He stalked out of the kitchen to the foyer and stared at the family photos that hung on the wall along the staircase. Memories of his mother, of the complete family he had not so long ago, saddened him, making his heart ache. He turned, taking in the look and smell of the lilies that sat on the hallway table. Then he glanced to his left, the red knitting bag beside the chair in the sitting room catching his attention. It hadn’t moved since his mother left it months ago.
This house was a shrine. Probably the reason his brothers didn’t visit. It was even starting to take its toll on him. The place needed to be packed up. That was the only way for him and his brothers to recover from their grief. It was time to move on. Those memories needed to be put away, but not forgotten.
This was a job he couldn’t do on his own. He didn’t even know where to start. He needed the help of a professional. A professional organizer.
A wave of self-satisfaction washed over him as an idea took shape in his head. A heated wave that settled in his chest at the mere consideration. He would hire Sterling. Although he’d only met her last night, he trusted her. And she was Penn’s best friend—and Penn was obviously a good judge of character, since she kept Cole at a distance.
Not only would hiring Sterling prove he had what it took to be a mature, forward-looking Madewood, but he’d also get to spend time with her. If she was packing up his mother’s things she’d be in his house, breathing the same air, in close proximity for him to lure her into his bed so they could finish what they started in that limo.
His heart rate doubled at the memory of Sterling’s tiny whimpers and moans, the image of her perfect breasts and soft skin. It wasn’t only his heart rate that was affected. The front of his pants grew tight. As if someone pressed play on his brain, sounds and images bombarded him, like an endless recording on a permanent loop. And suddenly it wasn’t the heat from the stove that elevated the temperature of the house.
He leaned heavily against the wall, his left hand grabbing at the erection that throbbed inside his pants. The plan was brilliant.
Until he realized she’d be his employee. Sex with an employee wasn’t the most responsible, mature, Madewood thing to do.
He thought of his brothers. Of their eye-rolling and sly grins. Of their guaranteed disapproval over Jack being involved with an employee. And he didn’t give two shits.
Screw the Madewood thing to do. The thought of Sterling was just too tempting.
He grabbed his phone. He didn’t have Sterling’s number, but he knew exactly where he could get it.
Here’s to tying up loose ends. And the sex would be the cherry on top of a job well done.
…
Sterling sat in the comfort of her bathtub, the calming scent of lavender doing little to ease her nerves.
Her parents hadn’t bothered to call once since she’d left their house last night. Penn, on the other hand, had called about thirty times. But Sterling needed some space. Some time to put things into perspective. Namely how the hell she was going to be able to trust her parents ever again.
Not to mention the shame she felt for such an epic failure of an evening. Operation Exciting Sterling had been a bust. She almost had sex in the back of a limo! What could have possibly possessed her to consider such insane behavior with Jack Vaughn? Her little experiment was just that—an experiment. A failed one at that.
She slid deeper into her bath and sighed. At least she was safe here.
The ring of her phone broke the serene setting of her bathroom. She had a good hunch who was calling. She reached behind her to where her phone sat on the toilet seat.
“I’m blissfully naked and trying to enjoy a bath. Make it quick, Penn.”
A male voice chuckled. “Sterling?”
She shot up, ripping away the towel from her face. “Who is this?”
“Sterling, it’s Jack.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
Shit.
“Jack.” Sterling covered her exposed breasts, which were flushed red from a combination of mortification and the hot water. “Hi.” She looked down at her body. Why was she covering herself? It’s not as if he could see through the phone.
“Penn gave me your number.”
A call from the man she could never have: the perfect way to start the day. Could she feel any shittier?
“I hope I’m not interrupting. Although…” His voice was low and seductive. “I love the image you just put in my head. Naked Sterling. Wet and—”
“You’re not interrupting,” she blurted. The seduction in his voice was exactly what she did not need to hear. He must think her wanton. This was so not her. She swallowed hard. “Can I help you with something?”
He laughed. “I wanted to talk to you about a job.”
Okay. Not what she expected.
“You said that you’re a professional organizer?”
“Yes.” She settled back against the tub. The gentle whoosh of the water against her breasts made her nipples hard. She stifled a groan. “I have my own business.”
“My mother’s house…” He paused. She knew exactly where this conversation was going.
“My mother’s house needs to be packed up.”
“Oh, um…I’m not really a packer.” She usually bit off a person’s head for assuming all she did was pack. But the resignation in his voice kept her pettiness in check. “It’s more my job to design space and suggest storage options.”
“Well, I guess we need that, too. We don’t want to get rid of anything, just put it away.”
There were worse jobs out there. But was putting herself right in the line of Jack Vaughn such a good idea? A man she’d almost slept with. The man who she had thrown experimental Exciting Sterling at. The man she was speaking to right now wearing nothing but bubbles. “Shouldn’t you and your brothers be going through her things? It seems to be kind of a sentimental job.”
