Daring to Trust the Boss (Harlequin Romance)

by Meier, Susan

  She rubbed her fingers along the flounce of her skirt. “Bet I look silly.”

  “No, you just look like a concerned sister.” She glanced at Billy. “But I think Billy should go home. And you, too. And your boss.” She said boss in the oddest way, a way that made Tucker feel totally unwelcome. “Get changed. Get some rest. Dad and I will stay. When she wakes up, we’ll call you and you can come back to see her.”

  Rising, Olivia nodded. She hugged her mother and dad, and collected Billy and they headed out of the room.

  Tucker caught her hand, if only because he needed to feel her again when she was relieved, happy. “So, all this is good news.”

  She smiled up at him. “Yes.”

  Billy made a snorting noise.

  Tucker decided to ignore him. He wasn’t quite sixteen. His sister had nearly died. His other sister, someone he clearly loved and missed, was home for a few days. He was bound to be a little emotional.

  When they arrived at the Prentiss residence, an old two-story house that had a well-kept front yard and blooming flower beds, Tucker brought their suitcases inside. Olivia put on jeans and a T-shirt but Tucker had only dress pants and white shirts. Laughing at him, she drove him to the local discount department store. He didn’t wear his tie or jacket but when he walked into the store in black tuxedo trousers and a white silk shirt, he knew he looked silly.

  They found jeans and T-shirts and he bought two of each. They checked out and stopped at a fast-food restaurant next door to buy dinner.

  She was happy and sweet with her brother as they ate. But after they returned to her parents’ house and he changed into the one of the jeans and T-shirts, right before his eyes, she seemed to wind down.

  “You need to go to bed.”

  She yawned. “I want to stay up so I can go to the hospital when my sister wakes up.”

  “How about if you sleep and I wake you?”

  “How about if we both sleep and put the cell phone on my pillow so we can hear it when she calls?”

  She headed toward the stairway which he assumed led to the bedrooms.

  Positive he’d heard wrong when she’d said “‘we’ could hear the alarm,” he motioned to the living room. “I guess I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

  She stopped, turned. “I was hoping you’d come upstairs with me.”

  Everything inside him spiked. Their eyes met. He knew what a huge deal this was for her. A sign of trust. He’d like nothing better than to sleep with her, not for sex but for connection. He didn’t want to be separated. He didn’t want her to be alone. He didn’t want to feel alone, ostracized.

  But these profound feelings ignited his desire for her, a desire so intense that he didn’t trust himself.

  “I can’t sleep in your bed.”

  She took a step toward him. “I promise to be good.”

  He laughed. “I don’t.”

  She looked up. Time seemed to stop again. “It’s okay.” She drew in a slow breath. “It’s what I want. I need to be close to you.”

  The words humbled him. He’d never had anybody need him, depend on him for anything other than money or work. Still, he also knew it was wrong. He didn’t want to mention the past. He didn’t want to bring up the worst time of her life. But he had to get them to slow down again or they’d both regret it.

  “If and when we make love, I want it to be slow, special. Not a frenzy of emotion neither one of us can control.”

  She licked her lips, looked like she would argue, but she finally said, “Okay.”

  “So I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  “What if we both sleep on the couch?”

  Relief sliced through him. He glanced into the living room at the oversize floral sofa. “It’s big enough for two people.”

  “And with Billy roaming around there’s no privacy.” She walked her hands up his T-shirt. “So you’d have to be on your best behavior.”

  “I would.” As he said the words, he contradicted them by kissing her. The sensations that wove through him awed him. He didn’t just like this woman. He’d swear he loved her. Even though he wasn’t entirely sure what love was, this new feeling that overwhelmed him couldn’t be anything less serious than love.

  She slid her hands around his neck, pulling him closer and he deepened the kiss, even as his chest tightened and his breathing grew shallow. A month ago, he’d never thought any further with a woman than lust. Today he wanted everything.

  She broke the kiss, took his hand and led him to the sofa. He sat first, reclined and patted the space in front of him. She lay down beside him, spoon fashion.

  Wonder trembled through him. He was in love with a woman who was equal parts remarkable and vulnerable. Beautiful and kind. Someone who’d been hurt enough that her mother still behaved like a panther protecting a cub.

  And as much as he knew he was in love with her, he also realized he didn’t know the first thing about loving her.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  TUCKER FELL INTO A DEEP sleep. What seemed like only seconds later, the sound of a door closing woke him and he bolted up on the sofa. Rays of the sun poured in through the shear curtains. Olivia’s mom stood in the doorway to the living room, her arms crossed on her chest.

  “Good morning.”

  Olivia bounced up in front of him.” Good morning, Mom. Sorry.” She winced. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  She said, “Is Cindy awake?” But before her mom could answer she added, “Of course she is or you wouldn’t be home. Why didn’t you call us?”

  “She woke in the middle of the night. The nurses fussed and she couldn’t really talk so we decided to let you all get a good night’s sleep.” Her gaze drifted to Tucker. “She’ll be awake again this morning. You can go to the hospital now.”

