The Devil in Denim

by Melanie Scott

  Yes, yes, they had. But hey, both really needed to forget about it. “I thought you said you didn’t date employees?”

  “I don’t.”

  “Well, then, this should be settled.”

  His eyes glinted. “There’s always the exception that proves the rule. There’s good sense and then there’s cutting off your nose to spite your face. We’re both adults. We could make it work.”

  “What if I tell you to take your potential and shove it?”

  “Well, firstly, I don’t think you will. But if you did, I guess I’d have to try and get on with life.”

  “Go potential hunting elsewhere?”

  “Well, that wouldn’t be any of your business, would it? You can’t have your cake and eat it too, Saint Maggie. If you don’t want me, you have to throw me back and let someone else take their shot.”

  She definitely didn’t like that idea. She rubbed her temples irritably. It wasn’t even ten A.M. and she already had a headache. Maybe she was crazy to think she could make this work, that she could ignore what was between her and Alex and just get on with things. Maybe she should walk away. But that meant giving up on the Saints.

  Not to mention the potential …

  “Can we shelve the subject for now?” She sighed. “After all, we have plenty of work to do.”

  Chapter Ten

  They were stealing her cookies. She eyed the level of her favorite chocolate chip pecan in the jar on her desk and put the lid back on. Okay, so technically they were Shonda’s cookies because she was the one who made them for Maggie, but that didn’t mean that the terrible trio could just keep raiding Maggie’s stash.

  But they did. Several times a day, one of them wandered by with a task for her. Mal wanting a stadium tour or a rundown of the security staff and the history of incidents at the ballpark. Lucas wanting to talk about players and form. And Alex. Alex sticking his head around the door and derailing her train of thought every time he smiled and delivered another request in a perfectly professional and polite tone.

  They smiled, they requested, they drilled her on baseball stats—this apparently being their idea of fun—and then they helped themselves to her cookies and left. There was a metaphor in there somewhere even if, deep down, she should probably be thankful that they were stopping her stress eating her body weight in fat and sugar.

  She wanted one now. Wanted the rich taste of chocolate on her tongue and the crunch of nuts. Hell, she wanted more than one. It was only Thursday and the three of them were already making her feel like she was sprinting just to keep up.

  They all sucked up information like computers. And she felt like she was being used as some sort of walking, talking Saints for Dummies. Only Alex, Mal, and Lucas were no dummies. They rarely had to be reminded of anything she’d told them and they were on the go from first thing in the morning until late at night.

  Thorough.

  Competent.

  Dedicated.

  The three of them were very similar in that way even if they seemed to have different temperaments.

  Alex was definitely the most open and charming of the three. The front man, so to speak. But a front man was nothing without a genius band behind him and Mal and Lucas definitely had chops. The three of them were an intimidating combination and it made her push herself even harder to keep up and show them she was worth keeping around.

  “How’s that report going?”

  She jumped, looked up to see Alex, and ignored the little bump of awareness that tightened her stomach muscles. “It’s good. I need a few more hours.” She had spent nearly all day on the report, pulling information about the Saints’ wealthiest ticket holders and sponsors and doing a brain dump of everything she knew about them. Then adding to that by grilling Shonda, Hana, Shelly, and using all her powers of Google-fu.

  Alex came over to her desk, studied the pile of file folders she’d been piling up during the week. “Okay.”

  “Did you want something else?” she asked, hoping she could move him on. Her office was little more than a cubicle. Too small for two people. Especially when one of them smelled as good as he did. Too much. Too close. She picked up the cookie jar, held it out. “One of these?”

  He looked amused but he took a cookie. “Thanks.” He took a bite of the cookie. “These are really good.”

  “So you keep telling me.” She put the jar back and made a vague gesture at her desk. “Well, I’d better get on with this…”

  “Sure. Come see me when you’re done.”

  It was an innocuous statement but it made her pulse bump again. Stupid pulse. She didn’t like how much she was starting to look forward to the time she spent with him. Even though he’d stuck to his word and was keeping things purely professional, it was fascinating to talk to him, to see how his mind worked, how he dealt with the thousand and one problems laid at his feet for solving each day. All without batting an eyelid.

  In his place, she’d probably be mainlining cookies, trying to keep all the balls in the air.

  She turned to watch him go.

  The boss, she reminded herself. Then turned back to the computer screen, her foot tapping restlessly as she tried to remember what she’d been about to type before he’d interrupted her.

  Her hand stole back toward the cookie jar as she skimmed the last few notes she’d made. A few more hours, she’d said. She wanted the report to be perfect. She didn’t want it to bounce back to her with a list of politely professional further questions. Though she wasn’t sure if that was her professional pride or her increasing annoyance at his unbreachable façade talking.

  Damn it.

  She definitely needed a cookie.

  * * *

  Alex was hanging up the phone as Maggie approached his desk. He smiled as he pushed his chair back, looking satisfied. “I thought you might have gone home.”

