Had To Make You Mine Page 3

  New city.

  New job.

  New life.

  No distractions.

  When I got home, I poured another bourbon, added some ice, and turned on the TV, trying not to think about Blue or the unopened boxes.

  - 3 -

  YOU SOON LINGERED

  Annaleigh

  I wish I could say I was a confident sex goddess and forgot about Broody McAsshole when we got back to my townhouse. But that would be a big fat juicy lie. I felt like the lead in a bad sitcom, thinking of super insightful zingers after the fact. I wish I would have said something witty while flipping my hair and strolling off into the sunset. But no, I stood there, dumbfounded, with my mouth open while he jogged away.

  Broody kept entering my mind at the bar and through karaoke. And he was still lingering the next morning at the Farmers Market, and now, during the last set of my tennis match with Jake’s wife, Katie.

  Katie and I found each other at the bar one evening at a work event, bonding over bourbons—bourbon that was the exact shade of Broody McAsshole’s eyes. And there I went thinking about him again. Damnit.

  “Mister McHottie?” Katie said, pulling me back to our tennis game and giving me a high-five.

  “No, Broody McAsshole,” I corrected with a sigh, walking towards the bench where our towels and water bottles were.

  “Right, then Broody McAsshole called you out for maybe, but not definitely, wanting a booty call and bailed before you could answer?”

  Katie retied her blonde hair and took a long drink of water, putting her hand on her hip and looking at me like she knew something I didn’t.

  “Yep, that about covers it. Did I mention how mature I’m acting about the whole five-minute conversation?” I said, running the towel over my face.

  I didn’t know what was worse, not getting Broody out of my head or letting Katie cream me again in Tennis.

  Giggling and shaking her head, Katie took another drink before continuing.

  “You might have mentioned that once or twice and told me again and again how sexy he was. Come on, Jake will be here shortly for the kids’ lessons, but we have time to head to the club for lunch.”

  “Sounds great. I’m in the mood to eat my feelings.”

  We packed up our rackets and headed to the clubhouse, following the golf cart path past the water hazard and through the shrubbery.

  “I feel like it’s my job to point out this is the most we have ever talked about a guy, Annaleigh. And I’ve known you for, what, five, six years now?”

  “Tell me about it. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. I remember almost falling on my face that weekend I ran into y’all at the soccer field.”

  I shook out my shoulders as we walked, thinking about that day.

  “I know, right. Your eyes were so wide when you stopped on the jogging path and saw Jake and me on the bleachers.”

  “I think the wide eyes were from seeing the Bank President when I was a sweaty mess and then drinking half of your screwdriver before I realized it wasn’t water!”

  “Hey, we have three kids who play three different sports on Saturday. That requires a little liquid motivation,” Katie said with a smile, opening the outside gate at the restaurant and motioning to a server that we were going to sit outside.

  “No judgment here, lady, especially not about something with oranges in it. But after running two miles and taking a huge swig of that, it took me, what, a good few minutes to stop coughing.”

  “I remember Jake was so worried. He didn’t know there was vodka in there.”

  “And you wouldn’t stop laughing, Katie!”

  “I know, I was a bad friend. Speaking of oranges, how are you feeling?” Katie said, sitting down and passing me a menu.

  “I’m feeling okay. Haven’t had any bad symptoms for a while. And I did start on Vitamin D supplements.”

  “But doesn’t hypocalcemia require more than just supplements?”

  “Sometimes,” I said, looking over the menu. “But with extra calcium in my diet, I’ll be fine.”

  “Hmm, if you say so,” Katie said, biting her lip like she wanted to ask me more. “So anyway, tell me more about this guy.”

  “Oh, there’s not much left to say. The girls see it as a good thing a guy has gotten under my skin, but I see it as an affirmation to take a break to prioritize work.”

  I shrugged my shoulders and glanced at the menu, not believing the words coming out of my mouth. The truth was a five-minute conversation with Broody, and his bourbon eyes had occupied my thoughts more than all my dates in the last several years. The tiniest spark took shape as we sat, a lyric. Wait, a lyric?

  “A moment of time, will I ever be ready? Heart beats out of sync, will it ever be steady?”

  It stuck in my head long enough for me to take out my phone and jot it down. Strange, I couldn’t remember the last time one stayed with me long enough to do that.

  “Hmm, I don’t agree with you,” Katie said, bringing me back to our talk. “But I guess it’s a good thing Jake said your department was going to be pretty busy these next few weeks getting ready for the conference in Tennessee.”

  “Right,” I said, thinking of the week ahead.

  Between the new Senior VP, renovations on our floor, and planning for the upcoming trip, I knew I’d be at the office long past five o’clock each day.

  “We had dinner here last night with the new SVP. Jake is pleased with him. Once they started talking about Business Risk Ratings, I tuned out. But he seems like a good guy. Quiet and distant, but good.”

  I ordered a salad and club soda like Katie, and her eyes stayed glued to the menu, baiting me perfectly before I realized what she’d done.

  “Why do you say distant? Did he not want to get to know you both better?”

  A sly grin spread across her face as she passed the menu to the server. I could tell she was itching to tell this story. All she needed was the opening I gave her.

