Alex Reid (Rich & Single #1) (19 page)

“Indeed,” he said, as if not sure what else to say. “My secretary filled me in on the situation and I wanted to come down here personally to deliver flowers and offer well wishes.”

He smiled at Jamie. “How’s your dad doing?”

“Ok, I believe. I haven’t really had a chance to find out what’s happened.” She held her gaze to his beautiful blue eyes, even though she wanted to glare at her mom and Christine.

“Why don’t you take the rest of the week off? Spend as much time with your dad as you need. The office can wait till Monday.”

Jamie wanted to cry. He really did mean well, she knew that, but telling her family that she had the week off would just make everything worse.

“That’s very… kind of you, Mr. Reid,” her mother said, shooting Jamie a suspicious glance. “Most bosses never would be so generous.”

Shit. She thinks we’re already sleeping with each other.

“Do you want to help me set the flowers in the room?” she asked lamely.

“Sure.” He looked relieved at the chance to escape her sister and mom.

Jamie took the flowers from Christine, almost having to pry them out of her sister’s hand. She stepped into the room with Alex behind her. Jamie kept her eyes on her father.

He looked up as they came in, his gaze lingering on Alex and then back at his daughter, his eyes narrowing as he glanced behind them. “Mr. Reid, it was very kind of you to let my daughter have a job, especially when the package deal of her family must be very tiresome.” He sighed and caught his breath. “I think it’s in your best interest if you let her go. She’s not, uh, built for long hours and hard work. You’ll break her heart.”

Jamie’s cheeks burned as tears threatened to overwhelm her. Her father, who had been the only one to be even a little bit happy for her in her new job, was now telling her boss that he should fire her because he thought she had a crush on him. It had to be the most humiliating day in her life, and she could almost understand Stephen’s wish to just go back to work instead of visit his future father-in-law in the hospital.

Alex looked at her father. His smile was cordial but his eyes were ice cold. “While I appreciate your input, Mr. Connors, I’ll decide what’s in the best interest for my company. It is, in fact, my company. What you should know is that your daughter’s a valuable asset. You should be very proud of her, not ashamed.”

Her father’s cheeks burned red and he tried unsuccessfully to sit up.

“Dad, don’t.” Jamie stepped forward as his heart monitor showed a rapid increase.

Alex huffed, his face completely unreadable. “I’ve got to get back to work, Jamie. Goodbye. Christine, Mrs. Connors, Jamie.” He nodded at each of them in turn and then turned on his heel and walked away.

Jamie stared at her family in defeat. They were really, truly horrible people. All of them. Unable to stay in the room and face her family’s wrath and accusations, Jamie ran out the door.

She hesitated in the hallway, not sure which way to go.

Alex stood by the door and reached for her arm. “This way,” he said. “To the elevators.”

“Please don’t touch me,” Jamie whispered, pulling her arm away as if it was on fire. She walked ahead of him and pressed the down button for the elevator doors. As soon as it opened, she went in, but Alex was too quick for the doors to close. He sidled in after her and pressed the emergency stop button on the elevator as soon as the doors were closed.

“What the heck are you doing?” Jamie was on the verge of tears. She couldn’t hold them in much longer.

“You need to cry,” Alex said. “No one’s watching right now. It’s just us. Let it out.”

“Are you insane? We’re going to get in trouble!”

“I’ll make a substantial donation to the hospital.” He waved his hand as if he held a wand and could pull some magic out of it. “Give them a new wing, new equipment, whatever. You’re upset.” He stepped closer to her. “Breathe, Jamie. Breathe.”

She opened her mouth to shout at him but words didn’t come out. Instead she covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Stress, anger, humiliation, sadness and a million other emotions escaped and poured out of her. She felt Alex take her into his strong arms and rub her back.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “Just cry, Jamie. Just cry.”

Embarrassed, she cried harder and buried her face in his jacket. His heat emanated off of him and comforted her. She pulled away from him and turned away. “They’re right, you know,” she said quietly as she dug in her purse for a Kleenex. “I’m so stupid.”

He handed her a handkerchief from his suit jacket. “You are definitely not stupid.”

She took it and blew her nose, not caring anymore that her face was probably a red, blotchy mess. “You should fire me.”

“Jamie.” He gently grabbed her arms by the elbows and made her face him. “I’m not going to fire you.”

