Heart Like Yours

1. Paige

PAIGE

S omething that no one warns you about is just how much time you’ll spend wishing that grown adults would figure out how to communicate. Especially in the work environment.

“Everyone is ready when you and Mr. Walker are,” Evalyn says, pulling my attention away from my computer screen. Behind her and across the hall, the team files into the conference room.

I flick my attention back to Eva. She must see the question I’m about to ask as she shakes her head, steps into my office, and closes the door behind her.

“Brandon’s not here. He called this morning. Apparently, he spent the night with his mother at the hospital again.” She rolls her eyes, pulling her phone from her pocket before leveling me with an unamused glare. “Which is code for he was clubbing all night long.”

Eva taps her phone screen and clicks through the videos he posted showing him enjoying a night out. When she taps on the last update, I sigh at the five in the morning time stamp.

I drop my head into my hand, pinching the brim of my nose.

Even though I had anticipated his absence, a part of me hoped he would prove me wrong.

Instead of going with my gut and firing Brandon, one of the thriller and horror editors on the team, two weeks ago, I bit my tongue and let him leave my office with only a final warning. Mostly because I couldn’t handle the waterworks. While he cried his excuses for why he fell behind on yet another deadline, it took all my effort to remain in my seat and not call him out for lying. What little restraint remained went toward not throwing a box of tissues at him.

But I mean really, if you’re going to say that you missed work because you had to take care of your mom, at the very least make sure that your coworkers aren’t friends with you on social media while you’re posting videos of you at the club.

Also, maybe don’t be a dick and lie about family illnesses.

I suck in a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on coming up with a backup plan for Brandon’s work. I’m not about to risk another deadline on the small chance that he’ll get his act together. There are still three weeks left until the book is due back to the author, which means I’ll have to see which editor can be moved.

“There should be room in Clay’s or Asher’s schedule for one of them to pick it up. If not, I might be able to jump in,” Eva offers. I nod, adding a note to check with the team during the meeting.

Pushing from my desk, I round it and beeline for the small table in the corner. Eva sees what I’m about to grab and squeals.

“You are a goddess!” Eva gushes, opening my office door before rushing over to take one of the boxes of donuts from me.

I laugh, some of my earlier tension easing away, and follow behind her toward the conference room with the second box. “You say that twice a week.”

She shrugs, not waiting to set the box down as she opens the lid and pulls out her favorite.

“I’m just making sure you never forget what a gem you are,” she says before biting into one of the cannoli donuts and moans. “How the hell does Cal make these perfect every week?”

“Did someone say Cal?” Asher, our team’s Fantasy and Sci-fi editor, asks from the doorway, immediately moving to drop his notebook on the table, and is beside Eva in a heartbeat. “That woman has never made a bad pastry in her life.”

Shaking my head, I leave them to praise the owner of the cute little café that’s just around the block from the office and duck out to grab my things for the meeting.

Their excitement is the whole reason I continue to bring them treats from Cal’s a couple times a week. Just like I make sure to treat those who don’t make it to the meetings. SweetHeart Publishing is an ever-growing team of editors, designers, marketing specialists, and so many others who work in the office. I never want them to feel unappreciated when they do so much for those who partner with us for publishing.

They work hard to meet each deadline and rarely complain. The least I can do is bring them some sugar or make sure there’s a constant supply of snacks and caffeine in the break room.

Just as I’m grabbing my tablet, notepad, and pen from my desk, double-checking that I have everything we need to go over this week, someone clears their throat. I look up to find Garrett leaning against the doorframe with two cups of coffee in his hands. My breath catches at the sight of him. His fitted gray suit fits his tall, muscular body perfectly. Hazel eyes shine as he watches me from where he stands. He’s clean shaven today, with his dark hair styled perfectly. Before I can stop it, I find myself wondering what it would be like to run my fingers through it. Thoughts of seeing his perfect composure rumpled take over for a second.

As if he can read my mind, a lopsided grin stretches across his face. My cheeks heat as I round my desk.

