by Mia Carson
“Why the hell would you do that?” Rosie snapped, setting her glass down hard enough for the scotch to slosh out on the table. “He likes you, he met your ex with you, and you’re going to stop this before it even goes anywhere because he’s your boss?”
Freddie wiped up the spilt scotch, frowning as she did so. “Because I’m pretty sure it’s against company policy.”
“Do you know that for sure or are you using the possibility as an excuse?”
“I… well, I just assumed… I can’t date the new CEO.”
“You’re scared,” Rosie stated sharply.
“What? I never said that.”
“You don’t have to, it’s all over your face. You’re scared you’ll get too close to another guy too fast and he’s going to turn out just like Mack.” She jabbed her finger into Freddie’s shoulder with the last few words.
Freddie rubbed the spot on her arm, glowering at her. “I don’t think he could ever be like Mack, but you don’t think it’s too soon?”
“No, I do not. Mack was a piece of shit and you know it.”
“Wow, thanks for that. You couldn’t have told me that over the last two years?”
Rosie shook her head. “I knew you’d figure it out eventually.”
“And now you want me to date my boss? You really don’t see how that could end badly? Very, very badly?”
“I see a chance for you to have a good time with a man who is more than willing to get it on with you. So get on with it. One of these days, it might be a good time to lose your virginity.” She patted Freddie on the head as she stood and sang to herself as she wandered through the house to the front door, scotch glass still in hand. “I expect details, Freddie my girl!”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll get them,” she muttered as her front door closed. She picked the cheese off another slice of pizza and ate only that, drinking her beer and pondering what the next few days might bring with Rhett at the office.
Alone in her quiet house, eating cold pizza, her mind wandered. She imagined her and Rhett alone in his office, the lights dimmed around them as they kissed. Her eyes closed and her chewing slowed with each new image that appeared in her mind. Her cheeks flushed, she cleared her throat and decided a bath was in order—or a cold shower. She would decide if she ever made it out of the kitchen.
***
Tuesday morning, Rhett pulled up outside Freddie’s house and hopped out of the car to pick her up. He tucked the small bouquet of blue tulips behind his back and rang the doorbell. The door opened a few seconds later and she took his breath away. She wore her electric blue pumps, matching skirt, and white and blue patterned blouse. Her hair hung down around her shoulders, and her eyes lit up when they landed on the bouquet he brought out from behind his back.
“Good morning,” he said. “Did you sleep well?”
“I would say yes, but that would be a lie,” she told him and his smile fell. “But that’s only because I dreamt of you all night.” She took the flowers and gestured for him to follow her inside as she found a vase in the kitchen. She set the flowers on the tiny table in her kitchen, running her fingers gently along the petals. “These are beautiful.”
“As are you. Ready to go?”
“You sure no one will see us arrive at the office together? I don’t want anything to jeopardize your image or mess things up for you with your brothers.”
“I’ll drop you off out front and go park,” he suggested. “Will that work?”
“I think that’ll be fine.”
“Good, but for future reference,” he told her, opening her car door for her, “there is no company policy against employees dating.” He frowned after he closed her door, staring at the neighbor’s house. An old woman gave him a thumbs-up from her front window. Unsure how to respond, he waved and walked around to the driver’s side. “Your neighbor… do you know her?”
“Rosie?” she asked, panicked. “Why, what did that old woman do now?”
“She gave me a thumbs-up,” he said. “Should I be worried?”
Freddie whipped around with a curse. “No, but if she ever corners you, run.”
He chuckled, and they spent the long drive into work laughing and talking. He reached across and held her hand, kissing the back of it. Their laughter died as his hand rested on her thigh. His fingers massaged her skin through her skirt. He waited for her to shove his hand away, but her hand only covered his. He tugged up her skirt inch by inch, hungry for another touch of her skin, but he never went past her thigh.
