Chapter Two #2
I shrugged and glanced at Drew. His arms were crossed over his chest and his lips pressed into a thin line. I quickly looked away.
Crap on a cracker.
Was he angry with me? Did he think I was incompetent because my car broke down? That I didn’t take basic maintenance seriously? Maybe I should accept his cousin’s offer. Otherwise I’d need Drew’s help to find a way for me to get around town. And he didn’t need to deal with that.
Another thought crossed my mind … What if he was realizing that I was too much trouble? That my crazy behavior tonight was making him reconsider keeping his slightly paranoid, off-the-wall Virtual Assistant employed.
Ugh.
I drew in a deep breath and let out a sigh to stop my spiraling thoughts. Then I did it again. This time slower. In and out. He still hadn’t said a word and here I was creating an entire narrative from a single facial expression.
When I left home to make the six-hour drive from my hometown in Maryland to Ruby River, arriving early and impressing my boss wasn’t the only reason I had to get away.
My younger sister, Celia, was engaged.
To my ex.
Who cheated on me with her.
And without missing a beat, Celia continuously demanded I assist her in planning her wedding. What she really wanted was to berate me, and hate anything I suggested all while flaunting her relationship.
It was too much.
So I left.
And decided that starting today, I was a recovering people pleaser.
The old me let everyone walk all over her. And while I knew on some level it wasn’t my job to make people happy, I struggled to stand firm and not take full responsibility for how other people felt and acted.
I was done with putting everyone else’s thoughts, feelings, and needs before my own just to keep the peace.
What I really needed to do was stop immediately thinking I was the problem. Which was easier said than done. This time when I glanced at Drew I kept my gaze on his. When his mouth gentled and a half-smile emerged, I was relieved.
“Adam is the best at what he does. We can figure out a way for you to get around town.”
My heart skittered and banged in my chest. Damn, he was handsome. And that smile made him even more so. He didn’t look away, and having his intensity directed at me was unsettling in so many ways.
I gave myself a mental head shake and turned back to Adam.
It didn’t matter how many of my dreams in the past three months featured the man standing behind me. My hot boss. Or that I was cool and flirty in all of them. And always acted like I knew how to get a guy’s attention. Basically, the complete opposite of the real me.
But I was beginning to realize it was far more likely I wouldn’t get through this week in his presence without making a fool of myself. Again. I cleared my throat nervously, already regretting the things future me might do.
“I’ll look at it in the morning and get you a quote once I know what the problem is. Then I should be able to get started in the next two to three days depending on what parts I need.”
I nodded. What else could I do? “Thanks.”
“Great. Why don’t you grab your stuff and then I’ll put your car onto the bed of the truck. I’ll drop you off at the B&B.”
My eyes widened, and I took a step back. How had he …?
I knew I’d been wrong about Drew, but his cousin knowing where I was staying gave off serious stalker vibes. The shows I watched and the podcasts I listened to always said it was the person you’d least expect to be wary of.
Adam laughed. A deep booming sound. It made the skin around his eyes crinkle and the grooves around his mouth deepen.
I had a feeling he laughed often. “It’s the only place to stay in town, Ellie.
I go right past it to get to my shop. And if you’re interested, I could always show you around Ruby River this week. ”
Oh, of course he’d know where I was staying if there was only one place. Hello, small-town living.
A slight growl rumbled from behind me, and I turned to face Drew.
Had that been him?
His eyes locked onto Adam and his lips were once again pressed firmly together. “I’ll take her.” His voice had taken on a raspy edge that was far more attractive than it should be.
Bad, Eleanor.
I did not need to be crushing on my boss or imagining what else his husky voice could whisper in my ear. I decided this rogue side, lusting after my boss, didn’t deserve to be called Ellie. My full name fit her far better and if she kept it up, I was about to tack on my middle name again.
Drew edged toward me until he was standing so close the heat of his body seeped into mine. I had to stop myself from leaning into his warmth and to accept the comfort he couldn’t possibly be thinking of giving.