  She shook her head. It was only a little after seven. True, many of the Saints’ administration team had left for the day, but she’d been working as late as him all week. “I said I’d finish this for you today.” She handed him the neatly bound report. “There’s a copy in your e-mail and I cc’d Mal and Lucas.”

  “Thanks.” He took the folder and flipped it open, flicked through the first few pages. “This is great. Looks like I’ve got some studying up to do.”

  “You probably know the basics about most of them already.”

  “The basics aren’t enough. I need to get up to speed. We all do.”

  “You could make flash cards,” she suggested. “Drill yourself. Or have your minions make flash cards and get them to drill you.”

  “Most of my minions are busy running my other companies while I’m here.”

  “Well, you could go back to them and leave this to me,” she said.

  He smiled.

  Her stomach curled.

  Damn it.

  “Nice try, but I’m not going anywhere.” He leaned back in his chair, stretched, then stood and came around his desk. She started to step back and caught herself. She needed to act like she didn’t care, not shy like a startled horse. Alex passed her and crossed over to the window. Thankfully. He stretched again, the moves molding his white shirt close to his body. She looked away, trying not to notice. He turned back.

  “It hasn’t been that bad, has it? Working with me this week? I think we’ve done well so far.”

  “Well?”

  “You’re doing a good job. We make a good team.” His tone was bland but there was a spark in his eyes. Or was there? Maybe she was imagining it.

  “Thanks,” she managed.

  “Have you eaten? I’m starving.”

  The four of them had eaten so much late-night pizza already that week that Maggie didn’t think she could face another round. Besides, she’d scarfed down about four cookies before she’d stopped herself. Really, she was going to have to start working out again.

  “No, I’m good.”

  Alex’s eyes narrowed. “You had cookies for dinner.”
>
  “What makes you think there are any cookies left? The three of you have been eating them all week.”

  “There were still some in the jar earlier.”

  “No thanks to the three of you,” she said. “You shouldn’t be hungry either.”

  “I’ve talked up an appetite,” he said. “Damned teleconferences. I’ve had four in a row this afternoon. Remind me to remind Mal to get the video conference working.”

  “Okay. I might have a couple of cookies left.” She’d locked the box in her bottom desk drawer and tried desperately to forget they were there. “Do you want me to go see? They’re good.”

  Alex cocked his head at her, something speculative shimmering in his eyes. “No, thanks. It’s not cookies I’m hungry for.”

  “Alex…”

  “Just checking in. It’s been four days. Any further thoughts on … potential?”

  She bit her lip. “Still thinking.”

  His mouth quirked. “Well, that’s not a no, at least.” He stepped closer to her, reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair back from her cheek. “Or is it?”

  “No,” she admitted.

  “Anything I can do to help speed up the decision process?” He leaned in a little.

  Too close. She couldn’t think when he was this close. Didn’t want to think. Just wanted to feel. Which scared her. But she didn’t step away.

  “No one’s going to make you do anything you don’t want to,” Alex said softly.

  “What I want to do isn’t the problem,” Maggie said, wishing she could look away from the heat in his eyes. “The problem is what I should do.”

  “Life’s too short to always do what you think you should do.”

  “Spoken like someone who always gets away with what he wants.”

  “Spoken like a chicken,” he returned. He lowered his head another half inch until his lips were close enough that all she had to do was move just a fraction and they’d be touching hers.

  She remembered what that felt like … remembered the taste of him, dark and hot.

  Remembered his hands on her back scorching through the thin fabric of her dress.

  Remembered why she had to stay away from him. She pulled back. “Chickens are very underrated birds.”

  Alex moved with her. One step. Two. The backs of Maggie’s thighs hit his desk. Damn it.

  Trapped. Only it didn’t feel like she was trapped. Not like this was against her will. No, her will was very, very much in favor.

  “What are you so scared of?”

  “Doing something stupid,” she said. She folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to bolster her powers of resistance.

  “I’m not stupid.”

  “No, but us sleeping together would be.”

  “Why?” He traced a finger along one of hers, the lightest of touches. Still, it was enough to make her shiver. “I think it would be fantastic, not stupid.”

  “You’re not the one with something to lose.”

  “I’m not going to fire you if you kick me out of your bed,” Alex said. “You said you’d studied me? Ever hear about me doing anything like that?”

  “Having an affair with a coworker? No.”

  “Well, there you go.”

  That was way too convenient. “Maybe you’re just very good at covering your tracks.”

  He frowned. “Do you really think I’m that sort of guy?”

  “I—” She paused. “I don’t know.”

  “I’m not,” he said. “If someone finishes with me, we’re done. No confusion.”

  “No regrets?”

  “I didn’t say that.” His eyes darkened further. “But I’ve learned that you can’t keep someone with you by sheer force of will. If they’re out, they’re out. Cut your losses and move on.”

  “Kind of proves my point.”

  “What?”

  “That if we finished, you’d just move on.”

  “I thought we were talking about you kicking me out of your bed, not the other way around.”

  “Does it make a difference?”

  “Yes. For one thing, right now, I think it would take a very long time for me to get tired of this.” He dipped his head, brushed his mouth across hers, dragging her lower lip away from the upper and sucking it briefly.