“My family alone is clearly more trouble than I’m worth. You now know I find you attractive. Your employees have probably a million rumors flying around about us. It’s not worth it.”

He looked at her, amused. “You find me attractive?”

Jamie rolled her eyes. “Out of everything I just said, that’s what you take away from it? I’d have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to find you attractive. Even then—”

She never finished her sentence because suddenly his lips were on hers. He pulled her in tightly, his hand entwining itself in her hair. Shock ran through her and then waves of pleasure, fear, and pure joy. Alex’s lips traveled to her cheek, then up to her temple, and then rested in her hair.

Jamie blinked, trying to get her scattered thoughts back and push the pleasure aside. Why did this man have to be so damn arousing? Finally, she realized what just happened. “This isn’t right,” she said. “You’re my boss. And…” She almost said
and you’ll just break my heart, too
, but stopped herself just in time. “You said that you didn’t want distractions in the workplace. That’s why you hired me.”

He laughed softly. “I don’t want distractions. It’s impossible not to get distracted by you. I’ve tried hard not to notice how you bite your lip when you’re nervous, or how sexy you look when you’re trying to be the epitome of professionalism. I love how my name sounds when you say it and I always wonder how it would sound if you just called me Alex.” He straightened suddenly, as if realizing he had said the words allowed.

Jamie flushed, at a complete loss for words. “I don’t know what to say,” she said finally.

Alex stepped back and punched the emergency stop button and the elevator started back up. He pressed the ground floor. “You don’t have to say anything. The fault is mine. I didn’t mean what I just said.” He ran his fingers through his hair once and then became completely professional, unreadable. “I apologize. I was up on the moment, the way this day has gone. I didn’t mean what I said.”

Jamie stared at the numbers winding down from three to two. “You don’t need to apologize. It’s fine.”

“You are very good at your job, and you truly are a valuable asset to this company. I felt sorry for you. The way your family is, the stress of the day. It all caught up with me. It won’t happen again. Ever.” His hands were balled into fists at his side and he stared stonily ahead. “I’ll see you on Monday.” When the elevator door slid open, he stepped through quickly while Jamie waited until the door began to close before she stepped out.

Jamie checked with the front desk and asked to be notified if there was any major change in her dad’s condition. It took everything not to cry as she left and took a cab back to the office so she could collect her car. Finally alone, she let the tears fall.

“Only till you get to your apartment. Then it stops,” she mumbled to herself. She grabbed a Kleenex and mopped her face. For one split second in the elevator she had thought Alex had been flirting with her.
With her!
Then it had all been blown to smut and he told her he’d said the words because he felt sorry for her. Pity compliments? Life didn’t get any lower.

She blew her nose and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand as she approached the house. Pressing the button to open the gates she opened her window, hoping the fresh air would hide the redness on her face.

Thankfully she didn’t see Alex’s car or the driver he used during business hours at the office. She pulled into her usual spot and hurried out of the car, keeping her head down as she made her way to her place.

The Olympic-size pool in the backyard steamed in the cool afternoon air. It was the start of winter and the pool was still open. Only Alex Reid would pay to heat his outdoor pool warm enough to be tub temperature. Jamie was tempted to strip down and jump in it. Skinny dip in the middle of the afternoon, in the winter, in a billionaire’s house. Chubby beached whale splashing in the water. How sexy! She laughed out loud as she unlocked her apartment suite and stepped inside.

She stepped back outside when her brain clicked and she realized she’d missed a box outside her door. She reached down and picked it up. A note on top told her Murray had been cooking for her again.

Carrying the cooler to the kitchen, she set the items in the fridge and dropped her car keys on the counter. Maybe she’d eat later, she wasn’t hungry now. Inside her room, she stripped out of her skirt and blouse and let it fall to the floor in a wrinkled heap. She crawled into bed in just her bra and panties, not caring if she’d locked her door or not. It didn’t matter. Nobody was going to come in.

She stared at the boxes still near the wall waiting to be unpacked. At least she would be able to finally get her stuff organized during her time off.

She turned over and pulled the expensive duvet around her and closed her eyes, exhausted and hating her life.

Jamie spent her first day off from work at the hospital with her father. Her mother and Christine were gone for the morning. The strain of yesterday kept things awkward but she kept her dad company while he went through different tests and watched old reruns of
Criminal Minds.
Her job was never brought up in conversation and, much to her relief, neither was the wedding. Jamie drove him home from the hospital later that afternoon when the doctor finally cleared him with firm instruction to be back again tomorrow for some testing.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” he said when they were in the car. “I know you’re a good employee and you don’t have reason to be fired. As far as I know.”

