They’d made it through that Saturday with her spending the night even though she’d tried to tell herself that it wasn’t wise.
But wisdom and she never seemed to get along anyway, so why start now?
Thankfully, everything was well with Angie that night and Jack’s mother dropped her off at noon on Sunday just like she’d planned.
She’d missed her little girl, but for once she actually got to enjoy herself for a full night. In the back of her mind, her daughter’s care and safety were there, but for the moment, she was a woman that was starting to realize that this might not have been that great of an arrangement with Reed.
That maybe she wasn’t cut out to be just friends with a guy while sharing their bodies a few times a month. Not when she was fighting against feeling more, reminding herself of all the reasons it was better this way. That there was no future for them, as much as those thoughts were popping into her head.
They’d been together three Saturday nights and it was getting harder and harder to make up reasons why it could only be every other Saturday.
Not only that, she knew he was having a hard time staying away during the week. He’d been good about not coming to her office too often and raising some eyebrows, but he was texting her enough that even Wendy had commented on it one day.
“What has you smiling over there?” Wendy had asked.
“What?” she said, lifting her head from her phone. She tried not to be one of those people who texted while at work, but she supposed if the boss was the one texting you then it was okay to respond back.
“You’re smiling into your phone. Only a man puts a look on a woman’s face quite like that,” Wendy had said, and of course Wendy was right. She and Reed had been texting back and forth. Not just little sexy texts anymore, but more personal things. Asking how Mutt was doing since the dog got into something in the yard and had been sicker than, well... a dog...for two days.
“Maybe,” Taylor said and left it at that. She wasn’t one to talk about her personal life and had no intention of starting right now.
Today she’d actually gone to lunch with Reed. Meeting him somewhere as opposed to being seen coming and going together, which would cause speculation.
Instead she’d left the building and got to the restaurant the same time he did. She was shocked no one had caught the two of them together yet, but so far they’d been pretty lucky.
When lunch was done, they both climbed into their cars, him following her to the office. She guessed having them pull in around the same time wouldn’t cause anyone to think twice about it.
But the luck she’d been experiencing for the past two months had finally run out.
“Tay,” Jack said, walking toward her. “Why aren’t you answering my calls?”
She rolled her eyes at the name. “I was out to lunch and busy,” she said back, looking over her shoulder to see if Reed had pulled into the parking lot yet. He’d gotten caught at a red light on the way back.
“That’s no excuse,” he all but snarled at her. He was dressed in a suit, leading her to believe he’d just come from court. He didn’t often go to court and had told her that. He was a corporate lawyer and would rather sit behind the desk and make his own hours instead of being told what and where to be by “a person in a black robe.”
“I’m not answerable to you. And how many times have you not responded to my calls for days?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips. Maybe she could tick him off enough to stalk away.
“Is that what you wear to work?” he asked, his eyes traveling the length of her. She had on a cotton shirt and jeans. Years ago he’d made it clear he wasn’t happy if she wasn’t in a clingy dress.
“Is that why you’re here? To critique my wardrobe? Didn’t you do that enough when we were dating?”
He snorted at her. “Like you ever listened to me.”
“Nope,” she said, walking away from him. “I need to get back to work. I’ll call you tonight.”
He grabbed her arm to keep her from walking away from him. So much for hoping she could escape before Reed pulled in. “No. A few minutes won’t make a difference to your employers, I’m sure.”
“What is it you want?” she asked. “And take your hand off of me.”
“Is there a problem here?” Reed asked as Jack’s hand fell away. Yep, just what she needed. There was no way to get out of this situation.
She turned and looked at Reed standing there. Over six feet of deliciousness with a rock hard body and a cool stance. His eyes were dark and drilling into hers. She hadn’t seen a look like this from him before.
Jack was in his three-piece charcoal suit, blue shirt, and blue and green tie. Reed and Jack might be the same height and both were gorgeous in their own right, but Jack repulsed her now. He wasn’t a man and he’d never be one.
He was just a spoiled prick that she was stupid enough to get messed up with.
“This isn’t your concern,” Jack said, dismissing Reed.
That didn’t go over well and she didn’t expect it to. “It is my concern when you’ve got your hands on one of my employees on my property,” Reed said. At least he didn’t call her his woman. That was something.
Jack hesitated a second. “This won’t take a second. Just a little family issue with our daughter. Tay will be back to her desk in a few minutes.”
Any color that was in her face from anger was completely wiped away when Jack made that statement.
“Daughter?” Reed asked, looking at her. There was hurt in his eyes—she could see it, only because she knew him so well. “Well then, I’ll let you deal with your family issues. If you’re not in your office in five minutes, I’ll be back to check if everything is okay.”
She nodded, thankful he didn’t force the issue in front of Jack but knew he would the minute Jack left.
“What is it that you want now that you’ve shown up here to embarrass me?”
“I want Angela for her birthday next weekend. All weekend. Friday through Sunday for dinner.”
“No,” Taylor said. “You can have her Saturday night because it’s your night, but she’s with me Sunday at noon.”
“My parents want to have a party for her with some of our family.”
“What family?” she asked. She’d never been introduced to any of the family.
“It doesn’t matter to you. But my mother wanted to do it on Sunday, as Saturday doesn’t work for her. And since you’ve had her for the past two birthdays, I think it’s only fair I get her for this one.”
She ground her teeth. “First off. You’re her father and you don’t want her; your parents do. That’s just sad.”
“It’s the same thing,” he argued.
“Bullshit,” she said. “Second of all. You are getting to spend time with her on Sunday morning. She has to be back by noon and she has a party scheduled at two with her friends.”
“What friends?” he asked. “And where?”
“Friends from daycare. And where the party is is no concern of yours. If your mother wants to have her meet the family, she can do it on Saturday. I’m not canceling the party or rescheduling it and if you think not returning her on time is a game you want to play, I’ll show up with the police to get her.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” he said.
“Don’t push me. You’ve gotten your way because I don’t have the money to fight you. But I’ve got a lawyer here and I know my rights and as much as you hate judges, you don’t want to cross one here. I’ve heard you don’t have the best reputation with them.”
He growled at her. “Fine. You win this one, but don’t expect to always get your way.”
“I’m only winning it because you didn’t want to anyway.”
“What does that mean?” he asked, turning around. He’d been a few feet away when she said that.
“It means you don’t want to spend time with her. You don’t want to be saddled with her at all. It’s your loss, but don’t mess her up because of it. Maybe if your parents didn’t look down on me so much and had given any amount of warning or courtesy, we could have worked something out.”
He didn’t bother to answer but just walked away.
Then she turned and saw Reed standing in the doorway of the entrance. Guess her five minutes were up.