WindSwept Narrows: #18 Paige Andrews

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  Sebastian drained his water and dropped them both into the recycling bin. He walked to stand in front of her, his hands out to take hers and pull her to her feet.

  “Still feel like pounding something into the ground?”

  “You didn’t step in this afternoon, Sebastian.” Paige shivered when he carried each of her palms to his lips and kissed each center, a long slow kiss.

  “You didn’t need my help, Paige,” he said with a chuckle. “Chase and I talked a lot about your resume. While it wasn’t strictly necessary, we both agreed we wanted someone who could take care of herself, should the situation arise. Each new venture has been threatened,” Sebastian led her to the stairs.

  “I know. We talked about it…I don’t have clothes here, Sebastian…” Paige turned toward the door, her head shaking. “You get clothing and come to my place.”

  “You don’t have coffee…and we need dinner…”

  “You’re a brilliant strategist. So how shall we solve this?”

  “I survive without coffee until I get to the office,” he said dismally.

  “I have chicken to broil and stuff for a giant salad with several dressing choices,” Paige felt the door against her back, taking his hands and turning him toward the stairs. “I’ll wait here for you to gather your clothes for tomorrow.”

  “Brilliant strategist…” He murmured, taking the stairs two at a time.

  Paige laughed and sat on the bottom step.

  “And renegotiation is in order,” he called from above her. “I want the weekend here, starting with Friday.”

  “After the granary,” she called out loudly, grinning when he cursed loudly.

  “Four hours at the granary, an hour riding around the coast roads and the rest working on box sorting,” Sebastian returned quickly, his feet thumping behind her. He dropped a stack of folded clothing to her knees. He’d swapped his running shoes for his boots and was zipping his jacket before he lifted the helmet and gloves, his other hand out for hers. “Deal?”

  Paige was still frowning as she slid the clothes into the side bag he opened.

  She took out her helmet and put it on, waiting until she could hear him before speaking. “Four hours at the granary Sunday, too, if necessary.”

  “You’re a difficult woman to deal with, Paige Andrews, but deal,” Sebastian chuckled and mounted the bike, his palm up automatically for hers. He breathed a little easier when she put her hands on his waist like he’d showed her, her fingers curling around the softer band of his sweats. She was tensing less when the engine turned over, he noticed and her helmet was bouncing less against his back as she took in the scenery. “That means, since they’re predicting great weather, we have two hours on the bike to explore around the area.” He almost laughed at the thump of the helmet against his shoulder.

  “I think I could come to dislike negotiating.”

  “Pepper came to visit Chase after you left,” Sebastian told her as he navigated through the dark to her apartment. “He’s worried about her.”

  “The reverend isn’t stable. He’d been hoping for that money for a long time,” Paige sighed. “I’m not sure what he can do, though. Chase has his attorney’s on making all the transfers. The marriage announcement went pretty national because of the reclamation in the area. What’d he been doing to Pepper…I thought he’d show up in person once we found the bugs and had them removed. And it helped when she moved to the house. He can’t get to her there.”

  “She’s been to the granary with you,” Sebastian guided the bike through the gates, parking next to the front doors. He could almost hear her debating her answer as she climbed off the bike and secured her helmet.

  She was up the stairs and inside the apartment without answering. He frowned, collecting his clothing and following a little slower. He locked the door behind him, dropped the clothes on the sofa and went into the kitchen.

  “Paige?”

  “She went with me…a couple times,” she answered, running her hands beneath the cold water and rinsing the lettuce. “She didn’t tell Chase because she knew he would worry. But I only took her with me in the daytime. There are so many holes in the walls and roof…it’s not very dark in there when the sun is out,” she sliced up tomatoes and added some shredded carrots and snap peas.

  She took down two salad bowls, two plates and handed them to him. The microwave sounded and the chicken was heated, two large pre-broiled breasts, tender and hot. She carried them and the salad to the table before going back for silverware and dressing.

