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“Please, sit.” His hand slipped over hers. “I know you think I’m an ass, but I’m here because I am worried about Ellie and the baby. The chance of my big brother running himself into the ground is really good. He may be acting cool, but he’s a panicked mess.”
Part of her wanted to throw his hand off hers. The other part wanted to grab hold. Her life would have been so much easier if she could have hated him. She begged the universe to let that happen.
Instead, she slipped her hand out from under his, stopped moving her things around and looked at him. “Of course he is. He loves Ellie.”
Spence’s gaze traveled over her face. “You like Derrick.”
All the blood ran out of her head. “You’re not accusing me—”
“No!” Spence held up both hands as if in mock surrender. “I mean, respect. Friendship. Deeper than a boss, but not romantic.”
Her heartbeat stopped thundering in her ears. It was as if he opened his mouth and her body prepared for battle. The whole thing gave her a headache. “That’s fair. Yes.”
“Any chance we could get there? I’d like us to be friends.” His hand rested on the table, so close to hers.
She stared at his long fingers. She’d always loved his hands. They showed strength. Seeing them made her wonder what they would feel like on her.
She pushed the thought away. “No.”
“Abby, come on.”
“I have that level of trust and understanding with Derrick because there is nothing else in the way. Nothing else between us because I don’t have any other feelings for him.” The words echoed in her head. She closed her eyes for a second before opening them again, hoping she’d only thought them. But no, there he was. Staring at her. Clear that he heard every syllable.
His eyebrow lifted. “But you do feel something for me?”
The look on his face. Was that satisfaction or hope? She couldn’t tell. Didn’t want to know. She never meant to open that door. Thinking it and saying it were two very different things, and she’d blown it. Now she rushed to try to fix the damage. “Did. That’s over.”
“Is it?”
He stood up then. Took one step toward her. Not too close, but enough to cut off her breathing. To make her fight not to gasp.
“I want to kiss you.” He put his hands on her arms and turned her slightly until they faced each other. “Tell me no if you don’t want me to.”
They’d kissed before. Gone to dinner, stolen a few minutes in closed conference rooms now and then. But this one was lined with windows on one side. She looked over his shoulder, thinking someone would be out there. That her brain would click on and common sense would come rushing back. For once, no one rushed up and down the hall.
She opened her mouth to say no, sensing he actually would stop. But she couldn’t get the word out. Not that one. “Yes.”
With the unexpected green light, he leaned in. His mouth covered hers and need shot through her. The press of his mouth, the sureness of his touch. His lips didn’t dance over hers. They didn’t test or linger. No, this was the kind of kiss where you dove in and held on.
His mouth slipped over hers and her knees buckled. She grabbed on to the sleeve of his shirt. Dug her fingers into the material as desire pounded her. Her brain shut down and her body took over. She wanted to wrap her legs around his and slip her fingers through that sexy dark hair.
Voices in the hallway floated through her. She heard laughter and the mumbling. The noise broke the spell.
“Stop.” She pushed away from him. Still held on but lessened her grip and put a bit of air between them. “Don’t.”
Her gaze went back to the glass wall. She heard talking but didn’t see anyone. Not unusual at this end of the hall since only Derrick and Jackson had offices there. But she took the sound of voices as a warning. Forcing her fingers to uncurl, she dropped her arms and stepped back another step, ignoring the way the corner of her chair jammed into the side of her thigh.
“Sorry.” Spence visibly swallowed. “I know I’m your boss and it’s weird.”
She looked at him then. Really looked. Saw the flush on his cheeks and his swollen lips. That haze clouding his eyes. He had been as spun up and knocked off balance as she was. It was tempting to shut it all down and let him believe this was about Human Resources and office rules, but it wasn’t. Employees could date and this wasn’t about that.
“We both know this isn’t workplace harassment. You asked permission and I said yes. I know my job doesn’t depend on kissing you. There’s no big power play here.” She laid a lot of sins at his feet, but not that one. His father? Yes. But not Spence.
“I guess that’s something.”
“You hated me and ran away but never threatened my job. You’re not that guy.” She waved a hand between them. “But this—us—we’ve proven it doesn’t work. We’re miserable around each other.”
“I never hated you.”
No way was she going to dissect that and examine it. “Okay.”
“And are we? You make me feel a lot of things, Abby. Miserable isn’t one of them.”
