Chapter 4

Reid

Early December

It was very difficult to avoid a personal assistant.

Something about their entire job revolving around personally assisting, I suppose.

There was no getting away from Evan at work, as much as I tried.

The woman was driving me to madness.

Was this love? This insanity?

Searching for the sound of her voice, the tinkle of her laughter, the smell of her perfume.

This knot in my gut and absentmindedness that seemed more appropriate for a teenager than a full-grown bloody man.

I’d taken to sending Evan home earlier than usual. It had been a bad habit of mine to let her work almost as late as I did, but I’d insisted she leave at the end of her working day. She’d tried to resist, but my snapped demand that she do as she was told halted any further arguing. In fact, she’d started to treat me with a cool distance that was driving me up the wall.

I should be grateful for it.

Yet every time she smiled at another staff member or laughed on the phone with someone, it made me miss the ease between us all the more.

It was for the best, I kept telling myself.

My eyes flicked to the wall clock and I wasn’t even surprised to discover it was just past eleven o’clock at night. I’d been working later once Evan left the office because it was the only time I seemed to be able to fully concentrate.

Damn the woman.

My phone buzzed on my desk, Patrick’s name on the screen.

Guilt suffused me.

I’d been avoiding Pat, too, ever since I realized how I felt about Evan.

However, knowing he wouldn’t be calling at this late hour without a reason, I answered, hitting the speaker button.

“Reid, can you do me a favor, mate?” Pat asked without preamble.

“Of course.”

“Evan is on a Christmas night out with the girls. Her friend Cass got blootered. Bad break up or something. The rest of the girls have buggered off and left Evan to deal with it alone. She phoned me just before her phone died. The taxi drivers won’t take Cass while she’s that smashed. I’m in Aberdeen for work so I can’t get to her. She’s on George IV Bridge near Frankenstein’s. Will you go get them, mate, and take them back to Evan’s?”

Shit.

“Of course,” I repeated as I stood up. “I’m still at the office so I won’t be long.”

“Great, thanks. Also, get a fucking life and stop burning the midnight oil.” Pat hung up.

Worry quickly propelled me out of Shaw’s. I hated the thought of Evan stranded on a busy thoroughfare of the city where drunk bastards might try to take advantage of her while she was looking after a friend. But there was a part of me dreading seeing her again.

I parked my car two streets back from the building on George Street. The icy December wind bit at my nose and cheeks as I hurried toward the vehicle past crowds of revelers enjoying Friday night bar hopping. Some, like Evan, might even be on their Christmas night out with friends or work colleagues. Every weekend running up to Christmas would see the city filled with women wearing short dresses and high heels, some carrying their coats because alcohol had made them feel impervious to the winter chill.

Right now, Evan was one of those women out in the windy city, probably inappropriately dressed for the weather. It surprised me for more than one reason to get the call from Pat. Evan didn’t seem like much of a party animal. She preferred quiet nights out in cocktail bars or at the theatre or restaurants.

My kind of woman.

I’d never been the clubbing type.

Mum said I was born eighty years old.

Too old for Evan.

But are you really? She’s mature for her age, that devil on my shoulder insisted.

“Fuck,” I muttered, growing impatient as I sat in traffic lights on Princes Street. Princes Street Gardens were brightly lit, most of the trees covered in fairy lights, the Ferris Wheel colorful in the night sky.

Finally, the traffic lights turned but there were more to contend with on my way to Evan and it seemed to take an eternity to get to George IV Bridge. Eventually, I drove upwards, eyes searching the pavement filled with men and women dressed to the nines.

Then, there, not far from Frankenstein’s, I saw Evan crouching near a barely conscious blond propped up against the building behind them. I hit my indicator and swung the car beside them even though it was illegal to park there. I couldn’t give a fuck.

Hurrying out of the car, I approached Evan, who wore a long wool coat and scarf.

“Evan.”

Her head whipped in my direction and I blinked rapidly at the vision before me.

She usually wore her dark hair up in a no-nonsense ponytail at work. Now it fell in long, silky waves around her face and she had done something with her makeup that made her look older and more mysterious. Her eyes, which were naturally beautiful, were fucking stunning. Striking.

