Moments with Hailey - The Esquire Girls Series - Hailey's Story (Books 1, 2, 3 & 4) - Box Set (featuring Tender Moments , a brand-new Valentine's Day novelette)

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  “Uh – I met him when I got mugged yesterday. He helped me.”

  Matt takes a big gulp of his coffee and sets the cup down on the edge of his desk. “So, he’s not some guy you’re fucking?”

  I flush deeply. “No – I just met him,” I say in a small voice. Is this man jealous? I feel confusion rise in me because the first time we had sex, Matt told me that I shouldn’t get my hopes up. That I should just push the whole thing out of my mind. So, is he jealous now?

  Matt leans forward and runs his finger down my cheek. A zing of electricity follows close on the trail of his touch. “Good – ‘cause I don’t share my toys.”

  Excuse me? His toys?

  I know that I should retort. That I should let him know that I’m nobody’s ‘toy’ but the fact that he referred to me as ‘his’ actually makes me tingle. And seeing him jealous strokes my fragile ego. The heroic security guard is really cute, but holy Texan accent. He’s way too ‘country’ for the big city. I can’t help but imagine him in a big old cowboy hat and stirrups at the rodeo. He’s not what I came to New York looking for…

  Matt is…

  Matt eases off the edge of his desk. He picks up a heavy black binder as he sinks into his seat.

  “Okay – now, let’s get down to business.”

  Chapter 6

  Matt and I work on the DuBois Realties file all afternoon before he tells me that I can leave. I look down at my wristwatch as I make my way to my cubicle.

  6:45.

  Perfect timing for me because, tonight I’m taking my first mauy thai class with Madison and Ruthie. After being mugged yesterday, I think it’s important that we take a basic self-defense class to learn to protect ourselves. That sounds like a good idea. And besides I’m down to try anything that might help me lose a few pounds. I’m just about desperate to slim down.

  The office is already very quiet. Most of the staff have left for the night. As I approach my cubicle, I notice a large bouquet of wildflowers on my desk. My steps falter.

  I move slowly towards my desk, my heart thumping in my chest. I’m smiling so hard it hurts.

  It’s from Matt – I’m sure of it. He played nonchalant all afternoon, focusing strictly on work but I couldn’t get last night’s lovemaking session out of my head. The intensity on his face when he kissed me. The flexing of his hands as he’d held my hips in place. The sounds he’d made as his cock moved through my wet folds.

  All afternoon I’d been aching to talk to him about it. To find out what it meant to him. I know it’s not ladylike to carry on an affair with a man who hasn’t made his intentions clear and my mother would have a fit if she knew what I’ve been up to, but I would definitely like to keep being intimate with Matt. Hell – I’d like to go on a date with him. He’s gorgeous, successful and extremely sophisticated. He’s exactly my type. And the flowers sitting on my desk are an indication that he’s interested in me, too.

  I lift the bouquet to my nose and am immediately intoxicated by the glorious smell. It makes me want to twirl about.

  “Well, look at that – Hailey, who’s the mystery man sending you flowers?” Jasmine comes out of nowhere, scaring me half to death.

  I rest the flowers on my desk and try to wipe the silly grin off of my face. I’m not ready for my coworkers to know about Matt and me. Not until I’m sure what’s going on. Ruthie’s been on my scent ever since she stumbled upon the lacy, pink lingerie set that I bought the day that Matt said he would come over to my apartment while my friends were out at the gym. I feel a twinge of hurt now when I remember that he never showed up that day, choosing instead to go to brunch with his siblings. Anyway, the point is that I can’t let Jasmine know that Matt sent me flowers.

  Jasmine rests the pile of books in her hands down on the edge of her desk. With one hand on her hip she waits for my answer. “So, who sent you the flowers, Hails?”

  I bend quickly and pull my gym bag from under my chair. I hoist it onto my shoulder then grab a hold of my flowers. “Just an old friend,” I say casually as I make my way quickly to the elevator. “Have a good night, Jazz. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Once I have some much needed privacy, I drop my gym bag to the floor of the lift and pull out the card neatly tucked between the fragrant petals.

  To Hailey –

  Never forget that you’re a fighter!

  Yours,

  Michael Moretti

  Michael Moretti?

  I read the card over and over with a heavy heart.

  Michael Moretti?

  Michael has no personal connection to me. Yes – he’s dating Ruthie, he’s Madison’s older brother and he was the temporary managing partner of CMS’s New York office when his father was sick, but we’ve never even had a long conversation. He has no reason to send me flowers.

  This must be a mistake.

  Matt sent me those flowers.

  I want it to be Matt.

  As I step off the elevator, I call the CMS switchboard and ask the operator to connect me to Michael’s line at his California office. This is a misunderstanding. I just need to clear it up.

  Michael answers on the second ring. “Michael Moretti?”

  “Hi, Michael. This is Hailey Lundeen from the New York office,” I say into the phone as I nervously dig the toe of my shoe into a small crack in the marble near the elevator door.

