blush (Westbrook Series)

by Mitzi Vaughn

  "Well let me go shower and I will meet you at the office." She hoped that would get him out of there so she could calm down and collect herself. He looked mouthwatering. His white shirt showed off his dark tan and his hair was slightly tousled. His dark jeans rode just below his waist and she had to stop herself from imagining what he would look like with nothing but them on. She absolutely needed to calm down.

  "I'm in no hurry. I'll wait," he stated nonchalantly. "You can ride in with me so we can talk on the way."

  Shit, just her luck! She jumped in the shower and dressed while he made a call on his cell phone.

  He was intrigued by her cozy apartment. It was so different than the modern meticulous person she was at work. Her sofa was a plush warm gray decorated with a mix of yellow, turquoise, and ivory pillows. She had a shaggy ivory rug on the floor and the furnishings were all natural and repurposed. Alone each piece was unique and beautiful, but together they formed a harmonious cohesiveness that was outstanding. He didn't see very many photos of her family around, but instead just a few of Missy with what seemed to be close friends sprinkled throughout the studio unit, which consisted of a living room, a small kitchenette, and bed.

  She stepped back into the small room and noticed he had made himself comfortable on the couch. He stood and gave her a once over. She hoped it was okay that she was dressed informal in jeans and a dressy tank top. If she was going to work on a Saturday she was not putting on heels and a suit. "Is casual okay?"

  "You look perfect." He threw her one of his heart melting smiles and lead her out the door. Missy had never been in such a luxurious car. The black 1966 Stingray convertible was much like its owner, exciting and stunning. She loved the wind blowing through her hair and the music vibrating through her body. She closed her eyes and took it all in. She never thought it was very practical to have a convertible in New York, but she could see how it could be enjoyable. She opened her eyes and looked at Brandon. He was studying her with longing eyes. He looked so different in this moment, no stress from work or being the boss---just him... relaxed and in his element. The wind was blowing through his hair and his sunglasses framed his handsome face. Missy gave him her sexiest smile right back. This man could be trouble!

  They pulled into the New York Yacht Club and he came around to open her door. "What are we doing here? I thought we were going to get some work done?" She snapped letting him know she was annoyed. "I do not have the luxury of wasting away the day checking out boats or whatever we are here to see."

  "We are working. Our next project is a boat manufacturer. We are here for research." Brandon walked toward the boardwalk ahead not waiting for her to follow.

  She quickly came behind as he stopped at a large white yacht. She had never been on a boat before, so she watched nervously as he stepped onto the large vessel with ease.

  "Come on I've got you." He held out a hand to help her onto the yacht in front of her.

  She swiftly pushed his hand away and stepped onto the boat with only a little wobble. She was a grown woman and didn't need any help from him. He smirked and kept walking. She hated the way he laughed at her. When they arrived at the cabin, an older man with white hair and a white beard sat waiting on a chair.

  "Hello folks; you guys ready for the tour?" He introduced himself as Rich, the captain of the yacht. He walked Missy and Brandon through the entire boat pointing out the things Mercer offered that most manufacturers didn't. He talked safety ratings, motors, and speed. Missy took notes and used the camera on her phone to take photos of features she thought would make great advertising. Rich excused himself, telling them to make themselves comfortable and feel free to explore the boat on their own. Brandon went to the bar, opened a beer and poured it into a frosty mug. "Want a drink?" Missy looked toward Brandon, bewildered. "You like white wine, right?" He held out a long stem glass and placed it in her hands.

  "I think we have all of the information we need. We should probably head back to the office and go over all of the details," Missy babbled, still a bit confused. Brandon strode over to her and grabbed her hand. He stood so close her heart skipped a beat. "Come on; I want to see this baby in action." He gently pulled her out of the cabin to the bow of the yacht where there were chairs and hors d'oeuvres waiting. "You hungry? I had the chef make us a snack."

  She gawked in disbelief. "Are you sure they won't mind if we hang around?" Missy asked as she sat next to him in one of the chairs.

