Page 24 of Help Wanted

Just then she burst out laughing.

“You should see your face right now,” she said, still laughing.

She was joking. With him. Like they were friends.

He laughed along, but inside his chest, his heart was waking up from a decade of slumber. Her laughter amazed him, her dimpled smile called him home. He was suddenly that stupid teenage boy wishing he had enough courage to ask out the pretty girl.

He was helpless all over again.

Exactly what he had been trying to avoid. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t lose himself in this woman.

“Aw, shit. I just remembered, I have a conference call,” he said as an excuse as he stood to escape. He was a coward, but he already knew that about himself. Now he also knew he was a liar.

“Oh. I didn’t know.”

“No, it’s not your fault. It’s something I set up myself. I should go.” He tossed money on the table to cover their bill. “Finish your lunch and come back whenever. No rush.”

“Okay. I’ll have her pack up your food so I can bring it back with me.”

“That would be great. Thanks,” he called over his shoulder, already halfway to the door.

He couldn’t do this. He needed to find a way to keep their relationship professional, but every time he saw her or spoke to her he was both turned on and flustered.

She had to be his employee. Nothing more.

* * *

Kenley watched Zane walk across the street. With his shoulders hunched over from the chill, he looked smaller.

His rejection still stung a little, but he’d apologized. He’d even called himself a jerk. She would let it go and start over. She needed to find a way to win him over.

It would have been nice to finish their lunch together. Not that it would have qualified as a date, but sitting across from a big, sexy guy in flannel was as close to a date as she’d been in a very long time.

Instead he’d run out of there like he was going to get caught by his wife. She knew there was no wife or girlfriend. Sidney had graciously supplied that information during her first day of training.

When Kenley’s food came she looked over at the office, silently hoping Zane’s call would end quickly so he could come back.

That didn’t happen. It was probably for the best. She was wishing for things that couldn’t happen. Sure he was attractive. But he was her boss. That was the most important thing. After the way she’d lost her previous job, she didn’t want to set herself up for another miscommunication. She would have to rein in these lusty thoughts and keep their relationship strictly business. No flirting and daydreaming.

With her lunch hour up, she carried his food and change back to the office.

She tapped twice on his closed door before she entered and set everything on his desk. He was still on the phone, and he waved to her in thanks.

When she went back to her desk she found an email from Zane asking her to book a flight to Milwaukee for the next morning. He was leaving already?

She swallowed and did as requested, sending him the flight itinerary and the rental car voucher.

From his office, he wrote back. “You’re the best.” With a sideways winky face. She smiled stupidly at the emoticon, and then shook it off so she could get back to work.

An hour later Paul came into the office with a happy grin. He was shorter than Zane, but more muscular. He headed for the bathroom to wash up. He was a sweet guy who loved talking about his fiancée.

“How’s it going so far?” he asked, drying his permanently stained hands on a paper towel.

“I think okay. Time will tell.” There was no way she’d go into the details of her morning.

Brady came into the office then and leaned on the edge of her desk. She hoped the furniture could support him. He was huge with muscles.

Sidney said he’d been in the military, not that she couldn’t have guessed that from his tattoos. Or the way he carried himself like a man who was confident in his ability to kill someone with his bare hands. Kenley found him to be a bit intimidating.