instead we should be thinking of a way to celebrate you getting this case!”
“Celebrate?”
“Yeah! Like maybe we should have a ritual every time you get a new case or something.”
“Ritual?” he asked, puzzled. “You mean like a secret handshake?”
“No! We should split something from Vito’s.”
“Vito’s . . . Bakery?”
“Yes! It’s the best in the whole city.”
He laughed as he stared at me. “I’m well aware. I grew up here, after all.”
“No one likes a smartass.”
“Is that so?” His eyes flashed at my comment, the pale green irises filling with mischief. I twitched nervously under his scrutiny. What was it about those eyes that made my composure go to shit?
“You tell me. How many friends do you have hanging around these days?” I asked in a sassy tone.
“Not a hell of a lot.” His utter honesty stunned me a bit. In a fraction of a second, our lighthearted conversation had taken a serious turn.
My feisty expression softened as I stared at him. “Well, you did just move back. You have to give things like that time.”
“That’s true.”
I wanted to say more, but the right words never formed. Instead, I decided to change the subject altogether. “Don’t forget your lunch with your mother today at noon. She called while you were speaking to Mr. Beakman and I assured her your plans were still on.”
Burning Violet Page 4
