5. Hazel
Iglanced at Jareth’s closed office. It was 6:30 p.m., and he didn’t seem to be slowing down for the night. Usually, I didn’t mind staying late, but I was exhausted. I hardly slept this weekend. Now, my stomach clenched tight with a new worry. How much I’d owe Jareth for the house repairs when it was done.
My phone dinged with an incoming text.
AVERY
Did Jareth tell you that you can’t go home tonight?
What? I had nowhere else to stay. I swallowed hard. The damage must have been worse than I feared.
HAZEL
No, he didn’t. How bad is it?
I cringed, mentally reviewing what I had left in savings after paying for Gran’s assisted living bill this month.
AVERY
It’s going to take a while. The water did a lot of damage, and when they opened up the floorboards and walls, there was old damage and wiring that Dad said should be replaced.
Panic swirled anew in my chest, and dots swam at the edge of my vision. I had to force my breath in and out to stop from hyperventilating. My gaze darted around the room, focusing on the Christmas decorations on the walls and windows before settling on the Christmas tree. My eyes stayed pinned to the cheery lights as I breathed deeply. Twice today I needed to use it to center me. Maybe I should keep it up all year long.
AVERY
You know you can stay with me if you need to.
I loved Avery for offering, but I hated to impose on my friends. My grandmother had instilled in me that we fix our own problems. Not to rely on others for help. Yet my credit card limit was dangerously close to the higher end. I couldn’t afford an extended hotel stay.
HAZEL
I’m still at work, but I’ll get back to you about that. I’ll need to stop by and grab clothes and stuff.
AVERY
Sorry, Hazel, but my dad said that’s not a good idea. They’ve ripped up a lot of the living room. It’s too dangerous to get to the stairs.
What was I going to do if I couldn’t get my things? My breath hitched once again.
HAZEL
Thanks for letting me know. I’ll figure something out.
My gaze flicked over to Jareth’s closed door again. Crap on a cracker. Why hadn’t he told me about my house? He had to know what an upheaval this would be for me. Was it that he cared more about keeping me at work to get things done than to give me time off to figure out my next steps?
An uncharacteristic burst of anger ran through my body. If this wasn’t a reminder that Jareth only thought about himself, I didn’t know what was. I stood and clenched my hands by my side. I wanted to hit something, and right now, Jareth was my likely target. With fast-moving feet, I skirted around my desk and reached his door in record time. My blistering gaze practically burned a hole through the beautiful light wood.
I should’ve figured out my living situation well before now. Not that he cared one bit. I tapped my foot as I gathered my thoughts. My heart tugged and twisted in sadness. I’d shown over and over how loyal I was, that I’d do anything he asked, in love and business, but it was becoming readily apparent that maybe this relationship was even more one-sided than I imagined. I was beginning to believe the Christmas party had been a complete aberration.
Well, he’d soon learn he couldn’t push me around. I was going in there to give him a piece of my mind before I stormed out. I uncurled the fist of my right hand and grasped the knob, only to stumble forward when it twisted under my grip.
Jareth’s large hands wrapped around my biceps, steadying me.
I hated the flutter of attraction that began to replace the anger in my belly. I frowned and shook him off. He was not going to distract me.
His eyes widened slightly, clearly expecting me to fall into his arms, I thought bitterly. Well, he had another thought coming. I was done mooning over him. Well, mostly done, I thought as my core clenched at his nearness.
“Excellent timing. I think we’ve done enough for today. Get your things together. It’s time to head out.” He shrugged on his long, expensive coat.
My mouth dropped open in surprise. “What?” Was he ever going to tell me I was currently homeless, or was he so busy with his own things that he’d forgotten such an inconsequential piece of information?
I brought a hand up and shoved it at his chest. The fact that he didn’t even move irritated me even more. “Not so fast.”
His gaze narrowed. “I see you’re angry about something.”
