Page 37 of Take the Blame (Seaside Mergers #3)

Chapter Twenty

ALTA

What had this man done to me?

Was I broken? The soreness below my waistline would certainly have me believing so. Was I braindead? The fact that I couldn’t think straight ever since we said goodbye that night was a sign that pointed toward maybe. Was I in love? Well…

Almost an entire week later, I was squirming in my seat for the billionth time as I daydreamed what it felt like to have Harper’s hands on me.

Awareness of what I felt after hadn’t escaped me either.

I had never felt so connected to someone during a hookup.

I only ever hooked up with guys I was dating, about to be dating, or definitely wanted to date.

None of those times came close to this time with Harp and we weren’t anywhere close to dating. We had simply struck up an agreement.

Memories of Harper using some kind of cloth from his pants to clean me up and checking if the coast was clear as we snuck out of the maze after we finished that night danced on repeat in my mind.

I had to admit, having to sign off on the cleaning crew’s bill and inspect the courtyard area at midnight with wobbly legs, was not my smartest of plans.

But Harper stayed with me for that too. Getting me a big sweatshirt from his car that smelled like him and letting me rest my head on his shoulder while we waited for the cleaning men to be done.

All the while we waited he made little teasing jokes or fake grumbled at having to do this so late.

It was classic Harper. But he’d done it in a way I wasn’t used to.

Soft. Like the way he rubbed his palm along my leg as we sat in the courtyard in the cold.

Or how when he thought I may be falling asleep but wasn’t sure, he lowered his voice to a low murmur.

Or the way he let me handle everything with the vendors on my own, yet stood close by like some bouncer with his arms folded behind me and a mean look that didn’t seem to belong with his true personality.

And when all was done and he tucked me into my car to go home, he took my face in his hands and kissed me. Not a peck, but a full-blown, mouths clashing, tongues touching, both moaning kiss. When he pulled back, his eyes fell to mine and his mouth quirked.

“What was that for?” I asked, confused and suddenly wound up.

“So you won’t forget.”

“Forget what?” I scoffed, baffled that he thought I could forget anything that happened with him tonight. Yeah right. Not in this lifetime.

But his face softened and his thumb went to caress my jaw as he said. “That I’m here, Boss. Whenever you need me.” Stepping back, he tapped the top of the car. “I’ll follow you home? Make sure you get there alright? ”

I nodded, and he did. And an entire week later I still couldn’t stop thinking about him or his body or his hands or that addictive mouth.

Loud ringing snapped me out of my own mind and I was pulled back to reality by the sound coming from my desk. My desk at work . Definitely not the time or place to be thinking about this sort of thing.

“Alta Fernandez speaking,” I chirped into the receiver.

“Ms. Fernandez, hi,” a deep older voice said. “This is Mark Meyer from marketing. How are you?”

“Mark, hi,” I could hear the caution take over my tone. “Was there a problem with the material I dropped off yesterday?”

“No, no. I actually wanted to speak with you about some of the points you brought up about the project. I would love it if you could come down and discuss it now—if your calendar allows, of course.”

I coughed. “My calendar?”

“Yes?” He cleared his throat. “The one you have taped on your desk?”

“Oh, you heard about that, huh?” I covered my eyes, taking the opportunity to hide my embarrassment when I could. “Well, my calendar’s open until noon today, so I can come down and chat whenever you’re free.”

“Right now works great. Thank you, Ms. Fernandez. See you soon.”

Thoughts escaped me as I hung up the phone. I blinked.

What could Marketing want with me?

The day before, I had made a trip down to the fourth floor to drop off some reports they needed.

I usually just gave all my finished work to Grace who then distributed it to whoever requested it.

But yesterday she wasn’t around when the team asked for the report and since I’d already been working on something similar, I threw something together and delivered it myself.

Being in a similar state of post best orgasms of my life dreamland yesterday as I was today, I had unknowingly lingered too long, causing the executives present to blink at me curiously.

“Sorry,” I apologized quickly and turned to take my leave, only to realize I still had the papers in my hands.

I rushed them over, wincing at my scattered brain.

