by Rhian Cahill
“Kels. Look at me.”
She swallowed, her constricted throat aching as the muscles worked. Slowly, she raised her eyelids and turned her head to meet his gaze.
“Give me a year. One year to make it work for both of us.”
She wanted to say yes. God, did she. But there was more at stake than their perspective businesses. If she said yes, she’d be in West’s presence every day. There’d be no hiding from her feelings and certainly no stopping them from growing deeper. Day in, day out, Kelsey would be faced with her biggest weakness.
Weston Mann.
Chapter Three
West held his breath. He could see Kelsey wavering. Could see she wanted to say yes, but something held her back, and he had a sinking feeling it was what lay unspoken between them. They’d never talked about what they’d done, and he couldn’t decide whether he should bring it up now or let it lie. His gut told him opening up that topic might destroy any chance he had of building a future with her, and he wasn’t prepared to risk that. Not yet. First, he needed to convince her to take the job so he could spend more time with her.
“C’mon. You and I both know you can do the work with your eyes closed. Plus, you already know the system inside out. It’s yours after all.” He hoped a little flattery would sway her.
She let out a harsh breath. “Fine. A year. But if at any time between now and then, I can’t keep up with my existing clients, the deal’s off.”
Before she could change her mind, he thrust out his hand. “Deal.” Kelsey put her hand in his and it took considerable control he didn’t think he had not to pull her from the chair and into his lap.
“Don’t think for one second me taking the job gets you out of inputting all those invoices,” she said as she untangled her hand from his.
“Isn’t that your job?”
“Yes. But not until next Monday. I’ll need the rest of this week to get everything figured out if I’m going to run my business alongside yours. We don’t want—or need—any glitches in the transition.” She pushed the chair back and stood. “Have at it.”
He shot to his feet. “Where are you going?”
Kelsey jerked back, one eyebrow arching almost to her hairline. “To the bathroom?”
“Oh. Right.” West took a deep breath and moved out of her way. “I’ll, um, get started on these then.” He indicated the overflowing folder on his desk.
She gave him a smile that was more a grimace before edging past him and leaving the room. West shook his head as he dropped into his chair. He really needed to get a hold of himself. No one and nothing could rattle him like Kelsey. It had been that way since high school when he’d secretly lusted after her. Of course, he’d been a juvenile idiot back then. Proof being the way he’d handled the whole sleeping-together thing. He’d fucked it up royally and had thought any chance to be with her had disappeared the day she’d said I do to his friend.
And now, three years after Kels and Bry had parted ways, he couldn’t hold back his desire or his need to be with her. He had a plan, he’d come up with it over the weekend, and she’d just said yes to the first stage. She’d given him a year, but West didn’t think he’d need that long to get what he wanted. He’d seen the heat in her gaze—felt it in the bone-melting kiss they’d shared last Friday. He knew she wanted him and their attraction went both ways. But would she act on her feelings?
Jesus, he hoped so. Hoped with every fibre of his being. Not wanting to be in her bad books before they even got started, West flipped open the folder of invoices he’d neglected and brought up the spreadsheet Kelsey had made for him to enter his business expenses. He wasn’t the smartest when it came to computers, but he prided himself on being a quick study. Unfortunately, the complicated charts that Kels had first given him had proven idiot proof. He’d been the biggest idiot in the bunch, so she’d put together something more his speed.
By the time Kelsey returned from the bathroom, West had punched in the numbers on four invoices and was working on the fifth. He tried not to be distracted when Kels sat on the other side of his desk. Tried not to watch her slender fingers tapping over the keys of her laptop. Or the way her reading glasses kept sliding down her nose. But it was hard when her perfume—something sweet smelling like one of the sugary desserts he made—floated around him, reminding him of her taste.
With a groan, he deleted the wrong figures. Again. That made three times he’d attempted to enter the same fucking number.
“Something wrong?”
West glanced up to find Kelsey leaning across the desk in an effort to see his screen. She wore a simple tee. Nothing fancy or revealing or sexy. But her lower arms were resting on the desktop, the upper section pressing into her sides and pushing her breasts together in a way that made the V-neck of her top gap open to reveal a cleavage of smooth, tanned skin. He swallowed. Hard.
He licked his lips and opened his mouth but only a garbled croak came out.
She raised her eyebrows. “You okay?”
Nodding, he spotted the smoothie he’d made her and reached for it. He took a mouthful to wet his parched mouth and throat. “Yep. I’m good.”
A smile kicked up one corner of her lips. “I guess I know why you’re always avoiding doing your books.”
“Huh?” West took another sip of her drink before putting it down.
“Obviously, your creative brain can’t handle numbers.”
“Creative?”
“You don’t consider yourself creative?” she asked as she picked up the glass and brought it to her mouth.