  “Paige, what about that place fascinates you?” Sebastian met the wide brown eyes when she sat across from him, transferred one of the breasts to his plate.

  “Water…or juice?” Paige moved to stand, stopping when his hand came out over hers.

  “I’m good…let’s eat,” he suggested easily, scooping a bowl of salad and selecting a dressing.

  “It didn’t…I mean, I wasn’t…” She sliced the hot, juicy chicken into pieces and poured dressing over her salad. “It was just a really big mess of metal and junk. Then one night I was going home late because we’d been working on all the permits required for the removal of other peoples garbage…and I saw lights moving around inside.”

  “And you were hooked.”

  “I was curious,” she corrected with a scowl. “And I was very careful. Lights don’t move by themselves.”

  He watched her kick her shoes free and cross her legs on the cushioned dining chair. “No, they don’t and that’s what had me there that night we met.”

  “It’ll all be coming down Monday,” Paige reminded him. “So you only have a few days to wonder what I’m up to when I’m out of your sight,” she told him with a cheeky grin. “I have the video people scheduled so we get the whole thing on a disc for the future curious types. And today and tomorrow, there will be crews on-site with small equipment, taking as much as they can identify out and into recycling trucks.”

  “If that’s happening, why are we going there on the weekend?” Sebastian almost groaned at the light of excitement in her eyes.

  “Because I’m an admin. A damn good admin and I know hiding places in offices and I have six offices left to go through,” she told him firmly. “You agreed, Sebastian.”

  “Digging through a shitload of garbage is not my idea of a fun weekend,” he returned flatly, watching as she began cleaning up.

  “You got your bike time…we both have different opinions of fun,” she tossed over her shoulder, filling a large glass with water and ice.

  “Hmm…that we do,” Sebastian carried his empty plates to the kitchen and took the glass from her hands, draining it and setting it down before taking her palm and heading to the back of the apartment.

  “What are you…”

  “Moving on to my idea of fun…” he told her, boxing her against the wall in the hallway and pulling the band from her hair and then the one from his.

  Paige decided she couldn’t fault his idea of fun at all. Energetic and new; alive and wet and…soapy and oh, yeah…fun, she thought, stumbling out of the large shower almost an hour later on knees that only wobbled a little tiny bit. She wasn’t sure, but dropped the tap set over her head and stepped into the pants before perching at the edge of the bed and hanging her hair over her head and brushing.

  Chapter Twelve

  From her position, she saw bare legs and hands pulling a pair of black cotton pants from the stack of clothing he’d brought with him. She felt him slide over the bed behind her, his hand on her waist and the other holding his head, watching.

  “Paige…” Sebastian wasn’t sure how to phrase is question.

  “Hmm…that’s sounding curious. Something wrong?”

  “Would you believe there’s anything too personal to ask?”

  Pale lashes widened when the mass of red hair was flung to the back and she coughed, his palm up and patting her on the back.

  “I showered…” She turned, tossing the brush to the nightstand and looke
d at him curiously. “I…given what we’ve done in the last twenty –four hours, I’m going to have to go with no…add to that…” Paige closed her eyes. “If we believe this is more than here today, gone tomorrow…I have to have the openness.”

  “I don’t think it’s gone tomorrow,” he assured her first, watching her eyes open slowly. “Pepper worked out the boss issue, so I think we’re clear on that score.” He laughed at the look on her face. “It bothered you, Paige.”

  “I…yeah…yeah, it bothered me. Why didn’t it bother you?” She turned to face him, her legs crossed beneath her. His mouth brushed over the knee closest to him.

  “I’m not sure there’s a safe answer to that. I just didn’t think about it. You aren’t a kid. Your work ethic is solid and your work top notch,” Sebastian shrugged. “You call it arrogant confidence and maybe that’s what it is…I know what slammed into me when we met totally messed up my head for a couple days.”

