Boudreaux 01 Easy Love (5 page)

She jerks one shoulder in a shrug and then settles back to listen to the rest of Declan’s set. She gradually relaxes, moving in her seat, singing along with the songs she knows. And when it’s all over, she stands and whoops and hollers, making Declan laugh from the stage.
 

“Thanks for coming, superstar,” Declan says, as he pulls Kate in for a hug. “And you too,” he says to me. “It’s been a minute since you came to a show.”

“Too long. I enjoyed it.”

This seems to surprise him, and I feel like an ass. It has been too long.
 

“I’d walk you home, but—” Declan looks over at the girl in the front row he winked at earlier and shoots her a smile.
 

“I see things haven’t changed,” Kate mutters and shakes her head. “I’m fine. Eli walked me over.”

“Do you mind walking her home?”

“If it’s out of your way—” Kate begins, but I shake my head.
 

“Of course. Have a good night.”
 

“He’s so formal,” Declan says with a grin.
 

“Not always,” Kate replies, and then kisses Declan’s cheek again, and before he can ask what she means by that, she says, “call me soon. We’ll have lunch or something.”

And with that, we leave, winding our way through the crowd.

“Would you like a drink for the walk home? There’s no open container law here.”

“Sure. I’d love some white wine, please.”

I order two glasses, and we set off toward home, walking slower so she can absorb everything happening around us.
 

“We can walk up a block and get out of the crazy.”

“No, I don’t mind.” Her eyes are pinned on a couple practically having sex against the wall of a building as we pass.
 

I take her hand in mine and keep her close, glowering at the drunker than fuck men that leer at her as we pass.

I’d rather not have her in the middle of this, and steer her down a block to walk up Royal, which is much more tame.

“I really didn’t mind,” she insists and sips her wine.

“I did.” I glance down at her and lead her around the gaping hole in the sidewalk. “Promise me you won’t go back there alone.”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“Promise me, Kate.”
 

“It’s no big deal.”

I sigh and stop us, right there on the sidewalk, steps from her front door, and turn her to face me. “Please, as a favor to me, don’t go back to Bourbon Street at night alone. People get shot, raped, beat up down there all the time,
cher
. If you want to go, take someone with you.”

Her eyes are wide as she watches me, her hand flat on my chest. I pulled her against me without even realizing it, and now the zing of awareness is a pulsing need. I can feel her, from knee to chest, and it immediately makes my dick stand up and beg.
 

This woman is going to be the death of me.

And she’s off-limits.
 

“Kate.”

“I won’t,” she whispers, and watches my lips as she licks her own. An involuntary growl slips from my throat as I tip my head down and lean my forehead against hers, breathing her in. “This is a bad idea,” she whispers.

“Very bad,” I agree, and reluctantly pull away and walk her down the block to her loft.

“This house is pretty,” she says, gesturing to the four-story single family home right next to the building that holds her loft.

“Thank you,” I reply.

“You own that one too?”

“I do. That’s my house.”

“You live there?”

I nod and watch her carefully.

“So, we’re neighbors.”

“We are.”

“Well, thanks for taking me,” she says, and doesn’t meet my eyes as she climbs the stairs. “You don’t have to walk me to the door.”

“It’s not a problem,” I reply, but she stops me with a hand to my chest.

“I don’t want you to walk me to the door, Eli. Have a good night.”
 

And with that, she climbs the last of the stairs and lets herself inside without a backwards glance.

I stand on the sidewalk and watch her turn the lights on in her loft, then walk to my place and pour myself another glass of wine before I change into basketball shorts. It’s hot enough outside to forgo a shirt. I sit on the balcony, listening to the music coming from Jackson Square, and settle in for a long sleepless night.

An hour later, Kate’s lights go out, putting an end to a very long day. I picture her with her hair loose, climbing into bed, slipping between the sheets wearing nothing at all, and swear under my breath as I walk inside and close the doors.
 

Tomorrow will be business as usual. Forget her. I have no room in my life for a woman, least of all a woman who has forever and white picket fences written all over her.

I gave all of that up long ago.

Chapter Four

Kate

“Good mornin’,” Savannah says with a smile and hugs me after leading me into her office. “Thanks for coming in so early.”

“I figured we could go over the details before I head down to HR and meet my new boss.” I set my purse on the floor next to the chair and take in Van’s office. “Nice place you have here.”

“Thanks.” Van grins. “Quite a step up from that apartment we all shared at college.”

“It wasn’t so bad,” I reply. “But, yes, this is great. I’m proud of you.”

“Okay, so tell me what happens now.”

“Well, not much for the next few weeks. I need my coworkers to believe that I’m just another assistant. Then, as things settle and I’m not being watched as much, I’ll start investigating. You know I’m good with the computer, I can hack and sneak around and no one will ever know I’ve been there.”

“Do we lie and say we don’t know each other?” Van asks with a frown.

“No.” I shake my head and smile ruefully. “This is new for me, in that I’ve never worked in a place where I know the owners, but I think that if anyone asks, I’ll just say that I went to college with you. Leave it at that.”
 

“Why do I think we won’t be having lunches together?”

“Because we won’t. I need people to feel comfortable talking to me, and they won’t if they think that I’m best friends with the boss.”

“You are best friends with the boss.”

I shrug. “They don’t have to know that.”

“This whole thing pisses me off,” Van says with a sigh. “I love having you here, but I hate that someone is stealing from us.”