“Good morning,” I greet, attempting to cover my inappropriate thoughts with a smile.

“Morning. I brought you some coffee.” Garrett holds one of the cups out to me when I pause in front of him.

“You are my savior,” I tell him, eagerly taking the coffee and carefully hugging it above my heart.

“Hopefully I got your order right,” he says, gripping the back of his neck with his now free hand. It almost looks like he’s blushing, but I shake it off and take a quick glance at the label of my cup. My heart skips a damn beat, but I simply nod and lead the way out of the office, knowing he’ll follow.

Lifting the straw to my mouth, I take a sip before turning to flash him a wide grin. “Down to the extra shot of espresso and extra extra caramel. I’m impressed.”

Garrett hums in acknowledgment, following me into the conference room. As we make our way toward our seats, I slow my pace and keep my voice low so only he can hear.

“Brandon isn’t here.”

I had already briefed him on the situation with Brandon before and after my last conversation with the editor. While Evalyn has taken over the day-to-day leading of the team, she’s not allowed to have performance management conversations with anyone. That falls to myself, our human resources team, or Garrett.

“Good thing Andrea in HR already has three interviews lined up for next week,” he mumbles, reaching to pull out my seat for me before taking his beside me at the head of the table.

“Paige, do you want something?” Eva asks, using her napkin to motion toward the pastries. My stomach tightens at the idea of eating right now. I offer her a polite smile and hold up my cup.

“I’m good with my coffee for now. I’ll pick from the leftovers after the meeting.”

Eva’s eyes narrow slightly, but she simply nods and grabs a slice of coffee cake to take to her spot.

“All right, let’s get this show on the road so we’re not holding anyone up,” Garrett starts, opening the notes app on his tablet and pulling up our shared checklist to help keep us on track.

“First up, Donovan.” Garrett turns to face the team’s lead designer. “When can we expect a mock-up for the Ivy Rose covers?”

“I have two done, but I got a third idea over the weekend that I’m finishing up. I’ll pop by and show you before I send them to her,” Donovan answers without missing a beat.

Garrett nods while I check off that topic.

“What else is on your plate for the week?” I ask.

“I finished going through the new requests this morning and sorting those for the team. We have some social media graphics to put together before Wednesday and two custom covers that need finalizing this week.”

I look up from my tablet and meet his gaze. “Do you need anything from us?”

“Nope!” he says enthusiastically. “Pretty low-key week. I’ll probably actually get a jump start on next week’s workload.”

Nodding, I update the notes while Garrett moves on.

“How are we on the two fantasy romance book edits?”

“I should be finished with mine by tomorrow,” Asher states.

“I’m a week ahead of schedule on mine,” Clay answers but looks at Asher. “It’s looking like I’ll be done by the end of next week.”

Eva catches my eye from across the table and she doesn’t need to speak to know our thoughts are on the same page.

“Can either of you jump on a project with a three-week deadline for a thriller?”

The two share a quick look that I don’t miss before Asher nods. “I can start it later this week after I send my current work back to the author.”

Thanking him, I jot down to send him the files and look up just in time to catch Asher’s weary expression.

“Should we anticipate any more last-minute projects added to either of our workloads?” he asks hesitantly.

My lips pinch together, knowing they’re referring to Brandon. They already helped meet the deadline for two projects he dropped the ball on over the past two months, which led to his final warning. While I carefully think over my answer, Garrett clears his throat and leans forward, bracing his forearms on the table before I can think of something.

His suit tightens around his biceps, taunting me once more with thoughts of what my boss would look like shirtless. I tear my gaze away and back across the table.

“While there’s always the possibility of last-minute changes, we are taking the necessary steps to ensure it’s not a regular occurrence,” Garrett answers smoothly.

Asher and the others nod in appreciation, but the silence lingers awkwardly in the room. Clearing my throat, I catch Asher’s attention.

“If we end up needing to move projects to you or your team’s workload, you will have my help in whatever way possible.”