And she was ignoring that, too. She had to. Believing, even for a second, that he might trust her, that he might get what he did when he sided with his father months ago, was too dangerous. He’d been clear about what he thought of her back then. They needed to stick with that and stay away from each other.
She grabbed her laptop. Almost dropped it. “I need to prep for another meeting with Rylan.”
Spence watched the fumbling. Even tried to help when the laptop started its dive, but when she pulled it all together, he stepped back again. Slipped his hands in his pants pockets. “When is it? I’ll come with you.”
“To the meeting? Do you think I can’t handle it?” He really was determined to babysit her. Thinking about that killed off her need to unbutton his shirt and strip it off him. Mostly.
“That guy’s interest in you is not entirely professional.”
Her brain cells scrambled. She didn’t understand what he was saying or why now. “And you’re worried I’ll kiss him, too?”
“I’m concerned he won’t know where the line is. I don’t want you to be put in an untenable position.” Whatever he saw on her face had him frowning. “What?”
“Where was this Spence months ago?” She would have done anything to have him stick up for her then. To be on her side.
“What does that mean?”
She retreated back behind her safe wall. Her mother had taught her to be wary. She’d learned the hard way from the man who never stuck around to be a dad. Then her mom taught the ultimate lesson when she died in that diner shooting. Abby had to be stronger, smarter. Always be ready. Always be careful.
“I’ll be fine.” Somehow, she made her legs move. The shaking in her hands had her laptop bouncing against her chest from the death grip she had on it. She ignored all of it, and Spence, as she walked out.
But that kiss she would remember.
* * *
Spence couldn’t forget the kiss or that look on Abby’s face. It was as if she expected him not to believe her, not to stick up for her. Then his mind slipped back to another office. Another kiss. He’d walked in and his life had turned upside down. All that hatred for his father manifested itself in one horrible second, and he’d taken it out on Abby. She knew about his father’s charm and his effect on women. He’d just hoped she would be different.
That realization brought him to Derrick’s office. Spence didn’t want to talk, but hanging out with Derrick generally calmed him. He was a reminder that the Jameson men could turn out to be decent. Their grandfather was a disgraced congressman. Dad was considered a big-time successful businessman who always had a beautiful woman on his arm. Spence and his brothers had spent too much time in the public eye as props for family photos and public relations schemes.
But Derrick was the real thing. He didn’t see it, but Carter and Spence did.
As soon as Spence walked in, Derrick motioned for him to take the seat on the other side of his massive desk. Without saying a word, Derrick opened the top drawer and took out a large envelope. “Here.”
Spence wasn’t exactly looking for work talk but he sensed that’s not what this was anyway. “Do I want to know what this is?”
“It’s from Dad.”
The damn agreement. Despite all of Derrick’s hard work, Eldrick owned the majority of the company. He promised to turn it over, but not before he put his boys through another set of tests. It was his way of holding on to power and exerting control.
Derrick had been given a specific time to clean up his reputation. He was also supposed to lure Carter and Spence home, which proved easy enough once Derrick admitted it to them. But he did more than that. He managed to run a multimillion-dollar company, expand its holding, meet their father’s conditions and land the best woman for him.
For Derrick—easy. For anyone else? Likely impossible.
Spence hated to guess what his task was. “Lucky me.”
Derrick dropped the envelope on the desk. “Rip it up without opening it.”
The suggestion didn’t make sense. “What?”
“Walk away from this.”
“Isn’t this my stipulation, the things I have to do? The way you explained it to me before, Dad only turns over the business if we all do his bidding. You had the biggest part and finished. Now it’s my turn.” Still, Spence couldn’t bring himself to touch the envelope.
“Don’t let him do this. It’s manipulation.”
It was. No one debated that. Not the lawyers who drew up the documents. Not Jackson, the only person outside of the family who knew other than Ellie. The requirements were personal and not likely to be legally enforceable, but with controlling interest, dear old Dad could sell the company and take the company that meant everything to Derrick away from him at any time. Spence refused to let that happen, even if it meant staying and working there.
“You deserve to run the company. You saved it.” To Spence, it was that simple. He’d talked to Carter, their younger, California-living brother. He agreed with Spence. Whatever it took to beat the old man and get Derrick the business, they would do it.
Derrick shrugged. “I’ll find another way.”
“I’m thinking it’s time I stepped up and took responsibility.” Something even Spence had to admit he should have done before. Stopped running long enough to help.
“Are we only talking about the job?” Derrick smiled as he asked the question.