“Reid?” her lips parted in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Pat called. He’s in Aberdeen.”

“I know. I thought he’d call Dad.”

“I’m closer.” I lowered myself to my haunches beside her, attention moving to the blond woman. Her eyelids sat heavy and low over her eyes as she peered up at me, expression slack and pale. “How is she?”

“Cass has thrown up twice. I’ve given her as much water as she’ll take.” Evan shook a half-filled bottle of water. Her expression strained with worry. “None of the damn taxi drivers would take her in this mess. They said I needed to phone an ambulance. But she’s just wasted.”

I nodded and stood, only to bend down and haul her friend up into my arms. She was dressed in an oversized faux fur jacket that shifted with the movement, blinding me. Evan yanked the jacket down into place so I could see where I was going. Cass drunkenly looped her arms around my neck while I gazed down at Evan.

“Get the back-passenger door of the car,” I directed.

She threw me a look of pure hero worship before rushing across the pavement to the car.

Lowering Cass into the back seat took a little more finesse than you’d think. We ignored drunken shouts from young men walking past and eventually slid Cass along the back bench.

“What if she throws up in your car?” Evan asked, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

“It’ll clean.”

“It’s a Jaguar.”

“It’ll clean,” I repeated. “Get in before you freeze.”

“I’m wearing a coat,” she muttered, but hurried to jump into the passenger seat.

It was only as we were driving away that I relaxed.

“It was great of you to pick us up. I never let my phone die when I’m going anywhere, but some stupid app must have been running on it, eating up my battery.”

I shot her quick look. “What happened tonight?”

“Cass broke up with her boyfriend. They’ve been together three years. He took a job in London and Cass didn’t want to move there, so he ended things. Some girls we went to Uni with decided she needed a Christmas night out. They bought her shots and she kept flinging them back. Within an hour she was blootered.” Evan’s tone was angry. “Then the lot of them left me. Said they were going clubbing and I could either put Cass in a cab home and come with them or deal with her.”

“Very nice.”

“Aye, bloody charming.” Evan glanced over her shoulder at Cass. “She’ll be okay. Though it’ll be one helluva hangover in the morning.”

“Why didn’t you just put her in a cab and go with them?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“One: she’s my best friend and I’m worried about her. I want to stay with her to make sure she doesn’t choke on her own vomit. And two: the thought of being squished onto a crowded dance floor while strange men try to press up against me isn’t my idea of a good time, believe it or not. I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I’m, and I quote, ‘a boring old fart’.” Her tone was only slightly amused. There was a hint of hurt there.

“Who said that?”

“Friends. A guy I started dating not long after Luca. It didn’t last long. He just wanted to go out on the lash every weekend, preferably without me.”

“You’re not boring just because getting pissed isn’t your idea of fun,” I replied dryly.

Who were these fuckers she was friends with?

“You’re just saying that because you’re thirty-five and past all that.”

I frowned at the reminder of our age difference. “I was never really about that, even at your age. Pat, the lads and I, did our fair share of drinking when we were students, but clubbing was not my thing. We’d go to a pub or hang out at the dorms.”

“How did you pick up girls then?” she asked cheekily.

I threw her a cocky grin. “Before, sometimes during, and after classes. At the student union bar. The library—”

“Okay, okay, okay.” She held up a hand to stop me. “You got laid a lot at uni. Very good.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tease her and ask her if she was jealous. I quelled the instinct.

There was a frown in Evan’s voice when she asked, “Why are we going the wrong way?”

“My place is closer. We can take care of Cass. There’s room for you both to crash there.”

“Won’t we be intruding?”

“Why would you be intruding?”

“Well, I’ve never been to your place before. I assumed it was because you’re so private.”

I was a private man, but not so much I didn’t want Evan to see my space.

Whatever thoughts I had about putting distance between us had flown out the window as soon as I had her in proximity. I wanted to talk with her. Be near her.

It didn’t take too long to pull up to my apartment building in Newhaven. I lived in one of the penthouse apartments and had a fantastic view over the Firth of Forth estuary.

