The hint of a smile pulls at my lips, and I finally start walking up to the door. Yeah, I’ll have to add this to my growing list of reasons to start frequenting this coffee shop. The smells of fresh coffees and pastries hit my nose as I make my way through the crowd to the line near the counter. Surprisingly it’s not too long and I take my place at the end. Plum is three people in front of me, waiting in line to place her order. She shifts balance back and forth from one leg to the other, waiting not so patiently for her turn. She seems nervous, anxious, probably because she accidentally showed her ass to a perfect stranger. As if she feels my presence behind her, she turns around and sees me, quickly spinning back to avoid me. She’s still mortified, and there’s no reason to be. It’s not a big a deal, but clearly it is for her. It’s not like I haven’t seen a woman’s ass in a thong before. I have. Plenty of times. Maybe not as often as I would like, especially lately. But in her defense, it’s a very nice ass. She has no reason to be ashamed.
I place my order when it’s my turn at the counter, but as I’m walking to the other end to wait for my drink, Plum grabs her completed order. She makes eye contact again as she walks by me to leave, but quickly ducks her head, pushing her hair behind her ear, and not stopping till she’s out the door and on with her day. By the time I grab my order and get back to my car, Plum is long gone.
Damn, I never got the opportunity to ask for her number.
What a shame.
Putting Plum out of my mind, I hop into the car and head to work. Traffic is usually bad this time of morning, but luck must be on my side today. It doesn’t take long until I’m pulling up in front of the office building. The valet is quick to open my door for me. “Good morning Mr. Wesley.”
“Mornin’ Mike.” Coffee in hand, along with my messenger bag, I step out into the heat. Sloan is pulling in behind me as I’m making my way around the car. The other valets are quick to open the door for him too, so I wait. “Hey man.” He walks up to me on the sidewalk and gives me a guy hug, shifting his briefcase from one hand to the other to do so.
“Hey. You’re here early.” He’s right. I typically don’t get here for another half hour. Or hour. Whatever.
“My new assistant starts today. I needed to get the papers ready for her to sign and walk her through how to do everything before my meetings.” Shouldn’t be a problem though. Kendra assures me she’ll be a good fit.
“Ah, that’s right. Looks like you survived being without Kendra for a whole week. Seriously man, I didn’t think you’d make it without her around.” He laughs, his joke not too far off the mark.
“Barely man. Barely.” I chuckle along with him. “Hey, I’ll swing by your office later and introduce her to you and Nora, so it won’t be awkward for her when I have to send her up for business stuff.” One of the advantages of working in the same building as your lawyer brother is always having easy access to the legal things I need.
Climbing in to the elevator, Sloan hits the buttons for our respective floors. “Sounds good, but don’t come during lunch. You made it a whole week without your assistant when I didn’t think you could. Nora had faith in you though. Now I owe her a meal.” He teases me, laughing.
“You bet against me?” I reply in mock horror. Truth is, if I’d been in on this bet, I’d have probably bet against myself too. “Your own brother?” I throw my hand up over my chest, right across my heart, and with sarcastic sadness I say, “That hurts man. That really hurts. At least my sister-in-law has faith in me.” Nora is Sloan’s legal assistant, and she also happens to be married to my other brother, Cade.
He’s still laughing at me when the elevator doors open on my floor, and I can hear the last remaining chuckles from him as the doors close again. It’s not often Sloan gives me a hard time, even though I give him shit daily, so I always take it in good fun. Being the oldest of us four boys, he’s easily the most serious of the group. In fact, personality wise he’s probably on the other end of the spectrum from me. My other two brothers, Cade and Nikolas, are evenly balanced. They’re the ones who keep me in line and get him to loosen up. But I wouldn’t change anything about them. They’re the best brothers any guy could ask for.
Slipping my key into the suite’s lock, I walk through the rooms, turning on lights and various other things before heading into my office. Leaving my office door open, first thing’s first. I print out the documents for my new employee, and busy myself with other stuff until she arrives.
Chapter Two
Kara
Well, hasn’t this been a fantastic morning.
As if today wasn’t stressful enough with starting a new job, I had to go and show my ass to perfect strangers. And not just any stranger. Easily the sexiest one I’ve ever seen. The look on his face when I turned around and caught him staring at my ass should have pissed me off, but it didn’t. His look of shock and lust turned me on. Embarrassed, I didn’t stick around to see any more, taking off into the coffee shop. I hoped like hell he wasn’t coming in there too, but I wasn’t so lucky. Waiting in line, I could feel his gaze on me again, and I couldn’t even look him in the eye when I turned around and confirmed my paranoia.
I took the opportunity to do some stealthy gazing of my own while I was waiting for my drink to be made, while he was still in line ordering his. He was even more gorgeous than I originally thought. His dark brown hair was cut short, but long enough on top to have that sexy, tousled look that made me want to run my fingers through it and comb it down—and then maybe mess it up again after. He wore a suit, tailored to fit perfectly and boy did it. I could tell he was built, one of those guys who cares about his fitness but doesn’t go overboard. He didn’t have the jacket on, his dress shirt pulled tight over an obviously muscled chest and broad shoulders. I’d bet he had abs of steel under there too, judging by the various muscles bulging everywhere else. I bet he’s hard in all the right places.
