Chapter 9
9
I’m going to ruin his fucking life.
Faith didn’t know why those words still lingered in her head a week after he’d stated them.
But they did. And every time she heard them . . . well, she couldn’t help but like the grouchy man a bit more.
Especially when she’d learned that he was helping Elizabeth for free.
Yeah.
She was starting to realize that Reuben did have a nice side to him. It was just hidden under the Prince of Darkness’s exterior.
The more comfortable she was around him, the less mistakes she made.
She still made them. Just less of them.
Too bad the rest of her life was in shambles. Eric was making it very clear that he wished she didn’t exist. She was trying to save money to move out while still sending cash home.
It wasn’t easy and she’d had to cut back as much as possible. Right now, she was living on crackers, peanut butter, and bread. Things she could keep in a mouse-proof container in the basement so she didn’t have to go upstairs.
If it wasn’t for Reuben buying her lunch most days, she wouldn’t have any variety in her diet.
It was starting to wear on her, but she had to keep going forward.
The elevator doors opened, and she grimaced as Kirsten walked in. She strode toward the door to Reuben’s office, not even looking at Faith.
Was she just going to walk in?
Oh, Faith so didn’t think so! She jumped up and got in between the door and Kirsten.
The other woman stopped and looked down at her. “Get out of my way. I need to speak to Reuben. He’ll want to see me.”
“Reuben is busy.”
“That’s Mr. Jones to you,” Kirsten snapped.
What the heck?
What a rude . . . bitch.
Yeah, she said it! Well, thought it.
“Get out of my way,” the other woman added.
“No,” she said firmly. “He’s busy, and you don’t have an appointment.”
“I don’t need an appointment,” the other woman drawled. “See, Reuben and I have a special relationship. You know what I’m saying?”
“Ew. Gross.” She couldn’t imagine ever touching this woman.
“Now listen, you dumpy, plain, chubby little country mouse. I get you might think you can catch his eye, but he’s far too good for the likes of you. He doesn’t need a chuck steak when he can have filet mignon.”
“Actually, there are a lot of nice things you can do with chuck steak. I have some recipes if you want them. Some of them go very nicely with creamed corn. Or corn on the cob. Or even corn hash.”
“I don’t want your stupid recipes. What I want is for you to get your ugly ass away from that door!”
Kirsten reached out and grabbed her wrist hard, tugging her away from the door.
And, wow, she was strong. Just as she grabbed Faith, though, the door behind her opened. An arm wrapped around Faith’s middle and suddenly she was pulled out of Kirsten’s grasp and placed firmly behind Reuben’s back.
“Reuben! Your assistant was so rude! And she refused to let you know I was here!”
“That’s not true!” Faith protested, moving around to Reuben’s side. “Okay, maybe it’s a bit true. But she didn’t believe me when I said that you were busy. She was just going to barge in. Which is very rude.”
“Faith, stop,” he said in a low, dark voice.
What? Was he really going to take her side? Kirsten sent her a superior look.
“But—” Faith said.
“Did I put you behind me?” he interrupted her.
“Um, I guess.” What did that have to do with anything?
“Then get back behind me and stay there,” he ordered.
Whoa.
She scurried behind him into his office. And then he went and shut the door. With her on one side and him on the other with Kirsten.
“Hey!” She reached for the door handle.
“I wouldn’t do that,” a voice warned.
She jumped with a cry. She’d forgotten about Reuben’s meeting.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. We weren’t introduced. I’m Tariq.” The man stood and offered his hand. “I’m a friend of Reuben’s.”
Tariq was a handsome-looking guy with dark hair and a charming smile. She could see how women would fall at his feet.
Too bad, she seemed to only have eyes for a scowly, grumbly, dictatorial man. Not that she was looking for a man.
Nope. Not going there again.
She didn’t need that pressure in her life.
“Hi. I’m Faith.”
He smiled. “Beautiful name. Want a Scotch?”
“No, I don’t like Scotch.”
“What do you drink? He’s got a few choices in here.”
“I like jellybeans,” she said.
“Uh, the candy?” He gave her a confused look.
“Well, yes. But also the drink. Ouzo, raspberry, and lemonade.”
“Huh, sounds sweet and delicious. Just like you.”
Unfortunately, just as he said that Reuben came storming in. It wasn’t until that moment that she realized she was shaking. Maybe she was in a bit of shock. She’d never had a confrontation like that before.
“What did you just say to her?” Reuben turned to Tariq with a glare.
She wondered if Tariq had any sense of self-preservation because he just smiled. “I was merely commenting on how sweet she is.” He finished his drink. “I think I should go so you can comfort her. She looks a bit . . . fragile.”
