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  I nodded. It amazed me how easily he shifted from awkward hook up to boss. In a way it was totally hot, but I wasn’t allowed to think about him like that anymore. He was my boss, not a hot guy at a party.

  “Yes, I’m organized. I won’t have any trouble with filing or any other office stuff. I’m fairly proficient in word processing and spreadsheets. I can also create presentations and manage client introductions if you need me to do anything like that. I know you’ll both be away a lot of the time on site so I’m open to dealing with clients and at least taking introductory information if you need it done. I can also entertain clients if you guys get held up and keep them from feeling like they’re not important.”

  Drew looked at me intently, one eyebrow quirked up. He was trying to figure something out. “Entertain?” he asked, his gaze shifting to the desk where I’d just ‘entertained’ him.

  My cheeks heated and I stumbled over my words, “I, um, not like that. I just meant-“

  “Relax, Carrie. I know what you meant.” He cleared his throat, banishing the heated look that flashed through his eyes. “So, you’re a personal assistant?” I nodded. “Where?” I gave him Beth’s name. “Okay, makes sense now. You know what you’re doing and you’ll be good for us. You’re right, we’ll need someone to do all the things you mentioned, but Xander and I really haven’t talked about it. So far all our meetings with clients have been at their home, but if we take on some bigger projects it’ll require meetings here. I’m glad Mandy recommended you.”

  “Thanks,” I blushed. “I’m looking forward to this.”

  We talked a few more minutes, working out details about my salary and benefits. I was relieved to hear they were going to be paying me a bit more than Beth. Xander had also worked out something with Western New York Health for insurance and they were setting up a retirement program. It was more than I expected, but it made leaping from something steady, even though I hated it, to something new a whole lot easier. Drew and I agreed on start date two weeks out right before Xander joined us. He hugged me and leaned against the edge of Drew’s desk, right where Drew had been when I wrapped my mouth around him less than an hour earlier. I glanced at Drew and his face betrayed the same dirty thoughts I was having. Heat flooded my cheeks but I pushed it aside and focused on Xander.

  “Are you sure about this? I know Mandy sort of sprung the whole idea on you. Drew and I have talked about it and would love to have you on board. I know you’ll be great for us, but I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable working for me.”

  I almost laughed out loud. Xander was too wonderful. He worried I’d feel uncomfortable working for him since we were friends and had known each other outside work for a year. Ordinarily I would agree with his concerns, but after having his partner give me the best orgasm of my life and giving him a blow job for his trouble… well, working for Xander was the least of my worries.

  With a look at Drew, who was looking nervous, I told Xander, “It’s fine, really. I know there’s the potential that things can get weird between us but I’m hoping it won’t happen. I still don’t really know what I want to do but I know I’ll enjoy this a whole lot more than working for Beth the Bitch.”

  Drew snorted and Xander simply nodded his head. Xander heard me complain enough about my boss to understand the challenges I faced. I knew working for two men at a home restoration company would be very different, but I was looking forward to it.

  “Xander, I really appreciate this. Honestly. I know it’s going to be great. I was telling Drew what I can do. Even though I hate Beth I would like to give her two weeks notice. I’ll start after that if you guys can handle things for that long.”

  Xander nodded. “We’ll be fine. Thanks Carrie. It’s going to be great to have you on board. Drew, you’ll come to see how amazing this woman is in a hurry. We won’t regret hiring her.”

  “I can already tell,” Drew said, eyeing me in a less than profession way. My body heated up. My girly parts were jumping up and down, trying to get his attention, and ready for round two, and three, maybe even four. Working for Drew and not attacking him on a daily basis was going to be tough, but at least I knew I’d enjoy my job.

  “You ready to thank everyone?” Xander asked Drew, pulling his attention away from me and my needy parts.

  “Yeah,” Drew said, getting to his feet. I followed suit then followed the men back to the party.

  Riley saw me as soon as I was back in the main room and dragged me to the side. “Did you seriously just get a job with Xander?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” I nodded. “Mandy has been working on him and Drew for a while to hire me and I guess things are going well enough for them to actually do it. I start in two weeks.”

