by Alice Ward
“I’ll have to answer that question at another time,” I said. “The boss and I haven’t discussed that quite yet.”
“Would you be open to it?” the same reporter asked.
“Again, that’s a conversation between me and the boss,” I said firmly. They were pushing and I wasn’t going to budge.
The truth was, I couldn’t imagine traveling outside of Arizona for work. Now that Paisley was with me every day, there was no way I could just leave town for weeks at a time. I glanced at Tara for a second, wanting to see what she thought of the question. She wasn’t looking at me. Her eyes were determinedly focused on the group of reporters in front of her.
The questions continued at warp speed. They fired and I answered just as fast. My talking points were locked and loaded. Tara prepared me perfectly, and when I stepped away from the podium, I knew I’d nailed it.
“That was amazing,” Tara said as she walked over to me. She put her hand on my back and steered me around the room.
I shook hands with each reporter and thanked the photographers for being there. While everyone packed up their equipment and began filing out, Tara and I stepped to the side and watched them leave.
“I kicked ass,” I said with a grin.
“You did good,” Tara agreed. “But there are still a few things we could—”
“No.” I shook my head. “Not right now. Just enjoy the moment, okay?”
“I am enjoying the moment,” she argued.
“No, you’re not.” I laughed. “You’re already overanalyzing a thousand little details. I can tell. You’re so easy to read when you’re obsessing.”
“I do not obsess!” Tara said.
“I don’t mean it in a negative way,” I promised. “It’s why you’re so good at your job.”
Tara smiled shyly. She looked at me with gratitude but didn’t speak. I’d never seen her at a loss for words before. It warmed me to see that I affected her, even in such a small way. I knew I should say something or at least look away, but I couldn’t bring myself to do either. My eyes were drawn to her face.
“At least I know I did one thing right,” Tara said suddenly. I blinked and cleared my throat. My head felt light.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Bringing you on,” she explained. “For a while there, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but now I know it was. You really are exactly what we need right now.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled. I was always uncomfortable when someone gave me a compliment, especially a woman as beautiful as Tara.
“No,” she said. She shook her head and stared into my eyes. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means that you agreed to do this. Whatever your reasons were—”
“Trust me,” I interrupted. “They weren’t exactly honorable. The money was too good to pass up. With Paisley to think about, I couldn’t say no.”
“And you don’t think that’s honorable?” she scoffed. “Taking care of your daughter is incredibly honorable, Sean.”
I didn’t know what to say. My instinct was to think she was making fun of me, just trying to find a way to push my buttons, but deep down I knew that wasn’t true. The way she looked at me in that moment told me she was sincere. She truly believed I was doing the right thing, both for the company she loved and for the daughter I loved.
“Thank you,” I mumbled again. I could my feel face grow hot, and I hated myself for it. No woman had ever made me blush.
“You don’t like compliments,” Tara noted.
“Not really,” I admitted. “I’ve always found them to be either fake or manipulative.”
“Well, I can promise you I don’t ever say anything I don’t mean,” Tara said seriously. “You may not have noticed yet, but I’m a pretty straightforward person.”
“Really?” I teased. “And here I was, thinking all your threats were just jokes to lighten to the mood.”
“Threats?” She laughed. “You thought I was threatening you?”
“Weren’t you?” I asked.
She thought about it for a second before she jerked her head to the side in a casual admittance.
“I guess I was,” she said. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I wasn’t exactly making your job easy.”
“No,” she agreed. “You weren’t.”
“Sorry about that,” I said, repeating her words.
“After that performance,” she said, gesturing toward the podium. “You’re completely forgiven.”
“Good to know,” I grinned.
“Well,” she said. “I should get upstairs. You’re free to go for the day.”
“Alright,” I nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Friday,” she corrected. “Take tomorrow off. Hang out with Paisley.”
“Thanks,” I smiled. “I’ll see you Friday then.”
Tara smiled and turned toward the elevators. I didn’t move. I stood there and watched her until she disappeared into the back hallway. For some reason, I had an urge to follow her. I wanted to step onto the elevator with her, but this time, it wasn’t just a physical desire. As gorgeous as she was and as badly as I wanted her, that wasn’t what inspired my sudden urge. In that moment, all I wanted was to keep talking with her. I wanted to spend the rest of the day listening to the rise and fall of her voice. To hear her laugh just one more time would have made my entire week that much better.
Five minutes after she was gone, I finally pulled myself back to reality long enough to leave. I walked out to the parking lot where my bike waited for me. I took my time pulling my helmet on and mounting the bike. No matter how much distance I put between myself and Tara, my desire to see her again only grew stronger. I didn’t know when it happened, but my attraction to her was no longer just physical. Somehow, she’d worked her way into my heart and planted herself there. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I knew my feelings for her were real, but I had no idea what to do about it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Tara
Thursday came and went in a blur of work. I did my best to avoid Zach. I answered emails. I sat in on a few meetings. I organized Sean’s photoshoot for the following day. And I spent the entire day daydreaming about Sean. By the time I went home that night, I was miserable. It was ridiculous, but I missed him. The entire day felt like a waste because I didn’t see him.