“This isn’t about Abby.” It was infuriating how she was the first thing that popped into his mind—always. Spence couldn’t kick that habit.
“Right, Abby.” Derrick made a humming sound. “Do you notice how you brought up her name, not me?”
Spence was not touching that. He knew he had a weakness for her. There was no need to pretend otherwise. “I was talking about being more engaged here, at work.”
Derrick sat back in his chair. “I can’t say I hate that idea.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get excited. I might suck at it.”
This time, Derrick laughed. He’d so rarely done that in the past, but he did it now that he’d found Ellie. “I like the positive attitude.”
Spence never had one of those before. Maybe it was time he tried. “I’m being realistic.”
“I’ll take whatever I can get.”
Four
Abby kicked off her high heels and dropped down on her sectional sofa. Next, she propped her feet up on the round leather ottoman in front of her. If she had the energy, she’d change out of her work clothes. She picked dropping her head back against the cushions and closing her eyes instead.
The condo was on the seventh floor of a securebuilding that sat a block off of Logan Circle. The trendy area became trendy during the last decade. Now galleries and restaurants and fitness studios lined the streets. Several parks nearby provided great places to run and bike, but she tried never to do either. She preferred walking the city and turning her muscles to mush in kickboxing classes.
She picked the building because of the location. She was able to get in on the newly refurbished space before the prices skyrocketed and used a work bonus to do it. Now she laughed when she heard what people were willing to pay for studios on lower floors in the building. It was an odd feeling when the place you lived became a place you likely could no longer afford if you were trying to buy right now.
There were four condos per floor and those were serviced by a private elevator. A penthouse stretched the full length of the building on the floor above but there was never any noise up there except when the couple who lived there threw one of their lavish rooftop garden parties. She’d never been invited but she loved sitting out on her tiny balcony and listening to the music and laughter as it spun through the DC night.
The best part of the building was her neighbor—Jackson. His two-bedroom also had a den. She didn’t need the extra space or the bigger price tag, but she loved having him close by. The man appreciated takeout. One of his many fine attributes.
The door opened after a quick knock. She didn’t get up because she didn’t have to. She’d texted Jackson as she walked in the door. She wanted Chinese food and could almost always convince him to share with her.
“You’re drinking wine already?” He laughed as he relaxed into the corner seat of her sectional.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. He’d stripped off his tie and rolled up the sleeves of his shockingly white dress shirt. His hair showed signs that he’d run his fingers through it repeatedly during the day.
He really was attractive. Those big eyes and the athletic build. Decent and smart. Hardworking and compassionate. Funny. And she felt nothing but a big loving friendship for him.
Clearly there was something wrong with her. She knew what it was and didn’t try to hide it. “Spence.”
“Ah.” Jackson reached behind him to the table that sat there. “Here’s the bottle.”
Abby watched Jackson fill a glass for himself then put the bottle on a wooden tray on the ottoman for easy reach. If they were going to talk about Spence, and they were because she needed to blow off some of the frustration pinging around inside of her, then she might need a second glass.
She skipped over the kissing part of the afternoon and how that rocked her so hard she’d spent the rest of the day brushing her fingertips over her lips. “He talks and I want to punch him in the face.”
“That sounds like a healthy reaction.”
She ran her fingers up and down the stem of her glass. “Doesn’t it make you frustrated, having to deal with the Jamesons and their money and power and bullying behavior?”
His eyebrow lifted. “Are we still talking about work?”
“He makes me...” She couldn’t even find the right word. Hot, angry, spun up, frustrated. They all fit.
“Want to punch him.” Jackson toasted her with his glass. “Yeah, I got it.”
“I love Ellie. She’s funny and smart and charming and doesn’t take their crap.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.” When she frowned, he kept talking. “It does. You don’t get onto the managerial team at a family-owned company unless you’re good. You’re damn good.”
“Like you?” She knew the truth. Jackson was a star at work. Derrick depended on him. Everyone did. Even she did. If you needed an answer, he likely had it.
He acted as if he were thinking something over. “Maybe I do deserve a raise.”
“I’m tired of all of it.”
“Wait.” He put down his glass, took hers and did the same with it. “That sounds suspiciously like you’re thinking about finding a new job and leaving.”
She felt a little lost without the glass to grab on to and started talking with her hands. “Don’t you toy with the idea? Leave, open your own place. Do some consulting.”
