by Mia Carson
“We can finish tomorrow,” he assured her and took the papers from her hands, holding them as he did so. Her face softened, and she nibbled her lip before giving herself a small shake and pulled away. “You need to get some sleep.”
“Can’t,” she mumbled. “I have to get to my other job, and then I have to finish a project for school tonight. If I don’t, I lose half my grade for the class and it will all go to shit.”
Greyson wasn’t sure what happened. One second, she vented to him and her face scrunched up in annoyance, and the next, tears shone in her eyes and she sniffed hard, turning away from him. Her shoulders shook, and Greyson froze, not knowing what to do. He was not used to dealing with tears. For a minute, he just stood there and watched her fall apart in his office, then his chest tightened and before he realized what he was doing, he was behind her, turning her around, and drew her into his arms.
“What are you doing?” she asked, words muffled against his chest.
“You look like you need a hug,” he replied, and she laughed. He rested his chin on her head and closed his eyes. This was right, and he did not want to let her go. He waited for her to push back and try to leave, but she remained curled against his chest as the tears flowed down her cheeks. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”
“I don’t have a choice,” she said and sniffed hard, wiping her face on her hands. She tilted her head back, and it pained him to see her so rundown. “I have to work this job, and I have to finish school. If I fail now, everything I worked for… it’s nothing.”
He scowled. “That does not mean you should forget to take care of yourself.”
Belle shook her head and tried to push out of his arms. “I don’t need the lecture. You know nothing about me.”
“I know that for you to work so hard, you’re either trying to prove yourself to someone or you came from a really hard life,” he stated and she paused. “I know you have a temper that rivals mine, and I know you’re stubborn as hell.”
“You’ve known me two weeks,” she whispered. “You can’t know that.”
“I pay attention more than you think,” he said and let his arms fall away slowly. Without her, he was cold and his arms desperately wanted to hold her again. “Quit your other job.”
Her eyes widened, and she shook her head so hard her hair came loose. “I can’t. I’ve worked there for years, and there’s a gallery opening this weekend and—no offense—but this is only an internship. It doesn’t pay enough.”
“What about family? Can’t they help you out?”
“I… uh, don’t have any family,” she mumbled and shoved her hands in her back pockets. “I’m an orphan.”
Greyson wanted to hit himself for digging into her life. “Sorry, you never said anything about your family. I shouldn’t have assumed.”
“Not that you ever asked,” she snapped. She sighed and dug the toe of her boot into the floor. “Sorry, I’m stressed and tired, and it’s going to be days before I get any sleep.”
He wanted her paycheck to be a surprise, but seeing her in such distress, he blurted, “You are an official employee of this company. You’ll get your first full paycheck next week. Please quit your other job. I really don’t want you dropping dead from exhaustion in my office—it'd be a mess for legal.”
“I can’t,” she said slowly. “Wait, you made me an employee? Already?”
He lifted one hefty shoulder. “If you make enough here, you can quit your other job. This one is demanding enough, and you have a full class schedule, right?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“No, no buts,” he said firmly.
She pushed her tongue behind her lips, and he waited for her to argue with him, but she thanked him quietly instead. “Fine, but I have to get through the opening for the gallery. I can’t leave my boss hanging.”
He grabbed his leather jacket off the back of his chair and told her to grab her things. “Well, let’s go then.”
“What do you mean we?”
“Get your stuff,” he repeated and stalked to the elevator. “If you’re going to insist on overworking yourself, I’m not going to let you do it alone. You helped me, now I’m going to help you.”
She followed quickly, slipping into her jacket as he took her bag and dashed into the elevator with it when the doors opened. “Greyson!”
“Let’s go. You don’t have all night,” he said with a deep laugh, and she jumped in just as the doors closed, running right into his arms. He laughed as her face lit up. She stayed against his body until they reached the garage level.
Greyson wanted an explanation for the attraction to this woman, but nothing came to mind and he didn’t care. He leaned down to kiss her, and at the last second, she panicked and turned so he only kissed her cheek. The contact sent a shock through his body anyway, and by the way she shivered in his arms, she felt it, too.
“We should… uh, we should go,” she said and pushed the elevator door back when it started to close.
He led her to his Mustang and laughed to himself. She was definitely going to be harder to crack than he thought, but he had all night with her and planned to take advantage of it. She wanted him, and one way or another, she’d succumb to his charm.
They reached the gallery, and she unlocked the door to let them in.
“So you tell me what to do, I’ll do it,” he said, “and you can work on your project.” He handed over her bag with her laptop, shrugged out of his jacket, and grinned. “What’re your orders, boss?”
Her crooked grin twisted his gut as she took her jacket off and tossed it aside. “If you mess this up in any way, I will kick your ass from here to the east coast.”
He held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor, I won’t.”
She picked up a stack of papers nearby and held them out to him. “Let’s get this done, then.”
When Greyson took Belle’s bag at the office, she had no idea what he was planning, but two hours later, with the gallery set-up nearly finished, she enjoyed seeing a different side to this rough man. She never cried in front of anyone, never broke down. Now, all she wanted was for Greyson to hold her again and maybe kiss her. She stood at the desk and glanced up as Greyson whistled, working his way around the gallery.
