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Slater
Slater Tyson wasn’t sure why he was torturing himself by sticking around the penthouse. Actually, he knew exactly why he was hanging out, coming up with excuses as to why he couldn’t leave—Beck had a visitor coming and he was counting down the minutes until she got there. Rainey Nolan was stopping by to pick up her sister for lunch and he planned on finally asking her out. His only hope would be to head her off in the lobby before she got up to the penthouse. If Rainey made it to the top floor, her sister wouldn’t give them any privacy, and asking her out in front of his new boss wasn’t something that he wanted to do. Beck wouldn’t stop giving him hell if she knew that he wanted to ask Rainey on a date.
He found Beck in the kitchen, and he poked his head in. “You mind if I run a quick errand?” he asked. God, it felt like he was lying to his boss and that made him feel like shit. “I just need to run down to the corner and then I’ll be back.”
“Sure,” Beck agreed. “Rainey is coming over and we were going to go out for lunch but I’m so tired, I just ordered in for us,” Beck said, rubbing her belly. “This guy kept me up most of the night with all of his kicking,” she said.
“Just wait until he comes out,” Slater said. “When Derrick was born, he didn’t give his mother or me a moment of peace. I don’t think we slept a whole night for the first two years.” Slater had met his ex when they were still in high school. He had gotten her knocked up on prom night and instead of taking the full ride to college, he married Gina, got a dead-end job, and a crappy, little apartment. They stayed together for five years, trying to make it work for Derrick’s sake, but in the end, they were just two different people.
“Gee,” Beck breathed. “Thanks for sharing that.”
“It gets better,” he promised. “He’s about to graduate from college and, for the most part, Derrick turned out great.”
“For the most part?” Beck questioned.
“Sure,” he said, shrugging. “All kids will give their parents hell. They make crappy decisions, but in the end, it all works out.”
“Okay, now you’re scaring the hell out of me,” she teased. “Can you grab me a gallon of rocky road ice cream while you’re out?” she asked.
“Craving?” he questioned, nodding to her belly.
“Nope,” she said. “It’s Rainey’s favorite ice cream and well, she doesn’t get out kid-free very much these days. I want to do something special for her since I’m not taking her out to lunch. I’ve ordered our food and I got extra if you want some,” Beck offered. He loved that she and Knox didn’t treat him as an employee, but like one of the family. It was one of the things that he loved most about working for the Hearts. And it was also the reason why he worried that asking Beck’s sister out on a date was a colossally bad idea.
“Thanks, Beck,” he said. “I won’t be too long.”
Slater rode the elevator down to the lobby and it felt like it was taking forever. He just hoped that he didn’t miss Rainey in passing because there was no way that he’d ask her out in front of her sister. It had taken him months to get up the nerve to ask her on a date and he wasn’t sure that missing his window of opportunity was a good thing. He’d chicken out and then, he’d never get up the guts to ask her again.
Slater stepped from the elevator and Rainey practically plowed into him. “Oh—sorry,” she breathed when he wrapped his arms around her, trying to steady her. He pulled her back into the lobby, knowing that if he let her get onto the elevator, he’d miss his chance with her.
“Hi Rainey,” he breathed. God, she was beautiful. Holding her so close only reminded him that he was old enough to be her father. He was forty and he knew that she wasn’t much older than his son. Asking her out might be the biggest fucking mistake that he’d ever make, but he had to take the chance. The worst that would happen is she’d laugh in his face, tell her sister and Knox about him acting like a complete fool, and end up getting him fired. But, if she said yes, it would all be worth the risk he was about to take.
“Hi Slater,” she whispered.
“Go out with me,” he said. He was an idiot—just blurting it out like that. But, holding her in his arms made him half-crazy with need and all he could do was ask her the question that had been burning to break out of him for weeks now.
“Um, I can’t,” she said. “I have lunch with my sister.”
He chuckled, “Not right now,” he said. “Go out on a date with me.”
“Oh,” Rainey breathed. “When?”
“How about next weekend?” he asked. “Will that give you time to line up a babysitter?”
“Um, yeah,” she squeaked. “I’d love to go on a date with you, Slater.” His heart felt like it would beat out of his damn chest when she agreed to go out with him.
“Really?” he asked.
“Really,” she said. “I’ll ask Beck to watch the kids for me. She’s been begging me to let them come over for a sleepover.” The idea of having Rainey to himself for a whole night made him feel a little overheated and he released her.
“Sounds good,” he said, trying for cool but sounding the complete opposite. “I’ll text you the details tonight,” he said, starting for the front door. He had to run to the store to grab ice cream for their lunch now to cover his lie with Beck.
“Wait,” Rainey called. “You don’t have my number.” He had more than just her number. He knew everything about her—it was his job as the Heart’s head of security.
“I’ve got it,” he called over his shoulder to her, not bothering to look back. “I’ll call you tonight.” He half expected to hear her protest and when Rainey didn’t give him any, he smiled to himself and walked out of the building before she changed her mind.
* * *
He knew that she and her brood were there before they even rang the doorbell. It was one of the perks of being head of security for Knox Heart. Slater knew that Rainey still hadn’t told her sister that they were going on a date. Hell, he hadn’t told Knox yet, but it felt weird to announce to his boss that he was going on a date with his new sister-in-law. Even though Knox had become more than his employer, he had become one of his closest friends, it didn’t feel right to make a grand announcement that he had the hots for Rainey.