If I hadn’t showed him my entire backside, I might have gone up to say hi. Approaching guys is something I’ve always had the confidence to do, but I’d already panicked outside and again when I saw him in line, so I decided against it. He’d probably thought I was lame for getting so worked up over something that in hindsight was quite hilarious, so in the end I decided to call it a loss and flee the scene rather than suffer the humiliation of rejection that was sure to come. Or rather, adding to the humiliation I’d already endured. A girl can only take so much in one day.
I haven’t seen him in here all the other times I’ve been in, so I’m guessing he’s not a regular, maybe passing through. If our paths ever cross again, I won’t make the same mistake as this morning. I’ll say hello. But the chances of seeing him again are slim to none.
I’ve been coming into that shop almost every morning for the last three months since I moved here. Their muffins remind me of the ones I used to pick up from the little bakery by my old apartment back in Oregon.
It wasn’t easy moving across the country, but when the company I worked for decided to move my department out to their offices in Florida, I jumped at the opportunity for change. My job was secure—or so I thought—and since I was in Portland by myself, there wasn't much holding me there. So, I packed my bags and headed for my next adventure.
A few months later, the company decided our department was no longer needed, and now I’m scrambling to come up with another job. At least the severance package they gave me was descent, giving me a little leeway before I need to panic about not finding work.
Thank goodness Kendra and Stan live here. It was one of the reasons moving down to Miami was appealing. My best friend all through high school and college, Kendra moved here with her husband a few years ago, and she’s always bragging about how great it is. She wasn’t wrong. Except for the occasional rain like what we had over the last weekend, and the chance of a random hurricane I’ve yet to experience, Miami has been amazing. The beaches and laid-back lifestyle suit me well. Losing my job has been the only negative since I've been here.
> I guess things worked out though, with me taking over for her while she’s on maternity leave from her job. Doing so gives me a reprieve for the next two months, but I’ll have to start searching for jobs now if I have any hope of lining up something for when she comes back. I can’t think about it now though. I need to worry about this job before I can focus on another one, one that doesn’t even exist yet. This one is here and now, and I’m gonna make the most of it while I can. Who knows where it could lead?
My cell phone vibrates in the seat next to me, Kendra’s name flashing across the screen. I sit my muffin on the console and answer the call.
“Hello?”
“What’s up bitch…” Her typical greeting for me makes me laugh and shake my head.
“Don’t you think it’s about time to change your greeting? Before you know it, junior’s going to understand you and repeat what you’re saying. Do you really want him going up to random people, saying ‘what’s up bitch?’ as his greeting of choice?”
Dismissing my reprimand, she doesn’t even miss a beat. “Pfft, I got plenty of time before that happens. I’ll worry about it later. And you didn’t answer my question. What’s up? Did you make it to the office yet?”
“No, I stopped at the café and picked up coffee and a muffin. Found this beautiful little park not far from your building, so now I’m parked here enjoying my breakfast, hoping the rest of my day goes better than it started.” I pop another chunk of my muffin into my mouth.
“Why, what happened?” I can tell by her voice that she’s perked up with interest.
I swallow my food and release a sign. “Without going into details—hot guy, skirt, wind. You can figure the rest out for yourself.”
Her light laugh comes through the line. “Enough said. Only you Kara. Only you.” I’m shaking my head yes as she says it in confirmation, even though she can’t see me.
“Okay, I gotta go feed and change the baby. Call me later and tell me how your first day went. Asher’s laid back and easygoing. You shouldn’t have any problems.”
“Will do. And kiss that beautiful baby for me.”
We disconnect the call, and I shove the last of my muffin in my mouth, dusting the crumbs off my hands and the few that landed on my dress into the floor board.
I’ll vacuum those up later.
Getting out, I walk my trash over to the bin and climb back into the car, backing out of the space and heading in the direction my GPS is sending me. Within a few minutes, I pull up to an impressive five-story office building with a sign on the side that reads Wesley & Associates. This is the right place, because Kendra explained to me this is predominantly a law firm, one owned by Asher’s family. I pull up next to the curb in the drop off lane, and a valet comes to my door, opening it for me with a cheery greeting.
“Good morning ma’am.”
I take the valet’s offered hand and step out with a smile. “Thank you. Good morning.” I hand over the special parking ticket thing Kendra gave me the other day, and the gentleman swipes it through his card reader.
“Ah, Miss Mitchell. We’ll be sure to apply your parking sticker for you by the end of the day. Welcome to the building.”
His smile is broad, and I can’t help returning it. “Thank you…” I glance at his nametag. “Mike. I appreciate that.”
Another gentleman opens the door for me, and I walk into the lobby. The lady at the front desk greets me with a smile. It seems everyone is happy in this place. And on a Monday, no less.