  Olivia jumped off the couch. “Let me get a shower and change.”

  With that she bounded out of the room and Tucker found himself alone with her mom. Seconds noisily ticked off a grandfather clock in the corner. Neither said anything.

  Finally, Loraina turned to leave the living room. “I’ll make some coffee.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair. She thought the worst. She had from the moment he’d walked into the hospital waiting room with Olivia. If she were anyone other than Vivi’s mom, he wouldn’t care. But he did care. He had to care.

  He rose and made his way to the kitchen where Loraina stood by a counter preparing coffee.

  They were silent for several minutes. When he couldn’t take the quiet anymore, he said, “Nothing happened last night.”

  She didn’t even turn from the coffeemaker. “Of course not. I trust my daughter.”

  He leaned against the counter. “So do I.”

  She whipped around to face him. “Oh, do you now? You think that means something. That you trust her? My daughter’s a sweet, precious woman.”

  “I know how sweet and wonderful she is. In these past few weeks, she’s been very good for me.”

  She sniffed a laugh. “I’m sure she has but are you good for her?”

  The kitchen door swung open and Olivia entered. Her hair wet and a big purse over her shoulder. She’d obviously taken the fastest shower in recorded history. “I grabbed a few things that Cindy might want.”

  “Did you get her iPod?”

  “Doesn’t she have her phone?”

  Her mom shook her head. “It was lost in the accident. I’m going into town this afternoon to get her a replacement with her old number. But if she wakes I think she’d like to at least have her music.”

  Olivia turned. “I’ll get the iPod.”

  When the door closed behind her, the kitchen became silent again and stayed silent. What could he say to persuade the mother of the woman he had fallen in love with
that he was good for her? Should he tell her he’d given her a job? Was helping her start a business? He didn’t know much about mothers but he didn’t think this one cared about jobs. Especially since the very doubt she was expressing was the same doubt he had himself.

  She handed a cup of coffee to him just as Olivia returned to the kitchen.

  “Bring that with you,” Olivia said, pointing at his coffee. “I want to get going. In fact, I was thinking we should grab breakfast at the hospital and eat in the waiting room.”

  When they got into the rental car, Olivia took his coffee so he could insert the keys. He wanted the coffee but what he really wanted was a hug and a kiss. He wanted to think she needed them as much as he did. But suddenly everything seemed wrong. Out of place. So he forgot about holding her and the wonderful sensation of having her in his arms, turned the key and got them on the road. Then he took back the coffee.

  “A little desperate for caffeine?”

  “Actually I’m starving.”

  “We’ll get something as soon as we check on Cindy.” She directed him to make two turns that took him to a highway that took them to the hospital.

  As he drove, he sipped the coffee which was strong but surprisingly good. When he parked the car, she hopped out. He guzzled the rest of the delicious coffee, left the mug in the car’s cup holder and followed her.

  The information desk directed them to the ICU where her dad awaited. He hugged Olivia, then smiled at Tucker.

  Tucker stepped back, wondering if he’d be smiling after his wife told him he’d slept with his little girl on their sofa.

  Though nothing had happened, he knew Vivi’s story. Knew that these were the people who’d loved her through the attack that had nearly resulted in a rape. They were protective and to them he was a predator.

  “The nurses were taking her vitals, so I came out. You can go in when they give us the all clear.”

  They sat quietly on plastic seats in a small waiting room. Tucker leaned back, trying not to feel out of place, unwanted. When the nurse came in, Olivia jumped up. “Let’s go.”

  He hesitated. Everything that had happened in the past few days suddenly seemed surreal. Not only did he believe he had fallen in love, but Olivia’s family didn’t like him. And now he was being invited to the ICU bed of her sister.

  At the very worst possible time in their lives, he’d nudged his way into this family without a second thought.

  And he hadn’t for one minute felt he belonged here.

  “Coming?”

  He rose from his seat but didn’t take the steps to the door. “You go.”

  Her head tilted. “What?”

  “I’m a complete stranger and your sister is very sick. She doesn’t want a stranger at her bedside. You go alone.” He turned to her father. “Or let your dad go back in.”

  Her father’s eyes lit with agreement, so Tucker sat again. They left the waiting room and he watched the door to the ICU swallow them up.

  Then he sat back, closed his eyes.

  He didn’t belong here.

  * * *

  Vivi stepped inside the small curtained-off area where her sister lay. Her breath stalled when she saw the cuts and bruising and the metal thing around her leg that connected to pulleys and kept it elevated.

  “My God, she looks terrible.”

  “The nurses tell us she’s actually doing very well. In a few days her pain killers will be reduced. She’ll be awake longer than two minutes and she’ll be able to talk to us.”

  She walked to the bed, slid her hand along the cool sheet. “So this is good?”

  Her dad smiled. “Very good. We’ll take it one day at a time. You just have to be patient.”

  “Oh, I’m the most patient in the land.”

  “Yes, you are.” He walked over and surprised her by enveloping her in a hug. “We’ve always been proud of you.”

  “Yeah, well, this morning Mom might not agree. She came home and found Tucker and me sleeping on the couch.”