  “It’s a pretty interesting story since you asked. Jake met him a few months ago when he went to Chicago. They were the only two guys wearing suits at this little dive bar and stayed in contact when Jake came back. It turned out, Max was looking to move, and Jake was looking for an SVP. Max said he loved the area and was ready to be finished with the snow in Chicago. He’s very good-looking and very motivated. It could be destiny.”

  “Destiny is something we’ve invented because we can’t stand that everything is accidental,” I said, sipping my club soda and looking towards the eighteenth hole.

  “Wow, Annaleigh. That’s really deep.”

  I did my best to hold in a grin, biting my lip to keep it from turning up and twirling my ponytail innocently.

  “Wait! You just quoted a movie or something, didn’t you? Plus, you twirl your hair when you’re nervous,” Katie said, waving her hand.

  “What? No, I don’t,” I said, letting go. “And it could be an Annaleigh original! Besides, it’s true.”

  “So says you,” Katie said with a wink.

  “You know I’m a big believer in signs Katie, but no thanks,” I said, taking another sip. “I mean, even if I wasn’t working under him, I’m without a doubt not dating someone from the bank. Oh! I almost forgot to ask, how was your niece’s wedding in Slippery Rock?”

  “It was beautiful, thanks for asking. Gabe and Noelle are so happy together.”

  “He owns a bar, right?”

  “Yes, and she works for an accounting firm. They had the wedding and reception at her parent’s Country Club in Butler. They are going to be so happy together. Like you will be one day,” she said.

  “I am happy, Katie.”

  “Oh, stop. You know what I mean.”

  I pushed my salad around my plate, wondering if taking a break was the right path. Dating equaled relationships. And relations
hips equaled trust, honesty, and intimacy, all the things my life seemed to lack. But relationships also meant mistakes. And mistakes could have devastating effects. Nope, I was good. Single was definitely better, no matter how much Broody had gotten under my skin.

  “I could always set you up with one of the tennis pros here.”

  “Oh, No way! I know you mean well, but three strikes with you and Jake setting me up is my limit for embarrassment.”

  “Oh, come on, Jake’s buddy from the club wasn’t that bad.”

  “You mean the one that suggested we go to a strip club afterward because it was amateur night, and he wanted to see me in action before another date?”

  Blushing and almost snorting into her club soda, Katie took a moment to wipe her face before continuing.

  “I forgot about that. Jake hasn’t played a round with him since. He mentioned something about him bringing down the group score.”

  “Well, good riddance,” I said, clinking my glass to hers.

  A half-hour later, Jake brought the kids over to grab Katie before their tennis lessons.

  “Hey, ladies,” he said, leaning down to kiss Katie. “Have a good game?”

  “Sure did, babe, thanks.”

  “Your lovely wife beat me as usual,” I said with a smile. “But one of these days, I’m going to win a set.”

  “Aw, come on, Anna, you have made mad improvement since we started playing.”

  “Don’t I know it, but I’m pretty sure it would be bad for business if I beat the best Tennis Pro here.”

  Jake shook his head and reached down to take a sip of Katie’s club soda.

  “Annaleigh. Did you get a chance to…”

  “Yes, I finished up the access requests for the SVP yesterday and connected his laptop to JMS’s network.”

  “What about…”

  “Yes. I made sure maintenance moved all the nonessential furniture out of the office until he meets with Elise and called the hotel to add his name to our table for the Gala.”

  “And also...”

  “I confirmed that his welcome basket was delivered earlier and have a few plants ready for pickup tomorrow to brighten his office. I’ll grab them when I run out for lunch.”

  “Have you asked him for a raise lately, lady? Because that freaky mind-reading thing the two of you do probably deserves more money,” Katie said with a smile as she stood up to give Jake another kiss and ruffle her youngest’s hair.

  “That gets funnier every time, wife,” Jake replied with a wink to her and a nod to me.

  After so many years of working together, I was almost always a step in front of what he needed.

  “I’ll put something on our calendars Monday to go over expectations and commitments and bring extra coffee and pastries in the morning.”

  “Perfect, I wouldn’t say no to an extra blueberry muffin. See you tomorrow, Annaleigh. Come on guys, let’s head down for your lessons.”

  Taking his youngest’s hand, he waved and turned to head to the courts. Katie and I said our goodbyes, knowing we would see each other next weekend for the Gala. I headed to the locker room to change before going home, and another lyric pushed its way through my thoughts.

  “Eyes so deep I’d gladly drown. Would you save my breath or sink me down?”

  The lyric stayed long enough for me to put it in my phone again. I shook my head. It had to be a fluke. My writer’s block had been going on for far too long to be cured in a weekend.

  Closing my locker, I zipped up my duffle bag and added a note to stop by B’s this week for the financials. I had more important things to focus on than a temporary cure of Writer’s Block.

  - 4 -

  A SUDDEN SPARK

  Max

  Why the hell was I still smelling oranges?

  Either the orange juice had permeated the tile, or I had phantosmia. Maybe this damn fresh air had given me a sinus infection. Or I was going crazy. It was the only explanation for why I was still obsessing over a five-minute conversation where I was nothing but an asshole. What the fuck was wrong with me?