I woke up on Friday morning feeling giddy and excited. Getting to work early, I busied myself with random projects until it was time for Sean’s photoshoot. I half-ran to the elevator at nine o’clock and almost collided with the photographers when I stepped into the showroom.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I was just coming down to see if you needed anything.”
“No,” the photographer said. “We’re just about set up down here. Just waiting on Sean.”
“He should be here any—” I began.
“Minute?” a familiar voice said from behind me. My heart skipped a beat as I turned around to see Sean walking toward me. He smiled when our eyes met, and my knees went weak.
“Hey,” I said, checking my watch. “Right on time. Impressive.”
“Trying to be a model employee,” he said. “You know? Taking a leaf out of your book and all that.”
“So, you’re trying to be a goody-goody,” I said with a nod. “Not exactly the ideal image for a biker.”
“Well, that’s what wardrobe is for, right?” he teased. “To make me into something I’m not?”
“That’s a little harsh,” I said. “It’s more to make you an even better version of yourself.”
Sean laughed and said, “Nice spin. Yet another reason you’re great at your job.”
“I try.” I shrugged. “Come on, let’s get you changed.”
We walked toward the changing tent and Sean disappeared inside without a word. I expected him to complain when he saw our clothing options for the day, but he never made a sound. When he stepped out of the tent, he wore his own t-shirt under th
e Yates’ leather jacket. I shook my head and smiled slyly at him.
“What?” he asked. “There wasn’t a shirt this time, so I just assumed I should wear my own.”
“Not exactly,” I said. “No shirt. Just the jacket.”
“You’re kidding,” he said. He stared at me with a baffled expression, waiting for me to change my mind. I didn’t.
“You’ll still have the jacket on,” I assured him.
“What’s the point of this?” he asked. “I thought we were trying to target ‘real bikers?’ No real biker is going to want to see me without a shirt on!”
“The women will,” I said. “We aren’t just targeting men, you know? These ads are also for women, so—”
“So, I’m also a sex object,” he groaned.
“Basically,” I admitted. “Sorry, but that’s the way it is.”
Sean sighed and removed the leather jacket. He handed it to me, and I took it with a frown. Surely, he wasn’t about to strip down right here.
Just as the thought entered my mind, Sean pulled his t-shirt over his head. He turned and tossed it into the changing tent before turning back to me. I handed him the jacket, trying desperately not to stare at his abs. I thought the jacket would help divert my attention, but it did the opposite. The black leather accentuated his ab muscles in an incredibly sexy way. I swallowed hard and forced my eyes back to his face.
He grimaced at me one last time and made his way to the photographers. I watched from a distance while they posed him and gave him orders. Sean stayed still and let them take a few test shots. Then, they set him free and told him to just have fun. I could tell from Sean’s face that he wasn’t all that used to having fun. I smiled to myself at his discomfort, but I still couldn’t peel my eyes from his chest and stomach.
I realized why the photographers wanted him outfitted in just the jacket. Coupled with the motorcycle, Sean was the picture of a sexy biker. No woman alive would have been able to resist him in that moment. I told myself my attraction to him was a good thing. It meant our plan was working. Our female demographic would be drawn to him, just like I was.
Still, I knew I needed to pull myself together. Sean was off limits. My sexual attraction to him was completely inappropriate, and I needed to make it stop. He was my employee and my boss’s son. I could never date him. It would cross so many professional lines, not to mention it would put my job in serious jeopardy. Which, based on my last conversation with Zach, it already was.
Zach was just looking for an opportunity to get rid of me. Ever since I rejected his offer to take me out, he’d been on a witch hunt. Anything that went wrong, he came running to me. If a single sheet of paper was misfiled, it was my fault. If there was a scheduling conflict, it was my responsibility to fix it. He was doing everything in his power to make me miserable. I couldn’t imagine what he would do if he caught wind of something happening between Sean and me.
The photoshoot continued. I thought about disappearing into my office until they were done, but my feet were cemented to the floor. Sean was there and I had no desire to move until he did. No matter how many times I told myself I was being stupid, I couldn’t help it. Every part of me wanted him.
“Okay, Sean,” the photographer called. “Take the jacket off for me.”
“What?” Sean asked, his eyes widening slightly.
“Just for a few shots,” the photographer said. “It’ll be quick.”
Sean sighed and rolled his eyes. He shrugged the jacket off his shoulders and tossed it to the side. The photographer’s assistant caught it and jumped back out of the frame. I looked down at the floor, focusing intently on my shoes.
It wasn’t long before my eyes traveled back to Sean. Now, not only were his chest and abs on full display, but his biceps were flexed just enough to seem natural. He had the kind of body most men dreamed of. I could tell he worked out regularly, but he wasn’t obsessive about it. He was built in a sexy, effortless way. I felt my mouth go dry as I watched him pose over and over again.
My entire body was on fire, and I felt completely out of control. I worried that everyone would know what I was thinking. I looked away again, telling myself not to look up until the shoot was completely over.