He shook his head. “Ah…” Jesus. She was going to put her mouth right where his had been. Why that should send a burst of lust through his system, he hadn’t a clue, but that’s exactly what it did. Blood rushed south to fill his groin, making his jeans tight, and he cursed the fact he’d had to go commando this morning because he’d forgotten to do his washing again. His cock pressed into the thick denim of his zipper and West shifted in his seat in the hope of giving himself a little bit of room. It didn’t work.
Kelsey watched him closely over the top of her glasses and he stopped squirming instantly. The last thing he wanted was for her to figure out how worked up he was having her sitting across the desk from him. She’d retract her acceptance of the job and head out the door in a second if she thought he couldn’t control himself around her. He picked up the invoice and turned back to the monitor to focus on the numbers in front of him and not the pain in his groin or the urge gnawing at his insides to throw her on his desk and take her hard and fast.
Kelsey couldn’t believe she’d agreed to take the job as West’s office manager. She had no one to blame but herself for giving in though. He’d looked at her with those stormy eyes and she’d folded quicker than a house of cards in a light tropical breeze. They’d been at his desk working for over an hour now. She’d been done in half that time but had worked on a to-do list for making the transition to working at Weston’s while she waited for him to finish keying in his invoices.
It probably would have been more expedient to do them herself, except she didn’t want West to think he could get away with pushing them off onto her again. He’d done it every year since she’d taken Weston’s on as a client, and regardless of whether she minded or not, it didn’t sit well with her knowing she’d given him special treatment because of their friendship. She would never allow any of her other clients to get away with it.
She sighed. But then West wasn’t just any old client.
West slapped the last sheet on top of the pile, making her jump.
“Done.” He flopped back in his chair as though he’d run a marathon.
She couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing.
“Hey.” He scowled at her.
“C’mon, it’s not that bad.” Kelsey reached over for the invoices, stood them up, and tapped them on the desk to straighten the
pile. “Pass me a paperclip.”
West opened his top drawer and rummaged around inside for a minute. When he slammed the drawer closed and opened the second, Kelsey smiled.
“Never mind. I’ve got one.” She unzipped the side pocket on her briefcase, slipped her hand inside and came out with a handful of clips. “Here, throw the rest in your drawer.”
“It’s your drawer now.”
Kelsey grinned. “Not until next week it’s not.”
West’s forehead creased and she could tell he was contemplating something serious. Instead of asking him what as she normally would, she busied herself with setting out her paperwork for his tax return.
“Can you put your spreadsheets on this for me?” Kelsey pushed the memory stick she used for Weston’s financial files towards him.
“Sure.”
She waited for him to load the USB and pass it back. Once he did, she plugged it into her laptop and got to work.
“Anything else?”
Focused on her screen, she shook her head and continued to combine the information he’d given her with the year’s spreadsheet. She was surprised to feel a release of tension in her shoulders a few minutes later and glanced up to discover West had left the office. The fact she noticed his departure on such a cellular level worried her. He was more than under her skin and always had been. And with her taking on a more permanent role in his business, she wondered how long it would be before she gave in to her desire and fell into bed with him.
The muffled sound of her phone chirping came from her briefcase. She was waiting to hear from Shaye, so she leaned over to retrieve it from her bag. Kelsey laughed out loud when she read the text.
OMFG! Get me out of here!
Kelsey hadn’t even hit reply when the thing vibrated and chirped again.
GIRLS’ NIGHT! Your place at 7!
Uh oh. For Shaye to want a girls’ night on Monday, things obviously hadn’t improved at work since last week. Kelsey quickly fired back a reply.
Things no better?
It was a while before her friend texted back, and Kelsey had started to worry. That didn’t improve at all when Shaye finally replied.
Worse! Talk later.
“Shit.”
“What’s the matter? Am I in for a bigger tax bill than we projected? I know this last quarter’s income went beyond expected.” West put a plate of sliced fruit on the table in front of her.
“Ah, no.” She held up her phone. “Shaye just texted me.”
“Still problems with her boss?”
Kelsey sighed. Shaye had told everyone on Friday night that her boss had started making inappropriate comments and suggestions. She’d been hoping Zac would have some advice on how to handle it seeing how he was a lawyer. Unfortunately, he’d only repeated what Kelsey had already told her. She needed to go to HR and report the man. “See for yourself.” She handed him her phone.
“Wow. She really needs to report him.”
“She can’t afford to lose her job.”
“If she lost her job over that, she’d have grounds to sue the company.” West handed her phone back. “Want me to throw together something for you guys to have for dinner?”
Kelsey knew he would in a heartbeat, but she didn’t want to put him out or let him in to her life anymore today than she already had. “Nah, but thanks. We’ll order pizza.”
He shuddered and pulled a face, making Kelsey laugh.
“What?” he asked.
“There’s nothing wrong with pizza.”
“No, but I can send you home with a nice homemade lasagna to go with the alcohol you’re both liable to consume while Shaye bitches about her boss.”
Her mouth watered. She glanced at the time on her laptop. “You can make lasagna in an hour?” Kelsey couldn’t believe how tempted she was.