Parked in my private spot, I got out and rounded the car to get Cass. She mumbled in my arms as Evan took my keys and led the way. The reception was closed at this time of night, so all was quiet as we made our way through the lobby and onto the elevator.

“Thanks again for this,” Evan said as the lift climbed upward. She stared up at me with adoring big dark eyes. I wanted to ask her how she planned on repaying me, making it clear by my tone that I’d prefer sexual favors.

I stifled that urge too.

We got Cass into my flat. The main living space was large and open-plan, with a bank of windows that looked out over the water. Together we got Cass onto one end of the over-sized sectional in the middle of the sitting area.

“I’ll get water.” I turned, shrugging out of my jacket and placing it over a bar stool at my island. I collected water for Evan and Cass from my fridge.

When I returned to the ladies, Cass was out cold, face pressed to the back of the sectional. Evan had removed her own coat and scarf and stood up from sitting at Cass’s hip.

My eyes lowered and I felt my hot blood travel south.

I’d never seen Evan wear anything so daring.

But then I guessed I didn’t know everything about her.

The red velvet dress was perfect to celebrate Christmas. But it wasn’t the kind of dress she could wear at her family Christmas get together, that was for damn sure. The dress had long sleeves, but that was where any demureness ended. It had an exaggerated deep V-neck that Evan might have assumed wasn’t overtly sexy because she was so small breasted. She’d be wrong. The hemline hit her mid-thigh and the velvet clasped tightly to the curves of her hips. For such a small woman, she had great fucking legs. Strong thighs, slender legs, shapely calves, slim ankles.

All lengthened by sexy, gold strappy heels.

“You look amazing,” I blurted out without thought, dazedly handing her a bottle of water.

Evan’s eyes widened a little at the compliment. “Uh, thanks.”

I had to drag my fucking eyes off her hips. Trying to focus on Cass, I asked, “She seems okay.” I placed the bottle of water on the coffee table near her.

“Aye, she’ll be fine,” Evan muttered. “Thanks again.” She looked around the room, her gaze stopping on the bank of windows. “Your place is fantastic.”

I was pretty pleased with my flat. I was glad she liked it. “Thanks.”

She turned to me and teased, “Pity you don’t spend more time here.”

If I had you in my bed, I might.

Thankfully, I didn’t say that out loud, but I might as well have for the thick sexual tension that sprung between us as we gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Tea,” I blurted out.

Evan blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

“Do you want a cup of tea?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure.”

Grateful to have something to do, I busied myself in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, when I returned, Evan was sitting on the opposite arm of the sectional to Cass, the coffee table between her and her unconscious friend whose soft snores now filled the room. That wasn’t the unfortunate part.

The unfortunate part was that sitting down caused the velvet dress to strain across her thighs and shift upward, revealing more of her olive-toned legs.

She wasn’t wearing any tights.

Fuck.

Even though it was tempting disaster, I sat down close beside her, inhaling the oriental perfume that I’d bought her. Feeling territorial, I couldn’t meet her eyes as I handed her a hot mug.

“Were you at work when Patrick called?” she asked.

I nodded.

Silence fell between us. Usually our silence was comfortable.

Not now. The air crackled between us with that tension.

I wasn’t even shocked when Evan said bluntly, “Did I do something?”

I forced myself to meet her gaze. “What?”

She wrinkled her nose in consternation. I wanted to press a kiss to the tip. “You’ve been aloof with me lately. Even a little irritable.”

Hearing the sadness in her tone, I cursed myself for being such a bastard. “It’s not anything you’ve done. It’s me. I’m sorry.”

“Has something happened? Can I help?”

For a moment I couldn’t speak. The overwhelming need to pull her into my arms and tell her just holding her would do the trick was intense. And hard to fight. I felt huge next to her on that couch. She’d be light and fragile in my arms. Except for those luscious thighs. I could almost imagine them gripping my hips as I thrust up into her as she straddled me.

God, she’d be small and tight.

Would she even be able to take me?

Feeling myself grow hard and almost dizzy at the thought, I stood abruptly and wandered over to the window. Willing the heat out of my body before I lost control, I sipped at my tea and tried to think of things that disturbed me. Like the time Pat and I walked in on Pat and Evan’s parents fucking in the kitchen when we were twelve.

