“Not anymore,” Sara Beth promised.
“That’s right,” Alex said. “From now on, I’ll have Barton escorting him to and from my office. You know that security guard has a soft spot for you, honey.” He chuckled at Tammy’s faint blush. “We’ll make sure nothing like this happens again. He may be John’s ‘old buddy,’ but he’s not mine.” Reaching across the desk, he chucked Tammy’s trembling chin. “Okay?”
The secretary released a relieved sigh and nodded. “Okay.”
Turning back to Sara Beth and Cailin, he asked, “How did you end up here at just the right time?”
Ian chuckled. “Cosmic convergence.”
Sara Beth smiled, the action genuine, bright, then snapped her fingers. “That’s right. We’ve got to get that looked at, Cailin.”
“Get what looked at?” Alex asked.
“Cailin’s car is on the fritz,” Ian answered. “That’s why she was late. And a good thing too.”
When Alex looked at her, Cailin shrugged. “Must be the battery or something. Ian was helping me bring my stuff upstairs for tonight.” Turning, she noticed her purse and case on the ground near the desk. She hadn’t even realized she’d dropped it. Presumably Ian had dumped the rest of her stuff when he went to get Alex.
Alex’s frown lowered his brows, giving his face a brooding look that was way too sexy. “Look up Jason’s. It’s on my contact list,” he directed Cailin. “They’ll go out and take a look.”
“No, I—”
“Yes. No arguments. We have work to do, and I’m not sitting around waiting on you to arrive because your car isn’t reliable. Like this morning,” he pointed out.
“Even though it was a good thing,” Ian reiterated.
“This time.”
Since she hadn’t been late or even had a day off since she’d started the job, Cailin opened her mouth to argue. She wasn’t apologizing for something she couldn’t help or foresee.
“He’s right, Cailin,” Sara Beth said. “Let us help you. The owner of the garage is a friend; he’ll do a good job, we promise.”
Seeing that Sara Beth wanted to smooth things over and knowing she still had a ton of work to do today before their evening appointment at the gala, Cailin reluctantly nodded.
“Good.” Alex headed down the hall, leaving Cailin to hastily retrieve her things and hurry after their little trio, throwing an apologetic look over her shoulder at Tammy. In their office, Alex took in the garment bag draped over her desk. He raised his brows in an I’m-not-even-gonna-ask expression and turned back to his inner sanctum. Ian chuckled, gave Sara Beth a quick peck on the cheek, then disappeared. Sara Beth waved at Cailin and followed Alex through his door. Cailin shook her head, sighed, and put everything away. Alex was right; they had work to do.
* * * *
By the time six o’clock rolled around, Cailin was even more frantic than she’d been on her way to work. She hadn’t stopped going all day, including lunch, which had consisted of a can of soda and a granola bar from her desk drawer. In fifteen minutes she was supposed to meet the rest of the group down in the lobby, and she hadn’t begun to get ready yet. Fingering the wisps of hair dangling from her hasty twist this morning, she knew she didn’t have enough time. It would take her a good five minutes to get to the employee restroom, much less getting all her things out and on.
But… She shook her frazzled head. She couldn’t. Any semblance of intimacy was best avoided, and Alex would definitely disapprove.
Not if he doesn’t know. It can’t hurt if you’re the only one who’s aware of it, can it?
Glancing once more at the ticking clock, she gathered her things and headed into his office. Alex had a private bath, complete with shower, sink, and all the amenities. She could do more and get ready faster—and didn’t have to waste five minutes walking down the hall.
Splaying her makeup and hair accessories across the counter, Cailin hastily stripped out of her clothes and washed down. Lotion dried to a powdery finish across her flushed skin as she completed a hasty makeup job she hoped would hold up to all the expensive makeovers she was certain would be visible tonight. Sometimes being in the background was a good thing, and she had a feeling tonight would be one of those nights. A few strokes with the brush, some hastily placed pins, and her hair fell in just the right mix of updo and seductive tendrils—she hoped.
Her dress’s peacock hues glistened on the hanger as she surveyed it critically. She had shoes to match, but the first hurdle was her underwear. The lacy strapless bra cupped her breasts lovingly, the mounds spilling over the top in a display that was wasted on Cailin. The matching thong slid on easily, but it was the garter and stockings that gave her the most trouble. They weren’t hard to put on; rather it was the knowledge that the last time she wore them, Alex had been the one to remove them that made her hands shake and struggle with the clasps. The slide of the silk against her skin brought tears to her eyes. She bent, her foot resting atop the closed toilet lid, and focused on straightening the toe, then lacing her peacock-blue shoe over the top of her foot to avoid thinking about the moisture pooling in her eyes—and why it was there.