  “Oh, Hailey,” he says in a friendly voice. “Did you get the flowers?”

  “Yes – I think there was a misunderstanding. Am I supposed to give them to Ruthie for you?”

  He laughs a throaty laugh. “No, no. They’re for you. Ruth told me that you were mugged yesterday and I figured that a beautiful bouquet of flowers would make you feel better.”

  My heart sinks.

  I was really hoping that it was all a mistake. I was hoping that the flowers were from Matt.

  Despite the aching of my heart, I say, “That was really thoughtful of you, Michael. Thank you.”

  “No problem,” Michael says. I hear commotion on his end of the line. “Look Hailey, I’m about to go into a meeting right now. I’ve gotta go.”

  “Yes. Yes. Go.”

  “Take care.”

  “You too.” I hear the line disconnect.

  I stand there for a moment digging my toe into the marble as disappointment runs through my whole body.

  “Hey there, Cowgirl.” I glance over my shoulder and see the new security guard making his way over to me.

  I don’t have the time right now.

  I spin on my heel and hurry towards the exit. “Sorry, I don’t have time to chat. Have a good night,” I say as I step out of the building.

  Chapter 7

  “Hey ladies!” I try to sound peppy as I walk into the locker room of the studio where we’ll be taking our muay tai class tonight. I don’t want my friends to notice how deflated I feel. I’ve tried pushing down the disappointment I feel that it wasn’t Matt who sent me the flowers but it’s not so simple.

  “Whoa, Hailey,” Madison whistles when she sees the large bouquet of flowers that I’m carrying. “You didn’t tell me there was a special somebody in your life.”

  “Yes, Hails,” Ruthie says. “Time to spill the beans about your secret boyfriend.”

  I walk past them and put the bouquet down on the bench in front of the lockers. “Well actually, these flowers are from your boyfriend, Ruthie.”

  “From my boyfriend? Michael sent you flowers?” Ruthie’s voice reveals her confusion.

  I shrug out of my jacket before pulling my blouse over my head and kicking off my heels. “Yeah – you told him I got mugged yesterday, didn’t you?”

  She nods her head, still looking shocked.

  “Well, he sent me flowers. He’s really sweet.” I offer a small smile as I pull on my gym pants.

  “Sounds like this one’s a keeper, huh Ruth?” Madison says half-jokingly.

  But I agree with her. Ruthie is so lucky to have found a real man who cares about her. Then again, Ru
thie is physical perfection. Of course she’d have men falling all over her. “Tell me about it. I wish I could find me one of those,” I say wistfully.

  “Hang in there, Hailey. I bet your Prince Charming is right around the corner,” Madison says, trying to be encouraging. Easy for her to say. She just got engaged to Domenic Gattusso, the man of her dreams.

  “I wouldn’t hold my breath,” I say quietly as I slip into my sneakers.

  “C’mon, Hails! Where’s that bright optimism you’re so famous for? I mean – he could literally be right around the corner. Look at me. I’ve known Domenic my whole life and I would have never guessed that he would be so perfect for me,” Madison says, blushing as she talks about her fiancé.

  “Well, you know about me – Michael was supposed to be a one-night stand, and now, he is, without a doubt, the most amazing man who’s ever been in my life.” Ruth’s doing her best to cheer me up.

  “I think I’ve given up on men,” I say with a sigh as I grab my water bottle and pad towards the door.

  Madison is right behind me. “Well, maybe the woman of your dreams is around the corner.” She pokes me in the shoulder as she laughs.

  I can’t help but roll my eyes when I hear Ruthie laughing too. “Whatever.”

  Just then, Ruthie’s phone starts to ring. She stays behind to answer it.

  Only a handful of students lounge around the small martial arts studio waiting for class to begin. Madison takes a seat on the highly-polished floor and leans her back against the wall. I follow suit. “Maybe I know a nice guy I can hook you up with,” Madison offers. She’s only trying to be helpful but having this conversation is making me seriously uncomfortable seeing as I secretly had sex with her older brother just last night. I’m not too sure how she would feel about Matt and me hooking up. I feel guilty that I haven’t told her about it. If one of my friends was having a torrid affair with my brother, I’d be pretty resentful if she didn’t at least tell me.

  “You really don’t have to set me up on a blind date, Madison.” I pull my blonde waves up into a loose ponytail.

  She sighs. “I just hate seeing you dissatisfied with your love life. You’re such a great person and so pretty. I just know that you’d make some lucky guy really happy.”

  I smile at her nice words. “Thanks, Maddie. You’re really sweet for saying that.”

  “I mean every word. You’re awesome. I’m really grateful we became friends,” she says tossing an arm around my shoulder and giving me a quick squeeze. Hearing that means a lot to me. Madison and I didn’t automatically become friends when we started working at CMS in spring. She was actually really intimidating and standoffish. But once I got to know her, I was glad that I put in the effort to break the ice with her. “Speaking of gratitude, do you have plans for Thanksgiving? I know that Ruthie will be in Vancouver with Michael? What are you planning to do? Don’t tell me you’ll be sitting at home alone.”

