Page 31 of Executive Benefits

“What do you think about this?” I gave Julia a new spoon to try. She took it with a smile and put it into her mouth. She was here for some taste testing of my menu—her idea, not mine. She closed her eyes and hummed. When she blinked her eyes open, they shone. That was the thing about food. You could always tell when someone enjoyed it.

“That was really good.” She stepped over to me. “What sauce is that for?”

“It’s for the new fish dish I’ll be making. People in this town love fish on Fridays.” She took a step closer. Whatever perfume she was wearing made her smell like a flower.

No one was in the kitchen today. We were open long hours, six days a week. Mondays were the day for everyone to rest. “You know what I realized?” I said, pulling her in closer to me.She looked up and smiled softly. I leaned over and kissed her, supporting the back of her head with my hand.

Her hair swung over the back of my palm, tickling the skin and sending a vibration of heat down my arm. Her mouth opened to me gently, and she hummed around the kiss, letting me know she liked my tongue just as much as she liked my food.

She backed away, and I placed my forehead onto hers. “That isn’t a realization,” she whispered.

“No, but it was fun,” I said and leaned in for one last brush of her lips. I turned to stir the sauce again and moved to flip over the burger. “I haven’t taken you on a proper date yet.”

“Oh.” Julia stepped back and crossed her arms.

Well, that’s not good. Maybe I misread everything. I waited for her to continue because I hadn't the foggiest idea what to do.

“Well, it’s just…” I checked her over. She didn't look like she was going to tell me she didn't want to see me anymore. She chewed on her lip. “My last boyfriend, the bad breakup?”

“Yes?” I faced her fully now.

“Well, he was kind of…” Her eyes swung down, and she fiddled with her fingers. “He was also one of my clients.”

“Hmm...” I nodded, still not sure where she was going.

“We were together for about a year and a half, and I just don’t want to…” She fidgeted more. “I don’t want you to think I only date clients. And I don’t want to think I only date clients.”

“Do you think you only date clients?” I walked over to a stool and sat so I could be on her level.

“No.” She rocked back and forth. “But Mia?—”

“There she is again, protecting you.” I smiled. Although it was annoying, having a friend like that would have probably helped me stay away from Kendra. That being said, I knew what it was like to be in love, and I might not have listened to them, either.

“Yes, she is a good friend. But we moved here because he totally trashed everything. My reputation, my career…” She looked down at her fingers. “A lot of things. Moving to Heart’s Creek was supposed to be a fresh start for us, and then I meet you and it just…” She bit her lip, and her eyes flicked over my face. “I’m just not sure what I want yet.”

“And going on a date, a real one, with me would do what harm?” I smiled at her and held back from going to hug her. I wanted to, but it was obvious she was uncomfortable. I didn’t want to make it seem like I wasn’t listening to her.

Her eyes roamed around the kitchen as she thought about going on a date together. “We could just keep having sex if you’d like,” I said to break through the silence.

Julia’s eyes snapped to mine, and I let her see the joke in my expression. A sad smile fell over her face and she relaxed a little. She stepped closer to me and dropped her arms to her sides.

“What would you want to do on the date?” she asked.

“Are you saying yes, then?” I looked at my stove. My steak was burning. “Shit." I rushed over to it and turned the burner off. When I looked up, Julia was gone.

“Dammit.” I didn’t know what I said to scare her off, but I’d have to ask so I didn’t do it again. I liked having her around me, andif I had to control myself so she’d stay, it was something I was willing to do.

14

JULIA

“You look great,” Nick said, taking my coat from me.

“Thanks,” I said back with a polite smile. I hated the way I bailed on him the other day, and when he texted, asking me to come to the Christmas Eve party, I wanted to say no. But he did make it seem like he was inviting me because I was part of the team now, and I didn’t know whether I liked it or hated it.

“I’m happy to see you,” he said. His breath skated down my neck and twisted over my breasts. My nipples hardened at the thought of taking him back into the office and taking him up on his last offer of no-strings sex.

Mia didn’t want to come as a buffer tonight. Her words were, “You don’t have to go. But if you go, you need to figure out what you’re doing with him, because the waffling and the in-between aren’t good for either of us.”

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