  “Wow, that’s great. It might not be what you really want to do, but it’s a whole lot better than working for Beth. Plus, now you don't have to move,” Riley cheered.

  “Yeah, plus-“

  Xander stood up in front of the crowd and Drew whistled loudly enough for everyone to stop talking. I clamped my mouth shut just like everyone else, silently thinking maybe it was better I didn’t tell Riley I nearly slept with my new boss minutes before I found out he was my boss.

  “We want to thank everyone for being here,” Xander began. “This is a great night for Drew and I and it wouldn’t be possible without every single one of you. Whether you’re a former client, a current client, or a potential client, we appreciate you being here. Uh, I want to share one thing with everyone tonight. Since we feel like you are all an extended sort of family, my wife and I want to share some news. Mandy made me the happiest man around… again. She’s three months pregnant.”

  Surprised and excited cheers filled the room. I caught sight of Mandy across the room beaming. She looked like she was going to cry, and she was glowing. I was thrilled for my friends, jealous too, but thrilled.

  “We’re also welcoming Carrie Taylor to the XD family. She’s agreed to join Drew and I as our executive assistant. When you call to schedule an appointment with us or have anything else going on, Carrie will be the one you speak to. She’s a wonderful addition to our team and we’re lucky to have her.”

  I blushed and somehow managed to catch Drew’s eye. My breath slipped from my lungs when I saw the heated expression in his eyes. Holy fuck. I wanted him again and I hadn’t really even had him.

  Someone bumped into me, breaking my connection with Drew. The man congratulated me then continued on. I smiled and accepted words of encouragement from others as they passed me to get to Xander and Drew.

  I found my way back to the bar and asked for a glass of wine. I sipped it slowly, watching people filter out the door. Before long I was done. My week, and then my night, had worn me completely out. I was ready to go home and decompress.

  I said my goodbyes to everyone and was almost out the door when Drew caught up to me.

  “Carrie!” he called as I stepped outside.

  The night air was cool and felt amazing on my neck and legs after being in a room full of people for hours. I didn’t go back inside, hoping Drew would follow me out into the fresh air.

  He slammed through the door as I leaned against the oversized boulder. When he saw me he stopped and grinned, a sexy, panty melting smile. “I thought I’d missed you.”

  “Sorry. I heard you calling but it felt too good outside for me to go back in there.”

  Drew nodded and leaned against the boulder next to me. “Yeah, it’s getting pretty hot in there.”

  I wondered if he meant all the people or the heat between us. What was going on between us was definitely hotter than a room full of people for me. Drew fidgeted for a second and I grew anxious. Had he already changed his mind about giving me the job?

  “Did you need something?” I finally asked.

  He blew out a deep breath and stared off into the parking lot in front of us and the darkened mountain beyond. He looked like he was working up the courage to tell me something, or ask me something, and I started to g
et nervous. Obviously I hadn’t quit my other job yet, but I’d been dreaming about it since Mandy said Drew was my new boss.

  Finding out Drew was firing me before I even started would be the perfect shitty icing on a perfectly shitty week.

  “Are you sure we’re okay?” he asked.

  Really? That was why he chased me out of his launch party. To ask about my feelings?

  “We’re fine, boss. No worries.”

  “Aw, shit, really? Boss? I know that means we’re not okay.”

  I laughed because he was right. Calling him boss meant I didn’t want to say his actual name. His name had power, and that power was of the panty melting variety. I could distance myself from him and his insane hotness if I thought of him only as my boss. Not as Drew Montgomery, Orgasm Expert.

  “Okay, you’re right. It’s odd. I mean, I had your cock in my mouth. Your fingers were inside me. And now you’re my boss? It’s hard to jump from one to the other without worrying that you think I was doing it because of the job.”

  “No. I don’t think that at all. I assure you. You didn’t know who I was any more than I knew who you were. I don’t want you to worry about sexual harassment. If I’d had any idea who you were I never would have touched you.”