It was all just in my head. It was time for me to pump the brakes on this stupid crush.
Let’s face it. Today sucked. Like, really and truly sucked.
And I was not just talking about my car.
As much as I was an independent woman, the sudden need to soak up his strength to make it through the day, for just a few seconds, overwhelmed my senses.
I loved and hated how my emotions kept twisting back and forth about wanting to rely on him and being strong enough to not need that kind of support.
“Ooookay.” A slow smile tipped up the corners of Adam’s lips. He stared at Drew for a few seconds before giving him a chin nod in acknowledgment. “Why don’t you help get Ellie’s things from her car then?”
Drew grunted an acknowledgment.
The tradeoff to Drew discovering I was an overpacker was seeing his muscles bulge when he collected my two heavy suitcases and hefted them along with my smaller carry-on into the back of his truck.
I grabbed my work bag that held my prized possessions: my laptop and my notebook. My fingers itched to take out my journal and jot down my thoughts of tonight. Embarrassing situations and my impressions of the Kingsley cousins.
I was in the middle of writing my very first romance novel after years of studying the craft and talking to other indie authors.
That was the other draw of visiting Ruby River.
I had set my story in a small-town and the only experience I had with that was from the books I’d read.
This was a research trip of sorts, and I needed to remember every detail.
Adam loaded my car onto the flatbed and bid us goodbye. Drew held the door for me as I climbed into his older model, Ford F-150. It seemed to suit this rough, mountain man side of him.
My anxiety kicked into full swing as we drove into town, as if my nerves weren’t already at an all time high.
What should I say to him? I definitely didn’t want to make things any worse.
I ran my pointer finger in a figure eight design on my denim-clad thigh. It helped me focus on my next thoughts. “I’m, uh, sorry about earlier.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. It certainly made for an interesting night.”
I grimaced. “Not the first impression I wanted to make, though.”
Drew silenced me with a shake of his head. “I get it. You were on the side of the road by yourself and wanted to stay safe. My sister probably would’ve pepper sprayed someone for getting too close just because she felt like it.”
I gave an awkward laugh. From the interactions I’d had with Grace, who also worked at Kingsley Jewelry, that sounded like her.
My cheeks burned again at the thought of all the fear induced “weapons” I brandished when I thought he was a stranger.
“I don’t know if I should be mortified by my choices of weapons.
” I used finger quotes to emphasize the word.
“Or be thrilled that you thought they really might have been something that could do damage.”
“No to the embarrassment.” His tone was more like a command than a comment, and I squirmed as the rumble of his voice shot straight to my core. I squeezed my knees together, not sure how to banish my next thought of wondering if he used that same voice in the bedroom.
Drew was calm. Decisive. Power rolled off of him in our everyday interaction.
He was also kind and thoughtful. I’d been sick one day and he ordered a food delivery service to bring me soup, water, and crackers when I’d been too wiped to do it myself.
This was why he was the perfect boss. The perfect man.
The perfect everything. And while I was in his orbit, for however long that might last, I could pretend that I was just as put together as he was.
During the workday, he was exacting. He expected a lot from me, but no more than what was necessary to push the company to the next level. He was fair, had a sarcastic sense of humor that he’d let slip into our correspondence sometimes, and he was incredibly insightful in long-term planning.
It had taken us a little time to find our rhythm. I loved that he’d never become frustrated as I learned different aspects of the business. He was patient and treated me like I was a valued member of the team.
So far, this had been the best position I’d had since I graduated college six years ago. And now at twenty-eight years old, I finally had a steady job. One that gave me the freedom to take a leap and finish writing the romance novel I’d been drafting on and off over the past few years.
Which is why I needed to keep this job. Otherwise, I’d have to move in with my parents so I could write. And that wasn’t a good idea. Not at all.
I couldn’t stop the full body shudder that overtook me at the thought of them.
They were also part of the reason I left so quickly.