“Sure. It’ll only take me thirty minutes tops, and all you’ll have to do when you get home is stick it in the oven on one-eighty for about the same.”
Damn, she was tempted. So tempted. West made the best lasagna Kelsey had ever tasted, and it had been weeks since she’d had some. “Are you sure?” she asked.
“Consider it done.” He walked around behind his desk and dropped into his chair. “Now what can I do to help get this tax return done?”
“Nothing. I just need to finish generating the yearly reports off the spreadsheets and then enter the info in your return and we’re done for another year.” Kelsey smiled.
“Really? Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?”
“Positive.”
“Okay.” He pressed his hands on his desk as he stood up. “Then I’ll go get that lasagna started.”
“Okay, but if it’s too much trouble or you have something else to do, we can just have pizza.” Kelsey didn’t really want pizza now that West had her thinking about his lasagna, but she didn’t want to put him out either.
“No trouble. I have to whip up a batch of curry anyway.” He started around his desk. “If I’m not back before you finish, come find me.”
Once West left, Kelsey went back to work. It didn’t take her long to have everything ready to file with the tax department, and because she did that electronically, she just had to give the forms one final read through and she’d be done. He was lucky. The business may have generated higher-than-expected earnings last quarter, but the staff, equipment and supplies he’d added in recent months offset that enough that he didn’t owe that much more tax than they’d calculated at the beginning of the financial year.
West still hadn’t come back by the time she was finished, so she saved her files and switched off her laptop. She’d print out his copies later. Of course, now that she’d be working for him, it would be her responsibility to file them away, so it wouldn’t make a difference if he didn’t have them until next week. He certainly wouldn’t bother putting them away himself. She smiled when she thought about his aversion to office work. Probably a good thing she liked it seeing how she’d taken on the job to get Weston’s organised.
With everything packed up, Kelsey walked around West’s desk and closed all open programs on his computer before shutting it down. She thought about going through his office supplies and writing a list of what was needed but her phone buzzed, signalling another text. Glancing over, she saw it was from Shaye and reached over to pick it up. The message made her stomach tighten.
Do you still have a spare key hidden in the frog in your backyard?
Her spare key? Another message popped up.
I’m at your place now.
Kelsey glanced at the time with shock, but she quickly recovered to send Shaye a reply. Yes. What happened?
Quit!
What the fuck? Shaye had quit her job? Thumbs flying over the screen, Kelsey sent another text. What did that arsehole do?
I’ll explain when you get here. I’m in. :-)
Kelsey stared at her phone for long seconds before she snapped out of it and gathered her things together. She needed to head home now. Shaye wouldn’t have quit over something minor. She’d been putting up with her boss’s inappropriate behaviour for months, so to Kelsey’s mind that meant the man had crossed the line from inappropriate to downright indecent.
Briefcase in one hand, keys and phone in the other, Kelsey made her way out of the office and across the warehouse towards the kitchen that took up the back half of the building. She found West standing in front of the stove, stirring something that smelled absolutely divine. Her tummy rumbled.
“I have to go.”
He turned her way. “What? Why?”
“Shaye just sent a text saying she quit.”
“Quit? Her job? Why?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but she’s already at my place so I want to get there right away.”
“Of course.”
“I’m sorry a
bout dinner. We’ll just order pizza after all.”
“Nonsense. I’ll put this together and drop it off later.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” she argued.
“You didn’t ask. Your place is on my way home, and all I have to do is wait for this sauce to thicken then put it together. No trouble at all.”
“Are you sure?” She hated to put him out, but it did smell delicious and she really didn’t have time to argue.
“Definitely.” He took the saucepan off the heat but continued to stir. “Just about done now, but you go. I’ll bring it by in an hour or so.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She turned to leave but only got a few steps when he called out.
“Kelsey. Ring me if you or Shaye need anything.”
She looked over her shoulder and smiled. He was always ready to help her with anything. A sharp pang of longing stabbed her. West made her want things she shouldn’t. Screwing up her marriage with Bry had left a fear she just couldn’t shake. If she and West took their friendship farther—if they crossed that line again—she stood to lose far more than just her heart. Her split with Bry hadn’t damaged any of the close friendships in their group, but if anyone found out about her and West’s history—if they found out she’d loved him all along, they’d never forgive her.
Especially Bry.
Chapter Four
West re-read the text message he’d just received.
Give job Shaye.
He thought he understood, but he hoped like hell he was wrong. Earlier, when he’d dropped the lasagna at Kelsey’s, she’d been well on her way to being drunk. And from the look of Shaye, she’d barely gotten started. He hovered his thumb over the screen while he debated whether or not to reply.
“What are you doing?” Coop asked as he sat on the couch beside him, a fresh beer in his hand.
Without taking his eyes off the phone, West said, “Trying to decide if I should go over to Kelsey’s and remove all the alcohol or ignore her.”
“What the fuck is going on with you two?” Zac growled from the other side of the room.