This man was infuriating. “You know full well what I’m angry about,” I sputtered, my speech getting faster with each word.
“I assure you, Hazel, I do not.” He gently took my hand from his chest, holding it for a beat before I wrenched it away. A flicker of something passed through his eyes. I thought it might have been regret, until I remembered he regretted nothing.
“Did you forget to tell me something about my house?” I pursed my lips.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Ah, yes. You’re unable to go back to your home today?—”
I cut him off. “And you didn’t think to tell me?” And why did it make him happy?
“I agree I should?—”
“Should have what? It’s closing in on 7:00 Jareth. How in the world am I supposed to find a place to stay and things to wear this late at night?” Exasperation at his blasé attitude had my arms and hands shifting wildly to punctuate my words.
“I—”
“I’m not done.” I glared at him.
He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well then, please continue.”
The victory of shutting him up felt hollow. “My life isn’t anything like yours. I don’t have billions of dollars at my disposal. I can’t just stay at a hotel until this is cleared up. But I bet you didn’t even think about that. I bet it never even occurred to you that I’d need to figure out this situation well before now.” I spun on my heels, heading back to my desk, determined to storm out. “Everything is always about you.”
I threw my coat on, belatedly realizing it was inside out. There was no time to fix it if I didn’t want my grand exit compromised. It made me glad we had our own private space from the rest of the corporations housed in this building. At least they wouldn’t witness my temper. I shoved my purse strap over my shoulder and stomped toward the door.
“Are you done?” Jareth asked and cupped a palm beneath my elbow, effectively stopping me. The warmth of his touch seeped through my coat. I couldn’t stop the slight shiver that raced through me and it made me furious with myself. Stupid hormones. I needed to get those under control. Didn’t they understand I was mad at him?
“What are you doing?” I muttered.
“I was going to call my driver and have someone pick up your car later, but I see it might be best if we took yours instead.” He guided me toward the elevator as I tried to understand where he was going with this. It also made me angry to see my laptop bag slung over his shoulder. In my rush to leave, I’d forgotten it.
Before I could reply, he had me in the elevator and tapped the button leading to the parking garage. I tried to shake off his touch, but he held tight. Not hard enough to hurt me, but enough to show me I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Take my car where?” My brain scrambled to understand.
He sighed. “If you’d let me get a word in edgewise, I’d have explained by now.”
I rolled my eyes. Not that he could see, but it made me feel better.
The elevator opened to let us out, and he immediately walked to my empty designated spot. His eyes darted around the partially vacant lot. “Where is your car?”
I jerked my chin in the direction of where I’d parked.
“And why did you not use the space I provided?” His tone hardened.
This time, I was able to pull my elbow from his grasp. I threw my hand up and gestured toward the space. “Because some idiot thought he could park there, and I had to find another spot.”
“Did you get the license plate or the make and model of the car?” His phone was out faster than I could respond.
“Yes. Although, I’m not sure why that matters. I’m not telling you. I can handle it.” Now that I was free of him, I strode off toward my car.
His long-legged stride quickly caught up.
I sighed. “What do you want, Jareth?”
His silence grated at me as we made our way to my car. He hesitated momentarily before the driver’s side door and held out his palm. The jerk could stand there all night. He was not getting my keys. I clutched them to my chest and shook my head. With a weary sigh, he shifted around the car to the passenger side.
I manually unlocked my door since the automatic lock stopped working last month. I likely needed a new battery for my key fob and didn’t have the money it cost to replace it. My gaze flicked to Jareth long enough to see the frown on his face.
Well, he could suck it.
Not everyone could afford a driver to take them everywhere they went. I opened my door and climbed in, only slightly surprised when Jareth knocked on the opposite window, his frown still permanently in place. I leaned over and unlocked his door. I couldn’t stop the snort-laugh that left my lips as he squeezed his six foot frame into the tiny seat of my car and fiddled with the car seat settings to give him more leg room.
