She smiled at his standard greeting. Hank was in his forties and saw everyone around him as his kids. He had a thick mane of gray hair and if she squinted just right, he reminded her of Richard Gere. He had more than a few admirers in the office, both male and female, so apparently everyone else agreed with her assessment of his looks. “It’s going, no problems to speak of.”
Hank shook his head, giving her a rueful smile before saying, “Well, I’m about to mess that up for you. I know you’ve got half of your crew in Alabama this week, and Nikki is out with her . . . um . . . lady problem, but I’ve got a local install that just came through and it’s VIP.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “First of all, Nikki just had a baby; how is that a ‘lady problem’? And secondly, who’s the local VIP? Unless we’re talking about something for the city, it should only require a couple of technicians, tops.”
“You know the Oceanix Resort?” Mia nodded even though it wasn’t really a question. Most locals could never afford to stay there but everyone still knew the Oceanix Resort. It was high-end luxury. She would never voluntarily admit it to her coworkers, but she suspected that Hank knew she might be familiar with the resort. “They are replacing their entire system with ours and the Myrtle Beach location is to be the first install. If things go well, the other nine locations will be next. The catch is they want to start on Monday, which means that the preliminary work needs to be laid out this week. Since you’d normally send Nikki on a local job, that only leaves you, kid. This needs to go off without a hitch so we can’t send some wet-behind-the-ears newbie and besides, those are your people, aren’t they?”
Indeed they had been at one time. You didn’t grow up as the only child of Jefferson and Madeline Gentry without rubbing elbows with some of the privileged elite. Her parents were what you would call “old money.” If there had ever been a poor Gentry in the family tree, it was too far back to be found. She had bowed to parental pressure and attended an Ivy League college, which was probably why Hank suspected that she was from money. After she graduated, she had started to pull away from the crowd she had grown up with. The pressure to fit in had long ago gotten old and she was eager to experience life without a constant safety net under her.
Of course, her parents had been less than thrilled with her choices. She would have thought her computer science degree would have tipped them off, but apparently they just assumed she had spent four years in college to study a hobby. When she moved out of her gated childhood home in a posh oceanfront section of Garden City Beach, they had been quite vocal in their disapproval. She had struck a compromise with them and had moved into a condominium that her father owned in nearby Surfside Beach. She wanted to hate it, but truthfully she loved her two-bedroom home right on the ocean. It was a small twelve-unit building and even though she was well paid at Danvers, it would have been out of her price range.
She rarely saw any of her childhood friends now. Most of them just didn’t understand her anymore. As was often the case, they had all moved on. She had new friends now such as her good friend and coworker, Nikki, who was currently on maternity leave and had named Mia the godmother of her first child. Indeed, life was different, but better now. Her parents might never understand her, but she hoped in some tiny way, they respected her need to make it on her own.
Hank snapped his fingers, jerking her from her trip down memory lane and back to the present. Damn, what was his question again? Oh, yeah, her people, hmmm, how to answer that. “I don’t know about that. I’m not familiar with the owner or owners.”
He grinned, obviously amused with her efforts to sidestep his question. “Have you ever been inside the Oceanix Resort?”
Well shit, he had her there and he knew it. “Er . . . a few times. They have a good Sunday brunch.”
“Whew, I can only imagine how much a meal in that place would set you back.” Without waiting for an answer, he continued on. “So, at least you’re familiar with it. Bullshit aside, Merimon asked that we send you.”
Mia’s heart stuttered. Oh my God, Gray Merimon knew she existed? Maybe that threesome idea wasn’t all in her head. “Wow, okay. If Gray asked for me.” Before she could start mentally picking out lingerie, Hank busted her bubble.
“Gray? No, the other one, Nick. He handled the contract and requested the team leader. He even mentioned you by name.”
