19. Connor
19
CONNOR
“G ood, you’re here. I need to talk to you,” I say to Sawyer the minute he steps inside my office. I’m up, out of my chair, and striding to the door, closing it behind him. I flew him in today to go over a few things with the spa, and then we’re heading to Hudson’s place for the day. Lacy’s mom is going in for an operation, and we need to keep Hudson busy so he doesn’t go mad waiting for news. Lacy has delegated him to stay at home, not allowing him to go to the hospital with them. Too independent for her own good, that girl.
“Okaaaay. You have my attention.” He’s watching me like a hawk, knowing something’s up. I’ve been feeling a mix of emotions all day. I haven’t seen Daisy since the mineral springs yesterday, and we’re deliberately ignoring each other, yet I feel like I’m sitting on the edge of a cliff, ready to jump, because all I can think about is her. My eyes move to the small parcel on my desk. The one that houses arm floaties I bought for her, given swimming isn’t her strong suit and drowning isn’t something I want her to experience.
“I’ve done something…” I start, now pacing my office. I’ve thought of nothing else other than that bruising kiss yesterday, and now I want more.
“What?” he asks sharply, and I run my hand through my hair, then stand with my hands on my hips.
“I kissed her,” I admit. “I couldn’t fucking stay away. She was there in her swimsuit, her body on full display, and I couldn’t take it. I’ve been itching to kiss her since she arrived.” I start to pace again. As a boss, it was a stupid thing to do. I mean, we’re both consenting adults, but still, there’s a line, and I crossed it. After she left my office yesterday, I went straight home and sat under a cold shower for an hour. Since then, the two of us have been busy, but we both wanted it, and we both agreed we couldn’t. But now I really, really want to do it again.
“Kissed who?” he asks, his eyes narrowing.
“Daisy,” I breathe out. He looks confused for a moment before his eyes widen once the pieces click together.
“Your new consultant?” he clarifies, and I nod.
“Well, shit.” He slumps in the armchair, my news obviously not what he was expecting to hear. “And so…?” he asks, wanting more information.
“And it was fucking amazing, but we both agreed it can’t happen again.”
“You're in agreement? So she was happily involved in this incident?”
I pause my strides and look at him sharply.
“I didn’t fucking assault her, if that’s what you’re implying.” His accusation makes me feel ill.
“Just asking the questions to see if it will open us up for a lawsuit.”
“No, but…” I start, having thought of this all last night.
“But what?” he pushes.
“I’ve been thinking… can we get a contract drawn up?” I ask.
“What kind of contract?”
“One that states we’re entering into a mutually beneficial private arrangement and that it has no impact on her work or the distillery. I can’t fire her or end her contract. Etc., etc.,” I say, and he looks at me like he’s seeing me for the first time.
“Are you feeling alright?” he questions, his brow furrowed.
“Fine,” I lie, because I need sleep, I need a cup of fucking tea, and I need to see Daisy.
“Fuck, you really like her,” he says in awe, his eyebrows rising almost comically.
“Pfft…” I wave him off, not contradicting his words. Clearly, I’m not very good at hiding how I feel because his shock turns into a shit-eating grin.
“Holy shit. Connor Whiteman has fucking feelings. I never thought I would see the day,” he teases.
“Shut up. Can you do it or not?” I push, and he nods.
“It’s actually pretty common, and given she’s a consultant and not an employee, then it’s even easier. I’ll get the team to draw it up now.” Sawyer gets busy on his phone and laptop for the next few minutes as I breathe out, feeling relieved. We agreed it was a one-time thing. Just a kiss, just a blip in time. But I haven’t felt like this before, and I know I can’t stop at just one taste.
“I just emailed you something,” he murmurs and I raise my eyebrows. “Told you it was common. We have a template on file,” he says, giving me a smart-ass grin.
I move to my laptop and scan the contract quickly. It’s standard terminology and says everything I need it to say so I print it out and sign it, handing the paperwork back to him.
“You’ll give it to her,” I tell him.
“Me?” he questions.
“That way she won’t feel like I’m pouncing on her. It gives her some breathing space to make her own decision,” I tell him and he takes the file, adding it to his pile.
“Fine. I’m charging you a delivery fee, though,” he says as he stands, a smirk on his face. He’s joking, of course. Sawyer’s legal expertise is unrivaled. He has negotiated our biggest deals and has worked with us for a long time. He’s well and truly part of the family.
“Asshole,” I grit out, my shoulders tense as I think about all that is needed is her signature.
“What does Tanner think?” he asks, and I can only stare at him.
“Ohhh, shit. He doesn’t know.” Sawyer grins, and I roll my eyes.
“And I would like to keep it that way,” I mention, not exactly sure what Dad will think.
“Fine. Your dirty little secret is safe with me,” he says, grinning from ear to ear.
“We need to get going. They’re all waiting in the meeting room for us. We need to go over the spa legalities in relation to the treatments and the insurances.” Grabbing my laptop, I’m itching to get down the hall to the rest of the team, but really, I just want to see Daisy.
We walk briskly, already late, my shoulders tense, which isn’t helped by the fact that Sawyer hasn’t stopped grinning since I spoke with him.
“Sawyer,” Dad says, nodding to Sawyer in greeting as the conversation Victoria and Daisy are having ceases.
“What’s going on?” I ask, seeing one of our support staff here changing cables over, the computer in here apparently not working.
“Technical difficulties,” Victoria says, smiling, and I take a seat, my eyes flicking to Daisy, who has a nice little flush coloring her cheeks. She raises her eyes to meet mine, and I watch her swallow.
“Daisy,” I say by way of greeting, not wanting to treat her any differently than I have been, although the corners of my mouth are quirking.
“Connor,” she says, and Sawyer clears his throat next to me.
“Daisy, nice to finally meet you. I’m Sawyer.” He holds out his hand, and Daisy leans over to shake it.
“Nice to meet you too, Sawyer.”
My shoulders lower, her voice hitting my spine, instant relaxation of just being around her evident.
“The bottling machine is down again,” Dad says, looking at me, and I stroke my beard and open my laptop to get my head into the meeting.
“Again?” I ask, frowning. “I heard from the team in California this morning. The storm last night hit our crops.” None of this news is good, since both issues will put a stop to our production in some way or another.
“Oh my God. Sorry!” Victoria says, spilling her coffee, and she and Daisy jump up, fetching tissues to mop up the mess.
Dad looks at me and frowns.
“What the hell is going on today?” he asks everyone.
“Mercury is in retrograde,” both Daisy and Victoria say simultaneously, like it’s a normal thing. They both continue cleaning and talking, as if what they said makes any sense, and the three of us men just look at each other in confusion before I feel Sawyer lean over to me.
“Holy shit, they are so alike… they could be twins,” he whispers, and my hand flies out to hit him in the arm. Not my finest moment, and certainly not professional, but our team is close, more like family, and everyone’s used to these antics.
The girls don’t pay any attention. But Dad does, and his eyes on me are burning as his lips quirk.
“Payback’s going to be a bitch,” he murmurs, and I smile, not able to hide a thing.