“Got it,” he says, offering me a dip of his chin.

“Next up,” Garrett chimes in, changing the subject and keeping us moving. “Sam and Eva, everything on track for the Contemporary Romance edits?”

We move on, going through deadlines and upcoming projects to make sure everyone has the time and resources they need. By the end of the hour, they’re all antsy to get out of here.

“Last thing before we let you go,” I say, smirking as I glance around the room. “We are just over a month out from the office Halloween party. I will be sending you all a list of possible dates. If you all could help me find out which date and time would work best for the rest of the team and get back to me by the end of the week, that would be great.”

Sam grins at me from across the table. “My favorite time of year is officially here.”

“Yeah, we’re keeping the punch away from you this time, though,” Eva teases.

“I’d like to see you try. That punch was the reason we started Halloween Karaoke and you loved it.”

Eva looks at me and smirks. “I did love getting the embarrassing videos.”

I roll my eyes but laugh. Sam was a handful last Halloween, that’s for sure. But it was also the first time in months I’d seen him let loose and have fun after his ex-boyfriend left him.

“Does anyone have anything we missed?” I ask, ready to dismiss them so we can all get going with our week. Everyone shakes their heads, gathering their notepads or tablets and filing out of the conference room.

Garrett stays seated beside me, waiting for the last employee to leave before he speaks.

“I have a conference call to jump on in five minutes. Are you free after lunch for a one-on-one?”

“Yes, I don’t have anything major on my calendar this afternoon.”

Or ever anymore. I bite back the thought and gather my things, refusing to look at him as I pack up.

“Let me know whenever you’re ready and I can make it work,” I tell him and walk away even as a little voice in the back of my mind whispers to linger as long as possible.

He’s my boss. The daily reminder rings through my head and is enough to keep my feet moving toward my office where I drop into the chair with a sigh. I open my notes, settling in to get lost in updating the team’s shared calendar and checklists with the latest timelines before catching up on emails.

It’s mindless work, all tasks and responses I could easily do in my sleep at this point. Ever since Evalyn took over more of the daily management tasks in hopes of building her experience with the company, it feels as if I’m only here to sign off on things.

I’m used to being busy. Hell, I thrive in chaos.

Two years ago, when I accepted the position as the Publishing Director at SweetHeart Publishing, it was like a dream come true. I had just graduated college and was filling out countless applications all over the country when I got the call for the interview. Within hours of the interview with the founder of the company, Garrett Walker himself, there was a job offer in my inbox.

However, celebrating didn’t last long. Everyone outside of my best friend, Lilly, was dead set on downplaying my accomplishment or trying to convince me not to go.

It’s such a new company. That’s why they hired someone like you, who has little to no experience.

They must not have anyone else interested in the position.

He only hired you because you’re pretty.

The founder doesn’t even have a background in publishing. It’s only a matter of time before that company goes bankrupt.

It would be smarter if you worked somewhere more established for a few years to build your résumé.

With everyone adamantly telling me that taking this job was the wrong choice, I almost listened. I had gone from such a high point after getting the offer, to doubting my entire life within the span of an hour. Had it not been for Lilly, I wouldn’t be here today. She was the only person who reminded me of everything I did to deserve the job offer. That I was the one who went for my bachelor’s degree. I did unpaid internships and side freelancing jobs.

Lilly showed up with party hats, a bottle of tequila, and packing supplies, ready to celebrate. She barely made it through my door when I asked her if she thought I was making the wrong choice or if I was making the job a bigger deal than it actually was. Her words that night still run through my head at the end of long days like today when I’m doubting the work I do.

“You busted your ass off to get here. You’re allowed to celebrate your accomplishment, to shout it from the mountain tops, and enjoy this win. Some people will see your success as a reminder of their own shortcomings and try to make excuses for why you’re surpassing them. They’ll blame it on luck or downplay your success because they can’t get over their own jealousy. But you did the hard work, you did the late nights and the long days. You earned this.” With that, she handed me another shot, clinked her glass with mine, and began packing for me.