  My house was almost unpacked, and my fridge had more than takeout boxes. I wasn’t sleeping on the couch and planned to make a trip to the design district and hardware store this week. There were more important things for me to think about than Blue.

  I put on my vest and straightened my slacks over my Officine Creative Anatomia loafers before locking the door and getting in my truck. Van Halen played as I turned out of my neighborhood, and I turned it up and focused on the day ahead. I got to the bank with time to spare and found my assigned spot in the garage beside the building. I grabbed a box with a few personal effects and walked out of the garage, taking in the architecture of the three-story brick bank.

  It had two large white terraces on the upper levels, and green ivy hung around the railing and trailed down one side. The third floor had big bay windows, and I could see several restaurants and a bakery down the street.

  Inside, the large lobby had a tall, recessed ceiling, and the floors were light, like driftwood. The chairs were a pale blue and looked comfortable. The southern designs were so different from the cold, dark Chicago buildings. Frosted glass windows separated the offices, and the elevator was on the right side of the receptionist’s desk. Looking up from his computer, the uniformed guard stood and greeted me with a smile.

  “Good morning, Sir. May I help you?” he said with a southern drawl and a smile.

  “Yes, good morning. I’m Maxwell Jackson.”

  “Yes, sir, the President said to expect you. I’ll just document your driver’s license and plate number while you’re waiting on your access card, and you can head upstairs.”

  “Thank you.” I handed over my Illinois driver’s license and took out my phone, adding a trip to the DMV to my to-do list.

  I nodded my thanks to the guard and stepped into the elevator. I’d ask my Executive Assistant to compile a list of customers to contact and ask her to lunch. Having a good relationship with her was essential. I remembered Katie’s comment about her being beautiful, but that didn’t matter. The only thing that did matter was her competency, and Jake certainly thought highly of her. But anyone would be better than my old assistant. She spent her days criticizing my every move.

  The elevator doors opened to a large lobby with a receptionist sitting in the same styled desk as below.

  “Good morning, Mr. Jackson. Welcome to JMS. I’m Elise Baker. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Her skin was a dark bronze, and her hair was cut in a short, severe bob. She had kind eyes and looked to be about ten years older than me, not that I’d ever say that.

  “Good morning, Elise. Please call me Max. Nice to meet you too.”

  I smiled back and shook my head slightly as she blatantly gave me a once-over. Not the first time I’d gotten that reaction, but it was refreshing to know it wasn’t my last name that made Elise do a double take. Something in her eyes didn’t sit well—as if she‘d already formed her opinion about me before my first words, and it wasn’t a good one. Regardless, it was nice not being a Smerdon here, just Maxwell Jackson.

  She led me through the lobby and past several open offices to the far end of the floor. In the middle was a boardroom surrounded by glass, and through the open door, you could see floor-to-ceiling windows with that a view of the Cooper River. The room had a large oval table and several plants.

  On the far side of the floor were two large offices. The corner one looked to have a door leading directly into the boardroom, and the other was just as impressive but looked spartan in comparison.

  There was an L-shaped desk in between the two offices. I assumed this was where our assistant sat. The desk had lots of small succulents, two computer monitors, several personal pictures I couldn’t make out from here, and smelled like citrus.

  Wait. Citrus? Grea
t. The last thing I needed was a reminder of her today.

  “Mr. Rosenberg?” Elise said, knocking on his partially open door, “Max Jackson just arrived.”

  “Thanks, Elise.” Jake stood up from behind his desk and walked over to shake my hand. Elise gave me one more obnoxious glance before walking away.

  “Hey man, welcome. Please have a seat. Anna will be here shortly with coffee and muffins.”

  “Thanks, Jake, glad to be here.”

  The second he said the name Anna, I got an uneasy feeling. Why did that sound familiar?

  “Like I was saying at dinner, take some time to review your portfolio these first few weeks. We have several introductions and lunches planned, and Anna will schedule a time for you and Elise to sit down and go over options for your office. I thought you would like the one by mine and closer to her, but you are more than welcome to the other corner office. Here, let’s look,” he said, standing up and motioning me to the door.

  We walked to the office beside his—even though it was nearly empty—it was pleasantly inviting. A large black sleek desk was by the far wall, and the opposite side had a small table with two chairs, a door leading to a private bathroom, and a cabinet that opened to a copier and shelves.

  “Anna kept some original furniture so you could get a feel for the layout, but please feel free to change anything you like. The office on the other side is empty, so anything you don’t use can be moved back. Here, let’s walk over to the other.”

  “That’s unnecessary, Jake. This one is perfect. You can’t beat that view.”

  Putting my box on the desk, I looked around. I could see myself happy here.

  “Sounds good Max, your computer is being delivered from IT this morning. Anna will help get you set up to the network.”

  “Thanks for the welcome, Jake. And all the plants are a nice touch,” I said, following him back to the lobby and taking in all the green.

  “Oh, that’s all Anna. I do not have the patience to keep up with all the plants around here. I’ll let you get settled. Let’s grab lunch today. Oh, I almost forgot. Be right back.”