Going Down Easy (Billionaire Bad Boys) (7 page)

Stomach fluttering, she walked into the office. The sun streamed through the window, showcasing a breathtaking view of the city. Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t stop staring at him. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of a good night’s sleep and obvious pain, and despite it all, her heart clenched. She felt for him, knowing he was suffering both physically and emotionally.

“How’s your hand?” she asked him.

“Hurts.” He paused, and awkward silence surrounded them. Finally, he spoke again. “Thanks for yesterday,” he said, gruff words strained, but she appreciated them anyway.

“You’re welcome. Can I help you with anything?” She gestured around his desk, knowing he was at a disadvantage with one hand out of commission.

He shook his head. “Just leave the coffee on the desk. I have a call in a few minutes and I need privacy. I’ll shoot you an email with a to-do list later.”

“Umm…” She glanced at his bandaged, splinted hand. “Unless you want to peck out the keys, why don’t you just call me in when you’re off the phone. I can take notes on what you’d like me to do.”

“I’m not an invalid. Don’t treat me like one.”

No, he was just a rude ass. “Suit yourself,” she muttered.

She turned and headed back to her desk, under no delusions about his behavior. He was being obnoxious on purpose, freezing her out because she’d dared to get close to him yesterday.

She blew out a deep breath. Part of her understood. With her family history, she didn’t let people in either. Her mother or sister was always bound to do something disruptive and throw off the balance of Lexie’s life. She’d learned most people didn’t understand, and it was easier to be a loner than to lose friends.

Still, she had to admit it hurt to have Kade do the same to her. Even if he had his reasons—like regretting that he’d confided in her about his past. Or kissing her. That one hurt more.

She glanced at her cell phone, surprised to see a text message from Kendall. She’d been in the kitchen when Lexie left for work, basically ignoring any questions Lexie asked her. From
Any luck looking for a job?
to the benign
What are you doing today?
she’d been met with silence.

She glanced at her cell screen.

Kendall:
I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch to you.

Lexie was used to the cycle of anger and apology and typed in her reply:
Thank you. Hope you have a good day.
She didn’t have the time or the inclination to argue while at work.

Kendall:
Need my meds adjusted. Dr. Kay has a twelve p.m. Come along? Don’t want to go alone.

Lexie leaned back in her chair and groaned, trying her best to ignore the twisting in her stomach caused by being pulled in two directions. Work versus family. She swallowed hard and glanced at her watch. As long as she was given a lunch break, she could meet up with Kendall for her appointment and be back here in time to work.

Counting on a normal workday, she texted her sister back:
Will meet you there. Have to go back to work after.

Kendall:
Thx. U R the best.

No, she was a sucker for her needy twin, but what else could she do?

“Lexie!” Kade yelled from inside his office.

She jumped up fast, wondering if he’d done something to hurt his hand. “What’s wrong?” she asked, nearly tripping over herself to get there quickly.

“My coffee’s cold and weak,” he said, a displeased look on his face.

That was all? “You’re out of the kind you prefer, so it’s a lighter blend. And I made it fifteen minutes ago. If you’re just drinking it now, of course it’s gone cold. I’ll just go make another one,” she said, keeping her voice pleasant.

“Make sure we have the right kind tomorrow,” he snapped.

She somehow refrained from saluting. “Anything else?” she asked.

“It’s not sweet enough.”

She ground her teeth before answering. “It has three sugars. Unless you want to go into a diabetic coma, I’m sure it’s plenty sweet.”

He frowned. “Well, bring me an extra packet, just in case.”

She stepped closer to the desk, knowing she was about to poke the bear. “Do you think maybe something else is bothering you besides the coffee?” she asked in a deliberately
sugary
voice. Pun intended.

He stiffened. “I don’t know what you mean.”

She walked closer to the desk, placing one hand on the cool aluminum surface, because she didn’t want their raised voices causing office gossip.

“Instead of being a jerk about the coffee, how about you face the fact that we kissed last night?” Ignoring her trembling insides, she met his gaze, determined to hold her own. “And maybe you’re upset because you told me some things you wish you hadn’t?” she pushed on.

“Un-fucking-believable.” He stormed around her and walked to the door, slamming it closed so they were well and truly alone.

Chapter Five

K
ade turned to
face Lexie, not feeling the least bit professional as he reined in his frustration and desire. The damned woman was always one step ahead of him, figuring him out and calling him on his behavior. And today, she’d nailed him. He was being a complete and utter ass because he’d crossed the line with his personal assistant, kissed her, and trusted her with information that shouldn’t have left this office.

He couldn’t let her know she got to him beyond the superficial. “You really think you have me figured out?” he asked.

“We both know I do. Look, if it makes you feel any better, I’m no more ready to deal with anything between us than you are. My life is too complicated, so we can just forget the kiss ever happened.”

Her words cut deep. Even if she had her reasons, she didn’t want to deal with him. She wanted to forget, and that was something women in his life were good at.

But a glance at her flushed cheeks told him that he had affected her. For the first time today, he raked his gaze over her from top to bottom. Instead of a sexy skirt, she wore a pair of trousers that hid her shape, a boxy shirt that would have looked better on him, and very little makeup. She was hiding. Which told him she’d been every bit as unnerved by that kiss as he was.

He stepped closer, and she inched back, the dance continuing until she came up against the wall and he sandwiched her there, close enough to be in her personal space and breach her comfort zone. Her heavy breasts rose and fell beneath that god-awful shirt, her nipples poking through the material.

Need sliced through him at the sight. And then she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and he ached to do the same, to have the freedom to taste her again, to cup those breasts and feel their weight in his hands.