Talk about having the rug pulled out from under you. It wasn’t that she didn’t find Nick attractive; he was delish. His fiancée, Beth, was hot as well, but she was pregnant. It seemed wrong to have a fantasy about someone knocked up. Oh, well, it was probably for the best. She would just continue to admire her idol from afar. “Yeah, I’ll head on over there this morning and get everything started. Who do I need to ask for?”
Hank pulled some paperwork that he had rolled in his shirt pocket and handed it over to her. “Seth Jackson is your contact. He also indicated that you can speak with someone named Margie if he isn’t in.” Hank’s name was paged for a call and he left her office with a curse.
Mia spent the next hour answering emails and returning calls. She packed a bag with her iPad and a notebook to jot down some quick notes. She stopped off at the restroom to survey her reflection before she left. She had dressed a bit casually for a customer visit, but it would have to suffice. She was wearing black skinny pants, with her high-heeled pink pumps and a matching pink-and-white striped top. Her wavy, brown hair was styled in the usual intentionally messy look, and her makeup consisted of pink blusher and a sheer lipstick. Yeah, it would have to do. She seldom spent a lot of time with management in the preliminary stages anyway.
Chapter Three
God, he needed a drink. This day had been nothing but a pain in the ass so far. He had spent the past hour dealing with a customer who swore that the cleaning staff had stolen her wedding ring. The cleaning staff had gotten defensive and plainly pissed off over the accusations and the customer had been rude and obnoxious. After an hour of dealing with it from both sides, the customer’s husband had returned from his round of golf and reminded his wife that she hadn’t brought her ring; it was at home with the jeweler having one the settings repaired. She hadn’t even bothered to apologize. It was as if the whole thing had been an inconvenience to her. Seth intended to ensure that they had no vacancies in the future to accommodate them. He would not subject himself or his staff to that type of treatment again.
Margie wasn’t at her desk so he assumed she had gone on to lunch. She didn’t like to deviate from her schedule. She was usually on some crazy diet and making her wait to eat could damn near get everyone in the vicinity killed. He had just sat down at his desk when he noticed the light on in the attached communications office. Margie was probably in there using the cameras to snoop on Joe again. He got back up and went toward the office with the intention of pulling her out. He came to an abrupt halt when someone very un-Margie-like almost backed her ass up into his crotch. When she continued to shimmy and kept singing, “I’m sexy, and I know it,” he thought he had possibly died and gone to heaven. He settled back against the doorframe to enjoy the show. When she flipped around, he saw her nametag with the words Danvers International and Mia Gentry below it. Well, fuck. Couldn’t Jason Danvers employ someone homely for once? Sadly, the dance moves had stopped and a pair of stunning blue-green eyes looked up at him in question. “So you’re from Danvers?” Brilliant, Seth, way to state the obvious. Follow it up by asking her sign.
Her full pouty lips settled into a mischievous smile as she said, “Yep, and since I’ve already met Margie, then would you be Mr. Jackson?”
Sticking his hand out, he said, “It’s Seth and you must be Mia. I take it Margie showed you around. Did you have any other questions?”
“Nope, I think Margie gave me the 411 on everything. I’m just going over your equipment now. Do you want to keep your hard drive? I can dispose of it, but some people are funny about that.”
Seth couldn’t believe that the words equipment and hard drive had his cock stirring to attention. What in the hell was wrong with him? Why was he suddenly incapable of thinking of anything other than bending her over the control desk and fucking her senseless? He had to get out of this room before she noticed the tent in the front of his trousers. “Um, yeah, you can just keep it. I’m sure my hard drive will be safe with you.” Holy shit, did I actually just say that to her? So not cool. Just get out now before this gets worse. “I’ve got to get back to my office. Just let Margie know if you need anything.”
Mia looked at him in confusion and then to the space beyond him. “Isn’t that your office?”
“Oh, sure, yes. I meant to say, I was heading to lunch. You might be gone when I get back.” God, he really hoped so.
She looked down at her watch, seeming surprised by the time. Almost as if by some cruel twist of fate, her stomach growled at the same moment. “Where are you going for lunch?”
