The Hotties of Saddle Creek: The Complete Series

Chapter 1

chapter

one

Chelsea

Three years ago…

I’ve always had a thing for Elliot Stabler.

Something about the scowl, the tense jaw and the hard body. But I’d be a damn liar if I said that his tightly shaved—nearly bald head didn’t make him ten times hotter.

For those of you who might have been living under a rock for the past two decades, Elliot is a detective on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and he is scrumptious.

Television detectives aside, it’s probably not all that unusual for a woman to have a thing for attractive, bald men.

Especially if he’s a guy who knows how to rock the facial hair.

A guy with tattoos crawling up his arms. The kind of tattoos that he keeps locked down.

The kind he doesn’t show off, but that are hinted at by the dark ink on his wrist and the backs of his hands.

He’s got a scowl that tightens all of his features into sharp ridges.

Makes him look intense and so damn sexy. Yep, like Elliot Stabler.

Him, as in the seriously delicious man who just stepped into the bullpen next to another guy who looks like he might have just walked out of a men’s cologne ad. Who knew there were men this hot working here? I mean, I would have still accepted the job regardless, because I’m here for a reason.

That reason is not to meet hot men.

I half-heartedly laugh at something the woman from HR—Angela, I think—is saying about conference room B.

“Really, just wall-to-wall snacks all the time.” She glances down at my full figure.

I hope she doesn’t say anything about me needing to watch out for extra calories.

I’d hate to get fired on my first day for throat-punching the head of the human resources department.

Especially because I really want to work here.

Specifically, H & J Funds. Most finance companies don’t offer full tuition for MBAs and if they do, you have to have worked for them for upwards of three years before benefiting.

H & J Funds pays a hundred percent of tuition for continuing education after six months of employment.

And their employee retention is the highest in Austin. Among any employer, not just in the financial district. Not only that, but I can learn from the best in the business.

My eyes stop again on the tall, bald, and grumpy one across the room.

His steely gaze is locked on me. I suck in a breath, because being the object of so much intensity is a heady experience.

The dark blue pinstripe suit—obviously bespoke—only serves to accent the breadth of his shoulders and the thickness of his thighs.

I pull my gaze away, then wipe my chin, because maybe today is the day I start drooling. I mean, that happens, right?

Then it occurs to me that maybe I’m not dressed professionally enough.

“Is there a dress code?” I ask Angela.

“Business casual Monday through Thursday and blue-jeans casual on Fridays.”

“What’s with those guys, then?” I ask, nodding to the handsome duo.

I sneak another glance at the tall one and find him staring at me again. This time when our eyes meet, a slow and very deliberate smile appears on his face. That one right there, that’s the smile they call the panty-melter. Panty-dampener? Whatever.

Either way, I’m now questioning my choice of wearing a pencil skirt today.

“Those are our CEOs, Hayes Crawford and JD Granger.” She leans a little closer. “Gorgeous, aren’t they?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“They know it, too.” She makes a noise of clucking disapproval. “Not to say they’re not good guys. They’re the best bosses ever. But they’re also big-time players. Best to stay away from them in that area so you don’t get fired.”

“Has that happened before?”

“Not since I’ve been here. But I heard there was a woman named Brenda who slept with JD and then got fired a month later.”

“Isn’t that illegal? Did she not sue for sexual harassment?”

“There was justifiable cause. And to be honest, after working here, JD is a teddy bear, so I’m sure there was more involved with that situation. Just be forewarned.”

“Players. Got it.” In other words, keep my lady boner to myself and do not develop a crush on my new boss. “Uh, so dress code, because they don’t look business casual?”

Angela chuckles. “They only dress like that when they’re meeting with new high-profile clients. Normally they look like the rest of us.”

“That’s hard to imagine.” My eyes widen when I realize what I just said. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Don’t worry, girl, I get it. Those men are finger-licking good. At least to look at. Oh, they’re heading this way now.”

As I watch the two most handsome men I’ve ever seen in real life walk towards us, I now understand why they don’t have pictures of themselves on the company’s website. People would want to work here simply to be next to someone so ridiculously attractive.

“Hayes, JD, this is the new employee you signed off on last week. Chelsea Ward, meet our fearless leaders,” Angela says.

“I remember your name,” Hayes says. “Your resume was quite impressive.”

I smile and shake his hand. “Thank you.”

Then he’s there, standing far too close to me. Near enough that I can smell his cologne or body wash or something that makes my mouth water and my core tighten. Good grief, this man is like my own personal fantasy.

“Nice to meet you,” comes his deep voice. He holds his hand out to me.

I clasp it and the first brush of his large, warm, palm lights my body up like he just copped a feel. What the hell? I should release him. Step back. Maybe even reconsider this job.

Still holding my hand, he says, “So, tell me a little about yourself.”

I stare at his hand, then up at his face. “I have a boyfriend.” The words fly out of my mouth before I can even process what I’m saying.

He drops my hand and takes a step back. One of his brows arches. “Congratulations.”

I release a tight chuckle. “Nerves. Sorry about that. I don’t even know why I said that. I mean we’re at work and just meeting and there’s no reason to even bring up my personal life.”

Hayes laughs, loud and rich. “You remind me of my sister, Madison. Welcome to H & J Funds.”

“Thank you,” I say.

Later that afternoon, I’m sitting at my makeshift desk. I don’t have an official place to sit yet, so they have me at a worktable in the middle of the bullpen. I pull out my phone to send my sister a text.

Judging by the heat in my face, I’m pretty sure I’m still blushing from my earlier faux pas.

ME: I just met my new boss.

ME: Wanna know who he reminds me of?

ME: Stabler.

CHARLIE: Uh-oh.

ME: And he’s tall.

CHARLIE: Whoa, sis, you are in trouble.

ME: You have no idea.

CHARLIE: Let me guess, you want to climb his tree and play with his monkey.

brENDAN: For fuck’s sake. What is wrong with y’all? Can’t you have a sisters-only group text?

CHARLIE: Two people isn’t a group, Brendan, that’s just a regular text.

ME: She’s not wrong.

brENDAN: I do not want to know about any of your sexcapades. EVER.

CHARLIE: Wow, he left a lot earlier this time than in our last chat.

ME: Focus, Charlie. I screwed up. Big time.

CHARLIE: What did you do?

ME: I saw him when he stepped into the bullpen. Tall, bald, tatted and so damn scowly. It’s legit like he walked out of my dream.

CHARLIE: I’m missing the screwup. That sounds fabulous.

ME: The HR lady giving me the tour told me ahead of time that he’s a major manwhore.

CHARLIE: Less fabulous.

ME: Right. So he came up and introduced himself and I blurted out, “I have a boyfriend.”

ME: Not: Nice to meet you too. Or: I’m so happy to be here. Nope: Went straight for the boyfriend.

CHARLIE: Which you do not, in fact, have.

ME: That is irrelevant.

ME: Why did I say that.

ME: You know what he said in return?

CHARLIE: How could I?

ME: He told me congratulations.

CHARLIE: *snort

ME: NOT funny.

CHARLIE: Pretty funny.

ME: You are no help.

CHARLIE: Don’t worry about it. He’ll forget about that in a week or two and then you can pretend you’re normal and not an awkward weirdo who says words without the assistance of her brain.

ME: Wow. You make me sound so delightful.

CHARLIE: I find you very delightful.

Fuck my life.