“We’ll find them. It’s just going to take a little time.” I reach across the desk and grip Van’s arm reassuringly. “I promise.”

She nods and then frowns. “Okay, change of subject. I’m sorry I wasn’t available to meet you yesterday.”

I sit back in my seat and school my features. “I told you, it was fine.”

“Was Eli okay?”

“What do you mean?” I ask with a raised brow.

“I’m sure he was perfectly nice, but was he…
too nice
?”

“What are you asking me, Van?”
 

“Look, I told him to leave you alone, and then I practically dumped you at his feet yesterday.”

“Wait.” I hold my hand up and glare at my friend. “You told him to
leave me alone
?”

“Of course I did.”

I blink at her and then stand and pace across the room. So, was he just hanging out with me, kissing me, yesterday as a rebellious act against his bossy sister?

“Why?” I turn and face her, hands propped on my hips. She looks down at her desk, suddenly looking flummoxed.

“Well, because, you know Eli—”

“Actually, I don’t.” I cross my arms. “I’d never met him before yesterday. But I’ll tell you this,” I lean on her desk, towering over her, suddenly so angry on both my and Eli’s behalf that I’d be baffled if I stopped and gave it too much thought. “Eli was nothing but polite yesterday. He escorted me to my loft and to Declan’s show last night.”

“Look, Kate, I didn’t mean—”

“I don’t know why you think you had to warn your brother off me. I’m a grown woman, a professional woman, who certainly doesn’t flop down on her back for any man who smiles at her and crooks his finger, which your brother
did not.
So, I think you’ve misjudged both of us.”

“Wow, you’re pissed.”

“I am
so
bloody mad at you right now.”

“When you get mad, your Irish shows through.” Her lips twitch, but I’m not done being mad at her yet.
 

“I’m here to do a job, not start an affair. I won’t be here that long.”

“You like him,” Van murmurs with narrowed eyes.

“I don’t
know
him!” I repeat in exasperation.
Yes, I like him! He kisses like a dream, and I want to climb his hot body and have my wicked way with him!

Not that I’m going to tell her that.
 

“I just didn’t want him to set his sights on you and have you eventually hurt. I know you’re still—”

“I’m fine.” I shake my head, not wanting to go down this road with Van, not today. I have a long day ahead of a new job, and bringing my own baggage into it won’t be productive. “I promise, I’m fine. Now, I need to get down to HR. I don’t want to be late on my first day.”

“I’ll walk you down.” She stands, but I shake my head.

“No thanks. No favoritism, remember?” I shoot her a grin and walk toward her door.
 

“Kate, if you want to talk about—”

“Do you want to talk about Lance?” I ask without turning around, and the room is suddenly filled with a heavy silence as I shake my head and open her door. “I didn’t think so. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

***

“This is Hilary,” Linda Beals, the head of HR informs me as she leads me to my new office. “She’s been promoted to another position here in the company, but is going to stay with you today to show you the ropes.”

Hilary, a woman who looks to be a few years older than me smiles and stands, offering her hand to shake. “Pleasure,” she says.

“Hello,” I reply and smile at Linda, as she assures me that I’m in good hands, and leaves me with Hilary.
 

“So, you’re taking over as Mr. Rudolph’s assistant,” Hilary says, stating the obvious.
 

“It seems so,” I reply and sit in the desk chair next to hers behind my new desk. “How long have you been with him?”

“Oh, gosh, about twelve years now, I guess.” Hilary leans in as if she’s about to tell me a big secret. “He’s really very easy to work with, as long as you make his coffee just so.”

“You make his coffee?” I ask with a raised brow. “That’s a little old school.”

She shrugs and starts pulling files out of her drawer. “I don’t mind. Now, let’s get started. You only have me for today, but I’ll just be one floor up, so if you ever have questions, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“Thanks.”
 

“Did Linda show you around?”

“No, she just brought me down here after she went over my paperwork.” I glance around my small, simple office, and see exactly why Van put me here. It’s a corner space, and I’m able to see down two corridors of offices, and into the windows of said offices.
 

“Sounds about right,” Hilary replies with a roll of the eyes. “After we go over these things, we’ll take a break, and I’ll give you a grand tour.”

“Sounds good.”

“Are you new to town?”

“Yes, very new.”

“Well, I think you and I will be good friends.” She smiles and then stands when a man walks in, looking harried and busy. “Mr. Rudolph, this is your new assistant, Kate.”

“Hello,” he says with a distracted smile and shakes my hand, his grip firm. He’s probably in his early forties, with thinning hair over a handsome face, with a nose just a couple sizes too big, and he wears thick-rimmed glasses on his face. He’s not terribly tall, but he’s wiry thin. “Hilary will show you the ropes, but let me know if you have any questions.” And with that, he disappears into his office just off of mine and shuts the door firmly behind him.

“He’s a man of few words,” I remark with a smile.

“Yeah, he’s not terribly chatty,” Hilary confirms.
 

“Miss O’Shaughnessy?” A man asks as he walks into my office, carrying a large bouquet of happy sunflowers.

“Yes,” I reply with surprise.

“These are for you.”

I gape in surprise as he sets the flowers on my desk, waits for my signature, and then leaves.

“Wow, sugar, those are impressive.”

I nod and pull the small envelope out of the plastic holder in the center of the bouquet and open it, facing away from Hilary, so she can’t read over my shoulder.

Kate-

Welcome. Have a good first day.

Best Wishes,