“I’m not fragile. I’m from sturdy farmer stock.”
Both men eyed her incredulously.
Then Tariq smiled. “I’ll call you later, Reuben.”
Reuben simply grunted.
Tariq just winked at her as he walked past.
“I thought he was your f-friend,” she said as she wrapped her arms around herself. Why did she feel so shaky and weird?
“He’s a pain in my ass.”
Huh? She wasn’t following.
“Come here, Faith,” he commanded.
She shook her head even as her feet moved her toward him. Reaching out, he grasped her chin and tilted her face back.
He suddenly swore and she jumped. “What is it? Why are you mad at me? Should I have let her in?”
“Fuck, no. I’m not mad at you. I’m angry at her. How dare she treat you that way?”
“It’s really nothing . . . ” she trailed off. Even she couldn’t defend the other woman.
“It is something. Do not worry. I’ll take care of her.”
She stared up at him. “You’re scary.”
“Funny. You’ve never seem scared of me.”
“I’m a good actress,” she said as he took her hand and led her over to the leather sofa in front of a gas fireplace.
He pressed her so she sat on the sofa.
“Are you?” he asked.
“Uh-huh. I played the lead pig in the Three Little Pigs, a production we put on in the fourth grade.”
“There was a lead pig?” he asked, sounding amused. That was odd.
“Yes, and I was it! No matter what Shelby Colby says.”
“Shelby Colby?” he asked as he seemed to produce a blanket out of nowhere, tucking it around her.
“Yeah. My nemesis. She was always trying to be better than me. She never was, though. And she wasn’t the lead pig.”
“I believe you. Interesting name she has.”
She snorted. “She got married straight out of high school. Not sure if it was because she wanted a new last name or because she was pregnant.”
“What’s her last name now?” he asked as he crouched in front of her with a bag of chocolate and her drink bottle in his hands.
Where had that come from?
“Dolby.”
“She’s now Shelby Dolby?” he asked, his lips twitching.
“Why is that funny?”
“No reason. Your water bottle is full. Have you been drinking plenty?”
“Um . . . ”
He gave her a stern look.
“It’s difficult to remember to, sometimes.”
“I want you to drink more. I’m not even going to ask if you’re eating properly. I don’t think I’ll like the answer.”
She wasn’t sure why he cared. He was a very confusing man.
“Here, eat this.” He unwrapped and held up a piece of chocolate. A Hershey’s Kiss. “It’s emergency chocolate. I have it on good authority that it makes everything better.”
“Oh.” That’s what she’d told him. She tried to take the chocolate, but her hands were trapped.
“I’m trapped! What happened to my hands? They’re stuck.” Panic filled her. She didn’t like being trapped.
“Easy, Little Blossom,” he soothed as he lifted the blanket away.
Oh. That was kind of embarrassing.
Then he pressed the chocolate to her lips. She took the piece and started sucking on it. “Sorry. I’m overreacting.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” he scolded her quietly.
“Sorry. Oops.” She put her hand over her mouth as she finished the sweet treat.
He held up another piece and she took it, devouring it. When she reached for a third piece, he held the chocolate away.
“More,” she demanded.
“No, I think that’s enough.”
She scrunched up her face, she could feel a tantrum building.
Wait. Fudge knuckles. What was she doing?
She couldn’t let her Little out here. It had to be because she was upset. That’s why her Little was so close to the surface.
Faith couldn’t believe she’d been building to a tantrum. She never had tantrums. That would be extremely rude.
“I’m so sorry. I overreacted.”
“You didn’t overreact.” He placed his hand against her cheek.
A shiver of pleasure ran through her.
“She put her hands on you. And she’s a bitch.”
He dropped his hand and she had to fight against the urge to beg him to touch her again.
“I feel like I should get a badge,” she told him. “I survived the wolf of NYC.”
“Little Blossom, she’s not the wolf.”
“No?”
“No, I am. I’m the Big Bad Wolf.”
She gulped before standing and nearly tripping over the blanket that pooled at her feet. “Fudge knuckles.”
“Easy,” he commanded, jumping up to hold her steady. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Just, um, I need to go.”
He eyed her for a long moment, and she expected him to protest. To tell her to sit down.
To her surprise, he nodded. “That might be best. I’ll drive you.”
“No!”
He raised his eyebrows at her adamant protest.
“I’m meeting someone for drinks.” It wasn’t actually a lie. She was meeting Asta in an hour. “I have to go. Bye.”
After rushing out of there, she leaned against the elevator with a groan.
She couldn’t believe how close she’d come to ruining everything.
She had to be more careful.