When I set the papers down on the table, something there caught my attention.

“Oh, I was sorry to hear you’re killing this product so soon.

It’s a hard market to tap into though, so I get it. ”

“Very hard,” they answered solemnly.

Flipping to the last page of my own report I pointed at a specific table I’d drawn up.

“I added in my own findings on possible footholds in the market, if the campaign ever resurfaces. I have a client who does small business in these birthing technologies who actually does quite well. We've found that with delicate subjects like this, it’s always more popular to buy from people and places you already trust or who you value the opinion of. So I added a wholesale avenue or a separate direct to consumer platform outline that could help in the future.”

Mark hovered the closest to me. It happened to be his paper I flipped through while talking. But the way he was blinking at me looked like he wanted me to take my report and shove it, and I could take a hint.

Flipping the packet closed, I was at the door in no time. I gave another small duck and wave, adding, “That’s really all I embellished this time. The rest of the report is as normal. Please let me know if you need anything else.”

And I got the heck out of there. So what could he want with me now? Was I in trouble? Had I stepped over a line? It didn’t seem like it from the way he was talking.

Excitement ignited me as another possibility lit my veins.

Maybe he had more questions about my report.

Maybe he wanted me to do another one for their next campaign.

It was still a support task, but I’d never been let in on a campaign in the planning stages.

If I was now, maybe I could slip in an idea or two for once.

Less confused and more excited, I shot out of my seat and rounded my desk in a hurry. Snatching up a notepad and my own tablet, I threw my eyes along the surface of my desk. I think I had everything.

Eek!

All but running, I made my way to the door of Melissa’s suite but was stopped by the voice of the girl herself.

“Al? Are you leaving already?” my sister asked.

“No, I’m just headed downstairs for a while,” I said, holding up my notepad. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” she frowned. “I wanted to ask you a few things, though. When you have time, I mean.”

I didn’t miss how her eyes speared to my calendar before finding their way back to me.

“Of course!” I said. “But when I get back, okay?”

Softly, she smiled too, her eyes looking tired but warm.

It was weird. Usually she might oppose me and try to gain my attention now, or she’d at least question where I needed to go.

But now that I thought of it, lately Lis had been getting quieter and quieter.

The challenge she always used to pose with me—the two of us butting heads while trying to be the best in our own respective ways—had become less and less. And now she was just sort of there .

I felt my frown pull, my steps bringing me closer to her. I should ask her what’s wrong, right? I should stay with her and confront her about the way she was acting lately.

But…

But I really wanted to go to this meeting. And Harper had said that I needed to act like the person I wanted to be and the people around me would catch up. I wanted to be someone who got invited to marketing meetings. So… in honor of the new me, Melissa would have to wait, I guess .

Only a short raincheck though. Then I would come back to check on her. Promise.

Grasping onto her elbow, I said. “Just give me a few, Lis. I’ll be right back, okay?”

She nodded, and seconds later I was gone.

I swear I really did only plan to be away for a few minutes. But as it turned out, Mark and the other executives did have questions for me. Lots of them.

Turns out Grace had been taking out my additions.

From reports to data logs to just about anything I’d ever turned into her, nothing but the bare minimum ever made it to its destination while she threw the rest of my work out like trash.

Everyone in marketing had been genuinely surprised to see my findings attached to the report I delivered myself, while I was genuinely confused because I attached them to every report.

They peppered me with question after question on my thoughts and recommendations on the specialized platform ideas I had for numerous departments at Fernandez, not just the one I’d commented on.

Genuinely, it may have been the most fun I’d ever had at work. Which could be why I let time get away from me and took way longer than the “few” moments I promised my sister it would.

By the time I did get back to her office, she was already gone.

“Ally cat! Ally cat!”

The cutest chanting greeted me as I entered the tattoo shop for the first time this week.

I’d taken the beginning of the week off with clients to catch up on some things at work.

Now, on my first day back, I was so happy that Ink and Mar was my first stop.

So much so that I actually skipped lunch and came straight here.

“Ally Cat?” Gerald grumbled. “If the girl gets any more nicknames, we’ll lose track of her.”