“Don’t you think we should get our stories straight?” she said once they were well on their way.
“What do you mean?” he’d asked.
“You want me to be your wingman so to speak, but you better tell me how I’m explaining our relationship if anyone asks.”
“Oh, see, that is why I need you. I would have never thought of that. It’s best to be honest. Let’s just say you work for me. Rachel comes into the office now and again and if she sees you then it would be better. It’s wise to not get tripped up with any lies.”
She nodded her head, fine with that too. “So is this our first date? Are we just friends? What are we portraying here?”
“Can I get you to be more than my friend?” he asked, a cocky look on his face. A playful one that she’d fallen for one too many times in her life prior to moving. She didn’t want to be that weak woman again. Now she was going to be strong. Maybe.
“No,” she said firmly.
“Then we’re friends and you can tell everyone that if they ask.”
An estate was putting it mildly, Taylor thought shortly after. She’d known Jack’s parents had a lot of money, but they didn’t live in anything even remotely close to this.
She and Reed had been here an hour already and though she could tell the hostess had no clue Reed was bringing a guest, Mrs. Britten brushed it off like a pro and welcomed her in as if she were a member of the family.
Then there was Rachel. Reed’s sister had eyed her for a few minutes, said hi and walked away, then stayed away while Reed was with her.
But Reed had left her side to go get them some drinks and when she turned her head, Rachel had taken Reed’s seat. “How do you know my brother?”
Just what she needed. A family inquisition when she was helping him out. “I work for him.”
“Oh really?” Rachel said, lifting an eyebrow.
“We’re just friends,” Taylor explained. “He told me that if he came to this alone that women would be hitting on him and he hoped that if he had a date he’d be left alone.” She hoped Reed was okay with her saying that. If not, too damn bad. He did say to be honest.
Rachel grinned “Seriously?”
“He might have said it would keep you at bay too.”
This time Rachel laughed even louder. “That I believe. I don’t know if Reed has ever had any women friends. I’d find this really hard to believe if you hadn’t said the last part about me.”
“I’m finding a lot of things hard to believe,” she said dryly. Like why she was here when she really felt so out of place. Everyone was treating her nice, but no one was really talking to her much. She had seen a lot of women eying her and brushed it off as the reason Reed wanted her to attend. She’d like to think he wouldn’t have put her in a situation she couldn’t have handled.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to be nice then if you’re truly just his friend. You’re sure that is all this is?”
“Of course,” she said back. Reed Chapman was nothing more than that to her.
***
Two hours later, dinner had been served and a band was playing now. Reed had left Taylor’s side a few times to talk shop with people and had felt bad about doing it. Once he’d come back to see his sister sitting with Taylor laughing and couldn’t wait for Rachel to leave so he could find out what was so funny.
“I told her you asked me to come with you so she’d leave you alone,” Taylor had explained.
He actually felt his face flush and looked over to see his sister holding her glass up in a salute to him a few feet away. “You didn’t?”
“I did,” she said, smiling, and when her face lit up like that he felt the air in his lungs freeze, making him take a deep breath. Long gone was the woman he picked up hours ago in the parking lot that looked apprehensive. Now she was someone he’d want to pick up in a bar. Not like he had in the past few years, but like he’d done before Whitney. Before he was so jaded.
Taylor’s clear blue eyes were light and full of laughter, her smile bright and her hair blowing around in the light breeze. He wondered if she was a witch that he didn’t know about and was casting some spell on him. It might be the only thing to explain the crazy thoughts in his head making him want those dreams of a family and future when he’d told himself he’d never let himself go down that road again.
“I did tell you we were going to be honest, but I didn’t think you’d be that honest.”
“Then you should have clarified that fact,” she said and winked at him.
He’d never expected this personality from her either. He kind of thought she’d be this gorgeous force to reckon with for any woman that wanted his attention. One that looked good on his arm, but he couldn’t fall for her ways.
He was finding out that he was completely wrong and might have set himself up for something he wasn’t prepared for.
The second time he’d left her alone to talk with someone, he’d come back to see another man sitting next to her carrying on a conversation. He didn’t know who the ass was with the wandering eyes, but he was damn well going to mark his territory. “Sorry I was gone so long, honey,” he said, sitting next to her and putting his hand on her thigh. Soft and smooth and giving him ideas he needed to push aside.
“It’s fine, sweetie. Roger was just telling me he’s a day trader. He just asked for my number, but you saved me from having to tell him I wasn’t interested.”
Roger nodded his head and stood up, then walked away. “You’re welcome,” he’d said to Taylor.
“You didn’t tell me I’d be the one hit on here. Geez, Reed, what the hell? I’m supposed to be helping you out,” she’d said.
“And you have been. I like how you handled yourself just now.” She was the force he was hoping for, but he expected it directed toward the women coming after him tonight, not the men hitting on her. He should have figured with her looking the way she did that someone would come after her if left alone.
“Maybe we should dance and let everyone know we’re both taken,” he said. Plus he’d be putting his mark on her for all to see, but he sure the hell wasn’t going to tell her that.
“That might give the impression that it’s more than friends,” she said but stood up just the same. Easier than he’d thought she would have.
“I can leave you alone and go talk about work again with the two men waving me over.”
“No, I’ve been sitting long enough and wouldn’t mind getting on my feet.”
Whether it was an excuse or not, he was glad. He just wasn’t so glad when he realized how well she’d fit into his arms.
How soft her skin was against his.
How he felt his body starting to stir again and knew he was in serious trouble.
She’d laid her head on his shoulder and allowed him to pull her in tighter. “Do you think anyone is believing us right now?” she asked.
“What is it that you want them to believe?” he asked, just wanting clarification and fighting the urge to inhale her floral scent even more.
“That we’re just friends, of course.”
He looked around and saw a bunch of eyes on them, his sister’s included. “Yeah, sure, they believe it,” he lied.
By nine o’clock, he’d had enough of dealing with people. He’d done what he needed for his father, and his sister was behaving.
Or so he thought, until Taylor excused herself to go to the bathroom before they left and Rachel made her way over. “Friends, huh? Since when do you have a woman friend, or even bring one to a party?”
“Since I wanted to keep you off my back.”
She laughed and playfully slapped his arm. “I’m not that bad.”
He snorted. “Whatever you say.”
“Well, if it’s whatever I say, then I’m saying it sure the hell looks like you think she is more than a friend more than you want anyone to believe. Maybe even yourself?”
“Don’t go there, Rachel. It’s never going to happen, so get it right out of your head. She doesn’t want a relationship any more than I do.”
“I don’t believe it. I saw how she was looking at you.”
He wasn’t going to be baited though. “You’re seeing something that isn’t there and hoping for it more than that.”
“You’re so cynical,” Rachel said.
“No more than Taylor is. Trust me. Friends. End of story.”