Page 98 of Help Wanted

He felt relief wash over him at the sound of her giggle when he picked her up to set her on his desk. They’d been working, but when they got to the bottom of the pile, he’d pushed his laptop and a few other things out of the way to make room. A few papers scattered and fell to the floor as he reached for the button on her blouse.

He couldn’t resist pulling her close and kicking the door shut for a little fun. He paused, worried about their venue. Just down the hall she’d been threatened. Would the memories intrude on this moment?

She laughed and wiggled closer. The sweet sound pushed his concerns away. That first night she’d wanted him to touch her. To make new memories. This would be a new memory. A very nice memory.

“What’s so funny?” he asked when she giggled again.

“I was just remembering how I was fired from my last job because my boss thought I had sex with her husband, and now here I am having sex with my boss on his desk.”

“I’m not your boss right now. It wouldn’t be right.” He pulled her nipple into his mouth and let go with a pop.

“What are you then?” He noted the challenge in the question. As if he’d be too big a coward to confess his feelings.

He shrugged. With anyone else this question might have freaked him out, but this was Kenley. It was so easy to give her an answer.

“Your boyfriend. Or if you need an official title, may I suggest ‘The Guy Who Makes My Knees Weak’?” She giggled again until he ran his thumb over her erect nipples. The giggle was abruptly cut off by a gasp.

“Wow. You’re right. My knees are weak.”

He bent to take another swipe when the phone rang.

“Crap. I have to get that,” she said as she stopped working on the button on his jeans to reach for the phone.

“No. Don’t touch it.”

“But it’s my job to answer the phone.”

“Not right now it isn’t.” He couldn’t wait out any long-winded customer. They would have to call back. He unzipped his pants and tugged them down along with his boxers. He loved that Kenley was on The Pill. It made having sex anywhere a lot easier.

He kissed up her neck while he worked the zipper on her jeans. He was just about ready to slide them over her beautiful ass when they heard someone come in the back door.

“I didn’t lock the door. Shit!” he cursed and pulled his pants back up as Kenley hopped off the desk. She had just finished buttoning her shirt when Sidney opened the door, carrying a bundle of blankets. A murmur from the bundle indicated his niece was inside.

“Why the hell didn’t you answer the phone if you were here?” Sidney snapped. “I have the tax forms you asked about. It would have been easier for you to walk out to my car instead of making me get Paige out of the car and—” Sidney stopped and concentrated on them.

Kenley’s cheeks were bright red and he wasn’t able to look his sister in the eye. Not good.

“Oh my God! Were the two of you…?” She laughed loud enough to cause a disgruntled sound from Paige. “Wow. Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll just set these…” She glanced at his desk which was still in disarray, then looked behind her at the guest chair. “Here looks good. I guess I’ll let you get back to work.”

Zane let out a sigh, knowing he wouldn’t be able to avoid the misery his sister was sure to inflict every time they met.

“Come on, pumpkin. Uncle Zane is… busy.”

“Christ,” Zane said. “Give her here.” He never wanted to be guilty of being too busy for his niece. Besides, there was no way he would be able to get back to business with Kenley now that his sister had caught them.

Kenley chuckled as Zane dug through the light pink blanket to find the little person inside.

“Hey, sweet pea,” he said with a smile. “Please don’t spit up on me like the last time, ’kay?” He looked up to tell Kenley how Paige seemed to have a problem with his flannel shirts, but he stopped.

She was staring at him with some look on her face he didn’t recognize. It wasn’t bad. It was kind of dreamy. Like she was happy to watch him holding the baby.

Oh.

He looked at his infant niece, seeing her as the promises-of-things-to-come she was. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t thought of marriage and a family. He did want kids someday. He’d even considered the idea of having them with Kenley, but that look on her face caused his flight instincts to kick in for a second. It was the look men were taught to evade for as long as possible. To his surprise, once the initial fear abated he felt comforted by the idea.

He’d suggested they move in together. At the time it had been a desperate attempt to take her away from her fears. But now he realized how much he meant it.

Standing there next to the woman he had feelings for while holding his adorable niece, he wondered why men saw this scenario as a trap. If getting married and having kids was so horrible, why did so many of them do it? There must have been some secret to it. He surely couldn’t ask his father—he’d failed miserably on all levels.