Chapter Eleven

Grace

Bloody hell.

At least my semester of Bacchus study and a few manuscripts about winery owners had come in handy. But now Lacey was probably running off to tell her mum and mine that I was some purchaser and would soon be corrected to look like a fool.

During the meeting, Jack looked at me different than he had in our previous encounters. It wasn’t lustful like at the gala or even scowling like I was used to. Was he actually proud?

Connor had another meeting to attend to which left me and Jack alone, walking together back to the office. Something that had the butterflies in my stomach fluttering too fast for my liking.

“I don’t need to see any of your notes if everything you said was true in the meeting,” he said, breaking the sharp silence we’d had since he dropped the bombshell about looking for other openings for me. What did that even mean?

By the way he and Lacey had looked at each other, I had a feeling it was more than the “fling” she liked to call it. Now was he going to drop me as his assistant and look for somewhere else to put me? Because of a set of plastic tits who didn’t even know what she was talking about with her company?

Ugh.

Jealousy seethed within me and I had to get a grip. Jack wasn’t mine and he never would be. I should just take what he would offer and move up in the company.

“Um, well,” I stammered, trying to think of the right words but my tongue was twisted.

What the bloody hell was this man doing to me?

We reached his office and then he turned to me. “I’ve never seen Lacey so flustered or put in her place. But, hell, my brother is right about you, you’re definitely too damn good to be just my assistant.”

His voice fell slightly as he ran a hand through his hair. The hair I had run my fingers through while his tongue met mine. The hair that felt like silk between my fingers. Before I almost threw up on those fancy shoes he wore.

Oh my God, I had to get a grip.

“Now I don’t know what the feck I’m going to do without you,” he muttered.

My reflexes were quicker than my mind, and I grabbed his warm hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I gasped as soon as I realized what I was doing and yanked my wrist back. “I mean, I’m not going for another position in the company right now. I’ve only just started. I’m not even done with training.”

His lips pursed. “We both know I can do most of my own assistant duties. It’s just easier having someone paying attention to the scheduling.”

He had a point. But I’d miss his lips.

What the hell? I couldn’t think about Jack or what else I thought about his mouth and sinfully seductive smile. But the more my mind wandered, the more I had butterflies practically doing somersaults in my stomach. And other places for that matter.

No. No. No.

Jack needed a wife and that definitely wasn’t me. No matter how much it hurt to even think that.

I sucked in a breath, narrowing my eyes to right myself and think about him as the cocky bastard from when we were younger instead of the sweet man who held my hair back. “If this is some attempt to get me to move to another department, so it would be fine with HR if you hooked up with my cousin or with me, or both for that matter, then I’m here to tell you that’s not going to work.”

A low groan emitted from deep in his throat and he leaned in, his lips mere inches from mine, and I could almost taste the mint on his breath and feel the heat of his body. He always had me hyperaware of his presence, but now every part of me ached to be touched. Something I couldn’t let him see, even though my whole body vibrated.

“You can put on this act all you want, but we both know you’re here because you need a job and I need an assistant. So this worked out for both of us.”

I let out a deep breath, expecting a sexier remark than the truth that hit me right in the gut. “Then why would you try to push me into another position?”

He raked his fingers through his hair, pieces sticking up all over. It made the usually polished man carry a sexier air to have it a little messy. “What do you want me to tell you? That I curse myself every day that I made the wrong impression on you at the gala? That I’ve been trying to make it up to you? How I was trying to be a gentleman but when you kissed me, I almost lost all resolve.”

Heat flushed my cheeks and all the way down to my core at his words. I licked my lips, trying to regain some moisture and composure. “We had both been drinking…and…”

His rough hands went to my chin, tilting it up so I met his burning blue eyes. “Use whatever excuse you want, but we both know there’s something between us. I don’t know if us working together will push us closer together or tear us apart. Either way, I’m not going to stop you from reaching your potential with the company or wherever you go. That’s how much I care about you.”