  Yeah, I knew that. It was a little disappointing because he was so good at it. If he wasn’t my new boss and I’d found out he was Xander’s best friend I might have considered a friends with benefits arrangement with him. Being my boss he was strictly off limits.

  Of course that was why I called him ‘boss.’

  “Look, boss…” He sucked in a breath. “Sorry. Drew.” He grinned. “I’m not ashamed of what happened. Yes, it’s going to be awkward working for you, but I can’t say that I regret anything because I don’t live my life that way. I know things will be professional between us from now on.”

  Drew nodded in agreement but didn’t look any happier about it than I felt. Hell just sitting next to him on a fucking rock and I was getting hornier by the second. He smelled a little spicy and it reminded me of the scent I got when I had him in my mouth. His shoulders were big enough that they brushed mine every time either of us moved. His deep, rough voice was like a violin with the other end of the string tied around my womanly parts, vibrating with every word.

  Working for him was going to be tough. If I had to see him every day I was going to have to keep my horniness in check. Like at that moment… I refused to look down at his tattoos, even though I was dying to examine them closer. Getting closer to Drew would only make it harder to resist him.

  He promised I was safe from sexual harassment. I never made that promise, but I wouldn’t hit on my boss. No matter how badly I wanted him.

  The door opened behind us and a woman said, “Oh, there you are. Honey, you need to get back in here, people are asking to speak to you.”

  The woman’s eyes slid over to me and she shot me a not-so-friendly look. I had no idea who she was, but she looked old enough to be his mother so I was really hopeful she wasn’t his ex-girlfriend.

  “I’ll be right there,” Drew told her calmly.

  She glared at me then went back inside looking particularly unhappy, and a little constipated.

  “That’s my mom,” Drew explained. “She’s been a big supporter for Xander and me. You’ll probably meet her when you start. She’ll be around somewhat regularly.”

  “Is she going to be working here too?” I asked, praying the answer was no.

  Drew shook his head. “No, but she and I are really close. I know that probably drops my cool points, but my mom’s awesome. You’ll get along well with her, everyone does.”

  I nodded and kept my mouth shut. There was no way in hell that woman was ever going to like me. She took one look at me and judged me. Whatever the reason, she hated me. And if Drew was a mama’s boy, well, I needed to keep my resume polished.

  “I guess I should get back in there. Oh, I wanted to get your number,” Drew said as he stood, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

  “Why?” I blurted. We’d spent the last few minutes assuring each other nothing would happen. Why the hell did he need my number?

  “Well, you are going to be my employee in a few weeks, I figure I should have a way to get in touch with you, you know in case we need you to sign some paperwork or come in for a meeting before then.”

  “Oh, yeah, that makes sense,” I mumbled, feeling silly for assuming anything else. I rambled off my number and watched as Drew put it into his phone. He dialed the phone and I heard it ring in my purse.

  “Now you’ve got my number too. Just in case you need me.”

  Fuck, really? In about an hour when I was going to bed alone I was pretty certain I would need him.

  But I wouldn’t call. I wouldn’t ever call.

  “Okay, thanks,” I said. He hesitated, like he had something else to say, or wanted to hug me, or kiss me. Finally he took a deep breath and nodded.

  “Good night, Carrie.”

  “Good night, Drew.” Then he was gone.

  Four

  Beth was less than thrilled the following Monday when I turned in my resignation.

  “I hope you know I’m not giving you a recommendation so don’t even ask,” she snarled after I handed her the typed sheet.

  I nodded. “I understand.”

  I turned, not willing to tell her I’d already secured a new job. If she found out she would try to sabotage it so I wasn’t taking any chances, even if Xander was a friend.

  Beth made sure I had the worst jobs for my last two weeks. She broke the copy machine and jammed the printer, requiring me to go to another office for every sheet of paper she needed, then lectured me when I wasn’t there immediately. I had to work late every day, especially Tuesdays when she knew I liked to leave early. I knew she scheduled meetings extra late those days just to piss me off, but all it did was confirm I made the right decision to leave.