“These are impressive,” he said, examining a few sketches on the far back wall.
“Thanks,” she said.
He glanced at her curiously. “Are these yours?”
“Some of them. The show this weekend is for students,” she told him proudly. “This is the first time my work’s being shown.”
“And you’re still worried about not making it?” he asked. “If I’d seen these, I would’ve hired you on the spot. Your detailing is insane—better even than mine when I started out.”
“Oh, really?” she smirked. “You’re willing to admit that?”
As he walked back across the gallery floor—the dim lights making him look more like a predator stalking its prey—he nodded. “I know I have an arrogant side, and I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Earlier, you said I reminded you of yourself,” she said quietly, swallowing hard as butterflies fluttered around her stomach when he didn’t stop his approach. “What made you so hard?”
He paused for a second but kept walking until he was only a foot away. When he licked his lips and breathed out through his nose, she worried she’d pushed too far with him and he would tell her to back off, but it was only fair. He knew she was an orphan. She wanted to know what made him act like such a hard-ass.
“I spent years trying to prove myself to a dad who was never happy with the path his son took,” he admitted and leaned his hip against the desk. “He was into banking, and I wanted to mess around with computers.”
“What does he think now that you’re successful?”
Greyson lowered his head and laughed bitterly. “He died before I launched my first game. The night before he died, he was in the hospital, but I was too busy… too damn busy to go say
goodbye. We’d gotten in a fight, and I swore I’d never talk to him again. I kept my word.” He bit the words out, and Belle reached out to rest her hand on his arm, sensing his pain.
“He knows,” she told him firmly. “I’m sure he understands.”
He shifted on his feet but didn’t speak again. Belle smiled, though, and glanced back down at her laptop. He wasn’t as tough as he thought he was. She liked him a lot more than she’d first thought.
“And I’m finished,” she said happily, saved her project, and sent it. “Damn, thanks for this. I would’ve been screwed if you hadn’t helped.”
“And now you don’t have to come back here tomorrow night, right?”
“Right,” she said and yawned. As she stretched her arms up over her head, her sweater rose, revealing her midriff, and Greyson grunted quietly, his eyes flickering to her exposed skin before he turned to walk away. Nervous as hell, not even sure what made her do it, Belle reached out and stopped him.
She faced him and, letting her emotions guide her, stepped up onto his toes and tilted her head slightly just before he leaned down. Their lips met in a sweet kiss. The kiss was meant to be simple, but her lips stayed pressed against his and his hands went up to fist in her sweater, pulling her even closer until she was trapped in his arms. His mouth moved languidly against hers, and when his tongue danced out to caress her lips, she parted them on a sigh.
Her emotions swirled around her like a tornado, and Greyson was the raging storm that caused it. The gallery fell away, and all she felt were his arms holding her steady as she let herself be swept along. Panting, she broke away to catch her breath, and the raw desire in his eyes turned the storm into a force much more dangerous than she was ready for. Carefully, she drew back and he let her go, but his hands held on reluctantly for a moment longer.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I’m not sure what came over me.”
He tilted her chin up with his fingers. “Don’t ever apologize, not to me.” The sincerity in his voice threw her off and the words stuck in her throat. “If you don’t have to be here tomorrow night, then you’ll come to dinner with me instead.”
“Was that a request or an order?” she teased.
He chuckled quietly. “I meant it as a request. You can think on it while I drive you back to the dorm. You’re not sleeping here another night, and I’m going to give you a set of keys for a car tomorrow.”
“No, you’re not,” she said as she packed up her laptop. “You’re not giving me a car! Are you crazy?”
“I never said I was giving it to you,” he corrected. “But I don’t like you taking the bus.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the bus. It runs just fine.”
“No,” he said sternly. “I don’t care, and I don’t like it. You’re out too late at night on it, and if I’m not around and something happens to you…” He trailed off, and Belle frowned, watching the panic and worry dance across his normally stoic, unbreakable face. “Please, just take the car. It’s my older Mustang. Just for a while.”
“You’re not going to let me say no, are you?”
“Not really,” he said. “It’s either that or I start driving you to and from work and anywhere else you need to go.”
Her first instinct was to argue and tell him she didn’t need to be taken care of, but after that kiss and how he held her without judging her as she broke down, she told herself it might be nice to have someone care for her for once. As long as he didn’t take it too far.
“Thank you for letting me borrow your car.”
He grinned, causing his eyes to shimmer in the light. “Good, I’ll have it dropped off at campus tomorrow morning. The keys will be waiting for you.”
Belle bit back her annoyance, packed up her bag, made sure the gallery was locked up tight for the night, and followed him to his Mustang. The ride to campus was filled with talk about her life in college and bits and pieces from before. It was easy to talk to him, and she had him laughing about her temper tantrums as a kid while she was in foster care.
“You tore up the therapist’s office?” he asked through his laughter as they pulled into the parking lot near the dorms.