We were supposed to be staying at my house that night and had surprised them.

Scarred for life.

All four of us.

“Reid.” Evan sidled up next to me, her perfume driving me nuts.

She was driving me nuts.

This was ridiculous.

I was seconds from grabbing her up in my arms and taking her into the bedroom.

“How’s Pat doing?” I asked, trying to distract myself.

If the subject change confused her, she didn’t say anything. “Haven’t you two spoken recently?”

“I’ve been busy. I keep meaning to call …”

“He’s fine. In Aberdeen for a medical conference. And trying to decide whether he should give into his attraction for a receptionist at his practice. He thinks it might be unprofessional to start something with her.”

Way too close to the bone. I turned away from her, heading into the kitchen to put my mug in the sink. Taking a few deep breaths, I moved back into the sitting room to find her still standing at the window.

Her back was to me as she stared out at the dark water. Light from across the firth spilled over its inky ripples.

Evan turned her head ever so slightly, as if she sensed me staring.

And something about the loneliness I saw within her broke me.

I crossed the distance between us, drawing to a halt as the back of her head touched my upper chest.

I heard her quick inhale and my dick hardened.

“Evan,” I exhaled, shaky with need as I touched her arms, my hands coasting up the soft velvet of her dress.

I could see over the top of her head, see her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.

Her cheeks flushed, her lids lowered, her lips parted on little pants of excitement.

My fingers slipped under the fabric at her left shoulder and I pushed it down her arm until the neck line gave way and one small, beautiful breast popped free.

Her large rosy nipple tightened in the cool air of the apartment.

“Jesus Christ,” I murmured, in awe, desperate to taste her.

Instead, I cupped her breast in my large hand, engulfing it, kneading it, my thumb plucking at her nipple. My other hand settled on her hip, squeezing it, caressing it, learning the shape of her. I buried my head in her neck, kissing her soft skin, tongue tracing the scent of her perfume as I rolled my hips against the top of her arse. I wanted her to feel how hard she made me.

A moan drifted out of her. “Reid.” Her hands settled on my outer thighs and she undulated her arse against my dick.

It was like a switch going off on me.

Lust covered my mind in a haze.

Whirling her around in my arms, I hoisted her up into them, bringing her mouth to mine. I felt her wrap her legs around my waist as my lips and tongue devoured her. Feeling my way there, I carried her to the opposite end of the sofa. Laying her down, I covered her with my body, my kiss hungry and punishing.

She tasted like everything I’d ever wanted.

I needed inside her.

“Fuck, Evan,” I broke the kiss to pull at her dress, freeing her other breast. “I need to see every inch of you.” I pushed up the hem of her skirt to find her underwear. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. I’ve never wanted to be inside a woman more.”

“Oh my God,” she panted, her eyes gleaming with desire and something far more dangerous to my heart. “You keep talking like that and I’m going to come.”

“You keep talking like that and I’m going to come.” My fingers brushed her sex, feeling how wet she was. “Oh fuck, Ev. I can’t wait. I’ve waited too long.” I fumbled for the buttons and zip on my suit trousers, desperate to drive my dick deep inside her.

“Urggh, urggh.” The loud, pained moans were like a bucket of ice water over me.

My eyes flew to the other side of the room.

Cass.

Fuck.

I’d forgotten she was even in the room.

Looking back at Evan, I saw her shock too and she quickly fumbled to cover herself.

Evan Munro was hurrying to cover herself because I had just mauled her.

Pushing off her, reality came crashing back down.

I had nearly fucked my PA.

My best friend’s wee sister.

Patrick would kill me if he found about this.

Shaking from my complete and total loss of control, I climbed off her and marched across the room to get away from her. Running my hand through my hair, I tried to get a handle on my emotions.

Everything I prided myself on—self-control, honor, loyalty—was being compromised because of my feelings for this woman.

It couldn’t go on. I’d end up losing who I was to her.

“Reid?”

I squeezed my eyes closed at the uncertainty in Evan’s voice.

Then I turned to her, my chest aching, my gut in a knot as I realized what I had to do. “This shouldn’t have happened.”

