Page 113 of Getting Down to Business

Chapter 22

Well, that hadn’t worked, Alyssa thought as she made her way to her office. She’d been trying to get things back to the way they were. But she should have known better. Things had always been fun with Grayson from that very first time. They’d laughed and didn’t take things too seriously.

But things felt way too serious now.

She hadn’t planned on a quickie in his office being romantic, but somehow it was. Even down to the way he’d handed her those napkins. It was as if that smiling face on the coffee cup was saying, “Now this is a kind man. He cares about you.” She laughed at the thought.

“Alyssa?” Mr. Hasher had called her name. She stopped and changed direction hoping she didn’t look like she’d just had sex. “You have a minute?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” Did he know? Was she going to be fired? Was Grayson? This was her fault. He hadn’t wanted to do it. Well, obviously he did to some degree. Maybe she’d point out how it hadn’t even taken a minute and that Gray had checked his emails first. Damn.

Thoughts of Kenley came to mind. What if Alyssa ended up like her? Without a job, she’d have to move home.

The owner of the company didn’t say anything as they moved toward his office. No waiting the normal twenty minutes this time. She would have welcomed the extra time to get her knees under control. Of course it didn’t work that way.

He frowned as he took his seat and steepled his fingers.

“I think we have a problem,” he said. Oh God. Now she’d done it.

* * * *

Grayson didn’t know how to respond. She’d been speaking so fast, he barely made out the words, but eventually, after a few repeats, he was able to get the whole story.

“So what happens now?” he asked. They were almost to their building. It was raining so he held the umbrella for them, noticing the rain amplified the vanilla scent of her hair.

“I’m not sure. I guess they’ll give me another account. It’s not my fault the owner of Leedom Enterprises decided to sell the business abruptly and run off with his son’s fiancée. Who does that? It’s so rude, not to mention incredibly icky.”

“Maybe the person who buys it from him will want us to continue to work the account.”

“Maybe. I had big plans for that company. Stupid old guy with his Viagra.”

“I think he’s only like sixty.” Grayson had to laugh at her.

He especially enjoyed the part of the tale where she thought she was going to throw up all over Mr. Hasher’s desk.

“You thought he knew what happened in my office?”

“He was so serious and my face was so hot.”

“Well, he might not know, but Doug does.” He came clean.

“Seriously?”

“You were too loud.”

“I was not! You were.” She frowned and let out a sigh once they were inside.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m going to go take a shower and spend the rest of the evening not working on the Leedom account.”

He brought her a glass of wine while she was in the shower, and by the time she came out, he’d made tacos.

They ate in front of the television and then he nudged her to sit on the floor in front of him so he could rub her shoulders and neck. She was so tense.

“Feel good?” he guessed when she moaned in appreciation. She nodded and he bent to kiss her neck.

This was the only place he wanted to be. And she was the only person he ever wanted to be with.