  Her dad frowned. “I thought he was your boss.”

  “He’s a little more than my boss, Dad.”

  Her dad’s mouth fell. “Oh, Vivi. After everything you’ve been through, please do not tell me you’d get involved with a guy who would—” he paused, as if trying to figure out what to say and finally settled on “—use you.”

  Vivi gasped. “He would never use me!”

  “Really? Big-city guy like that? A guy with money? A guy accustomed to getting what he wants and then walking away when he grows tired? You’re sure he won’t use you?”

  She groped for something to say, something that would make him see that Tucker wasn’t using her, but when she went back over all their time together, she couldn’t really think of anything definitive. Everything they did together somehow involved work. Lots of it even involved him getting a shot at Constanzo’s company.

  She swallowed then shook her head to clear it. So much had happened in the past few days that her thinking was muddled. She knew Tucker. Better than anybody.

  “He’s a good guy, Dad. And I won’t do anything stupid.”

  “Okay.” He laughed nervously and brushed his fingers along the back of his neck. “You I trust. Him not so much. You just keep a good head on your shoulders.”

  She stayed the fifteen minutes she was allowed then walked out of the ICU with her dad. When they returned to the waiting room, they found Tucker and her mom sitting silently.

  Loraina rose. “Your shift is over,” she said with a smile before placing a kiss on her dad’s cheek.

  “Are you sure you want to stay all day?”

  “I feel lucky getting days, since you’re stuck with nights.”

  Her dad wrapped his arms around her mom’s waist. “I don’t mind.”

  It was the kind of exchange Olivia had seen every day of her life. Simple, normal, day-to-day love. She glanced at Tucker and saw he’d looked away.

  The odd feeling tumbled through her again, making her stomach queasy. She’d worried at Antonio’s party that they were taking things too fast, worried that he might only want sex from her. In her desperate need for connection the night before, she’d even offered herself to him, but he’d been a gentleman. In the light of day, though, everything looked different. She was working her way into his world. But he seemed nervous in hers—as if he didn’t want to be here.

  * * *

  “You go home, too, Vivi.”

  When Tucker heard those words coming from Loraina, he almost jumped off his chair, eager to leave this quiet, tense place. But he caught himself and rose slowly. Olivia may not want to leave.

  “We don’t want to go, Mom. We’ll keep you company.”

  She glanced at Tucker. “Are you sure?”

  Olivia said, “Yeah. Cindy’s doing fine. But we all want to be here for her.”

  He started to sit again, but Loraina gave him another one of her looks and he stopped himself. They didn’t need him. They didn’t want him. He was absolutely in the way. And seeing Olivia’s life up close and personal, he understood why Loraina had asked him if he was good for her.

  He wasn’t. Olivia might know just the right words to say to him to make him happy, or comfortable, but he didn’t know what to say to her. They’d really only “talked” for two weeks—and that was on the phone. They’d “been in love” one day—a little over twenty-four hours. He needed to give her space and maybe he needed a little more time to think all this through.

  “Maybe I should just go.”

  Olivia’s gaze jumped to his. “Go?”

  “Yeah. There’s really nothing for me to do here. And I probably have eight zillion emails.”

  “Really? You’re leaving for emails?”

  He glanced at her mom, then back at her. “Y
ou guys need your privacy.”

  Her eyes dulled. She smiled shakily. “You’re fine here with us.”

  “I’m in the way.”

  She studied him a few seconds then said, “You know what? Let’s take a walk.”

  He motioned for her to precede him and when they got far enough away from the waiting room she said, “What’s really going on?”

  “Olivia, your family is in crisis. I have huge, wonderful enormous feelings for you, but I don’t belong here.”

  “Of course, you do!”

  “Olivia, take a look at your parents. They don’t want me here.”

  “I’ll talk to them.”

  His heart skipped a beat. “No! My God, their daughter is lying in a hospital bed. If I leave, the extra stress I add will go and you won’t have to talk to them.”

  Even as he said the words, new fear tightened his chest. What if something he said, something he did, put a wedge between her and her family? What if being with him took away the thing she had that he’d always longed for: a family?

  “I need you here.”

  He shook his head. “No, you don’t. You need your family. And they need you.”

  Suddenly they were at the elevator. Considering it a sign, he pressed the button. She walked over to him, placed her hands on his chest in a gesture he was coming to expect from her, something that made him feel he was hers. Special, precious to her. Her parents might not like him but she did. A lot. She might even love him.

  But he’d lived through the last twenty-four hours with her. The best he’d done was get her to this hospital. He hadn’t known words of consolation. Didn’t fit into her family. Hell, the truth of it was, he might not fit into any family. And the very worst possibility was that his inability to fit might drive a wedge between her and the family she adored. The family who adored her.

  No matter how he analyzed this, he wasn’t good for her.

  “Of course, I need my family. But I’d also like you to be here.”

  He clasped her hands and inched them away from his chest. “Don’t you see how different we are?”

  “Yes. We both saw it from the day we met. That doesn’t mean we’re wrong for each other.”