by Ali Parker
Workaholic
Chapter 1
Sophie
“I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.” Sophie growled, kicking out her feet as she perched on the corner of the large, metal desk.
“You can’t believe what, Soph?” Blair asked absently as she continued to squint at the computer screen in front of her, hacking away at her keyboard every few minutes in the slap dash style that suited her. Not like Sophie. She preferred a more even, tempered approach to things, and not just when it came to work. That’s how she lived her life as well. Even. Tempered. Boring. A tiny, insidious voice whispered before she shot it down.
There were other differences between them. Blair had short black hair that curled perfectly around her pixie face. Sophie’s was a mousy brown, long and unmanageable which was why she nearly always wore it up in a messy bun. She'd been thinking about cutting it off for years, but Peter had liked it long.
At the thought of her ex-fiancé, her breath hitched in her throat as it always did. It had been over nearly two years since that awful night she'd walked in on him with another woman, but still the pain and humiliation lingered. Not as sharp as it had once been, but still there, still palpable.
“Hellooo. Earth to Sophie. What was it that you found so unbelievable? UFO’s? Aliens in New York? Please tell me its aliens in New York.” Blair’s teasing voice broke through the painful memories.
“No, no aliens. Sorry to disappoint you.” Sophie snorted with a laugh before remembering the actual reason she’d taken up a permanent spot on her friend’s desk. “It’s Harry.”
“What did that old curmudgeon do now?” Blair asked, but there was a note of affection in her voice that belayed her words. Harry Brewer was their gray-haired boss and editor in chief at the World News, and he was as beloved as he was cantankerous.
“I’ve worked here for over five years, Blair. Five years!” Sophie said, trying to tamp down the frustration that roiled inside her like a live wire. “You know that Bert retired nearly three months ago. That senior writing position is just sitting there. Desperate to be filled. Empty. Waiting for–.”
“Let me guess, waiting just for you?” Blair rolled her eyes up at Sophie, a spark of humor in her green gaze.
"Well…Yes, as a matter of fact." Sophie rolled her own gray eyes right back at her friend. "I could do that job blindfolded. I’m one of the best journalists this place has.”
"Hey!" Blair said in mock offense. Sophie quickly held her hands up in apology.
"I said the best journalist. No one captures a moment like you with a photo.”
“Damn right.” Blair nodded curtly, her dark brows slashing fiercely for a moment before her expression cleared again. Blair Whitley was the senior photographer for the newspaper, and they had been friends since Sophie had first started working there. "So, have you applied for the job already? What's the hold up? You know Brewer would promote you in an instant. The old man loves you."
“Love is overstating it a bit.”
“Pssh,” Blair waved away her words and self-doubt right along with them, "You're gold, and he knows it."
"Well, I have talked to Harry about it. He seemed open to the idea, but…” Sophie trailed off, biting her lower lip as the frustration once more threatened to boil over like a volcano about to erupt.
Blair gave her an impatient look after her silence dragged on too long, “But what?”
“There is only one thing standing in my way of getting that position.”
“Oh yeah? What is that?”
"I'll give you one guess. He's tall and way too handsome for his own good. Let me see," Sophie paused, tilting her head to the side as she held up her hands, counting each adjective off on her fingers, "Arrogant. Self-centered. Full of himself. Thinks he's God's gift to women. Would try to charm the pants off a goat if he thought it would sleep with him. Sound like anyone we know?”
"Cayden Ray," Blair answered, and Sophie nodded, looking around the bull pen of the newspaper but not seeing the bustling reporters or the interns rushing back and forth with multiple cups of coffee. All she could see was him. Perfectly tousled dark blonde hair. Perfectly chiseled features. Perfectly gorgeous blue eyes. And to add insult to injury, he was a damn good writer. Sexy as sin and talented? It just wasn't fair.
“Cayden fucking Ray.” Sophie snarled, hating that the man got under her skin so easily.