  "They shouldn't." He looked deep into her eyes as if he were searching for something. "It's my boat."

  The yacht engines started and the boat began to move out of its dedicated slip. Missy looked at Brandon with surprise on her face. "Where are we going?" He could tell she was a little nervous. He reached for the arm of her chair and put his hand over hers. She quickly went to pull away but it was too late. He stopped her hand and held it under his. She felt butterflies in her stomach and heat all over her body from the firm touch of his hand.

  "Don't worry sweetie; we are just going for a ride. My mom is in town for the weekend and when I told her we were working she insisted we have lunch with her. We have a little time before we are scheduled to meet her." She blushed at his term of endearment. He wondered if she even knew she was blushing. He also wondered if she knew how much she turned him on when she did it. He turned his body away from her so she didn't find out.

  "Oh great. I would love to see Brenda. She is such an amazing woman." She hoped by talking about his mother and work it would subdue the electricity she felt as he rubbed her palm with his fingers.

  Brandon smiled and added, "Yeah she has a pretty high opinion of you too." He loved feeling the softness of her skin under his thumb. He wanted to touch her arm and shoulders, bare from her tank top. She stood before he mustered the courage. Brandon felt as though she had taken something from him. Like there was a hole he didn't even know he had, and her touch filled it.

  "Wow I have never seen New York from this perspective. The view is remarkable." Missy stared out at the city she loved. It looked so peaceful from the water. She had to remind herself this was the most populated city in the U.S., but from here it only looked tranquil and serene.

  He agreed completely. The view of her in awe of where she was, was breath taking. He knew he had given her a gift. Brandon had seen New York this way many times. His mom had a boyfriend when Brandon was younger that was an avid yachtsman. They would take Brandon and his sister Dayna on long vacations on the man's yacht. Brandon always loved it because his mom would take a break from her growing empire to spend time with he and Dayna. They would fish and tell stories until it was too dark for them to see. Then the chef would bring them ice cream to cool down after they came up empty handed. His mom would say, "that's why it's called fishing not catching." As he got older he realized his mom didn't know anything about fishing and the reason they never caught anything was because they were using the wrong kind of bait, but those were still the best memories of his childhood. Seeing Missy enjoy it for the first time brought him back to his youth. He now had a new favorite memory to add to his collection.

  He rose from his seat and approached her. He had tried so hard to stay sitting down, but he wanted to touch her again. He wrapped his arms around her waist and before she could object he started filling her with stories of the sights they were taking in. He showed her the best view of the building they worked in, and they tried to see if they could find the windows to their offices. She laughed when he couldn't even remember which side of the building his office was on. After a lot of pointing and explaining he finally kind of knew where it was. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time. She relaxed into his embrace. He smelled of a musky, masculine cologne---the same amazing scent she enjoyed in his office. His scent. Brandon was so interesting and witty, not at all what she expected of the man she had come to know in the stories everyone at work snickered about. Her Brandon sweet and adoring. He was a gentleman. Her Brandon.

  Chapter 5

  As the
y pulled back into the boat slip she felt disappointed the rendezvous was over. On land they were back to work, he was back to being just her boss and she was back to hiding the growing feelings she was having for him. Brandon held out his hand to help her out and this time she let him. He must have sensed her emotions because he ran his hand over her cheek and smiled. "Don't worry love. The day isn't over."

  She smiled and followed him as they walked to a restaurant they passed on the way in. It was a swanky place decorated in antique boating and shipping memorabilia. There were vintage pictures displayed on a blank wall giving each piece the appearance of art in a museum. They followed the maître de to a quiet room in the back where his mother was sitting at a table sipping a glass of iced tea. When she saw them, she stood and held out her arms. "I am so glad we were able to meet for lunch, darling," Brenda exclaimed as she held her son for a moment. When she reached for Missy, she did so with as much love as she had shown her own child. Missy had told Brenda about her upbringing over the seven years they worked together. Brenda always treated Missy with respect and still managed to slip in as much nurturing as she could without offending Missy. "Thank you so much for taking a break from work to have lunch with me. I was so happy when Brandon told me you would be joining us."