Now, it’s been two years since I took this role and while I love working for the company, sometimes I can’t help but wonder if I could be doing more.

Sighing, I twist in my seat to crack my back before finishing up my response to one of our authors. After closing the tabs, I’m about to start planning the Halloween party when someone clears their throat. I push away from my desk with a startled yelp and find my boss leaning against the doorframe.

“Jeez, Garrett. Were you trying to scare me to death?” I scowl, covering my racing heart with my hand.

He laughs. Pushing off the doorway, he slowly saunters across my office and sets a small, pink plastic bag in front of me.

“Never. I know how much you hate being snuck up on.” He scratches the back of his neck, his small smile turning sheepish. “That was actually the second time I tried to get your attention.”

“Sorry, I was really lost in thought.” My eyes drop to the baggie on my desk and I squeal, lunging forward to snatch it up. “Oh my gosh, where did you find these?”

After ripping the bag open, I dump the candy hearts into my hand, immediately picking out a yellow one and plopping it into my mouth. “I’m eternally grateful to whoever created these delicious candies.”

“My secret stash.” Garrett shrugs and I narrow my eyes at him.

“Are you telling me that there are candy hearts somewhere in your office and you didn’t tell me?”

“Yes, I am,” he says simply. “And no, I’m not going to tell you now.”

“Well, that’s rude,” I grumble and pop another heart into my mouth.

After closing my office door, giving us a safe space to talk freely, Garrett lowers himself into the chair across from me and watches me for a moment.

“Everything okay?”

It’s an effort not to squirm under his attention. After two years of working for him, one would assume his disarming good looks don’t get to me. However, after seeing him almost every day, I can confirm my boss’s looks still very much affect me.

Garrett is the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. He’s always dressed to impress, even outside of working hours when we go out with the team. I have no doubts that every suit he owns is tailored specifically for him. He’s easily one of the tallest men I know, and based on the way his biceps and thighs strain against his clothes, I can definitely imagine just how toned he is. His dark hair and full, perfect lashes only make his hazel eyes stand out. Add in his sharp jawline and a smile that makes a single dimple pop out… He is the definition of panty-dropping handsome.

And he’s my boss.

Needing to distract myself from thoughts about how good-looking the man across from me is, I shift my attention to my computer screen.

“Yeah, I just got lost in finishing emails.”

Garrett slowly nods, his assessing gaze telling me he doesn’t quite believe me, but I change the subject before he can call me out.

“I sent over a request for moving forward with a termination for Brandon,” I say, plopping another candy heart into my mouth. Turning my computer screen so Garrett can see, I pull up the employee file.

He sighs, leaning forward as he reads over the documentation that shows all we’ve done as a company to assist Brandon however we can. I pass over the mouse so he can scroll at his pace.

“Outside of babysitting him and holding his hand through each task he’s given, we’ve done everything we could. He’s called out every Friday for the past month and has been late the past three Mondays. His original claims were that his mother is sick, but the videos he posts through all hours of the night say otherwise. Both Eva and I have given him several tips for time management.” I shake my head. “We’ve given him all the resources and support we have at our disposal.”

Garrett nods, moving the mouse back toward me. “Let me know when you’re going to have the termination conversation and I’ll make sure either myself or someone from HR is there as support.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as they give me the green light.” Closing the file, I turn the monitor back to its normal position. Garrett’s attention burns the side of my face, but I keep my focus on my screen, hoping he’ll just move to the next work-related subject.

“What else is on your mind?” Garrett asks, promptly ignoring my silent request to stay on track.

I shake my head automatically, forcing a smile. “Nothing.”

His dark brows scrunch together, the frown on his face so unlike him as he watches me with a knowing gaze, and I roll my eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Then tell me the truth,” he says softly. I hold his stare, weighing the pros and cons of telling him where my thoughts have been drifting to.