“Sounds risky but potentially rewarding, except for the part where you’ll work round the clock, be panicked about finances and eat peanut butter for every meal so you can stockpile cash.” He shook his head. “I’ve already lived that life. I really don’t want to go back.”
They shared a similar background, having been raised by single moms who barely earned enough money to keep the lights on. But he hadn’t been alone. He had a sister, a twin. But it had just been Abby. She depended on her mom until the day she lost her, and she’d mourned her every day since. Missed the vanilla-scented shampoo she used. Her smile. The way she laughed at bad horror movies. That loss, so deep and raw, never disappeared. Moving forward became easier but was never easy.
But this was about her, and her work life and figuring out the best choice for her, separate from the Spence piece of the puzzle. “Me, either, but I’m not afraid of putting in the hours.”
“I don’t doubt you at all.” Jackson studied her for a second before picking up her wineglass and handing it to her again. “Not to bring up a rough subject, but you know Eldrick is coming to town, right?”
Spence’s dad. Abby despised the man.
“What?” The glass slipped in her hands and wine splashed over the side and dribbled down her hand. She caught it before it hit her light gray couch or her silk blouse.
“I had a feeling you didn’t know.”
“Are you sure it’s happening?” Because that was her nightmare. Dealing with Spence was rough. Not smashing a computer over Eldrick’s head might prove impossible.
He’d left shortly after he’d kissed her all those months ago, made it clear he did it to teach Spence a lesson. Since then, he’d married another wife and left the country. Abby seethed every day since. She’d hoped he’d stay on that beach in Tortola forever, but no such luck.
“Found out today.” Jackson kept watching her, as if he were assessing if he should shut up or provide more details. “It’s for Ellie and Derrick’s engagement party. They postponed it when Ellie fainted and figured out she was pregnant. Derrick told his dad to stay away, but now the shindig is back on and father Jameson is flying in with the newest wife.”
“Ever met her?”
“No, but Derrick had her investigated, so I learned too much.” Jackson made a you-don’t-want-to-know face.
Abby rolled her eyes. “Of course he did.”
“The Jameson men are somewhat predictable.”
“It’s scary.”
“Eldrick Jameson is...” Jackson made a humming sound. “I can’t actually think of a decent thing to say about that man.”
“Me, either. But go back a second. Ellie is still on bed rest.” Abby didn’t want her friend confined, but she didn’t want a reason to see Eldrick, either.
“I don’t think that means we tie her to the bed and keep her there. She’s allowed to move.”
“But a party? Isn’t that stressful?” It would be for Abby.
“They’re being extra careful.” Jackson shrugged. “Getting the doctor’s okay and all that. Trust me, Derrick isn’t happy about it, either. I think after all the rumors in the paper about them, Ellie wants the party to stop any whispers.”
That meant this was happening. It sounded like Derrick was throwing up roadblocks but none of them showed any promise in stopping the party. “Ugh.”
Jackson laughed. “I can hear the excitement in your voice.”
He might as well have said funeral. “I hate parties. Derrick hates parties.”
“But he loves her.”
That made Abby smile. “They really are too cute. I mean it. Too cute.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, they were a mess at first. Derrick nearly blew it about a hundred times.” Jackson shook his head. “It was kind of pathetic.”
“Maybe there’s some relationship malfunction in the Jameson gene pool.”
Jackson drained his glass and poured another. “I’ve often thought that.”
“I’m supposed to go over and see Ellie at lunch tomorrow.” Abby wanted to cancel, or at least get some sort of promise that Spence would not show up. He seemed to be doing that a lot these days.
“Business?”
“Girl talk.”
Jackson made a face. “Do I want to know what that means?”
“I don’t know.” It wasn’t exactly Abby’s strength, either. She’d grown up with few friends and kept that streak going most of her life. That’s why when Ellie took her in and insisted they get to know each other, and then introduced her to her best friend, Vanessa, Abby didn’t balk. She took the risk this one time and it had paid off. Spending time with Ellie made Abby smile. “She texted. I’m going.”
“The things we do to make the pregnant woman happy.”
Abby lifted her near-empty glass. “I’ll toast to that.”
* * *
The next afternoon, Abby arrived at Ellie’s house, weighed down with bags of food. Derrick had to go into work for a few meetings, so Abby used the code and slipped through the layers of security to get inside. Then up the stairs. A few minutes later, she unloaded the salads and caprese-on-focaccia sandwiches onto the tray set up on the edge of Ellie’s bed with drinks and what looked like a bowl of pretzels.
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