When he pulled to the curb outside the LM Solutions building, he withdrew his hand. She grunted at him in annoyance as a grin played at her lips.
“You know, two can play at the tease game,” she whispered.
His chest tightened in anticipation of what that could mean. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, that’s so, and you, my friend, have started something I’m not sure either of us is ready for.”
“Do you want to stop?” he asked as he prayed she would say no.
She didn’t respond except to wink and climb out of the car. His hands twisted around the wheel and he groaned. She would drive him crazy, and he was quite all right with that. He parked the corvette in the private lot behind the building and wandered into the building, thrilled to see what could happen with Freddie’s challenge.
No matter what happened with her through the day, there was one thing he had to set right before they went any further. He had to track down the guys and tell them he was calling off the bet. He had no idea what reason he would use, but he had to ensure there was no bet if or when he and Freddie wound up in bed together.
“There he is,” Adam announced when Rhett stepped off the elevator. “I have a few things for you to read over before I have them typed up.”
“Sure thing. Where are the others? We need to have an impromptu meeting sometime today.”
“How important is this meeting?”
“Not terribly, but we have something to discuss today,” he said. “Whenever you see the guys, let them know for me.”
Rhett patted him on the shoulder and made a beeline for his office. Freddie was seated behind her desk, tapping away at her computer when he walked over. He could have simply stood there all day, admiring her at work, the way her brow furrowed as she typed or her mouth moved with whatever she was writing at the time. She was so focused on one thing at a time. He could only imagine what that focus would be like if it was directed solely on him for an evening.
“Good morning, Rhett,” she said brightly without looking up at him.
“Morning, Freddie. I must say you look quite radiant today.”
Her fingers paused for barely a second and her lips twitched. “It must be my new hair conditioner. Works wonders.”
“Yes, yes, that must be it. I’ll have some items for you to collect soon in my office.”
“Of course,” she said, swinging around in her chair as he passed. Hidden by her desk, no one noticed her hand brush against the front of his trousers on her way down to pick up a pen she conveniently knocked off her desk. Her palm lingered on his package for a full ten seconds as Rhett nearly dropped his briefcase to the floor so he could have his hands free to kiss her. “Anything else you need this morning?” She winked as she continued typing as if she hadn’t nearly pushed him over the edge.
“If there is, I’ll be sure to let you know,” he muttered and stomped into his office. Thankfully, he sat for the next hour so no one could see the erection he struggled to regain control of. His mind raced with ways to get her back when he paged her into his office a while later. She waltzed in, a bounce to her step.
“I need you to double check this is right,” he said seriously, scooting his chair over so she stood beside him behind his desk. “Right there.”
She gasped and her head shot up to be sure his door was closed. “Cheater,” she breathed.
“I don’t think this is cheating,” he replied as his hand pressed against her ass beneath her skirt.
He moved it forward, and her hands gripped the edge of his desk as her mouth fell open. “I’m sorry, what was that, Freddie?”
She ground her teeth, her hips rolling as he palmed her sex. Her panties dampened at his touch, and he second-guessed his choice until a tiny moan slipped out of her mouth. She clapped a panicked hand over her lips. He removed his hand, and she fidgeted beside him, her body all nervous energy. Today would definitely be interesting.
She picked up the papers he pointed to and she took them, shooting him a scathing look that disappeared when her tongue flicked out and licked her lips seductively. He watched her through the glass as she resituated herself at her desk, crossing and uncrossing her legs. She stood a few minutes later as a message popped up on his monitor from Freddie. Curious, he clicked on it.
“Jesus,” he muttered and deleted the message instantly in case someone else saw it.
He hung his head back, closing his eyes as those words flowed through his mind, a parade of images he wouldn’t shake for the rest of the day—hell, maybe the rest of the week. Part of him hoped she was really doing what she asked to do, or was it against company policy to touch oneself in the restroom? He tapped his fingers loudly on his desk, waiting for her to return so he could see if her cheeks were flushed along with the mounds of her breasts. He noticed last night, in the throes of passion, how far that blush blossomed over her skin.