He threw an exasperated glance my way, making me laugh harder. I hated being mad at anyone. Especially him. “What are you doing?”
He had finally settled in and drew the seatbelt across his lap. I couldn’t stop my gaze from following the movement of his hands, and the tightened shirt against his abs. It was like time slowed down. When he cleared his throat, my cheeks burned fire hot in embarrassment. I couldn’t believe I let him catch me checking him out. I jerked my head up to see him smirking at me.
“We are heading to my place.” He said it so matter-of-fact it took a minute to register his meaning.
I started the car, not yet pulling out of the space. “What? Why?”
“It would seem you need a place to stay, and I have plenty of room in my penthouse.” I almost expected him to tack on ‘obviously.’
“Your place?” Of all the places I thought I might crash tonight, his had never crossed my mind.
I backed out of the space, my mind going a mile a minute. A friend or partner would offer up their place to someone. Not an employer. And while he relied on me and acted more like himself with me, we weren’t exactly friends. At least it didn’t seem that way on his side. My heartbeat quickened as that fickle fiend hope sparked. Was this his way to hint that he wanted more?
“We work together and spend most of our time in the office. It’s convenient.”
I shoved hope into the tiny box she’d escaped from. Of course, that was all this was about. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. “I don’t need you to step in and help me. You don’t owe me anything.”
His silence had me glancing over. A heaviness permeated the car. Even without seeing his rigid jaw, I’d have known he was angry. “Explain.”
I waved my hands around, first gesturing at him, then at myself. “You feel bad rejecting me at the party so now you think helping me will get you off the hook.”
Jareth’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s get something straight. I’m helping you because I want to, not because I think I owe you anything.”
I refused to answer.
He sighed. “I was wrong.”
“What did you just say?” In the three years I’d known him I don’t think I’d ever heard him utter those words.
“I do owe you something.”
My heart skipped an unsteady rhythm. This was even worse. I dreaded whatever the next words were to come out of his mouth because I feared that what he had to say would destroy any hope I had left of us getting together. My stomach ached and my muscles tightened locking me in place. I wasn’t ready to hear whatever he had to say.
“I owe you an apology. For my behavior at the Christmas party and tonight. I didn’t handle myself well and I didn’t treat you with the respect you deserve. I acted like an ass.”
I turned my head to face him. Words escaped me. “Who are you and what have you done with my boss?”
“This is why I don’t apologize,” he muttered.
“No, wait. Don’t take it back. I kind of like seeing this side of you.”
His dark eyes bore into mine. Desire flashed in his irises, and I knew he was remembering our kiss. And now that he was, so was I. Heat pulsed through my core and raced through me. I bit my lip, wanting so badly to lean forward and place my lips on his.
A nearby car door slammed shut, and I jolted. This was a bad idea. Kissing Jareth would only lead to more heartbreak.
Jareth blinked as though coming back to his senses and cleared his throat. “Will you stay at my place until your home is habitable?”
I wanted to laugh at how strained he sounded. Asking instead of demanding was clearly difficult for him. “I don’t really have much of a choice. Do I?”
“You always have a choice, Hazel.” His raspy voice made me shiver. I wish that included the ability to choose a relationship with him.
“You’re right. I could stay with Avery or at a hotel,” I admitted, but refused to say why neither appealed to me. The reality was that I wanted more time with him. Time to see if I could get him to change his mind and that would only happen if I lived under his roof. “I’d like to stay with you.”
He nodded, and I half expected him to tell me I was a good girl for complying with him. Or maybe that was my fantasies getting in the way. Either way, I was jumping into this situation with my eyes wide open.
“I’ll need to run to the store to grab a few necessities until I can get out later.”
“Unnecessary. I have everything you need at my place. I had a few things sent over today for you.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“Why?” I pushed, hoping this time he’d give me a reason to think that he couldn’t get our kiss out of his mind either. A reason to know why he was being so nice.