  “D-don’t.”

  “That wasn’t very convincing.”

  But he stepped back. Apparently no meant no with this man. Nice to know.

  Maggie sucked in a breath, tried to think. Her body fought back, sending a surge of warmth through her as Alex’s scent came with the air she drew in.

  “Too fast.”

  “Ah.” He stayed where he was, considering her for a moment. “Well then, how about I call a different play?”

  “Different?”

  “Slow ball,” he said with a grin. “A test, if you will.”

  “A test of what?”

  “To see if we rate further investigation.”

  “Investigation?” She was starting to sound like a parrot. A breathy parrot.

  “Uh-huh. No sex.”

  Her body disapproved of that idea. Vehemently. “That sounds—”

  “Actually, let me rephrase. No home runs.”

  “Oh.” Her brain translated the phrase with a slight delay. “Oh.”

  “Just some exploratory fieldwork.” He grinned. “Try out a few bases.”

  This time her brain got it immediately. And immediately started spitting out images to match Alex’s words. Alex kissing her, Alex’s hands on her. Sliding over and under and … oh my. “Aren’t we a bit old for that?” Her voice sounded squeaky.

  “I don’t know. There are a couple I’m quite fond of. Besides, we can always redefine a few if we want to.”

  “Is that within the spirit of the game?”

  “Our game. Our rules. What do you say? Wanna play?”

  Desperately. But she still didn’t know if she could live with the result. Still, she couldn’t stop herself smiling at him. “Who’s the referee?”

  “You want to stop, we stop. That rule’s nonnegotiable.”

  She considered him. Considered the rush of heat in her blood, the heated tingle that was stealing across her skin in all the right places. Her body liked his proposal. More than liked it. “That sounds fairly straightforward.”

  “Straight’s simplest for now, don’t you think? We can complicate things later if you want. Depends what you like.” He lifted an eyebrow.

  “I like…” That was a concept too difficult to answer right now. Not when she was still getting her head around the fact she was standing in Alex’s office negotiating the rules of making out with him. “Right now, simple sounds good. As a test.”

  His smile blazed to life. “That’s my girl.” He walked over to the door, flipped the lock shut, then was back at her side before she had time to change her mind. “Now … where were we?”

  “You were talking about bases?”

  “Bases, right. Like first base?” He reached out, settled his hands on her waist. She lifted hers to his shoulders. It felt strange for a moment, like she was a teenager trying to figure out how to kiss a guy for the very first time. Which was dumb because she’d already kissed Alex.

  She wanted to kiss him again. “First,” she said softly, and pulled his head down to hers.

  Neither of them bothered with starting slow. No, this kiss was fierce and strong and seemingly designed to set her every nerve on fire.

  It went on, teasing and testing and tormenting, until she was drunk with him.

  He bent her back until she was resting on the desk, legs wrapped around his waist, arching against him as he kissed her with the mouth of a pro.

  This was a long way from making out under the bleachers with a clumsy teenager, which was probably the last time she’d been worried about first base. Such a long way it felt like an entirely different universe.

  Still, Alex seemed to be in no hurry to move on. His hands held his weight above hers and he made no
effort to try and move things along. But she was growing impatient, hungry. Aching and restless. She wanted more. Wanted his hands on her. She pushed him away gently. He backed off immediately and Maggie sat up.

  Alex’s eyes were dark as he looked at her. “Are you saying stop?”

  She shook her head, moved her hands to the buttons of her shirt, and undid them as fast as possible with fingers that seemed to have forgotten how exactly that task was accomplished.

  Her shirt fell open, leaving her in her bra. She could feel her nipples straining against the flimsy lace, knew that he could see them. Wanted him to.

  “Second,” she reminded him when he just looked at her, eyes almost black now.

  “Bossy,” he said softly, but he slid one hand up her stomach, around the curve of her ribs and up along her side. His fingers grazed the side of her breast but didn’t touch her where she wanted to be touched. No. Instead, he continued to drift his fingers across her skin, tracing the lines of collarbone and shoulder and bicep. Little trails of pleasure followed his touch. She bit her lip, closed her eyes, and laid her head back. She was the one who’d asked for slow. Apparently the man was following orders. Well, she’d let him be in control for now.

  Mostly because it felt so damned good.

  “Nice lace,” he said softly when his hand finally reached the point where the edge of the bra cupped her skin. “Expensive?”

  “Sort of?”

  “Guess I’d better be careful then.” He bent and breathed on the lace, right over her nipple.

  The warmth hit her skin like the fabric wasn’t even there and she tightened painfully. God. He was killing her.

  “You know, anyone who takes this long to get from first to second isn’t going to make it to the bigs,” she managed.

  He laughed, the sound gusting more air over sensitive skin. “You trying to bench me?”

  “No, just encourage you.”

  “Hmmm.” He still sounded amused. “Then let me see if I can remember what comes next. Oh yeah. This.” His fingers closed around her nipple and tightened just enough. The lace pulled across the skin and she gasped, the sound escaping her before she could stop it.