She looked crestfallen.

Rejected.

And I fucking hated myself for it.

“You’re Pat’s little sister,” I reminded her.

“It’s none of his business.”

I scoffed. “Evan, come on. I can’t jeopardize my friendship with him and your parents.”

Her expression darkened. “That would be true if this was only about sex.”

Tell her it’s not.

Tell her the truth.

But I knew if I did, it would only make it worse for both of us. “You’re too young for me,” I lied.

“I see.” Her voice was brittle.

“We just need to pretend like it didn’t happen.”“I can’t pretend. I’m going to make some calls over the weekend. I’ll find somewhere else to work.”

The air in my apartment turned icy with my displeasure. “Very well.” Evan crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself.

It took what little self-control I had left not to cross the room and embrace her.

“There’s a guest room, if you’d like to sleep in there.” I was coolly polite.

“No, thank you. I’ll stay out here and keep an eye on Cass.”

So I left her there and hid away like a coward in my bedroom.

When I woke up early the next morning, Evan and her friend were gone.

And I felt alone for the first time in thirty-five years.

One week later

If the distance between Evan and I had bothered me before I’d pawed her in my apartment like an adolescent boy incapable of controlling himself, it was much worse now.

Evan had taken to looking right through me, even when we were discussing work.

I hated it.

It chafed badly.

I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and tell her to stop.

But that would be unfair.

After all, I was the one who said nothing could happen between us.

All week, I’d waited anxiously for her to tell me she’d gotten a job elsewhere. As the days went on with no word from her, however, a part of me hoped she’d been bluffing. The masochist in me just wanted Evan near. No matter if she was giving me the cold shoulder.

A knock sounded at the door, drawing me out of my distracted thoughts and back into my office.

“Come in.”

Evan strode in. Her pretty features were smoothed into a perfectly blank expression.

I tried not to look anywhere else.

Those pencil skirts she wore drove me mad.

“Yes?” I sat back in my chair, pretending indifference toward her.

Evan drew in a breath and then exhaled, betraying her cool countenance. Then she stepped up to my desk and laid down an envelope. “You’ll find a month’s notice in there.”

My stomach dropped. It took me a moment to speak. Finally I replied, “You found a job then?”

She nodded, staring directly into my eyes. “You must have mentioned how good I was at my job to Josh Baxter. When he heard I was looking for a position, he hired me as his PA.”

Josh Baxter?

Josh fucking Baxter.

I was going to kill him.

Swallowing down my anger, I had to clench my jaw to stop furious denial from roaring out.

Josh was two years younger than me. We’d been friends for a few years, meeting as equals in the Scottish business world. He’d opened a gym at the tender age of twenty-six and now had a chain all over the central belt of Scotland. Evan had accompanied me to a charity benefit five months ago when Emmy hadn’t been able to attend. He’d asked after Evan with a look I knew well. He wanted her. I’d explained she was a brilliant PA, Patrick’s wee sister, and completely off limits to him.

That absolute fucker.

Visions of him touching Evan exploded through my brain and I reeled back from my chair. “No.” I stood up.

Her lips parted in shock. “Excuse me?”

I knew I was being a controlling dick and I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “I said no. Find another job. One not with a known womanizer.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. “I think not.”

“Evan,” I practically growled her name in warning.

“I’ll finish up to Christmas and start with Baxter in the new year. End of discussion.” Evan turned around and marched with that alluring swing of her hips toward the door.

Heat pumped through me as I imagined chasing her across the room, pressing her against my door, my straining dick thrusting against that impressive arse of hers.

And I knew Josh Baxter would inevitably want her too.

The thought filled me with a horrific feeling. My throat was closing with it. My heart racing too hard. There was a knot in my gut.

It was jealousy, I realized.

An emotion I was not familiar with.

But Evan slammed out of my office before I could protest any further.

A huge part of me wanted to follow her out of the room and demand that she find another position elsewhere. Or better fucking yet, stay!

I didn’t want to become someone I wasn’t just because I was jealous. That thought stayed me.

Not wanting Evan to hate me any more than I feared she already did, I slumped down in my chair.

Missing her already.