Before thinking better of it, he said, “I usually grab something from the restaurant downstairs. They have an excellent lunch buffet.”
Mia moaned and Seth started sweating harder. “Oh, they so totally do. It’s been ages since I’ve eaten there. Do you mind if I tag along? I hate to eat alone and I’m starving.”
“Er . . . sure. Just give me five minutes to finish a few things and I’ll be ready.” He could only imagine what she thought he had to “finish up” when he headed straight for his private restroom on the other side of his office. He just needed a few minutes to collect himself before what would undoubtedly be a long lunch hour. At this point, even having Beth do the system installation would have been preferable. At least he wasn’t likely to walk around with a raging hard-on the entire time. This girl though was getting to him. She wasn’t even his type. She was petite, but her heels made her appear much taller, with wild brown hair that looked like it had just left someone’s sheets. He preferred women with neater hair and more classic taste in clothing. Mia had neither of those things. And yet he would probably never get the fantasy of fucking her while she wore nothing but those damn pink shoes out of his head. Shit, he had to stop thinking about that!
He splashed some cold water on his face and mentally counted to one hundred. He could get through a simple lunch. He worked at a resort that catered to scantily clad females daily. This wasn’t a big deal. She wasn’t wearing a bikini like most of the people he dealt with. Mmmm, Mia in a bikini. Fuck! Enough already!
When he stepped out of the restroom, Mia was leaning against his desk waiting for him. He felt his cheeks color at the look of amusement on her face. Yeah, she thought he had problems. If she only knew. It was better that she labor under the illusion that he had stomach issues rather than the truth. He was dealing with an unruly cock.
“I’m ready if you are,” she said.
Why did everything she said sound like some sexy, double entendre when he knew it wasn’t intentional? “Sure, let’s go.” As they passed through the doorway, Margie was walking toward her desk. Seth wanted to pretend that he didn’t see her because he knew what was coming and she didn’t disappoint.
“Well, hey there, you two. Where are you off to?” She shot him a knowing smirk before looking at Mia as if they were new best friends.
“I invited myself to lunch with Seth.”
“Ah, honey, I’m sure he would love to have you.” Seth coughed, knowing damn well he wasn’t imagining the double meaning this time.
Before it could get worse, he walked to the elevator saying, “I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Take your time,” she yelled after them, “your afternoon is clear.” Sometimes, he truly hated that woman.
The elevator ride to the lobby was crowded, saving him from having to make conversation. When they entered the restaurant, he steered Mia toward his reserved table at the wall of windows. He loved looking at the ocean view while he was eating. Mia took the seat opposite from him, ordering a sweet tea from the waiter. Once their drinks were delivered, she jumped up and made her way toward the buffet at a rapid pace. Apparently, she wasn’t lying about being starving. He was barely halfway through filling his plate when she walked by him flashing a sheepish grin. Her plate was completely loaded and he couldn’t imagine where she would even put it all.
“I skipped breakfast this morning,” she said by way of explanation. He couldn’t help but laugh. He found himself putting more on his plate than he usually would so she wouldn’t be embarrassed.
She was eating with gusto when he returned. He had just taken his first bite when a couple approached the table. Mia choked on her piece of chicken when the woman said, “Mia, darling, how wonderful to see you.”
She took a quick sip of tea to wash down her food before saying, “Mom, Dad, wow, what a surprise.” Seth was equally surprised. He hadn’t connected her last name with Jefferson Gentry.
Seth stood extending a hand to Jefferson and his wife, Madeline. “Jefferson, Madeline, how nice to see you again. I didn’t know that Mia was your daughter.”
Madeline dropped her perfectly manicured hand to her side before answering. “Yes, Mia is our only child. How do you two know each other?”
Before he could answer, Mia spoke up. “I’m here to do an install for Danvers.”
“Oh, how nice. Mia just loves that little project of hers.”
“It’s called a job, Mom. They pay me and everything.”