“Honestly, we don’t have the time, and…” Jack hesitated. “My brothers don’t know about this yet. It needs to be done and I can trust you.”
“I’d have to think about it. I’m booked solid for the next three months and I really wouldn’t have the time to—”
“I’ll pay you three times your going rate.”
Shit!
Jack Vaughn knew just what to say. The extra cash couldn’t have come at a better time. If she said yes, she’d have the mortgage payments paid up in no time. But there was only one problem that would put a kink in this brilliant opportunity. He thought she was a crazy one-night stand girl who liked dirty, kinky, back-of-a-limo sex with men she had just met. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Her parents’ most recent financial bomb reminded her that she should stay in her boring, organized Sterling box.
“Sterling?” Jack said. “Are you still there?”
“I’m here.” Why wouldn’t she say yes?
Because taking this job means you will never get to let loose your libido on Jack Vaughn.
Sterling groaned. Now was not the time to think exciting, fun, and experimental. She needed this job. “If it’s not a problem with you, I could work for a couple of hours during the evening and on the weekends.”
Evenings and weekends? That didn’t make her seem desperate, did it? And she wasn’t thinking about the money.
“It wasn’t my intention to put you out.”
“I think I can sacrifice some personal time.” Hopefully she wouldn’t regret this decision too much. “Penn has only the nicest things to say about all of you so…you have yourself a deal. Your mother’s things are safe with me.”
“I have no doubt.”
Silence. Awkward silence.
“You rushed off pretty quickly last night.”
Luckily, he saved her from having to embarrass herself. Again.
“Is everything all right?” The seductive tone to his voice had softened.
“Yes, just a little family emergency.” She needed to get her high-pitched squeal under control. It couldn’t be attractive. She cleared her throat and hoped he wasn’t looking for a better explanation. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
She hoped he wasn’t going to bring up the possibility of them recreating what they had started in that limo. Well, she did. She wanted to cross her arms out in front of her, nod her head, and blink to turn back time. But that was just a one-night thing. Never to be repeated. And now that she had agreed to work for him, sex would be highly inappropriate.
He cleared his throat. “I should probably give you the address.”
“Um…” She looked around. There was no way she was equipped to write down anything at this moment. “Do you think you could e-mail me the information? I sort of don’t have access to a pen and…”
“Oh. Right.” He chuckled. “I could always come over and write it down for you. Did you know that I can write the alphabet with my—”
“How’s Monday at five o’clock?” This conversation needed to end before she died of embarrassment. Was it too late to take back her acceptance of the offer?
He laughed, no doubt
at
her. “Five is perfect. I’ll have Penn send you the details. Thanks, Sterling.”
“Bye, Jack.”
She pressed the end button on her BlackBerry and placed it back on the toilet seat.
Working for the Madewood family. One of the most prominent families in the city. She’d hit the big time.
Except that being privy to the Madewood family heirlooms would only make her envious. What would her life be like if she hadn’t had to support and bail out her parents at every turn? She was perpetually on hold, stagnant, never moving forward, always lagging behind.
But this surprise offer. This unexpected opportunity. Unexpected and surprising were her two least favorite words. The very things she had tried to avoid her entire life were now responsible for her sudden rush of good luck. All right, Jack Vaughn wasn’t so much good luck—more like right place, right time—and maybe this job offer was, too. And she didn’t intend to question either one.
Chapter Five
“I come bearing gifts.” Jack wheeled the wire cart around the corner into the kitchen of Bistro.
Cole lifted his eyes, but not his head, as he stared from across the room. “Did you bring me string beans? I need the string beans.”
Jack shook his head, a smile curving his lips. And people thought Neil was the grumpy one in the morning. “Yes, they’re in here.”
Cole’s kitchen was clinical, all white and stainless steel, with the exception of the large wood-topped island in the middle of the room. His brand-new menu knocked the socks off the city’s crankiest of food critics. And he prepped for that menu while chopping celery at the wooden block.
“Why are you so happy this morning?” Cole asked.
Jack stopped the cart beside him. “It’s a beautiful morning. Isn’t that reason enough for me to be happy?”
Cole gave him a curious look. He didn’t care what Cole might think—he felt good, damn it. And he had a feeling it had everything to do with the beautiful woman he’d met last night.
“I brought you every ripe vegetable I could find this morning. And…” He pulled one of two stainless steel pots out of the cart. “I have two different soups you can offer today.”
“Soup?” Cole finally stopped what he was doing enough to pay attention. “When did you make soup?”
“This morning. I felt inspired.” Not to mention sexually frustrated. For the first time in a long time, he’d whacked off to ease the tension. The image of Sterling spread open for him in that limo? A sight he wouldn’t soon forget. Then she’d kicked up his fantasy to a ridiculous level when she disclosed that she was naked in the bathtub while talking to him on the phone. He was still patting himself on the back for his brilliant decision to hire her. She was soon going to be in very close proximity to continue exactly what they’d started.