***
“That was torture,” Sean said when the photoshoot ended. He walked over to me with slumped shoulders. He didn’t stop until he made it to the changing tent. He disappeared inside for a few minutes. When he reemerged, he was fully dressed in his own clothes. I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t know if I could talk to him while he was shirtless.
“It wasn’t that bad,” I said lightly.
“For you,” Sean argued. “You weren’t the one half naked up there.”
“I should have warned you about that,” I apologized. “I honestly didn’t think about it until this morning.”
“It was your idea?” Sean asked.
“Well,” I said weakly. “Yeah? At least, the shirtless part was. It’s the best way to play to our female demographic. Trust me, they’ll love it.”
“If you say so,” Sean shrugged. “Anything for the company, right?”
“Say that with a little more oomph next time,” I teased.
“I’ll do my job, Tara,” he said. “but you’ll get absolutely no oomph out of me.”
I laughed and looked down at my feet. I shifted my weight from side to side, trying to think of something to say. I thought about going over his schedule for the following week, but we’d already done that.
“So, listen,” Sean said, breaking the silence. I looked up at him quickly. “Tomorrow is Paisley’s first official day of summer.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
“She’s been out of school for a few weeks, but she’s been going to swim camp every day since,” Sean explained. “I really want to start the summer off on a good note, you know? With something fun.”
“Sure,” I nodded. “That’s a great idea.”
“The problem is,” he said. “I have no idea what to do with her. I mean, she’s eight years old. I have no idea what eight-year-old girls like to do for fun.”
“What does she like?” I asked. “What is she interested in?”
“I don’t know,” Sean admitted. “I know she loves to swim and that she’s really into art, but that’s about it.”
“Well, maybe you could take her to a water park or something?” I suggested.
“Actually,” he said slowly. “I was hoping you might come with us? I don’t know where yet, but I could really use your help.”
“My help?” I asked breathlessly.
“Yeah,” he said. I could feel his excitement growing. “Paisley really likes you. I think she would have more fun if you were there.”
I paused, not sure what to say. Sean looked at me with expectant eyes and a slight smile. I could tell how badly he wanted me to say yes, but I couldn’t get Zach’s threat out of my head. If he found out I was spending time with Sean away from work, I didn’t even want to think about what he might do.
Still, Sean’s words tugged at my heart. Paisley was adorable, and I enjoyed talking to her that day. When she was sick, I really felt like I helped make her feel better. If Sean said she liked me, I believed him. I wanted to spend time with her again. And with Sean.
“Only if you’re free,” Sean added suddenly. “I mean, I know it’s short notice. If you have plans already, it’s okay.”
“I don’t think I can,” I said softly. “It’s just, mixing my work life with my social life isn’t something I usually do.”
“Is that what you’re worried about?” Sean chuckled.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“Well, you shouldn’t,” Sean said. “I promise it’ll be a lowkey day. You would just be helping me out with my daughter. I’m new at this whole dad thing, and you were so great with her the other day. I know she would love it if you came.”
Sean’s persistence was wearing me down. I knew I couldn’t continue to say no. More than that, I didn�
�t want to say no.
“Okay,” I said with a reluctant smile. “Sure, why not?”
“Really?” Sean asked, smiling brightly. “Thank you! That’s amazing. It’ll be fun, I promise.”
“I’m sure it will.” I nodded.
Sean and I planned out the details and said goodbye. I watched him as he left the showroom and disappeared into the parking lot. It was almost time for me to go home, so I went upstairs to grab my things. When I made it back downstairs, my mind was racing. What had I just done?
I climbed behind the wheel of my car and turned on the ignition. The air conditioning blasted against my face, and I shook my head slightly. I felt like I was living inside a dream. Nothing felt real. Not the car around me. Not the office building in front of me. And definitely not my plans with Sean.
I pulled out of the parking lot, cursing my decision. I felt certain I just signed the death sentence on my career. Part of me regretted it, but a bigger part of me couldn’t wait to see Sean and Paisley again.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Sean
Paisley’s summer had officially begun and still, I had no idea what to do. I wanted her to enjoy herself, and I wanted to show her that life with me could be fun. Tara’s suggestion of going to a waterpark seemed like a good idea, but I wanted to go somewhere we could talk. I couldn’t imagine having a conversation in the middle of a kid-filled, water covered theme park.
All night Friday and all morning Saturday, I tried to think of a plan. I came up with different ideas that I immediately dismissed. Nothing seemed good enough for either Paisley or Tara. So much was riding on that one day: my relationship with my daughter and, maybe, the beginnings of a romantic relationship with Tara.
I refused to get my hopes about Tara, but I couldn’t help but think about her. I could feel a connection between us and thought she felt it, too. There was no way I could be sure, but the way she looked at me sometimes. It was like she was thinking the exact same things I was thinking, like we were on the same wavelength. She’d been occupying my thoughts for days.
This was my chance to impress them both. After weeks of having Paisley fulltime, I still felt so far away from her. She was my daughter, but she was also a stranger. I knew I was partially to blame for that. I didn’t fight hard enough for her all those years ago. I let Claire make all the decisions. I backed down too soon. If I could go back and change it, I would in a heartbeat.