“I told you?—”
“Forget I asked. It’s convenient,” I finished for him, repeating his earlier words, not able to hide the hint of bitterness in my voice.
We drove the rest of the way to his penthouse in silence. I already knew the way. I’d been there many times before at all hours of the day and night—for work purposes only. It seemed our relationship was destined to stay this steady course. I needed to remind myself of that. He didn’t want me the same way I wanted him.
I pulled up and let the doorman, Walter, open my door. “Good evening, Ms. Finley. I’m so happy to hear you’re staying with us for a while.” His lined cheeks split into a wide grin. He pushed the tip of his crooked cap back onto his thick head of gray hair. I’d asked him once why he was still working at his age. He said he’d only retire when his wife, a school teacher, did.
“Hello, Walter. It’s nice to see you again.” I handed him my keys and got out of the car. He was always so sweet to me whenever I stopped by. I turned to reach for my purse and laptop bag, surprised to see Jareth held both.
He groaned as he unfolded his body from my car. “Walter.”
“Jareth. I hope you’ve had a pleasant day,” Walter said as he came around the side of the car with me following closely behind. “Everything has arrived and was placed in the room you requested. Is there anything else you need from me?”
“Not today.”
I frowned. He and I needed to have another chat about how wonderful his sweet doorman was and how often Jareth should be telling him thank you. The man always had a smile on his face when he dealt with Jareth and that wasn’t often easy.
We rode up in the elevator, silence filling the space around us again. Jareth scrolled through his phone while I discreetly watched him. No matter how casual he seemed to be, his body was always coiled tight like a predator ready to pounce. And I hated how incredibly sexy I thought that was.
He could pounce on me any day. I held back from fanning myself at my ridiculous thought and almost laughed imagining his face if I told him why I was doing that. He’d probably rethink having me stay at his place.
When we reached the top floor, the elevator doors opened up into a hallway, and his door was a short walk from the elevator. He pressed the access code into the keypad before signaling for me to enter first.
As soon as I’d made it through the door, I noticed the boxes of decorations I’d dropped off as a not-so-subtle hint still sat by the front door. Not that I should have been surprised. In the three years we’d known each other, I’d never seen his penthouse look anything but the perfectly frigid space it was created to be. It was exquisitely furnished and resembled a showroom more than a home.
I wish I’d worked for Jareth when he moved in and hired an interior decorator. I’d have insisted he had a more lived-in look or maybe told him to fire her. Yes, definitely fire her. I frowned as I thought of the times I’d contacted her to accompany him to various work functions.
“Your coat.” Jareth had already removed his and reached for mine to hang in the hall closet. His hands swept along my neck and dipped to my collarbone, creating sparks of electricity everywhere he touched.
I held my breath as his deft fingers tugged off the garment, belatedly remembering that I’d accidentally put my coat on inside out when leaving the office in such a hurry. He patiently tugged the sleeves into the right position. “Thanks,” I murmured.
He lifted his chin in acknowledgment. “I had everything placed in the first bedroom on the left. While you get settled, I’ll order takeout.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate that.” I walked through the living room while he turned into the dining room on the opposite side of the hall. Maybe as thanks I should decorate the space for him? Christmas wasn’t far away, and there was no way I could stay here and not want to have at least a little holiday cheer surrounding me.
I grinned. I had to be sure to decorate when he was busy, or otherwise, I had a feeling he’d tell me not to bother. As far as I knew, he didn’t seem to celebrate any holiday. Or was it just that he didn’t have someone to celebrate with?
I hummed my favorite Christmas tune, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, under my breath. Jareth was dead set on saying we couldn’t be anything more than boss and assistant, but maybe I only had to show him what life would be like if he wasn’t so alone.
My shoes sunk into the lush hallway carpet, and for a second, a pang of envy shot through me. Jareth had such a beautiful place, and right now, my forever home dreams seemed to be getting further away.