“You don’t actually want to know,” I mumble, trying once more to deter him while my resolve starts to fade away.

Over the past two years, we’ve gotten close. As the founder of this company, despite the overwhelming success SweetHeart Publishing has had, Garrett has continued to stay hands on in a lot of ways. He’s the first to offer to stay late with me when there’s work to finish, is a part of every Monday check-in with the team followed by a weekly one-on-one with me, and he manages to make time to partake in our monthly team outings.

Our jobs quite literally force us to spend time together. Becoming close to him was inevitable. If it weren’t for the fact that he’s literally the one who signs my paychecks, I’d consider him one of my closest friends.

“You’d be surprised,” he whispers.

My cheeks heat at the intensity of both his words and the way he carefully watches me.

I sigh, finishing off the last of the candy hearts before focusing back on my computer. It’s easier than looking at him while I answer.

“It’s just,” I start but cut myself off and try to find my words. It’s not that I don’t want to answer him. It’s simply that I don’t like the idea of stressing him out. However, not telling Garrett the truth is not fair to either of us.

“You know I love it here and how much I care about the company and this team.” I pause, still refusing to look at him. “Lately, I’ve been feeling like I could be doing more. Eva wanted to be more involved, so I took her under my wing. Only now, she could walk in tomorrow and do my job without missing a beat. Hell, she’d probably do better than I did when I first got here.”

I finally peek at Garrett and my chest tightens at the worry etched across his face. He opens his mouth to say something, but I shake my head and continue.

“I’m not looking for another job, so don’t worry about that. You asked what’s on my mind and I’m not going to lie to you. Leading this team, even with the hiccups of a bad employee, is something I’ve been able to do with my eyes closed for a long time now.”

Garrett nods slowly and runs a hand along his jaw as he sucks in a deep breath.

“So you’re not leaving me, right?” He questions and my shoulders drop as I smile softly at him.

“I don’t have any plans to.” Yet . I leave that part out, not wanting to panic him further when all I’m doing is musing what I’ve been feeling out loud. At the same time, I know better than to make promises like that.

Garrett nods again and this time I hold his gaze as I continue.

“I can’t imagine working anywhere else. I’m just…I feel like I can be doing more. Like my knowledge and time could be doing something more useful and beneficial to the company.”

“No, I get it.” Garrett is silent for a moment before his eyes shoot open wide and an excited smile tugs at his full lips. “What if I told you I might have a way that you could get everything you want?”

The heat in his captivating eyes makes my heart skip a beat and a little voice sings in the back of my mind, tempting me with inappropriate thoughts about Garrett himself being included in everything I want.

Swallowing thickly, I silently hope that my voice sounds normal as I answer him.

“How?”

Garrett stands, shoving a single hand in his pocket as he grins down at me.

“I don’t want to speak when I don’t have all the information or before things get set in motion, just in case they fall through. I have a couple calls this week that will solidify my plans. Can you give me until Friday?”

I can only nod. The curiosity bubbling inside me is strong enough that I have to bite my tongue not to dig for information.

“You have piqued my interest, Boss Man.” I grin up at him. “I guess I can be patient.”

Garrett snorts a laugh, shaking his head as he turns toward the exit. “We both know that’s not true.”

“Hey! I can be…when I want to be.” I stick my tongue out at him and the sound of his laugh follows behind him as he leaves.

As I settle back in my seat, I smile to myself and shake my head.

Telling Garrett how I’ve been feeling about work was not something I gave much thought to, and even if I did, I shoved it aside quickly. The dread that came from just the idea of working anywhere else was always enough to keep me content where I am.

I wasn’t lying when I told him that I love this company and the people here. It’s simply that I can do more than send emails and check lists.

He is right about one thing, though. Patience is not my strong suit. The fact that Garrett didn’t give a single hint as to what his plans are is going to drive me insane all week long.

And yet, as I turn back to my computer to get back to work, relief and excitement mix with the anticipation of whatever he has in store for me.