“Good morning, dear. Can I help you with anything?”
“Yes, please. I’m looking for Wesley Finance. Today is my first day.”
“Miss Mitchell?”
Everyone seems to know who I am already. “Yes ma’am. That’s me.” I give her a wide smile, which she easily returns.
“Asher is expecting you. Go up to the second floor, right off the elevator to your left. Suite 201.”
“Thank you,” I say as I walk away from the desk and head to a bank of elevators to the right of the entrance. There, I wait with several people until the doors open and we all file in. I take the short ride to the second floor, and step out into the open space, immediately spotting the glass doors marked with the information I’m looking for: Wesley Finance, Suite 201.
I take a quick glance at my watch—ten minutes to spare—and take a quick second to smooth the fabric of my dress down and run my fingers through my waves to tame my hair. I also take a few calming breaths. Don’t let anyone tell you first-day jitters aren’t real. I assure you. They are. At least for me, anyway.
Pushing through the door with renewed confidence, I’m greeted with…nothing. There’s no one here. I close the door behind me and see Kendra’s desk and, past it, an open door leading into another room. An office I suppose.
I raise my voice a little as I ask into the empty room, “Asher Wesley?”
A masculine voice calls back to me. “I’m in here Kara. Come on back.”
I put aside my curiosity at how he knew it was me—and the fact he mispronounced my name—put a smile on my face and walk in to meet my new boss.
But my entrance is less than graceful as I catch sight of the man behind the desk.
It’s him.
The guy from the coffee shop.
The man I showed my ass to this morning? One of the sexiest guys I’ve ever seen? Yep, he’s my new boss.
His hair is still itching for my fingers to run through it, and now his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, making me privy to some serious arm porn. His muscles bunch and flex under his shirt and along his biceps as he scribbles on the notepad in front of him. He pulls his lower lip in between his teeth as he concentrates on whatever he’s writing, and I fight a groan from slipping through my lips. He drops his pen onto the paper and lifts his gaze up to mine, a knowing smirk sliding onto his face as recognition hits him.
I’m in trouble.
Chapter Three
Asher
Well, my day just got a lot more interesting.
After the events of this morning, I didn’t think it would be possible. But here she stands in front of me—the gorgeous woman I got more than an eyeful of at the coffee shop today. I try to hide the smile on my face but it’s a losing battle, and she returns a nervous grin.
“So, we meet again.”
She shifts her weight from side to side. “Apparently.” She drops her gaze to the floor. I hate that she seems embarrassed over the situation. I climb up out of my chair and walk around to the front of my desk, sitting on the edge. She’s as gorgeous up close as I thought she was from afar this morning. Not that I ever doubted it.
“So, you’re my new assistant?”
She straightens her spine. “In the flesh.” She realizes a second too late how her words sound, no doubt remembering exactly how much of her flesh I’ve seen. Her cheeks bloom with color.
Damn, she’s even sexier when she blushes.
“Kara, you don’t have to be embarrassed. It’s really not a big deal.”
“Easy for you to say. You didn’t show your ass to your new boss.” She tries to sound upset, but even she can’t hide the amusement from her voice. “Not exactly how I wanted to make a first impression.”
I can’t help but laugh at her remark. “Well, to be fair, it was a pretty memorable impression.” She groans, and I do my best to assuage her nerves—and to not touch her—even though I really want to for some reason. That would be highly inappropriate though. “Look, it’s not an issue as far as I’m concerned. In fact, why don’t we wipe the slate clean and start over.” I reach my hand out to her. She looks at it for a moment before taking it with a firm grip. “I’m Asher Wesley, but you can call me Ash. I appreciate you helping me out for a few months. Kendra had nothing but good things to say about you.”
“I’m happy to help,” she tells me, still gripping my hand. “And I hate to correct you, but I’m going to anyway.” She smiles, and the sassiness in her voice does things to me. Things it has no b
usiness doing. Like causing twitches in areas that are strictly off-limits now that she’s my employee. I banish the thought from my mind as she continues. “You mispronounced my name.”
My eyebrows raise in question. “Did I?”
She looks up at me from under her long, darkened lashes. “You said car-a, like a car. It’s actually pronounced care-a, like a care bear. You know, those little stuffed bears that were popular back in the day and keep resurfacing every few years.”
Surprisingly, I do know what she’s referring to. Natalia, my younger brother Nikolas’s best friend, used to carry one around with her all the time when we were kids—a big yellow fluffy thing with a sunshine on its belly, if I remember right.
“Well, Kara, thank you for setting me straight. It’s certainly a mistake I don’t want to continue to make.” She smiles at me, I smile at her, and damn it if that fucking twitch isn’t back and rapidly growing into something more.
And I do mean rapidly growing.
This time it’s because our flirty banter has some heat to it. I feel it, and I think she does too. As much as I’d like to see if my earlier thought is true though—that she and I could be hot together—it’s best if I put the idea behind me. We’re going to working together now. I don’t need the extra complication.
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