  “No kidding,” she murmured, stretching out and pressing closer, their eyes level.

  “Are you alright?” Sebastian just let the question out there, groaning lightly at the puzzled expression on her face. He lifted his hand, drawing fingers up along her jaw and onto her shoulder, over freckles that populated the creamy, delicate looking skin.

  “Alright…with what? You being a boss…and bossy at times…” Her head shook. “I don’t know what you’re asking, Sebastian.”

  “Paige…I’m not a girl…” He watched her work to swallow the laugh and lose. “But I know,” he continued sternly. “That you might be…your body might be…”

  “Ohh…” Paige moved closer, put her mouth on his as she spoke. “Ask me again in a month,” she told him, dotting his mouth with a wild array of kisses that took his breath away.

  “A month? Paige…”

  “I’ve discovered new muscles that I’ve never used before,” she began, backing up a little to watch his face. “Are some bits a little…unaccustomed…to my new activities, yes, obviously…am I in pain? No, oh believe me, no…or that whole shower thing…I had no idea we could…”

  “Hmm…then I guess some of the other things I have in mind are going to really mess with your mind,” he whispered huskily, rolling to his back and taking her with him, his hands moving hotly over the satiny pajamas she wore.

  Sebastian glared at her over the rim of the orange juice glass.

  “You realize you’re going to have to cave on this one?” He told her and could have immediately bitten his tongue.

  “Excuse me?” Soft, cool words left her lips and Paige stopped digging in her pack to watch him close his eyes, the jaw set and pulse thumping.

  He knew the instant the words left his mouth that it was not only the wrong words to have used, but decidedly the wrong way to handle Paige Andrews. In effect, he’d just thrown down a challenge that was going to promise no end of headaches.

  “I’m going to the office,” she said flatly, her pack swung with just a little more effort as she went to the door. “Lock up when you leave.”

  “Paige!” Sebastian listened to the slamming door and swore loudly. Somehow that went a lot better before he opened his mouth, he thought, shrugging into his jacket. Now at least he had a slight idea what she was concerned about when it came to working in such close proximity with one another.

  Paige had finished opening windows when the door opened and they faced one another. She saw the limo pulling up outside and silently groaned.

  “You want to explain exactly why? Just why, Paige? Sebastian planted his feet next to his office door and glared.

  “Why?” She said with lethal softness, pacing closer so she could poke at his chest. The opening door behind her never registered. In time. “Why? Because when you completely and totally piss me off, I have someplace that’s mine to go to and lock the doors and turn the phones off and I don’t have to talk to you or see you until you get your head out of your ass and come to your senses! That’s why.”

  “Good morning, kids…” Chase looked from one to the other on his way into his office. “Nice to see things are back to normal.”

  “It’s fucking illogical!”

  “Only to you,” she returned, striding to her desk.

  Sebastian turned and went into his office, the door slamming behind him. Paige threw her hands into the air and growled as she plopped into her chair and began sorting and preparing for the day.

  Chase gathered what he wanted from his office. “Tell me we bought the maintenance contract with the building?”

  Paige sighed. “Yes, we did.”

  “Good…and on that note, I’m off to the docks for most of the day. Can I ask the topic?” He looked at his admin with one brow arched.

  “He wants me to give up my apartment,” she answered flatly.

  “Ahhh…go easy on him, Paige. He’s honestly not normally irrational,” Chase raised a hand at the door. “You have my cell if you need me.”

  “Men! God, no wonder women are insane half the time,” she growled slipping an ear pod in and tuning up the volume and some hard rock. Half an hour later she was still simmering when he came out, moved the magnet to OUT on the board by the door and kept going. Paige threw the ear pod to the desk and let her head thunk down, hard. She knew it would happen. She knew it would be like this but she hadn’t planned for the hurt part in her stomach.