“As far as I know, I don’t either.” She kept her eyes on the road and hoped it kept her father from asking more. She had a terrible poker face, but it didn’t matter, he was caught up in his own issues.

She watched him from the corner of her eye. As much as her family was a pain at times, she still loved them. She didn’t want to see him down. “Hey, Dad, do you think next Wednesday you would be up for going out for dinner?” Jamie asked him. “Someplace with decent atmosphere and healthy options, of course. You need to keep down on the cholesterol like the doctor told you to. I’ll ask Christine, and you ask Mom? My treat for all the hassle. How about Michael Angelos?”

“You’re treating?” He grinned. “I’m sure I can make it. What’s the occasion? It’s not often that you want to go out to dinner with your family.”

Jamie smiled sadly. Of course he wouldn’t remember. Why would he when he’s only attended two his entire life? “I know I usually don’t like to, but next Wednesday being my birthday and all, I thought it would be nice.”

“Good idea. Christine will take Stephen as well, of course.”

“Of course.”

She didn’t see her father for the rest of the week. He was supposed to be resting, but he started doing work in bed and banned everyone from his room, even his wife, which made her particularly snippy. Christine called her nonstop and had her running wedding errands left, right and center. At the same time, Jamie was able to finally unpack her things and rearrange the furniture to feel more like home. Nothing, however, kept her from thinking of Alex.

She heard the gym equipment in the morning and waited until she was certain he had left before going in there herself. Trying to avoid him didn’t help, he entered her mind all the time and that kiss dominated her fantasies. It was wrong of her to keep thinking of him, but she couldn’t help herself. Alex Reid was the sexiest man she knew. It was very hard not to be tempted by him.

Images of him working out, building up a sweat, left her unable to sleep. She’d lie in bed while he worked out, waiting for him to leave at six and then spend an extra hour in the gym, on the treadmill or bike, or even in the pool. With all the stair running and healthy eating from the past while, Jamie’s workout clothes grew baggier than they already were. She refused to go out and buy new ones. She didn’t need sexy, tight stuff to look ridiculous in. Part of her begged her inner self to go out and buy spandex capris and a hot pink sport bra so one day in the gym she could be there beautifully sweaty from a workout and have Alex come in and stop in his tracks. It would never happen, but hey, it was fun to imagine the scene playing out.

She’d be glistening with just the right amount of sweat, her blonde hair pulled into one of those sexy ponytails. It would be straightened instead of her usual wavy, curly messy bun she normally wore. She’d be walking—no, running in her pink top and perfectly fitted capris. Or it could be short spandex shorts fitting her curved ass just perfectly. She’d smile when he walked in, maybe wave or nod, unable to hear him because of the iPod music blaring from her earbuds.

Alex would be shocked, his mouth hanging open as he walked over to her. “Where’d you go? Half of you is gone!”

Okay, he wouldn’t say that. Way too stupid.

She would wake herself up by throwing the covers off, and head to the gym in ugly, baggy stuff, or her one-piece square looking bathing suit that didn’t have an ounce of sexy to it.

On Monday morning before she headed back to work, she got a knock on her door. She had gone in to Alex’s gym in the hopes of possibly seeing him so she could make sure they would be fine at work. She didn’t want to show up to his office and the work day be impossible to get through. Alex didn’t come in so she finished her workout on her own.

When the knock sounded again, Jamie set aside her laptop and tried to shake the images of flower girl accessories and popular wedding songs from her mind as she answered the door.

Alex stood inches from her, dressed in a suit and ready to head in to work. He played with his collar before the corners of his mouth briefly rose. “I’d like to apologize,” he said quietly. “I overreacted and it was out of line. I should not have acted that way and I promise it will not happen again.” His eyes ran over her. “I’m glad you are coming in to work.” He turned to go.

“Wait,” Jamie said, biting her lip. “Thank you for the apology, and for the time off. I really appreciated it. I’m glad I’m coming back to work now too.”

His expression lightened. “You might not be when you see how much work you have to catch up on.” He winked at her and shoved his hands into his long jacket pockets as he turned to go, whistling.

Jamie watched him walk away, her mouth dry.
You’re supposed to be professional.
She just hoped it could be as easy for her as it was for him.