  “No, no. Don’t worry about it. I’ve got plans.” The truth is I don’t but Madison will probably feel pity for me if I admit that to her.

  “Are you sure? You should come have dinner with us. My mom’s housekeeper makes the best sweet potato cobbler ever. And we’ll have an extra seat since Michael won’t be around.”

  I entertain the idea for a fraction of a second. I would love to accept Madison’s offer to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Dammit – I would love to show up to the Moretti Thanksgiving dinner on Matt’s arm. But that’s just wishful thinking.

  My mom has always made such a big deal about Thanksgiving in particular and I’m really sad that I can’t go home this year. Still, I have to decline Madison’s offer because I know that Matt wouldn’t want me sitting at his family table while his dad carves the turkey.

  “No – for real. I have plans.”

  Madison cocks an eyebrow at me, but doesn’t push the conversation any further. “Okay,” she says simply.

  Just then, the instructor takes his place at the front of the room and welcomes everyone to class. Madison and I rise to our feet along with the other students.

  Madison leans into my shoulder. “The offer still stands if ever you change your mind.”

  Chapter 8

  “Hey Cowgirl.” I look up from my smartphone and come face to face with the cute security guard just outside the doors of the office building as I’m climbing the few stairs leading to the building. His jacket is zipped all the way up and he’s got his messenger bag slung across his body. It looks like his shift just ended.

  “Hi,” I say in a small voice before bringing my attention back to my phone. I feel a tingle in the pit of my stomach and I have to remind myself that, although this guy may be cute, he’s not what I’m looking for.

  He pulls the door open for me. “After you, m’lady,” he says gallantly as he follows me inside.

  “Thanks.” I try to speed up but he’s hot on my heels as I unbutton my jacket and stuff my scarf into my handbag.

  “Wait up!”

  I pull in a deep breath as I turn to face him. “Yes?”

  “I never got your name.” He gives me that charming, boyish smile of his.

  For a brief second, I consider lying or giving him an excuse to get him off my back. Finally, I say, “Hailey.”

  “Hailey.” I like the way my name sounds coming out of his mouth. “I’m Jackson,” he says, stretching his massive hand out to me.

  I try to suppress a smile but I can’t. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jackson.”

  He reaches for my hand. I’m forced to slow down. He brings the back of my fingers to his lips for a soft kiss. “The pleasure is all mine, Hailey,” he says with his unrelenting smile.

  He’s cheesy as hell. So, why am I grinning so hard?

  I gently pull my hand from his grasp and recommence my trek towards the elevators.

  Jackson is hot on my heels. “So, what else are you gonna tell me about yourself, Hailey?”

  I glance at my watch.

  7:26 p.m.

  “Well, for starters, I work at the law firm on the 7th floor…and I’m late.” This morning, Matt emailed to ask me to come by the office after class today. He’s expecting the client, Charles DuBois, around 7:30 – a bit late for a client meeting, but when you’re Charles DuBois, you say ‘jump’ and your lawyer says ‘how high?’.

  My answer doesn’t deter Jackson. “How ‘bout you tell me what time you finish tonight and I’ll pick you up to go get a drink?”

  I lift an eyebrow at him. “Your shift is over. You’re going home.”

  He shrugs. “True. But it’s not like I have plans tonight. I don’t mind coming back here to meet up with you.”

  I hit the elevator call button before I turn back to face him. “Look, Jackson – you’re a really nice guy, but I’m not interested,” I say as diplomatically as I can.

  His expression deflates for just a second and then that big ole smile comes right back. “All I asked you to do was to have a drink with me. I didn’t propose marriage. C’mon! I’m new in town and I don’t know anybody. Show me a good time, Cowgirl!”

  His offer seems innocent enough but the last thing I want is to get caught up with a guy like him. If I wanted a cowboy, I would have stayed in Texas.

  The elevator door slides open and I step on. “Good night, Jackson.”

  He sticks his hand out to hold the door open. “We can just be friends, y’know. Even if I’m not your type – we can be friends.” With that, he lets the door slide shut.

  I feel a pang of guilt wrench my chest. After all, this guy did save my butt when I got mugged. It probably wouldn’t hurt to have a drink with him.

  I quickly shake the thought from my head. I can’t focus on that right now. I’m here to see Matt. I take a quick glance at my reflection in the mirrored panel of the elevator. I run my hands through my hair and blot the sheen from my nose. I feel like I’m on the verge of making a deeper connection with him.

  Maybe after the Charles DuBois meeting tonight, so
mething might happen between me and Matt.

  Who knows?

  Chapter 9

  When I get to the 7th floor, it was already 7:33. Being a few minutes late shouldn’t be a big deal, but I know that Matt will be pissed. He enjoys being tough on me.

  I think it’s an aphrodisiac for him.

  Instead of knocking, I slowly crack open the door to conference room three, hoping naively to enter unnoticed and cause the least amount of disturbance to the meeting that I expect is already under way.