Page 3 of And It’s Still You

I sat at my desk, going over the latest report for the firm while secretly counting down the time to leave. All day, I’d been responding to emails and in and out of meetings so much that I could hardly get any of my reports started or finalized. My to-do list seemed to be growing by the second, and I was exhausted.

A vacation was needed.

With my head leaned back against my chair, I envisioned myself sitting on a beach with a margarita in hand while watching Ocean build a sandcastle. It was as if I could literally feel the sun beaming down on my light brown skin, toasting it to the perfect medium brown.

Yeah, it was time for me to book something before I went crazy.

The sound of someone knocking on my door caught my attention. I straightened my posture and cleared my throat before yelling, “Come in!”

His scent wafted into the room before my eyes landed on him.

Neil Parker.

That was one fine man. He stepped deeper into my office, looking as if he should’ve been on the cover of a magazine. The tailored, navy suit clinging to his burly frame looked damn good on him. No matter what, Neil made sure his appearance was on point, and I appreciated a man who took care of himself.

I stood up and gave him a side hug, deeply inhaling the mahogany scent leaking from his pores. With my hand, I motioned for him to have a seat while I did the same.

“How can I help you, Neil?”

“Straight to business, huh?” He chuckled, giving me a peek of his bracketed smile. For some reason, I loved a man with braces. Most women found it unattractive, especially on older men, but I thought it was cute.

“We are at work, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, but I thought we were better than that. Can I at least know how your day is going before we talk business?”

My lips mushed together to mask my smile. “It’s going well, but I’m tired. I need a break. How about you, Neil?”

“What kind of break are you needing?”

“One where I’m nowhere near this place or city. I just want to take my son to the beach and stay there for at least a week.”

Neil bobbed his head. “I understand. I feel the same way. Maybe we could make that happen together.”

There it was. Whenever Neil came to my office, he never wanted to talk about business. He always had an ulterior motive, one I shut down each and every time. While he was fine as hell, I wasn’t looking to date anyone, especially no one from my job. I didn’t have the time or energy to entertain anyone outside of the man who scratched my itch whenever I needed. He and I had an understanding, and I didn’t think Neil would be capable of that.

I could admit that I’d envisioned him bending me over my desk a time or two, but everything about Neil screamed player. He was the type of man who knew he looked good and used it to his advantage. I’d heard many rumors about him floating around the office, and I refused to be in the number of women he’d allegedly had his way with.

With my hands clasped in front of me, I raised a brow and playfully flitted my eyes toward my bangs. “Now, Neil. We’ve had this conversation before. I’m not looking to date anyone. I’m simply enjoying the time I have with my son.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender before rubbing one over his neatly trimmed goatee. “I hear you, but you can’t tell me it doesn’t get lonely, Moya.”

“Who said I was lonely? All I said was that I wasn’t looking to date anyone.”

“So, that means you’re open to other things?”

“Neil.”

“It was just a question, beautiful.” He chuckled and leaned forward. When he tried placing his hand on top on mine, I moved back and grilled him. Neil’s bow-shaped lips thinned into a straight line as he sat back and adjusted his suit jacket. “I hear you loud and clear.”

“Good. Now, let’s talk business so I can go to lunch.”

For the next fifteen minutes, Neil and I discussed the account of one of our top clients. Being an accountant fulfilled me, but it also drained me working at one of the top firms in Harley Grove. The work was constant, and sometimes, I felt I couldn’t come up for air. My family never failed to remind me that working was simply an option whenever I vented to them, so I kept my woes to myself.

Once Neil left my office, I finished up a little more work and headed out to lunch. I was in the mood for a good, fresh Mexican bowl. Since I needed the fresh air, I walked down to one of my favorite restaurants that wasn’t too far from my job and satisfied my craving.

I sat in the back corner by the window and watched the busy city life. Harley Grove was a beautiful place, and downtown was my favorite. I’d always been a city girl, so I was in awe of the tall buildings and chaos that occurred during working hours. It was one of the reasons I chose to work after my divorce.

As if he knew a slither of a thought of him crossed my mind, my phone vibrated with a text from O’Shea. I shoved a spoonful of my food into my mouth before checking to see what he said.