His words panged something deep in my chest that I’d never felt before. Caring? How could he care about me when he didn’t even know me?

But he and the Murphy family knew me better than most people, even more than my so-called older cousin and parents. But could I really fall for him?

No.

He needed a wife to get his company. Even if we tried to work it out, I wasn’t a wife. The thought panged me as soon as it crossed my mind.

I could be a fling. I could be a distraction. But both of those things would cause him to lose the company if he didn’t find a real wife.

When his fingers trailed from my chin to the curve of my neck, all thoughts left me. All I could focus on was the rough pad of his thumb against my heated body. “I’m not the same arsehole I was when we were younger. Still a right gobshite, but that boy you knew back then isn’t the same man I am now. I wish you would see that. I’ve tried so hard for you to see that.”

He was right. I couldn’t deny it. The cocky boy who wouldn’t give me or anyone else a second glance was different now.

His fingers grazed the sensitive flesh right below my neck and my lips parted with a small sigh.

My eyes stayed on him as he slowly moved closer, pressing his lips to mine.

I gave in to his touch, and he moved with determination. One hand rested near my cheek and the other wrapped around my waist. He pulled me flush against him, deepening our kiss as I gasped into his hungry mouth.

He gripped my waist, his erection pressed against my stomach.

My mind was saying this was wrong and I needed to stop him, but my hands were saying something completely different as I buried my fingers in his hair and nibbled on his bottom lip.

Between every bite and swipe of his tongue, I became more drunk on his touch. More than I’d been on the whiskey.

My brain fogged and all I could focus on was him against me. How we just fit together, no matter that he was at least six inches taller than me and I had to stand on my tippy-toes, even in heels.

He must have noticed my straining because he gripped my arse, lifting me up to press me against the wall.

I wrapped my legs around his middle, getting him as close to me as I could. Not caring that I was in a skirt and my damp panties pressed against his straining erection.

I was too lost in the moment. Everything was right when I didn’t think for once. It was just him, me, and his gorgeous lips.

If he would have taken me against the wall right there, I wouldn’t have objected.

I would have forgotten all about him needing a wife and not something casual, which was all I could ever be.

But the universe spoke before any of that could happen when a knock came at the door.

We both jumped apart. My feet hit the floor, and I tugged my skirt down and straightened my blouse. Jack ran his thumb across the bite mark I left on his lip with a cocky smile before adjusting his tie. There was still a slight smattering of lip-gloss at the corner of his mouth.

Leaning forward, I pressed my thumb to his soft lips. He looked down at me, not saying a word while I tried to remove the offending red mark.

He lightly kissed my thumb and squeezed my hand, leaving a tingle that bloomed all the way from my thumb to my toes.

He opened the door to a smirking Connor who was standing with Fallon. “Should we come back another time?”

Jack shook his head, and I wondered if his brother noticed that it was definitely more than pleats in his trousers. “No need. Grace and I were just discussing a new position.”

Connor laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t want to know about your sex life.”

My cheeks burned, wondering if he had heard any of our rumblings. Hell, what if Sean found out about Jack and me from Connor? Would he be pissed if he knew we were hooking up? Or throw us a ticker tape parade? I didn’t even want to have this discussion with him about my love life. Or whatever this was.

Blast, this was getting complicated.

I frowned, keeping my head down and pushing past Connor to stand on the other side of the doorway. “We were discussing the job in purchasing, but as I already told Mr. Murphy, I’m not ready to move on yet.”

I glanced at Jack over my shoulder before circling my desk. He had a small smile on his face that matched my own. “We can talk more about that later.”

I kept my head down, for fear my cheeks were completely scarlet.

After Connor closed the door, I took my seat and Fallon eyed me skeptically as she sat down, as well.

“Sorry I was late. He just had some questions for me,” I muttered, putting my shaking hands on my lap.

She laughed. “If I could sing, or even hum, I’d sing that song from that one movie. You know the one with the French girl who lives in a castle as this guy’s slave and some pots sing to her? It’s on the tip of my tongue. Why can’t I think of it?”