Cole put down his knife and grabbed a spoon out of the cylindrical holder. He removed the Saran Wrap and dipped it inside, scooping up a mouthful.
Before he tasted, Jack said, “Potato and asparagus. It should still be warm.”
Cole’s surprised look was a little unnerving. Jack was no rookie—he was just as good a chef as his three brothers. But his brother’s surprise turned into a smile. “This is great.”
“Like I said, inspired.”
Cole reached for another spoon and headed to the steel pot that contained the second soup.
“White bean and pancetta.”
Cole took another spoonful. “Does this have anything to do with Sterling?”
“I enjoyed Sterling’s company.”
Cole studied the soup instead of making eye contact. “Looked like you two got to know each other
very
well, and this one—” he swallowed and pointed with his spoon to the pot “—is even better.”
Jack beamed. About the soup, not about the confession he had to make. “Actually”—admitting this was going to be difficult—“we didn’t have sex.”
Cole threw the dirty spoons into the deep sink. “Two years ago, Sterling wouldn’t have stood a chance against your charm.” He wiped his hands on his white chef’s coat.
Cole Miller, Executive Chef
was embroidered in black across his left pec.
“We were interrupted.” He leveled his gaze. Damn that phone call.
“Sorry, bro. I couldn’t stop Penn from sweeping the boat.” Cole shrugged, showing no care or responsibility for Penn’s actions.
“Actually, there was a second interruption. She had an emergency and had to go.”
Cole laughed. “That’s a classic brush-off, if you ask me.” He returned to the island and picked up his knife to finish chopping. “Maybe you’ve just lost your touch.”
“It
was
a real emergency.” He had confirmed it on the phone that morning. Besides, Sterling didn’t seem like the type to take her orgasms and run.
“Gentlemen.” Finn wandered into the kitchen, his wide smile a huge contrast to the reaper on his black T-shirt.
Neil dragged behind him, buttoned up in a suit and tie. “Jack? What are you doing here?” He headed straight to the dishwasher where his favorite black coffee mug with the chip at the bottom waited for him.
Jack gestured to the cart. “I made a special delivery.”
“Jack’s been up all night making soup,” Cole said, the suspicion in his voice apparent.
“Why don’t I get any special deliveries?” Finn peeked inside the metal pots. “What’s cooking? I’m starving.”
“Imagine that,” Neil said, as he poured himself a cup of coffee, then settled his back against the counter. “Finn’s hungry.” Jack found it rather odd that Neil could be so casual when his life was in such obvious distress, despite his responsible nature. He disappeared most nights, nowhere to be found, unable to be reached. Not to mention the fact that he’d crashed at least three bikes in the last four months. But Jack wasn’t supposed to know that.
Finn shrugged off Neil’s comment with a smile and went directly for a bowl. It was a good thing he was a chef because the man was constantly hungry. How he remained so fit was a mystery.
He took a taste of the white bean and pancetta. “This soup is off the charts,” he said. “Jack. I’m impressed. Any particular reason for your inspiration?”
Remembering the reason the soup came into existence, a rush of heat spread through his body and settled in his groin. He clenched his fists, trying to stop the blood flowing from his brain to his cock.
“I wondered the same thing when he waltzed in here whistling and smiling,” Cole said.
“I know that look.” Finn snapped his fingers in front of Jack’s face, bringing him back to the conversation. “I take it Sterling crossed your mind last night?”
She had been on his mind since he’d left her in that limo.
“You mean Sterling almost ended up in his bed last night,” Cole corrected.
“Almost?” Finn and Neil said in unison.
That was last night. But
almost
wasn’t going to be in his vocabulary next week. Or the week after.
He frowned inwardly. He had hired her to do a job and all he could think about was getting her into his bed. Shouldn’t he at least try to be professional?
The three of them stared, waiting for an explanation. But Jack wasn’t in the mood to explain Sterling. Or what his plans were for her.
“I need some sleep.” Jack headed for the back door.
“Are you going to use all of these vegetables?” Finn asked.
“Hands off,” Cole snapped.
“Don’t be stingy,” Finn said. “Let me at least have the string beans.”
Jack chuckled. He had missed his brothers. Sticking around to help out his family gave Jack the opportunity to spend more time with them, something he hadn’t done a lot of since he’d taken off to pursue his own ambition. Which had pissed his brothers off. And they’d probably be just as angry when he took off again. Not that pissing off his brothers had stopped him from doing things before. No, it was something else this time—someone that made the thought of staying tolerable…for a short while longer.
Sterling Andrews.
Their promise of one night had been interrupted. They had agreed it was just a one-night thing, but she was an itch left unscratched. And with the little knowledge he had, if she was going to be in his home, close enough that he could place his hands anywhere on her body, he knew without a doubt that one night wasn’t going to be enough.