  Two hours later, she happened to glance toward the closed door to his office and then the out board near the door. She checked his intranet calendar. He had several appointments with vendors interested in submitting proposals. She seriously felt for them facing him in the mood he was in, dressed in black. He presented a formidable figure. She wasn’t sure how her mind started wandering when she thought about his clothes. Even his sweats, she thought, frowning curiously. His sleep pants…even his boxers.

  Paige groaned and let her head thunk on the desk top once more. Sitting at your desk thinking about your guys boxers wasn’t something she ever would have thought possible. She groaned again and slipped the headset on, tapping in Pepper’s number.

  “You really seriously busy?”

  “Nope…working vendor accounts and prepping an RFP that I wanted a better deal on for linens,” Pepper answered, hearing the edge of distress in her friend’s voice. “What’s up?”

  “I need an honest friend answer…” Paige said with a groan.

  “Uh-oh…Sebastian?” Pepper said carefully.

  “Oh, gee…and who else is in my life to give me such a pain in the ass? Okay…here’s the deal…” She explained what had happened and took a deep breath. “So…”

  Pepper exhaled slowly. “Why don’t you think it’s a good idea?”

  “Shit…I knew it…you think I’m wrong,” Paige stood up and paced the office.

  “I…Paige, why doesn’t it feel right?”

  “I…it’s not…it feels alright…I mean, it doesn’t feel bad…and I can see where going back and forth and not having clothes is a pain…but…it’s only been a…a week! A week, Pepper!”

  “So it’s the time thing that’s bothering you,” Pepper tried cautiously.

  “Shit…I knew it, I knew it, I knew it…this is my fault…the whole fight thing is my fault. Damn it.”

  “Paige…he could have been a little more patient…maybe tactful…” Pepper listened to her friend swearing. “I take it you’re alone in the office?”

  “Yes. They’re both off site in meetings and I seriously feel for the vendors Sebastian is negotiating with. I’m sure they’ll be giving up concessions they had no idea were even on the table. He wasn’t a real happy camper when he left,” Paige sighed thickly. “Crap…now how do I fix it?”

  “Sorry…”

  “Don’t you dare…we need each other to keep our heads straight. Granted, I would have preferred righteous right to groveling wrong, but…”

  “It’s a scary move,” Pepper said with a soft chuckle. “One day you’re a contented single and the next, you got this stuff messin
g with your head and heart…and your closet and you’re thinking in terms of permanent couple.”

  “Yeah…no kidding…”

  “On the upside, we’ll be neighbors,” she laughed at the low groan.

  “Yeah…when I work out how much groveling I need to do.”

  “Well…there is the make-up sex part. From past experience, although brief, mention the make-up sex part and they forget to gloat,” Pepper confided with a chuckle.

  “Devious, but helpful. I’m going back to work…thanks for listening, Pepper.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself…talk to you later,” she said before ending the call.

  “So…” Paige began, talking to the empty office. She kicked childishly at his closed door before going back to her computer. “Now to figure out how to make it right.”

  She was closing things down when the door opened, her mouth opening and closing when the tall blonde moved into the office. She kind of swayed, Paige thought, watching her look around, she saw a slight hint of disapproval on the perfectly made up face. Bright blue, attractively smudged eyes landed on the name plates next to each door before she decided it was necessary to deal with Paige.

  “Would you let Sebastian know Marietta is here?” She asked sweetly, casually smoothing down the crease that dared appear on the shoulder of her blouse.

  “Do you have an appointment?” Paige returned, turning to her computer and pulling up his calendar. She already knew she wasn’t in there, but what the heck. Make it look good.

  “I’m sure he’ll see me,” she said with a tolerant smile.

  “I can leave a message for him. He’s not in at the moment,” Paige lifted a notebook from the desk and had her pen poised.

  “I’ll just give him a call, thank you,” her smile was dismissing as she turned and left the building.

  “Well, that just makes me want to grovel,” she growled, slamming the notebook down and sinking to her chair, throwing herself into editing the RFP for the concrete work.