But he couldn’t. And she needed to understand she wasn’t the one calling the shots or defining whatever this was between them.

“Lexie, I don’t have any desire for a relationship either.” She hadn’t used the word, but he might as well make himself perfectly clear. “I don’t know what’s going on in your life, but mine is equally complicated, if not more so. So I’m sorry if a kiss while under the influence of drugs gave you the wrong impression,” he said dismissively.

Which was ironic because, as he stepped back, it was with great difficulty, and under duress thanks to his cock, which protested him pushing her away.

She glared at him. “
Under the influence
. You’re going to blame one lousy painkiller instead of owning your actions?” she asked, her eyes flashing with hurt and anger.

“I am,” he said, even if, deep down, he knew, as she did, that the kiss had been inevitable.

That at some point, given their chemistry, he’d have taken her into his arms … and done more than kiss her if his injured hand hadn’t prevented it. But if the painkiller gave him an excuse, so be it.

Now, when she was off-balance, he had to go in for the kill. “As for the information I admitted to, also while under the influence…” He didn’t use the words
date rape
. He couldn’t.

She narrowed her gaze. “What about it?”

“I’d like you to sign this.” He strode over to his desk and pulled up the paper he’d printed as soon as he’d arrived this morning, having come up with the solution on the way to work.

“What is it?” she asked warily.

“A nondisclosure agreement.” He handed her the one-page document. “It guarantees you won’t speak of or repeat what you learn in the context of our … business relationship. That includes whatever you learn here or while in my apartment.”

She sucked in a startled breath, a slight gasp coming out too. “You don’t trust me not to repeat what you told me last night. After I brought you home, fed you, took care of you, and made sure you weren’t alone and in pain, you’re going to repay me by asking me to sign an NDA,” she said, her voice cracking as she spoke.

His hand began to throb, and he realized he’d been letting it hang down, the blood flowing into his injured knuckles and fingers. Damned if he didn’t deserve it.

“It’s standard procedure in business,” he said.

“Then you should have included it in the packet Derek gave me when I signed on after he hired me.” She stormed over to the desk, pulled out a pen, and scrawled her name on the page. “Here.” She turned and slapped the paper against his chest.

Damned if he didn’t admire her spunk and the way she stood up to him, acting as if they were still in his apartment last night and not here at work. True, he was her boss, but he’d mixed business and pleasure, and she’d more than earned the right to speak her mind. Just this once, he told himself, he’d let her get away with talking to him this way.

“Thank you.” He placed the paper on his desk.

She started for the door, then turned back to face him. “You know, if you’d come to me and asked me nicely to sign, I wouldn’t have had a problem. If you’d accepted the fact that we both wanted that kiss but it couldn’t happen again, I wouldn’t be angry. Instead you came up with a bunch of excuses, insulted me personally, and questioned my integrity. Very nice, Mr. Barnes.”

His stomach churned with every word she spoke, and he hated himself for how he’d handled things. Just because he couldn’t deal with getting close to a woman didn’t mean she had to pay the price.

At his unexpected line of thinking, he furrowed his brow. Since when did he think twice about doing what needed to be done in business or in his personal life? Why was he so bothered by the hurt in her eyes, the pained expression on her face? She was just an employee, he reminded himself, and he’d fired and yelled at plenty before her. He just didn’t like doing it to Lexie. Which was all the more reason for him to cut things off now, before he allowed his guard down further, began to believe in her, trust her … and ended up gutted again.

“You know what else?” she asked.

He knew exactly what was coming next. He’d been in this position before. “You’re quitting,” he said before she could.

His stomach twisted, and the coffee he’d been drinking threatened to come back up. Fuck. Too late, he realized her departure wasn’t what he wanted. Hell, when it came to Lexie, he didn’t know what he wanted.

She let out a harsh laugh. “No, I’m not quitting. You don’t get to be that lucky. I said I could handle you and I will. My error was thinking there was a caring human being behind the jerk façade. I won’t make that mistake again. Unless…”

She trailed off, her eyes widening. “Are you firing me?” she asked, suddenly sounding worried, and he remembered Derek mentioning she needed the job.

He just hadn’t asked him why. God, Kade thought, he really was a jerk.

“Are you?” she asked, voice rising when he didn’t answer immediately.

He couldn’t. He’d been too busy processing the fact that he hadn’t driven her away.

“No,” he finally said. “I’m not firing you.” He didn’t want her gone.

But he damned well better figure out what exactly he did want from Lexie Parker before they drove each other insane.

*     *     *

Lexie’s heart beat
hard in her chest as she settled in to work. She was used to confrontation with her sister. Not so much with other people, but she couldn’t let Kade treat her so badly, not for any reason. It hurt her feelings that he thought he could.

A to-do list showed up in her email, and Lexie spent the next hour handling appointments and other research information points for Kade. If that’s how he wanted to communicate, then fine. When lunchtime arrived, she emailed him she was going out and would be back in an hour.

On her way to the elevator, she heard her name being called.

She turned to find Tessa, a perky blonde, and Becky, a redhead with pretty green eyes, catching up with her. “We’re going out for lunch too. Want to join us?” Becky, Derek’s assistant, asked.

Lexie really did, but of course, she had to be at her sister’s doctor’s appointment. “I wish I could but I have an appointment I can’t cancel. Rain check?” she asked hopefully.

Tessa nodded. “Of course. Oh! We’re going out Friday night. There’s a bar called Lights around the corner. Want to come along?”

She mentally scanned her calendar, and as far as she knew, she was free on Friday. “I’d love to.”