Page 42 of Love and Cherish

Cherish walked to her desk and sat down, her gaze unwavering as she looked Haylee over, a full down and up. Haylee’s mouth went dry, and Madonna’s voice was gone from her ears as they hung on every word Cherish might say. Cherish leaned over, the V of her shirt deepening and pillowing to give Haylee just a taste of what she really wanted to see beneath the fabric.

Her cheeks burned when she locked her eyes on Cherish’s. Cherish shyly curled her hair behind her ear, the long deep red strand falling into that V and teasing Haylee even more. Fuck. Haylee was in trouble. There was something more alive in the way Cherish relaxed, and her smile came easily to her lips. Even if it was at Haylee’s expense.

But beyond that amusement, Haylee noticed something else. She scratched beneath the surface of that smile. Cherish had forgotten to put the city girl persona back on, and instead, she had walked in as the small-town country girl Haylee had been getting to know. The one who missed her dog and knew home wasn’t the same when a loved one was no longer there to greet you.

It was too much.

Haylee’s lips were spread wide, and her heart pattered an unfamiliar tempo. How could she possibly have real feelings for her coworker? A coworker, Haylee reminded herself, who was in love with their boss. Their boss who, by all accounts, was an absolute ice queen and someone Cherish not only wanted to be with, but to be like.

Sure, it sounded logical and good in theory, these reasons why true deep feelings would be impossible between the two of them. But as the day went on, every time Cherish looked up and met Haylee’s eyes over their computers, Haylee’s brain instantly forgot every one of those once logical points.

“Cherish.” Ms. Aarts had been in and out all day, but as she stepped into the office once again, she spoke in time with the sound of her heels as she walked through the space between the two assistants’ desks. “The Michaels report came in handy, they just called and will be in in five minutes.”

Haylee watched as Cherish blinked in confusion, the tap of Ms. Aarts’s heels not missing a beat. Haylee forced her attention back to her computer but couldn’t pull the smile from her lips.

“I hadn’t even thought of the report yet. Haylee must have printed it off for you.”

A stutter in Ms. Aarts steps was the only sign that she was thrown off her game before they resumed. “Well done, Haylee.”

“Thank you, Ms. Aarts,” Haylee managed to get out just before the door to Febe’s office closed with a soft click.

“We’ll need some coffee for the impromptu meeting.” Haylee jumped up, locking her computer and grabbing her purse as she spoke. “Would you like one?”

“Oh, sure. That would be fantastic.” Cherish looked as though she had been happily chewing on grass in the middle of an unlit country road when a car came over the hill and pinned her with its headlights.

“No worries. If they arrive before I get back, hopefully they won’t mind waiting a minute or two.”

“No, they’ll be fine. I’ll text you their usual orders.”

“Great.” Haylee smiled and met Cherish’s eyes for the first time since being caught dancing in the office. At least she hadn’t been in her underwear or something.

“And Haylee?” Cherish smiled. It wasn’t the gleam of this morning but a genuine smile that warmed Haylee’s chest. “Good job on being so proactive. You’ve come a long way in a really short time.”

“Thanks.” Haylee couldn’t get out of the office fast enough. Her whole body heated, and her brain felt like it might explode and cover the office in brightly colored confetti. Why did she hang on every single word that Cherish said?

The coffee run was exactly what Haylee needed. She used the time waiting in line to force her breathing to a more manageable pace and remind herself of the multitude of reasons having even a crush on Cherish was downright stupid. That kiss was amazing, but it was nothing more than that. A kiss.

Her crush was fleeting, and love never lasted. She repeated the mantra in her head on the way back up to the office.

It took less than five minutes for the talking to she had given herself at the cafe to vanish into the ether when she returned. Placing the tray of coffees down on her desk, she pulled out Cherish’s usual order and strode across the corridor between the desks.

Cherish continued to type away at her computer, her fingers clacking down on the keys with a little more force than necessary, a sure sign she was dealing with an idiot. Light streamed through the large glass window behind her. It brushed over her head, highlighting the shades from copper to strawberry.

“Who’s being an idiot today?” Haylee asked, a hint of laughter in her tone.

“Everyone.” Cherish looked up, her mouth pinched and her eyes blazing. Seeing Haylee standing right next to her desk, coffee still in her hands, Cherish blinked and the scowl turned into a small, sweet smile. “Except you. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Happy to help.” Haylee ignored the jitters beneath her skin and smiled, trying to harness her usual cocky mask. She was pretty sure she had failed, but it didn’t matter. She truly wanted to know what had upset Cherish so much that it overshadowed her own feelings. No, her crush.

“Thank you.” Cherish eagerly accepted the cup of coffee and took a large pull from the small hole in the lip.

That sent damn erotic thoughts through Haylee’s brain. The gentle sucking. The precision. The eye contact. She was so fucked.

“So, anything I can help with?” Haylee choked out the question.

Cherish narrowed her eyes in confusion before a light switched on behind her eyes, and she nodded, putting the coffee down on her desk. “These idiots think I don’t know how this time of year means more people need us and reach out to us. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that it’s a busy time of year, and not something to be dismissed as clients can’t get through on the lines. It’s one of the many reasons I don’t have time for twenty emails before we get to the heart of the issue.”

“Cherish?” Ms. Aarts called from her office doorway.

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