“You know, despite the rumors, I’m pretty sure his middle name is James," Blair said nonchalantly, and Sophie had to roll her eyes again before shooting a glare at her friend.
“You’re not funny.”
"I'm hilarious, and you know it." Blair grinned, but then her expression fell as she shot Sophie a commiserating look. "Listen, hon, you deserve the position. You really are a fantastic journalist Just don't get your hopes up, alright?"
"What? Why Blair? Do you know something that I don’t? Did you hear something? Don’t leave me in suspense!” Sophie burst out impatiently at her friend’s cryptic words. Blair leaned forward conspiratorially, looking around suspiciously before finally opening her mouth again.
“Nothing concrete. But I know that Cayden’s been eyeing Bert’s job for years. And if there’s anything we know about Cayden Ray is that the man is persistent when it comes to getting what he wants. Jobs, promotions, women." Blair waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Sophie nearly burst out laughing at the ridiculous expression. Leave it to her friend to make her laugh when what she really wanted to do was break something. Preferably Cayden Ray’s perfect face.
“Puh-lease.” Sophie said with a wave of one hand, “He’s been trying to get me into bed since I started working here and we both know that's not going to happen anytime soon." Sophie had to force a casual note into her voice. She didn’t want to let Blair know how much her friend’s words bothered her.
Because the truth was, she knew just exactly how persistent Cayden really was. Even after years of being turned down, he just wouldn’t give up. Sophie knew the man was a womanizer. Hell, everyone at the paper knew that. Some of the female employees had first-hand knowledge of his love ‘em and leave ‘em philosophy when it came to relationships. Something that Sophie had no desire to experience herself.
A thrill tingled up her spine as she thought about Cayden despite her best intentions. Even if Sophie wouldn’t admit it out loud if she had a knife to her throat and her declaration was the only thing that would save her, she was flattered by his attention.
She was an introvert who spent all her time working. Most days she was lucky if she got a swipe of mascara and two matching shoes before hurrying out the door to catch the bus she took every morning to work. So, it wasn’t every day that she got hit on by a former football quarterback who had been scouted by the NFL.
Not that that matters, she hurried to assure herself, he’s still an asshole with a god complex who thinks every pair of panties should drop at a wave of his hand. Besides, she was pretty sure he only continued to hit on her because she continued to turn him down and being told ‘no’ was such a novel experience for him that he just couldn't stop himself. She knew she would just be another conquest for him. The moment she gave in would be the moment she became just another name on his long, long list of meaningless hook ups.
Well, that's certainly not going to happen anytime soon, Sophie nodded firmly at her own words. Cayden was a player, and she'd already had her heart broken by a man who didn't know the meaning of the word faithful, or monogamous, or decent human being. Okay, technically that last was three words but still, a dead-on description for her ex-fiancé Peter. She'd thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with him, but that had all ended when she'd found him in bed with another woman. He'd taken her heart and broken it and had given her ability to trust a solid blow right along with it.
Nope, Cayden Ray was the farthest thing from what she needed. And damned if she would let him steal the promotion out from under her.
"It's not going to happen, Blair." S
ophie said, crossing her arms over her chest combatively as she forced her resolve to firm, "I'm not going to let him win. He may be good-looking, he may even be a good writer, but there's no way in hell I'm just going to roll over and let that smug, arrogant son of a bitch get my promotion!”
“I liked the first bit but the rest is a little over dramatic, don’t you think?” The deep, sensual, masculine voice shattered over her and Sophie jumped, spinning around to see none other than the very man she’d just been fuming about. Cayden Ray.
Dark crimson stained Sophie's cheeks and she could feel the heat of humiliation burn through her. She had to swallow hard to keep the automatic apology down. It was a reflex left over from her years of dating Peter. Instead, she took a deep inhale, tilted her head and met his dazzling ocean blue gaze straight on. Oh boy. Big mistake. Huge mistake!