You knew creating your perfect home was going to take time, I reminded myself. I needed to flip the script and turn this incident into a positive. This unexpected leak was pushing me to update parts of the house that required it, and when the work was done, it was going to be an even better place to live.
The door to my designated bedroom was open. I flipped the light switch and marveled at the differences between this room and mine. The entire room was made up of neutrals. The walls, the bedding, and even the classy furniture were shades of cream with accents of gold and tan throughout.
I gazed longingly at the gorgeous four-poster bed with sheers draped at the corners. This was one piece I’d love to have in my bedroom at home. With a running leap, I tossed myself onto the bed and let out a peel of laughter at my childishness. I gripped the cool, cream blanket and let it slide between my fingers. The fabric was the softest I’d ever felt, and the mattress was perfect. I sunk in just enough, but not too much.
A huge smile stretched across my face. I should look at the next few days as a vacation at a fancy resort. Not the home of my long-time crush and boss.
My eyes gravitated to the ceiling above me as I rolled to my back. A stunning light fixture hung in the middle of the room. The roughly hued golden arms started in the middle and curved up and out like tiny tree branches with lights and crystals scattered throughout the one-of-a-kind piece.
I bit my lip, wondering how long I’d be here. The space was beautiful, luxurious, but not a place I’d like to live for an extended period of time. The lack of color reminded me how much I missed my own house filled with jeweled tones. Just looking at those colors made me happy.
Jareth cleared his throat.
I popped my head up from the bed. Heat filled my cheeks as I realized how silly I must look. I’m sure my behavior was another reason he’d tell himself we were incompatible. My ability to be happy was in direct contrast to his grumpy self.
“Hey,” I said, sweeping my hair off my face and struggling to sit upright as the bed hugged my body. I tugged on the hem of my sweatshirt. It had risen to show off my stomach, and had tightened against my chest.
His dark gaze swept over me, his pupils dilated just a fraction before he turned away and strode two steps toward a closed door I hadn’t noticed. His fingers curled around the knob, an act that shouldn’t have been sensual but immediately had me wondering how his hand would feel curved around me.
I huffed in frustration. I needed to stop these thoughts or this was going to be a long week.
A light immediately turned on inside a closet that had to be bigger than my small second bedroom at home. It shone brightly on the vast amount of clothing hung on the racks inside and sparkled off the beveled edges of the full-length mirror against the far wall.
“I thought you might like to see if any of these clothes are to your liking.” He seemed pleased with his announcement.
I blinked a few times. Was he giving me clothes? Excitement bubbled up inside my chest. I slid off the bed and took a few steps toward him, suddenly coming to an abrupt stop. I’d just found out my home wasn’t habitable. There was no way Jareth could have purchased these for me so soon.
My exuberance disappeared, only to be replaced with a stomach ache. Had these belonged to someone else? Maybe a previous girlfriend or hookup? God, if that was the case, then those clothes would never fit my plus-size body.
“I doubt they’d fit me.” I edged closer to the hallway, wanting to get out of there before I became emotional over the fact that he tried to pawn off another woman’s clothes on me.
“Why would they not fit you?” He frowned.
I froze in place at his hardened gaze. “Well, I’m not exactly the size of the women you date. Which is fine. I can find a way to get clothes, or maybe the Wolfe’s will let me in to get a few things at my place.”
His frown deepened. “You will do nothing of the sort, Hazel. I forbid you from entering your home while it’s under construction. If you don’t care about your safety, someone else has to.”
My eyes widened a second before they narrowed. It didn’t matter that his domineering attitude had my lady bits dancing a jig. He didn’t have the right to tell me what to do. I stomped over to him, my finger poking into his hard chest. “Now you listen to me. It’s not your job to tell me what to do. We’re not at work.” I drew in a deep breath and forced out the next words. “I’m not about to humiliate myself by trying on the clothes you provided to your one-night stand or whoever these belonged to.”
A booming laugh fell from his mouth, which only irritated me further.