Her mother seemed oblivious to the sarcasm, but judging by the frown on her father’s face, it hadn’t escaped his attention. Her mother turned her attention back to Seth saying, “I wanted to thank you again for donating the use of your ballroom for our charity bachelor auction tonight. I think it’s wonderful that you have decided to participate as well. I know we are going to raise a lot of money tonight for the new children’s hospital.”
Mia looked at Seth in surprise. “You’re going to be auctioned off tonight?”
“Um . . . yeah. It’s for a good cause and it’s only one evening out of my life so it’s really not a big deal.” Luckily, Mia’s parents spotted some friends a few tables away and after bestowing some air kisses on their daughter, they were off. He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. They might run in the same social circles, but he had always found them a little too reserved for his taste.
Beside him, Mia also seemed to expel a breath as well. “Sorry about that. My parents aren’t exactly the life of the party. I’m sure you noticed that they don’t think much of my career. If they had their way, I would be with them right now making the rounds.”
“I’ve known them for years. How is it that we’ve never crossed paths?”
“On the occasions that I’ve been with them, I usually spent the evening with friends. They were never the type to bring out the baby pictures and brag about their only child either so it’s easy to see why most people other than very close friends don’t know I exist. So . . . a bachelor auction. I have to admit, I find that surprising. Have you done that before?”
Grimacing, he said, “No, this will be a first for me. How bad could it be, right?”
Mia chuckled. “Oh, it could be bad all right. You will probably be purchased by some old cougar who will feel you up all the way through dinner and then try to bribe you into the sack at the end of the night.”
“Oh, God, I hope you’re wrong. I was picturing some shy, homely girl who would be happy with a good meal and some nice conversation.”
“Good luck with that,” Mia laughed. “I know most of the crowd who will attend tonight and there isn’t a wallflower in the bunch. I may actually enjoy myself at one of these things for once.”
Seth raised a brow. “You’re going to be there tonight?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I have to put in an appearance at a few events just to keep my parents happy. Since this is one of my mother’s favorite charities, she expects me to attend. Made
line Gentry isn’t a woman you want to disappoint on a regular basis.”
He wasn’t sure how he felt about her being in attendance to watch him go on the auction block. She would probably laugh her ass off if no one bid on him or, God forbid, the cougar she described bought him. But, at the same time, the evening seemed a lot more interesting than it had earlier. He was almost looking forward to it.
When they had finished eating, he was surprised to find that he had enjoyed their lunch together. She was intelligent, funny, and the conversation had never waned. Unfortunately, neither had his attraction to her. It would probably be a good idea to plan many of his meetings for offsite in the coming weeks. He wasn’t sure he could handle her being that close to him without losing it. It had been a while since he had felt the need for a lunchtime masturbation session, but today just might be the day.
Chapter Four
Mia pulled on the strapless red cocktail dress and spent several moments struggling with the zipper before finally managing to get it zipped. There were times when it was a real pain in the ass not having a man around. She surveyed her reflection in the mirror and knew that even though her mother would hate the short, mid-thigh length, she absolutely loved it. The dress had a pleated bodice and the narrow skirt contained side pockets. She settled on a large pair of gold hoop earrings and a matching cuff bracelet. Impossibly high-heeled strappy sandals completed the look.
She had to wonder if she was putting just a little extra care into her appearance because she knew Seth would be there. He intrigued her. He seemed so reserved at first, but she had caught him checking her out more than once. She didn’t think she was imagining the chemistry between them. She had always been a sucker for a man with blue eyes. The cologne that he wore also made her want to rip the clothes off his tall, rangy body and answer one of her burning questions: boxers or briefs? He definitely looked like a boxers kind of guy, and she found those so damn sexy. Briefs were too revealing, too fast. Boxers were like unwrapping a present. You never knew what was under them. If the outline at the front of his trousers was to be believed, she wouldn’t be disappointed in Seth’s . . . package. Okay, so she had been checking him out today as well. Nothing could happen between them while she was working there, but after the job was completed . . . all bets were off.