“I…I…”
“So, good looking and a good writer? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say such nice things about me before.” Cayden shot her a smirk that had her gritting her teeth without even realizing.
“You forgot smug, arrogant, and a son of a–.”
“Oh, no. I didn’t forget. I chose to ignore it. I know you didn't mean it." His smirk widened into a full on, heart-stopping grin and Sophie had to swallow hard before she could get any more words past suddenly tingling lips. Why the hell would Cayden’s grin make her lips tingle?
"Just for your information, I really did mean it," Sophie muttered as she fought to banish the embarrassed flush that still stained her cheeks. Cayden looked at her for a long moment, those deep blue eyes locked onto hers as the silence dragged on and tension rose thick around them. She couldn't take it. She had to do something, say something. Anything to stop whatever it was that was going on between them.
Sophie had just opened her mouth to speak but didn’t get a word out.
“Harry wants to see us in his office," Cayden said, halting whatever she'd been about to say. Sophie’s brows furrowed.
“Both of us?”
“Yep,” Cayden said, hands in the pockets of his perfectly tailored slacks. “Both of us.” Sophie knew what it was about, the only thing it could possibly be about. The promotion. But why did Harry need to see both of them at the same time? “By the way, Sophie, are those new glasses?”
“Yes, why?” Sophie asked suspiciously, her thoughts still on the upcoming meeting with the editor in chief of the newspaper.
“I like it. Very sexy librarian. I would love to check you out sometime.”
Sophie stared at him for a moment barely aware of Blair’s muffled snort behind her. The thought of Cayden Ray, womanizer extraordinaire, standing there as she was passed up for the promotion made bile rise in her throat, and without another word, Sophie turned and stalked towards Harry’s office.
Chapter 2
Cayden
So, smug and arrogant, am I? Cayden thought to himself as his eyes tracked the way Sophie's hips swayed as she stomped away from him. Damn. He loved how gorgeous she looked when she was flustered. The way her normally serious gray eyes would turn into thunderclouds until he could practically see lighting striking in their depths. Hell, he even felt a little singed himself as if an electric current had suddenly charged the room.
It was like that every damn time they were in the same vicinity. Sophie could deny it all she wanted to but if Cayden knew anything it was chemistry, and the reaction between them was off the charts. It had been that way from the first moment she’d walked into World News, all doe eyed and innocent and somehow fragile despite the fearless way she went after her assignments.
She'd covered mob bosses, and political scandals, war zones and the roughest neighborhoods in New York City and she'd never blink an eye. But come within ten feet of him, and anyone else would think he had the plague or something.
What was it about Sophie Stone that had all the blood rushing straight south? Sure, she was pretty, in an unusual sort of way. Her features were sharp, nearly cat-like. With her creamy complexion and full lips that were nearly always drawn into a frown, at least around him. The freckles scattered across the bridge of her pert nose and rosy red cheeks. And those eyes. Big, gray eyes as changeable as the wind behind the frames of her glasses. She never gave anything else away, except with her eyes.
His gaze slid downward caressing the sweet curves she hid under the all too tasteful suits she wore. Always some shade of charcoal or navy, staid, modest. It made him drool just thinking about what she was hiding under them. And boy had he spent hours fantasizing about just that.
It had become one of his favorite past times over the last five years. Imagining what it would be like to finally get the ice queen, Sophie Stone, into his bed. He had a feeling they would both go up in flames.
“Uh, you know that’s never going to happen, right?”
Cayden jerked as the feminine voice broke into his lascivious thoughts. He’d forgotten all about Blair still standing behind him.
“You never know.” He said with a shrug, but even he couldn’t quite make himself believe it. He’d been trying to seduce Sophie for years, and she'd never even caved a little. Cayden didn’t get it. Most of the women he went out with were more than happy to slip under the covers with him for a little one on one time. It didn’t hurt that he’d been a star quarterback in college scouted by the NFL, and still had the body to prove it. But not Sophie.
