by Maya Hughes
She let out a small sigh before burrowing deeper into his hold and before he knew it her even breath let him know she was asleep. Grabbing his phone again, he turned down the brightness and shined the light on her face. She was so beautiful. Her cute button nose and long eye lashes made her seem so much younger than she usually did when she was awake. Her take charge attitude and bossy nature belied the vulnerable woman she was right now in his arms.
He knew her ex was still out there and he would do everything he could to protect her, especially now. He was sure she was going to have second thoughts in the light of day, but he wasn’t going to let her get away with things that easily, especially not with their biggest misunderstanding behind them. He would do everything he could to keep this woman safe and make sure she knew he was there for her.
10
Chapter
They’d made it out of the freezer at a little past 9 am. Rox bolted the second Amy opened the door. People at the bar were worse than little old ladies. Sleeping with the new boss would have the whole bar gossiping about them before lunch service.
She dashed into the bathroom to get away from any of the early staff arrivals, came out of the bathroom and bumped into Liam. They did that awkward trying to get past each other thing as he tried to go up the stairs to the office and she tried to head back into the kitchen. Finally, he stood still and she tried to go around him. He grabbed her hand as she passed, brought it up to his face and gave her a kiss on the palm.
“I had a great time last night,” he said. She blushed, thinking back to her spectacular orgasm and the cuddles afterward.
“I did too,” she said, looking down at her shoes. “Is it okay if I take a shower up in the office? I have an extra set of clothes. I’ll probably just crash there for my nap instead of going home.” She did need to get a bit more rest, although laying in Liam’s arms had been the most restful sleep she’d had in a while.
“Sure, no problem. I’m going to go back to my place and get ready for the lunch rush. And I’ll sign the work order for the freezer and pull my head out of my ass when it comes to managing this place. I won’t let things fall through the cracks anymore.” He put his finger under her chin and tipped her head back so she looked him in the eye.
“Thank you for your help, Rox. And I don’t want you to think this was a one-time thing. I’d like to see you again.” She gulped and nodded her head dumbly. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips that became more urgent once their lips met. He pressed her up against the brick wall, caging her between his arms as he peppered her face and neck with kisses. Every time he pulled back, she shifted forward, not wanting to break the connection between their lips. Amy cleared her throat at the end of the hallway and they broke apart like two kids caught making out by the principal. She could feel the flush creeping up the back of her neck and onto her cheeks as she beat a hasty retreat after giving Liam a wave goodbye.
What the hell just happened? If someone had told her twenty-four hours ago she’d be standing in front of her prep station daydreaming about Liam Lavery, she’d have smacked them in the head with a rolling pin, but here she was. She touched her fingers to her mouth. He’d set her on fire with that kiss back in the hall. How was she going to get through lunch and dinner knowing he was floating around out there?
“Macking on the new boss, huh?” said Amy, arranging her station. Rox counted backward from ten. Worse than little old ladies, all of them!
Rox threw a towel at her, before going back to her prep station to get things ready for lunch. Last night had been wonderful, but now she didn’t know what to do around Liam.
Being the badass bitch was something that came naturally, but whatever territory they were in now was much harder to navigate. She hadn’t had anyone interested in her in a long time. And someone who was interested who she had to interact with almost every day was even more foreign.
After they finished up the prep, Rox hustled up to the office to have a shower and change. Getting locked in the freezer had been excellent cover for using the office without anyone asking any questions and the commute to work couldn’t be beat. She was curled up on the couch with a nice comfy blanket she’d brought in from home when the office door slammed open.
“Yvonne, I’m not playing this game with you. Do you understand me? You’re in violation of the no contact clause in the confidentiality and settlement agreements. If you call me again, we will have to revisit some of those penalties put in place to stop you from doing shit like this. And don’t even think of trying to come to my house for your things. I mailed you everything of yours.”
She sat up on the couch. Who was he talking to? This was more heated than a business conversation. He was mailing someone their things from his house? An ex probably. Jealousy burned in her chest, but she shook her head. She had no right. They’d only slept together once. Liam started when she threw the blanket off, not realizing she was in there. He ended the call and hung his head. Placing the phone on the desk, he walked over to her, sat on the couch and kissed her gently. He rested his forehead against hers.
“I didn’t know you were up here. Sorry I woke you up.” He stared down at her and she shivered. What would last night have been like if she’d been able to see him? Then her stomach turned, what would it have been like if he’d been able to see her? Suddenly, her back burned and she whipped the blanket off her lap.
“It’s okay. I grabbed a little shut eye before lunch. I didn’t mean to sleep this long.” She threw it over the back of the couch and tried to get up. Liam grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward him.
“Sleep as long as you like,” he said, running his hand through the longer hair on the top of her head. She leaned her head into his palm before catching herself. Why did his touch have to feel so good? Shaking her head, she pushed the blanket back.