“He pissed me off. He kept telling me to breathe slower, and I’d learn to control my temper,” she shrugged. “It wasn’t working, and he was obnoxious with a really high-pitched voice and a double chin that kept jiggling when he talked. It made me laugh and then he’d lose his temper.”
“You sound just like me when I was little,” he said and wiped a tear of mirth from his eye. “This looks like your stop.”
She glanced out the window and nodded. His hand slipped into hers and she smiled, but the old worries echoed in her mind and she withdrew her hand. “I’m not sure about this,” she admitted. “I’m not really good at relationships.”
“I’ve never had one that lasted,” he told her honestly. “For now, let’s just see what happens.”
“Like a fling?” she asked and hoped her voice didn’t sound too high with hurt. She did not want to be involved in a fling.
“I don’t know,” he told her, “but we’ll start with dinner and see where the night goes.”
Red alert, captain, you are a virgin! Big capital V! Might want to tell him before things get too out of hand!
“Great, sounds perfect,” she said instead. “Night!” She hopped out of the car, closing the door before he could say anything else or draw her in for another toe-curling kiss that left her desiring more. All night, she would dream of him, she knew it, and there was no stopping it.
Greyson Taylor was trouble, and she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to weather the storm.
Chapter 6
Sleep that night was impossible for Greyson after the kiss he’d shared with Belle. All he wanted to do was drive back to her dorm, whisk her away, and disappear for the weekend. She was unlike any woman he’d met, and since she’d started working in his office, he’d taken himself off the market. Several of his usual hookups continued to text him, wondering where he was, and he ignored them all.
Unable to sleep, he gave in and got up early, beating everyone into the office. He paced around his office, thinking about where to take Belle for dinner that night when he heard the familiar revving of an old Mustang.
“That’s my girl,” he whispered. He smirked when he saw the old black 1975 Mustang. “Thank God she can drive a stick.” He hadn’t even thought to ask.
He pictured her hand on the stick shift of the car as she drove and grunted when his jeans tightened around his sudden growing erection. Last night had been the same, wondering what would’ve happened if the kiss had continued. He’d wanted it to, wanted to take her sweater off slowly and see what sweetness lay underneath, to hold her breasts, and hear her whisper his name in the dark. One night with her was all he wanted, but after the moment in the car last night, he realized she was not a one-night type of woman.
It had been years since his longest relationship to date, and his mind told him he wasn’t ready for another one. His heart, though, told him to shut up and go after her. Dinner first. He promised they’d take it slow and see where the night went. If they wound up in his four-poster bed, he would not complain, and if not, well, he’d just have to be patient with her and amp up the charm.
“Morning, boss,” Belle called as she reached her desk. “Thanks again for the car, by the way. It’s incredible! Are you sure you don’t mind me driving it?”
Greyson turned. He hadn’t heard her come in—nor anyone else, for that matter. “Morning, and no, I don’t mind. Not one bit,” he replied as she sauntered in. Her snug jeans clung to her like a second skin, and her black leather, knee-high boots made his jaw clench. If he could peel those off her, watch her squirm beneath his touch…
“You look like you need some coffee,” she said. “I’ll go grab some.”
“Yeah, coffee, thanks,” he said and sat down hurriedly before she noticed his growing problem. “We’ll go over the plans for today after you’ve
gone through e-mails and I make these horrible calls you left me notes about.”
She winked and closed the door behind her to give him some quiet.
He picked up the phone and dialed the first number, a call to the warehouse about shipping on some new gaming equipment. They were getting ready to do some in-house beta testing and the shipment was late again. Belle strolled in quietly while he was on the phone and set down his coffee. When she turned to go, he reached out and snatched her hand, holding it warmly in his. He brought it to his lips and loved the way her cheeks flushed before he let her leave. She twirled a ring on her finger as she smiled crookedly and left. She picked up her laptop and moved across the office to sit with Tim and the others for her shadowing.
“No, Mark, I said we needed them this week,” he snapped and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just get it done, alright? I don’t have time to mess around, not now. We’re pushing too close to our deadline.” The man said he’d do his best to get everything there by Monday, and Greyson sighed. “Thanks. That’s all I needed, man.”
He hung up and spun around in his chair, facing the windows. The door swooshed open smoothly, and he smiled, happy to see Belle again, but when he turned around, it was not her glowing face studying him hungrily.
“Hello lover,” Aiden crooned and sauntered close, swaying her hips in her tight dress that barely reached mid-thigh. “Long time no see.”
“What are you doing here?” he snapped as she walked around his office and slowly closed the blinds he always left open. “You can’t be here.”
“You said you’d call, but you didn’t,” she pouted. “I’ve been so lonely for you—aching, really. Haven’t you missed me, too? I know you do. Your desire was always so easy to see.” She let another blind fall to the floor, dimming his office. Finally, she went to the door, closed the blinds, and locked it.
Greyson swallowed hard as she strolled to his desk. “I’m not in the mood for this, and we never do this in my office,” he argued. “Really you should just… just go.” His eyes darted to her fingers tracing the top of her breasts, but surprisingly, his body remained calm. The raging erection he had earlier for Belle didn’t come back at the sight of the half-naked Aiden.