  Brandon held out the chair for his mother and then Missy, and finally seated himself in the chair closest to Missy. He ordered a bottle of the white wine he had learned was Missy's favorite. His mother smiled with mothers intuition and looked at Missy. "Brandon tells me you paired up and closed the sports drink deal."

  "Yes Mam. Your son was a pro in that presentation, like he had been at it for years." Brandon put his hand on her thigh under the table and watched her as she turned his favorite shade of pink. She tried to brush him off; when she was unsuccessful she continued nervously talking to Brenda. "The team really pulled together on the project."

  Brandon gave her a cocky smile and turned toward his mother to join in the conversation. "We worked so well together I decided Missy and I will be joining on the Mercer project as well."

  By the time the food arrived they had settled into a comfortable and interesting conversation. Brenda told them stories of her latest trip and showed them some of the trinkets she picked up in different places. She talked about a man she had met in Rome and how they had enjoyed the rest of their vacation together. Brandon listened and nodded as his mother bored him to death with her latest love story. Same story different guy. He would have fallen asleep if it weren't for the warmth of Missy's leg under his touch or the way she kept crossing her legs trying to move out from under his hand. She kept glaring his way and hitting him under the table, but he would just smile and move his hand higher on her thigh making her blush again.

  When lunch was over, Brenda walked Missy and Brandon out to the Corvette. "You take care of this one for me Missy, he tends to get himself into trouble." Brenda hugged them both and waved goodbye.

  Missy and Brandon didn't talk much on the ride back to her apartment. She knew as wonderful as the day was, she could not let this happen again. Brandon was too much of a risk in her life. Sure, he made her hot as hell, but he was her boss. He was off limits and she intended to make sure he knew it.

  When they pulled up in front of her building, she waited for him to open her door. She was not the type of woman who usually let a man open the door for her, but she was going to appreciate each moment she had with him before he left. "Did you have a nice time?" He broke into her thoughts.

  "Yes, but Brandon this can't happen again. We work together and I don't want for things to be uncomfortable at the office when you are only interested in a fling." Brandon felt his blood pressure rise. How did she know what he wanted when he didn't even know. No doubt, he had only been interested in sex in the past, but she was different. He enjoyed talking to her and listening to her tell him about her family and friends. He enjoyed making her smile and laugh and... Oh shit. What was she doing to him? "What the fuck ever," he grumbled brusquely before getting back into his car and speeding off. He had to get this woman out of his system.

  Chapter 6

  A night out with the guys was just what Brandon needed. He knew if anything could get Missy out of his head it was a night out at the hottest club in town with his best buds Mark and Cade, an open tab, and a room full of New York's finest women. The three friends hadn't seen each other since Cade's wedding two months ago. Mark and Brandon loved to bust Cade's balls about getting tied down, but the truth was Marcy was incredible. They were the real deal. Brandon had never seen people as in love as those two were. Of course, he hadn't seen much as far as relationships went unless you count his mom and the countless boyfriends she brought around. That had only taught him one thing; he didn't want to spend his life bouncing from one unstable relationship to the next. That's why he had come up with the no strings lifestyle he had been living. It was working out okay until Missy. Damn it. No thinking of Missy. He felt bad about being an ass to her earlier, but he was not used to rejection, and he was definitely not used to caring what a woman thought of him. Brandon sat down at a table that overlooked the entire club. VIP seating was one of the many perks being one of New York's richest bachelors had earned him. Cade and Mark set off for drinks while Brandon watched the dance floor. He absorbed the energy coming from the music the DJ was playing. He was already feeling like the old Brandon again---confident, relaxed, and ready for a good time. Cade had come back with enough beer to last them a while and Mark was making his way toward a group of ladies on the dance floor. Mark was always in the game. He was a complete player. What was sad is most of the women Mark brought home knew it and didn't care, of course the uniform he usually sported didn't hurt. Mark always said he became a cop because women loved men in a uniform. Cade and Brandon caught up on what had been going on in the last two months, Cade had been curious about Brandon's transition to advertising mogul and Brandon found out how married life was treating his long time pal. They perused the dance floor trying to spy what poor woman was under Mark's spell tonight. Mark seemed focused on one woman with long brown hair falling over a red dress. Anyone could see she had a body underneath that would bring most men to their knees. Cade snickered, "You think he can close that deal?"