When he spotted her walking towards her desk at a brisk walk, her face was set in stone and she looked nothing like a woman who just gave herself an orgasm. Worried Zach was bothering her again, he sent her another message, asking if she was all right.
She sent another back immediately, assuring him she was fine, and offered him a smile over her shoulder. Too bad it didn’t reach her eyes. He considered going out to confront her or calling her back into his office, but the set of her shoulders told him whatever happened in those five minutes she was away from her desk put a damper on their playful teasing for the day. He focused on his work, making phone calls and giving his brothers a brief update through an e-mail about the accounting department beginning their overhaul. So far, the business was running like the well-oiled machine he hoped for.
All of it except Freddie.
He skipped lunch, in no mood to eat, and as his clock hit quarter to five, he packed his briefcase to head out for the day. He intended to speak with Freddie on his way out but didn’t make it that far. Zach, Jeremy, and Adam traipsed through the office towards his door. He’d been so worried about Freddie all day, he forgot about wanting to speak with them to call off the bet he’d foolishly made. Zach paused at Freddie’s desk, playing with a framed photo on the corner of it. He heard her laugh at something he’d said, but the laughter was strained. The arms crossed over her chest and how she fiddled with her ring so actively told him she was not happy with Zach talking to her. She moved around him politely and didn’t even turn to wave goodbye to Rhett.
“So, here we are, your three musketeers,” Zach announced loudly. “What did you require of us?”
“We need to talk about the bet we made,” he said, sitting on the corner of his desk.
“No, don’t you dare tell me you already banged her? Damn, you didn’t even give me a chance!” Zach griped, shaking his head. “Well played, my friend.”
Rhett glowered at their proud looks as if he’d won some prestigious award. “No, we haven’t and you aren’t going to either. I’m calling the bet off. We can’t mess around with our new employees like this and not with my brothers on my back.”
Zach picked at his teeth obnoxiously. “You’re so full of shit.”
“No, actually, I’m attempting to be responsible,” Rhett argued. “We’re past this, guys, and if Ryan catches wind of this, I’d be finished and so would you for taking part. Can we call it a draw and move on with our lives?”
Adam held up his hands. “Don’t look at us. It’s between you two.”
“Yeah, we don’t have money at risk here.”
Zach stalked around the office like a caged animal looking for his next piece of meat to devour. “Are you saying she’s off-limits completely, or we’re calling off the bet?”
Tell them, he yelled at himself. Tell them she’s off-limits. She’s yours. You know she’ll be yours if you play this right. Zach can never get his hands on her. Rhett’s neck strained as an image of Zach and Freddie in bed together came unbidden to his mind.
“Just calling off the bet,” he replied stiffly. “If you manage to get her on a date, I’d be impressed. If anything does start between you two, do me a favor and keep it out of the office? We might not have a policy against it, but things don’t always work out for the best.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Zach said, but the suspicion on his face told Rhett he didn’t believe a damn word he’d said. “No more bet, but don’t worry. When—and it will be when—I win this fair lady’s heart, enough of her to take to bed, I’ll be sure to share all the details with you lot.”
“We’ve heard enough of your conquest stories,” Rhett snapped and forced himself to smile and relax his tense pose. “They always end the same way.”
“But they’re always worth it,” Zach chimed in with a wink. “Who’s up for a beer?”
Jeremy and Adam shoved each other like teenagers messing around on their way to the elevator, leaving Rhett alone with Zach.
“You coming?” he asked.
“Yeah, be there in a second. I have to leave a few papers for Freddie to take care of in the morning,” he lied. Zach shrugged and hurried after the others. Rhett’s feet refused to move. His phone sat in his hand and his thumb hovered over her name, but he couldn’t complete the motion. If she wanted to talk to him, she would text him…he hoped. Until then, there was no reason he shouldn’t go out and have a beer with his friends. Otherwise, they might think he was hiding something.