“I should get back down there. I’m sure everyone is wondering where I am.” And gossiping about how Amy found them this morning. At least if she was down there, they wouldn’t say that stuff to her face.
“I’m sure they’ve got it covered. You run a tight ship,” he said, rubbing his hand on her knee. She yawned and stretched her arms overhead.
“They still depend on me to get the job done when I say I will,” she said, putting her shoes on. “There are a few things you need to take care of on your desk and I’ll see you later, okay?” She got up when it looked like he was leaning in for a kiss. She didn’t know why she was evading his kiss. This morning and last night all felt like a dream, like it hadn’t happened. Maybe they were going to reset back to how things had been before, maybe that would be for the best. She wasn’t exactly relationship material. Not wanting to think about it, she grabbed her apron off the door handle and jogged down the steps to the kitchen. It was a chorus of ‘hot behind’, ‘corner’, and other kitchen madness. Once again, her kitchen centered her as she called for updates from everyone at their stations. Running like a well-oiled machine as usual. Maybe she should give her team some more freedom, but then how would she fill all those lonely hours? Her mind drifted back to Liam. Stop it, Rox! Get to work. Don’t think about his clear emerald eyes and how they seem to be undressing her every time they were in the same room together.
The next few days had gone a lot smoother than previous days, in part because Liam had spent a good portion of the day behind the desk upstairs instead of down in the bar. While he liked being in the weeds with everyone else, he knew that there were certain business tasks that only he could handle. He’d gotten through ten work orders that had appeared on his desk, done some invoicing, and fielded more than a couple of calls from Mark checking in on his baby.
Rox brought him up lunch most days, careful to keep the portions small, which he appreciated. She seemed shy and standoffish again and that wasn’t going to cut it. He would have to corner her before she left for the evening and make sure she knew that he did not intend this to be a once time thing. Not by a long shot. Every time he saw her he couldn’
t help but think of what her body felt like in his hands. He couldn’t wait to get her under him when he’d be able to see every curve.
Pitching in on the floor helped distract him from his sassy little chef and made the evening speed by. He had never been more tired. It was crazy how quickly time flew by when you were on your feet most of the evening. Everyone was getting more comfortable with him. Things were less awkward as the new boss, and people were beginning to realize he wasn’t trying to make any big changes or take anything away from anyone. He wanted them to continue down their already successful path.
Helping Charlie clean up behind the bar as the last patrons made their way out, he kicked himself for not trying to catch Rox earlier. He checked the kitchen and the lights were out and her bike wasn’t parked out front. He hopped in his car, having left his bike at home, and was almost all the way home when he realized he’d left his phone in the office during lunch. Worried about missing an emergency call for the bar, he made a U-turn and drove back to the bar, feeling like he needed to hold his eyes open with toothpicks.
He unlocked the front door and hustled up the stairs to the office. He opened the door where he saw the soft glow of the desk lamp radiating off all the papers on the desk. He hadn’t remembered leaving that on. Walking over to turn it off, he turned around and came face to face with Rox in a tank top, pajama shorts and her boots, brushing her teeth. She froze, foamy mouth wide open with her eyes bulging.
She let out a squeak and a garbled sentence muffled by the foam and toothbrush in her mouth.
“What?” he said, unable to understand her. She walked back into the bathroom and rinsed her mouth.
“I…I wanted to be ready for an early start here tomorrow, so I was just going to crash in the office,” she said, fiddling with the hem of her shorts.
He turned to check out the office and saw a duffle bag with more than a few items of clothes, her bag filled with toiletries and other girl things sitting on the bathroom sink and it dawned on him. She wasn’t staying up here just for tonight.
“You’ve been living here, haven’t you?”
She crossed her hands in front of her and fidgeted with her boots. Rox was living in the office? But why? His stomach sank as he thought about the night in the alley. Had something else happened? Why hadn’t she told him?
“Rox, answer me. Have you been staying here?” She nodded, still refusing to look at him.
“For how long?” His anger started to bubble up. She was staying in the office above the bar where she’d been attacked.
“A couple of weeks.”
“A couple of weeks?!” As much as she’d been on his mind since he started, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed she’d been staying there. Why hadn’t she come to him? Especially after he’d made it clear to her that their night together wasn’t going to be a one-time thing.
“Why?”
“There was an issue with my apartment and I didn’t think it would be a good idea to stay there anymore,” she said, biting her bottom lip.
“Does this have anything to do with that guy who attacked you in the alley?” Her eyes snapped up to his before she glanced away. So, it did have something to do with it. Had he threatened her again at her apartment? Had she told the police?
“It’s not a big deal. I won’t stay here anymore. Okay? I’ll find somewhere else.” She started to pack up some of her items she had laying out, shoving them into a bag. Did she think he was pissed that she was staying there? He was pissed that she hadn’t asked for his help! He had plenty of room at his place. He gently took her by the elbow and turned her toward him.