  The Tuesday before I started at XD Home Restoration I got to Bite Me! for girls’ night just as everyone was leaving. I was happy for the break, but barely had a chance to say hi. Xander handed me a set of keys to the office as he, Mandy, and the others passed me on their way out.

  “Sit at the counter with me,” Charlie said as the others filed out, saying they were sorry they missed me.

  I fell into a seat at the end of the long stretch of counter, past the case full of beautiful cupcakes. My mouth watered at the scents filling the bakery, vanilla, chocolate, and coffee. I could have sworn Charlie put something in the walls because we all admitted we’d seriously considered licking them.

  The table behind me where we always sat for girls’ night was vacant, as was most of the place, but I wasn’t going to to pass up a chance to enjoy what was left of my evening. I knew better than to drink a cup of coffee when I needed to go home and sleep, but a cupcake I was not about to pass up.

  “Here,” Charlie said, setting a plate of margarita cupcakes in front of me. The pungent lime scent hit me, waking me up. I took a bite and marveled, again, over how talented Charlie was.

  “These are so good,” I said around a mouthful of cupcake.

  Charlie grinned. “Thanks.” She eyed me closely, her blue eyes studying me. “How are you?”

  I shrugged and took a deep breath. “Three more days,” I said with a smile. “Beth is trying to break me. She doesn’t realize it’s making me that much happier that I’m leaving.”

  “Are you excited about the new job?”

  I nodded. “I am. I think working with Xander is going to be fun. He’s a great guy.”

  “What about Drew? I don’t really know him that well. Everyone else seems to really like him.”

  I nodded again. “He seems nice enough. I haven’t talked to him much.” I didn’t want to lie to my friend, but really, it was the truth. We didn’t do much talking.

  “Mandy was nervous you weren’t going to take the job. She said Xander and Drew really need the help, but she thought she was overstepping by set
ting it up for you.”

  “Really?” I cocked my head to the side. “I was pretty touched actually. Sometimes I feel like I’m the group screw-up. It’s nice to know she thought so highly of me and wants me to help her husband and his new company.”

  “I think Mandy sees a lot of herself in you. You guys are really pretty similar. And I don’t think anyone sees you as a screw-up. Why would you think that?”

  I shrugged. Beth was really getting to me. “My boss tells me constantly that I barely keep my shit together. I’m never on time anywhere. I have no idea what I’m doing with my life. Should I keep going?”

  Charlie smiled kindly at me. I needed whatever words were about to come out of her mouth. “Okay, first of all, your boss is, well, a bitch. You tell us that constantly. So why would you listen to anything she says?” I huffed a laugh but knew Charlie was right. She continued, “Second, you’re late because it’s part of who you are. A lot of people are late for everything, but that doesn’t mean they’re not capable of doing a good job or reliable. Besides, if you were late to work you would have gotten fired, so I think you’re being harder on yourself than you should be.”

  I shrugged, knowing she was right about that one. Beth wouldn’t tolerate tardiness so I was always on time.

  “Last, most people don’t figure out what they’re going to do, or want to do, with their life until they’re much older. It’s impossible to know what you want to do forever. I love baking, but that could always change.”

  “Oh, god, I hope not! We’ll all starve if we don’t have your cupcakes to keep us going,” I teased.

  Charlie laughed, the light tinkling sound filling the air. “I hope not, too. I do love what I do, but you know I didn’t always bake. I only opened Bite Me! two years ago. I was a year older than you are now when I finally started doing this. Don’t beat yourself up so much.”

  “I never thought of that. I’ve just always known you to own this place. It didn’t dawn on me that you didn’t always do this.”

  Charlie leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. “You’re not alone in deciding your future. Once you’re done with Beth I think you’ll feel a lot better about your life. Xander won’t make you feel like shit and if Drew does Xander will kick his ass. Working for men is different than working for women, but I think you’ll like it better since Beth is definitely not someone you work well with.”