Chapter 7
Freddie rubbed at the bags under her eyes. She had been at the mental institution for most of the night, sitting up with Clarice as she went through one of her episodes. She screamed, cried, and fought to get away from the voices in the room. It went on for hours. Freddie hated to see her sister sedated, but by the end of the night, nothing could calm her down. Dr. Gibbons promised she would keep her posted throughout the day.
All the messages today were positive. Clarice ate breakfast and lunch. She spoke with Theo and Hank a few times, and even asked if she could go outside for a walk.
“She’s going to be fine,” Freddie reassured herself for the tenth time that day in the bathroom, rubbing at the neon green and blue ribbons on her wrist. “She has to be fine.”
Rhett spoke with her briefly that morning, asking if she was all right and if her worry lines were caused by what they’d done together, or if Zach had bothered her too much. She promised him it was neither and dropped the subject, but all day, she sensed his concerned gaze on her. Unlike Mack, who would pester her continually until she gave in and exploded about what was wrong, Rhett gave her space. He told her they were friends, potentially headed towards being more than friends. She liked knowing that if she did decide to talk to him about Clarice, he would be there to listen.
She exited the bathroom and ran into Rhett. “Shit, sorry.”
“It’s fine,” he said, sneaking a quick squeeze of her hand. “Do you need some coffee? I was on my way to the breakroom.”
“I could use one, or ten,” she agreed. The breakroom was thankfully empty, and to her surprise, he closed and locked the door. “Rhett, what if someone comes in?” she hissed, worried.
“I wanted a moment alone with you. You can sneak out first and I’ll say there was a mess in here that had to get cleaned up,” he said easily. “Is it Mack?”
“What?”
“Is he still calling you?” he asked and pointed to his own eyes.
She rubbed at hers. Of course, she forgot to put makeup on today or even bring any with her. “No, haven’t heard from him.”
“Does it have anythi
ng to do with why you got all weird yesterday?”
How does he do that? Her hip against the counter, she crossed her arms, shrugging. “It could.” She rubbed her hands up her arms, suddenly cold. She felt like she was watching her mom die all over again, except now, it was her baby sister and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to help her, nothing except stand by and watch.
“Freddie, if it’s something I did,” he started, but she shook her head. “Do you want to talk about it after work? We can get drinks?”
“Maybe this weekend,” she promised.
“I’ll hold you to that,” he said with that cocky grin that touched her heart every time. “Coffee?”
He unlocked the breakroom door and propped it open a few inches so people would think the door slid closed as it did sometimes. He popped two single-serve cups in the coffee machines. Freddie breathed in the tantalizing smell of coffee that filled her nose. He handed a cup to her, and she sipped it without letting it cool down.
“Don’t burn your mouth,” he said and reached to take the mug back.
“I’m fine. I wasn’t thinking.”
His lips thinned and he looked like he wanted to say more, but the door opened and a few of the other ladies on the floor walked in, laughing about something or other. Rhett glanced at them, annoyed, but covered his disappointment quickly and slipped from the breakroom.
“What’s going on with you and the new boss?” Muriel asked, nudging Freddie playfully.
“Nothing, I promise you.”
“Oh, hon, you were crying again? Your sister?”
Freddie felt her dam of control cracking, but she sucked back the tears. “She had a rough night at the home. I was there for most of the night.”
“You know if you ever need anything from us, we’re all here for you.”
“I know and I appreciate it, but I’m fine for now.”
She thanked the older woman and returned to her desk. Rhett was just sitting back down when she placed her coffee mug by her mouse. Had he heard her talking to Muriel? He stared intently at his computer as if sensing her gaze and trying not to give anything away. Her phone buzzed a few more times with messages from Dr. Gibbons and Rosie, who drove to the home to keep Clarice company until Freddie could make it back.