“No, Cayden, I do know. You should just give up already.” Blair said nonchalantly as she turned back to her computer screen. “Sophie Stone is not the girl for you. Never gonna happen.”
His gaze was drawn back to Sophie as she made her way towards Harry’s office. Not for the first time he wondered if she was a virgin. Maybe that was why her friend was so convinced nothing would ever happen between them.
Cayden’s body stiffened at the thought, lust shooting through him like electricity. Damn it. He was about to go head to head with Sophie for the senior writing position. He needed to get his head in the game, and out of the gutter. After giving himself a quick shake, he followed after her.
As Cayden entered, he wasn’t surprised to see Harry Brewer sitting behind his cluttered desk. Papers and unreadable notes were scattered across the top as well as three half full cups of black coffee that resembled tar at this point. The man lived off the stuff like it was mana from heaven.
“Cayden! There you are. I was just about to fill Sophie here in on the developments.” Harry said, his voice as rough as sandpaper as he pointed an ink stained finger at the only other open chair in the cramped office.
Cayden reluctantly sat down trying desperately not to look sideways at Sophie. The last thing he needed was for his thoughts to take another nosedive. “Developments, huh?”
"Yes, yes, you see, hm now where did I put it..." Harry scrabbled through one particularly precious pile of notes before pulling out a folder and flipping it open, "Ah, yes, here we go." Brewer leaned forward, and Cayden could see the several days growth of gray stubble on the man's jaw. He practically lived in his office, as dedicated to his job as Cayden himself was. And Sophie, he thought reluctantly.
Harry folded his hands on top of the folder and shared a look between them. “You know you are both qualified for the senior writing position that’s open since Bert retired. I’m not going to beat around the bush. It’s close. It’s real close.”
“But Harry, you know I–.” Sophie started, sitting forward on the edge of the overstuffed chair.
"Now, Sophie, let me finish," Harry growled good naturedly, holding up a hand to stall her. Cayden nearly grinned. Well, until the next words came out of Harry's mouth. "Both of you are top notch journalists and you've both been loyal to the company, so I'm not going to rush this decision."
He pulled out two memos from the folder and slid them across the desk, knocking over a sheaf of papers as he did. Cayden reluctantly took the coffee-stained note full of Harry's scrawled handwriting. He shared a confused look with Sophie before holding it up in his boss's d
irection.
“Harry, I have no idea what this says.”
“Well, just read it!” Brewer burst out before throwing his hands in the air, “Bah! Fine! Listen, you’re both going to Washington D.C.”
“What?–.”
“But what about the story I’m covering downtown next week–.”
“Be quiet, both of you!” Harry said curtly, glaring at them both. “You’ve been following the news. You know there have been riots breaking out in D.C. I want you both to fly down there and cover what’s going on. Whoever writes the best story gets the position, simple as that. Any arguments?” He gave them both a look that strongly suggested that it would be better if they didn’t. Much better.
After a moment of tense silence, Harry uncrossed his arms and sat back, the office chair squeaking under his weight. He nodded once, a small smile curling up at the corner of his lips.
“Good. Now, you’ll be flying out tomorrow–.”
“Tomorrow?” Sophie interrupted, “but Harry, I’m in the middle of an assignment.”
“Yes, and now I’m giving you a new one.” Harry raised one bushy eyebrow at her, “or did someone else take over as editor of the News while I wasn’t looking.”
"You're the boss." Sophie finally said with a sigh.
“Damn right I am. Now, if you’re done interrupting me we can get on with this. You’re flying out tomorrow. Your other assignment will still be here when you get back, Ms. Stone.” He added impatiently. "I know this isn't ideal for either of you, but we need to cover it, and it's the fairest way for me to pick who gets promoted. You'll both be working different angles of the riots. Got it?"
"Got it," Cayden said quickly. It took a little longer for Sophie to nod her head, albeit reluctantly.
