Jaw set, I clicked away at my computer keyboard. Quickly, I filed the paperwork and tugged all the right strings to set in motion the process to get the Malloy’s permits pulled on their latest casino. My stomach roiled as I did it, and it had nothing to do with the bean growing inside me. But it had everything to do with that bean’s daddy.
I knew the Malloy Brothers would get the situation worked out. This would only delay them a bit. But Jameson was going to find me. He’d have words to say. And as usual, the fire between us would be stoked, and the next thing we knew…
No, no, no! I was not getting naked with him again.
The way I saw it, I didn’t have much choice here. It was time to get the hell out of Dodge. The longer I worked for S&S, the more frequent the chances I’d end up in Jameson’s orbit. And like dominoes falling, we’d gravitate, we’d clash, we’d end up in bed together. Intent on brightening my future, I opened my internet browser and started a search for project management positions, in any field, anywhere in the country but here.
* * * *
“What the fuck, Willow!”
“Well, that was quick,” I muttered as I forked a piece of lettuce. I was on the patio of one of my favorite restaurants and had been enjoying lunch in the mild weather. Not answering Jameson, I pushed the bite into my mouth and chewed slowly as I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Were you that desperate for my attention?” he growled. “You had to go fuck up business? Do you know how many guys we had to pay to just stand around a jobsite today?
“You really think that? You’re more of a self-centered, conceited asshole than I realized.”
“I’m just saying, it’s been four months. Maybe, you were looking for an excuse.”
“Maybe, I was doing my damn job.” I bristled. This damn man. I could just kick him in his over-achieving balls.
He crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at me. “Your boss told you to shut down our site?”
I lifted a shoulder in a negligent half-shrug. “If you don’t like it, you only have yourself to blame. You wouldn’t let Bennett actually hire me when he wanted to offer me a position, so I’m stuck over at Schultz and Schultz working as a glorified clerk.”
He leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. His dark gaze pierced into mine. “You want to know why I blocked it? Because the position you would have been in most often was bent over a desk with me deep inside you.”
I shifted in my seat—because it was hot, not because he was making me hot. “Whatever. And because you couldn’t control yourself to keep it in your pants at work, now we all pay the consequences.”
In more ways that you even know…
“You know what? I’ve had enough of this.” He stood and walked a few paces away, his hands in his hair, a gesture I noticed was common in all the brothers. I admired his tight ass and when he turned, the bulge in the front of his khaki pants. Holy crap, was he hard now?
He cleared his throat, and I redirected my gaze as he took the couple steps back to me. I met his eyes, unashamed that I’d been caught staring at his generous package. It was a gift that should be mine. After all, we’d lost our freaking virginities together. And I hadn’t been with anyone else ever. Just him, pretty randomly over the years.
But no, I couldn’t have him, not a man who didn’t love me—or at least, like me a whole lot. Jameson didn’t love anyone but himself…and maybe, his business.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” he said, rapping his knuckles twice on the surface of the table where I sat. “Tomorrow, morning, you come to Malloy Brothers. You work for us now.”
I stared at him. “What?”
“You’re one of us, and you damn well know it. Get your ass into our office tomorrow morning by eight, or so help me God, I will come and get you and haul you there myself. After I give you the spanking you’ve been begging for, for years.”
“I have not,” I exclaimed, too gobsmacked to even reply to the rest.
He grinned. “You’ve been warned. See you tomorrow, babe.”
Chapter Two
~ Jameson ~
Ugh, that woman!
Arguing with her should not give me such a hardon. Like…literally. And she’d noticed, which was both embarrassing and encouraging. If she was looking, she wasn’t as over me as she liked to believe.
I got to my car and took deep breaths until my inopportune erection subsided. It took a minute, because every time I started to think about Willow it chubbed back up again.
Damn her.
I called Luke as I drove back to the office.
“Tell me something good,” he begged when he answered.
“The permits will be back in place by Monday. You want me to call the crew?” I asked.
“Nah, I should probably come into the office today anyway. I’ll make the call.” I heard a pretty heavy sigh in his voice.
“How are things going with Laura?” I teased.
“How are things going with Willow?” he shot back.
“I just hired her to work at the firm.” I actually hadn’t been planning to mention that to him. But I figured he’d find out soon enough anyway, so whatever.
“You did what?” he bellowed, his voice so loud through the speaker it bounced around the entire car.
“Calm down, dude. Y’all have wanted her there for years.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, his tone calmer. “But, you talked us out of it. Every time we’ve tried to bring her in, you gave us a hundred reasons why it would be a bad idea.”
I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me. He wasn’t wrong. But things were different now.
“Look, I will support any decision you make in this firm,” Luke continued. “I know the others give you a hard time. It’s got to be tough being