I shook my head. “Are you talking about Beauty and the Beast?”

She snapped her fingers then pointed at me. “Yes. That’s the one. Which is kind of funny because Connor always refers to Jack as beastly and you’re, well not French, but from Britain. Dammit, I’m rambling again.”

I shook my head. “The original French tale is nothing like the animated version from the 1990s. In the story, Belle becomes the mistress of the castle and the beast her slave. His choice.”

Fallon put her hands up, her eyes wide. “Whoa, didn’t say I wanted to know what you and Jack do behind closed doors.”

I rolled my eyes. “There’s nothing like that going on between Jack and me.”

“Really? Because your face was red and flustered when you opened his door, and Jack had lipstick on the side of his mouth.”

She stifled a laugh, but every hair on the back of my neck stood on end. If my face wasn’t already red, it was now probably brighter than the lip gloss that was supposed to stay on my lips all day. Blasted American sellers and their claims. And blast that I didn’t get all of it off his mouth.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed, and it’s not like I’m going to go and blab to the world that you and Jack have something going on.”

I shook my head. “We don’t have anything going on.”

She smacked her lips. “I shouldn’t pry, but something went on in that meeting with your cousin. And I’m sensing there are some ill feelings between the two of you or something, if your reaction to seeing her name in the calendar means anything.”

I let out a breath, my shoulders falling. “You have no idea.”

“You totally don’t have to talk about it. We can just go back to work.”

I sighed. “No, no. It’s fine. It’s just…well…weird. She was always the better looking one who got the better grades and had parents who bragged about her extracurriculars. I was just the geek who spent most of my time studying at boarding school. During summers when I was hanging out with Sean, she was off doing global ambassador work or whatever else her dad found.”

“That doesn’t even sound real. It’s like something a girl writes down to pad her beauty pageant application,” she muttered.

I laughed, covering my mouth for fear I’d snort. When I finally was able to let out a breath, I moved my hands to my lap.

“That pretty much describes my cousin, and why she and Jack made this perfect couple.”

“Yeah, but that was college or whatever when they dated. People change.”

I nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

“I know I’m right. Let’s move forward and get you finished with training. If Connor’s right, you might be moving on to the next position soon. If that’s the case, I’m making you train the next poor girl who sits in this seat.”

I sighed. “Not you, too.”

She laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Just repeating what I heard.”

…

It had been almost a week exactly since the meeting with Lacey where Jack brought up the new position…then put me in a new position against his office wall.

A memory that had starred in many of my dreams, only to wake up and realize we’d never do that again. Everything had stayed platonic, which I wasn’t sure I was happy about or not. That is, until Jack emerged from his office, a broad grin on his face.

“What are you doing this weekend?” he asked casually, leaning against my desk.

“Um…I’d have to look at my schedule,” I said, knowing I had absolutely nothing going on but tea with my mother that I’d love to avoid.

“Clear your schedule. This is work related. I’ll pick you up at ten.” He nodded as if I’d just agree to whatever he asked. Well, he picked the wrong girl if he thought that.

“Excuse me?” I leaned forward, unsure I heard him right.

“Excuse what? I told you this was work. I need an assistant to accompany me. Don’t get your knickers in a twist. There’s nothing nefarious that can happen on a Saturday morning before noon.”

Heat rose to my face, and I cleared my throat, hoping he didn’t see my small crack of a smile.

His fingers drummed the corner of my desk. “So I’ll see you at ten then?”

I opened my calendar app on the computer. Jack had an event that was locked from ten to three on Saturday. What was he up to? My heart sped up at the thought of some alone time with him and I tried to clamp it down.

This is your boss, Grace. That’s it. You’re not wife material. You’re not what he needs.

Blast, even saying that mantra in my head had my chest tightening, but I couldn’t let that show as I offered a small smirk. “I guess I can fit you in.”