  Brandon laughed, "I don't put anything past him anymore, but he does seem to be trying harder than usual."

  After a substantial amount of smooth talking Mark was able to get the sexy brunette onto the dance floor. Brandon and Cade watched as Mark swung the poor woman all around the club. When the song came to an end, Mark dipped the woman in hopes of sealing the dance with a kiss. The woman turned her head and pushed Mark's face away before he could touch her lips.

  "Fail!" Cade exclaimed while he bent over laughing at his friend's expense. He turned to Brandon, but Brandon's intense look told Cade he didn't see the humor in Mark's blunder.

  Brandon's head was about to explode with fury. "Come on man; that was funny shit," Cade insisted, still laughing. Before Cade could contain his laughter, Brandon was out of his chair, pushing his way toward the dance floor. What the hell does she think she is doing? When he made it to the table where Mark was still coming on strong, he pushed Mark out of the way. He grabbed Missy and lead her to one of the private tables in the back of the club. "What are you doing?" Missy yelled, pulling her arm from his grasp. "You have no right to man handle me!"

  Brandon could only see red. "I have every right! What were you thinking coming out tonight wearing THAT." He looked her over one more time before reaching her eyes. Normally he would love to see her in the sexy number she was flaunting, but not when she was OUT. DANCING. WITH MEN OTHER THAN HIM.

  "I would imagine I am doing the same thing you are doing---having a night out with my friends, and last time I checked I could wear whatever I want whenever I want." She turned to leave but he pulled her into him before she could step away. He pushed her up against the table until his body was close enough to feel her curves under the skimpy red dress. He grabbed
the back of her hair and tilted her face to his until their lips were touching. The lips she imagined to be soft and gentle were hard and hungry with want. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He craved her and she let him get his fill. She could feel the hardness of his erection through his jeans. His hands skimmed her hips and were making their way to her breast before she pushed him away to get a breath of air.

  "Come on," Brandon spat while dragging her out of the club.

  Chapter 7

  He was silent the entire drive back to his house. Missy ignored his dismal mood by texting Chloe; she would be concerned when Missy didn't return to the table. The longer they drove the more her lust dissolved and her anger returned. The traffic from Lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side neighborhood he lived in was dreadful so she had more than enough time to become livid. What was he thinking treating her that way? One minute he was hot the next he was cold. She was going to give him a piece of her mind. When he opened the door to the extravagant penthouse, her anger was overshadowed by marvel. It was nothing like what she thought about when she imagined him relaxing in his house or sleeping in his bed. It was open and airy with an amazing view of New York. The decor was masculine yet very tasteful. The colors were muted with pops of modern color. An Andy Warhol painting hung on the wall above the sofa. Photos of his family were placed with love above the fire place. It was beautiful, not at all the chaotic bachelor pad she envisioned.

  He stood staring as she took it all in. He knew he had to get her out of that club before he slugged the next guy that looked at her, but now she was here, in his house. He felt a lump in his throat. "Would you like a glass of wine?"

  "I would like to know just who the hell you think you are dragging me around New York!" She leered at him waiting for an answer.

  He walked to the kitchen and uncorked a bottle of wine without saying a word. He poured them each a glass and then walked back across the living area to where she was standing. Running his fingers through his hair he murmured, "Please sit down." Missy sat on the leather sofa keeping a bit of distance from him so that she couldn't be distracted by his leg touching hers. "I am really sorry about what happened at the club. I had no right to treat you that way. I had no right to kiss you that way."