Page 8 of Executive Benefits

“Knock it off. Don’t make me quit speaking to you for real,” I said through clenched teeth. “That is an insult to me and to her. You don’t even know what she’s capable of and you’re already pegging her as something else. And you will not give that woman a hard time, do you understand me?”

“Yes.” I squeezed a little harder, and he gasped again. “Alright.” He pulled away. “Message received.”

“If you behave, I’ll get you a toy after, okay?” I respond, smiling as Julia comes over. “Be nice.”

“Hi, Nick,” Julia said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Your team is great.” She looked over her shoulder at Phoebe and John, who waved.

“Yeah, I like ’em,” I said, letting my smile grow. “This is my friend David. He’s always around, even when we don’t want him to be.” I patted him on the back and squeezed his shoulder, making sure that David knew I was serious.

He grunted and then smiled as I dropped my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Julia. How long have you lived in Heart’s Creek?”

“Oh! Is it that obvious?” She laughed. It was a nice sound.

“We just don’t get many new people in town. So when someone moves in, the whole town kind of knows about it. Right, Nick?”

Julia turned her mahogany eyes on me, sending a little jumpstart to my heart I wasn’t expecting. It had been a long time since something like that happened to me, and I was going to have to figure out what I wanted sooner rather than later because lusting after a twenty-something-year-old probably wasn’t a good look for a forty-four-year-old divorcee with a wretch of a woman for an ex-wife. That could provide a lot of fodder I didn't think I was prepared for, and I definitely didn’t want to bring Kendra’s fire Julia’s way.

“You just moved here too?” She asked, her brow wrinkled in a cute way.

I smiled. “No, no. But he’s right about everyone knowing your business, even when you don’t want them to. But it’s a great place. I wouldn’t want to leave.”

“Really?” David said, brows perking. “Tell that to Nick nine months ago, won’t ya?”

I shook my head at Julia. “Ignore my dick friend, please. Would you like something to drink? It looks like they left us a few slices of pizza.”

David released a long wolf-grin. He was going to tell her everything if I let him. She didn't need a welcome like that. I pushed him out of the way and placed my hand at the small of her back, escorting her to the bar. “Come on, don’t let him fill your head with nonsense. We’ll get you a drink here and you can talk with the staff, Phoebe, and John to learn more about the restaurant industry and how your genius can be interwoven with it,” I said, ignoring David’s scoff coming from behind me.

“Thanks,” she said and smiled as I held out her chair for her to sit down. She sat and smiled up at me again, sending more than just a spark to my chest. She gave my dick a jumpstart too.

Well, that was unexpected. I might have to examine that faster than I thought I would.

4

JULIA

Ichewed on my lip before I opened the door to the restaurant. Although I had a good first meeting with Nick, when I showed up the next night for the team meeting, some of his staff seemed less than pleased to hear my ideas.

Not that their opinions mattered in the grand scheme of things, but they did seem pretty tight-knit and I wondered if their opinions would sway Nick’s idea.

I’d always been able to think on my feet and change direction when it was needed. It wasn’t something that I'd always planned, but it was something I'd always prepared for.

“People just don’t like change,” Mia said to me before I walked in, calming my nerves slightly. “You’re damn good at your job. Don’t let your confidence in yourself fail you now.”

I laughed. “What confidence?”

“Jules, you have confidence in what you’re doing. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have moved to keep your business and land a client before you even got here.”

“Alright, fine. I am good at what I do.” I laughed, still not feeling it completely.Doesn’t matter, though. I’m going to do it anyway.

“Okay, see you in a few hours.” True to her nature, she hung up before I could respond and a small part of me was comforted by it.

I released a sigh and reached for the door.

The restaurant was quiet and the lights were off when I entered, and even though the door was unlocked, I worried that maybe no one was here yet. Then I heard a clanking from the kitchen. I looked around, seeing that no one really was in the dining room, and I headed toward the back.

Placing my bag on the bar, I gingerly knocked on the kitchen door and waited to hear something. Instead, I heard someone who sounded like Nick talking to himself. But I couldn’t understand what he said.

I chanced pushing the door open a crack, sticking my head in. I saw his back facing toward the door and said, “Hello?”

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