“Do you think I care about you staying here?” She wouldn’t meet his eyes and his heart plummeted. She didn’t know how he felt about her.
“I figured it might cause problems with the insurance and stuff and it is your office and I didn’t ask,” she said, still not meeting his eyes and adjusting the duffle bag on her shoulder. He took it from her and she peered up at him. His chest tightened at the unsure look in her eyes. He’d never seen her look so vulnerable before. She bit her lip again and he reached out, cupping her cheek.
“Rox, I don’t give a shit about you staying here. I give a shit about you not being able to go to your apartment. Does not being able to go back to your apartment have anything to do with that guy who attacked you?” She evaded his gaze again, looking down at her hands.
“Answer me.”
“Yes, he broke into my place after he attacked me.” His vision blurred with rage as blood pounded in his head. If the guy hadn’t gotten away she wouldn’t be dealing with this now. If he hadn’t screwed up, she’d feel safe right now.
“And you didn’t tell me!” he roared, his grip on her arm tightened. She shrank back before her back went ramrod straight. He relaxed his grip and let her go, taking a deep breath.
“It’s not something you have to worry about. The cops are looking for him. There’s not much that can be done. It’s my problem and I’ll handle it.” She shrugged her shoulders. How could she be so nonchalant about the whole thing? Obviously, it mattered to her, if she didn’t feel safe enough to stay at her apartment. Who was that guy and why was he fixated on Rox?
“Handle it like you handled it that night? With him trying to kill you? I told you I would help you any way I could,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I know, but it’s fine here,” she said, glancing around the office. “The couch is comfortable and the commute is excellent.” She attempted a joke, peering up at him, but her smile died on her lips when she saw how royally pissed off he was.
“This is not funny, Rox.”
“Sorry,” she said, picking at the hem of her shorts. Shaking with anger, he gathered up her stuff and shoved it into her bag.
“What are you doing? I’ll get out of here and go someplace else,” she said, trying to grab her bag from him.
“Do you seriously think I’m kicking you out?” he spat. How could she be so stupid? He told her their night together wasn’t a one-time thing, why did she think he’d be kicking her out? Did she still think he was that much of an asshole?
“Well, aren’t you?”
“I’m kicking you out of the office, but not to fend for yourself. You’re coming home with me.” Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open. He would have laughed if he weren’t so pissed.
She attempted to interrupt him.
“Liam, you don’t have to…I can just—” she said, grabbing for her bag. He pulled it out of her reach. She glared up at him.
“I said, you’re coming home with me. I have a guest room and lots of security. You’ll be safe there. I don’t like the idea of you being on your own with that guy out there. I hadn’t realized he hadn’t been arrested yet.” He looked around for any other items that might belong to her and, finding none, he hefted her bag onto his shoulder. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of the office and down the stairs, untied boots and all.
“I don’t know if this is a good idea. Liam, listen to me. It’s not really that big of a deal,” she said, running alongside him to keep up with his strides.
“It’s pretty much the only option you have right now because I’m sure as hell not leaving you alone in that office upstairs.”
“Would you just listen to me?” she said, yanking her hand from his. Stopping to glare at her, he stood with his arms crossed over his chest.
“I don’t want to go with you if you’re pissed off. I’m fine here and I’m fine without your help.” She glowered at him with her arms crossed over her chest.
“I’m not pissed at you.” He took a deep breath to try to get himself under control. He’d seen the fear in her eyes and that was the last thing he wanted—Rox to be afraid of him. She squinted at him. “Okay, I was a little pissed at you, but mainly I’m pissed off that you’re in this situation to begin with. And like it or not, you’re getting my help, so deal with it.”
She threw up her hands and gestured toward the front door.
He locked up the bar, unlocked the car and held the door open for her. She tucked herself into the passenger seat and he handed her the bag. Going around the front of the car, he glanced down the street trying to see if anything looked out of the ordinary. He kicked himself for not following up on the threat to Rox. He was going to be sure to rectify that first thing in the morning. She would be safe, he would make sure of it.
The drive to his place was tortuous, not because he was tired, since finding Rox in the office had pushed any bit of tiredness out the door, but because now that she was sitting beside him, he finally got a good look at her. There had never been a woman sexier than Rox in her pajama shorts and tank top. Those pajama shorts and tight tank top were the kind of tease that had him adjusting himself throughout the drive back to his place. He shook his head. Now was not the time to think with that head. Making sure Rox was safe was the top priority now.
11
Chapter
Rox adjusted the hem of her pajama shorts, trying to pull them down. Her legs were sticking to the leather seats and she still didn’t get how she was in Liam’s car. One minute she was brushing her teeth and the next, she’d being hustled into his car on the way to his place.
“Why didn’t you tell me this guy was still out there?” His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. The flashes of passing lamp posts shone on his face. With each passing minute, his grimace seemed to get deeper. Her stomach churned and she wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself.