“Don’t laugh at me. I’m being serious,” I growled at him.
His hand wrapped around mine, pulling it away from his chest. I fought a shiver as a zing of desire speared through me at his touch. “I’m not laughing at you, Hazel. I would never. These are for you.” I’d rarely had the chance to see him so carefree, without the walls of solitude he wrapped tightly around him. He almost seemed younger than his thirty-eight years with the smile stretched across his face.
I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”
He laced his fingers between mine and tugged me further into the closet. “I asked Jess to create a wardrobe for you.”
I swallowed hard. He was being so incredible, so selfless, and I struggled to process this side of him. It gave me hope that I was getting through that tough exterior. “Why would you do that?”
He shifted his gaze from me momentarily, as though gathering his thoughts, before turning back to me. His hesitation was so unlike the confident man I knew. “Why not? You needed clothes, and I could get them for you.”
Interesting.His evasive answer told me he was quickly putting his walls back into place and I didn’t want that. I squeezed his hand, grateful he hadn’t let go just yet. I wanted to enjoy the feel of our skin pressed together for a little longer. “This is more than a few days of clothes. This whole closet probably equals the value of my house.”
“I’m sure that’s unlikely. If you don’t like any of it, we can get something else.” He dropped my hand and let his fall by his side. His face remained expressionless, yet his fingers tensed and clenched as he said those words.
I reached up to place my hand flat against the crisp button down shirt beneath his suit jacket. I hated that I loved to touch him and fought my desire to flick open each button to press gentle kisses against his chest. Unexpectedly, he leaned the slightest bit into my touch. My next breath came out a little shaky when his fingertips lightly traced my jaw. I wanted to beg him for more.
My eyes searched his, trying to find something in them to tell me why he’d gone to so much trouble. Emotions flickered through his brown eyes so fast until he finally landed on one I hadn’t seen him express before. Was he nervous about my reaction to the clothes? This man, usually so closed off, was unknowingly showing his hand.
I decided to tread lightly. “Jareth, I’m sure everything here is beautiful, and I appreciate you doing this. Truly.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed he forced his clenched hand to straighten out and rest against his thigh. “Then we don’t need to discuss it any further.”
I curled my fingers around the edge of his lapel and tugged him off balance. I knew it had only worked because he wasn’t expecting it. When his face was close enough, I quickly kissed his cheek. “Thank you for being so thoughtful.”
He cleared his throat, his face slanting toward me. His lips, only millimeters away from mine. My heart jumped and pounded with joy. Kiss me, I wanted to whisper but dared not to move or react, too afraid to break the spell of the moment. The tension arced between us, and for once, I didn’t doubt he felt it too.
All too soon, he pulled away, his expression once again a hard mask. “It’s just clothes.”
Right. No more kisses. He’d told me once it had been a mistake. “I’ll pay you?—”
He cut me off. “You will do no such thing. Consider it part of your end-of-year bonus.”
I shook my head. “Jareth… ”
He moved around me and headed into the bedroom. His quick exit didn’t escape my notice. Once again, he wasn’t going to acknowledge the attraction between us.
“I’ll order us dinner. How much time do you need to get ready?” He’d already reached the door to the hallway.
I puffed out a breath of frustration before responding. “I’d like to take a shower first. Maybe thirty minutes?” I entered the bedroom, my heart breaking at how he was pushing me away, closing himself off from me.
“I’ll be sure to have dinner ready by then.” He stepped out the door, only pausing when I called his name.
He slowly turned, his controlled gaze giving nothing away.
My shoulders slumped. “Thank you for everything.”
He nodded his acknowledgment before disappearing out of sight.
I crossed my arms over my chest, rubbing my hands up and down my arms, wondering if I should give up on the thought of us. His words from the Christmas party right after we kissed floated through my head. “You deserve better than me.”
What was I supposed to do with that? He deserved everything, yet I had no idea how to get him to believe it.