“You might want to let me finish the story before you declare that.”

Her smile wilted. “You got caught?”

“I didn’t think so. But I had a little mishap. When I leaned over and lifted the wiper to tuck the ticket underneath, somehow a piece of my hair got caught and tangled.”

Madison’s brow furrowed. “In the wiper blade?”

“I know. Strange. But it was so windy today, and when I went to unwind it, I made it worse. You know my crazy thick hair. I could lose a hairbrush in it for a few days and no one would notice. These waves have a mind of their own.”

“How did you get it out?”

“I yanked until it came free. Only when it finally detached from the car, the windshield wiper was attached to my hair instead of the brand-new Audi it belonged to.”

Madison’s hand flew to her mouth as she cracked up. “Oh my God.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you leave the owner a note?”

I took a healthy gulp of my drink, which tasted a little better the more I drank. “Does the ticket count as a note?”

“Well…at least there’s an upside?”

“There is? Tell me, because right about now, after the day I had, I’m not seeing any upside at all.”

“There’s a Greek god in the office. That’s good. How long has it been since you’ve been on a date—eight years?”

“Trust me. The Greek god won’t be asking me out on a date.”

“Married?”

“Worse.”

“Gay?”

I laughed. “Nope. He’s the owner of the Audi I vandalized and then re-gifted my parking ticket to, and apparently he saw me do it.”

“Crap.”

“Yeah. Crap. Oh, and I have to work with him on a daily basis.”

“Oh shit. What does he do?”

“He’s the regional creative director for the company we merged with.”

“Wait a minute. Isn’t that your title?”

“Yep. And there’s only room for one of us.”

A waiter who wasn’t even ours walked by. Madison put out her hand and grabbed him. “We need another vodka seltzer and glass of merlot. Immediately.”

***

The next morning, I made a stop on the way to the office. As much as I hated what was happening with my job, apparently, I was going to have to work with Bennett for the next few months. And…let’s face it, I’d been wrong. I’d damaged his car and left a parking ticket instead of a note. If someone had done that to me... Well, I doubted I would be even as polite as he’d been throughout the day. He’d waited until we were alone to call me out on my shit, when he could’ve made me look bad in front of my new boss.

His car was illegally parked in the same spot as yesterday when I arrived. Last night, when I’d replayed the day in my head, I thought perhaps his car had been skipped over by accident because the meter maid lost track and thought she’d ticketed it already since it looked identical to mine from the outside. But if that were the case, and he’d already gotten away with it once, why would he park there again today and risk getting another ticket?

There were only a few logical answers. One, he was rich and arrogant. Two, he was an idiot. Or three, he knew he wouldn’t be getting a parking ticket.

Bennett’s office door was closed, but I noticed from the bottom that his light was on. I lifted my hand to knock, but hesitated. It would’ve been easier if he weren’t so damn good looking.

Grow a pair, Annalise.

I straightened my spine and stood tall before knocking loudly on the door. After a minute, relief started to wash over me as I decided Bennett wasn’t in there. He must have left his light on. I was just about to turn away when, without warning, the door whipped open.

I jumped in surprise and clutched my chest. “You scared the shit out of me.”

Bennett removed one earbud from his ear. “Did you just say I scared you?”

“Yes. I wasn’t expecting you to open the door.”

He pulled the other earbud out and let them dangle around his neck. His brow furrowed. “You knocked on my office door but weren’t expecting me to open it?”

“Your door was shut, and it was quiet. I didn’t think you were in there.”

Bennett held up his iPhone “I just got back from my run. Had my earbuds in.”

Music blared from them, and I recognized the song.

“‘Enter Sandman?’ Really?” My voice hinted at my amusement.

“What’s wrong with Metallica?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. You just don’t look like someone who listens to Metallica.”

He squinted. “And exactly what do I look like I listen to?”

I gave him the onceover. He wasn’t dressed in the expensive suit and wingtips he’d had on yesterday. Yet even wearing casual clothes—a body-hugging black Under Armour T-shirt and low-hanging sweats—there was something about him that reeked of refinement.

Although the way that vein bulged from his bicep was more fine than refinement at the moment. Bennett was older than me, I’d guess—early thirties, perhaps—but his body was firm and muscular, and I imagined he looked even more incredible without that shirt on.

Blinking myself back from a semi-daze, I remembered he’d asked me a question. “Classical. I would have taken you for more of a classical music person than Metallica.”

“That’s kind of stereotyping, isn’t it? In that case, what should I assume about you? You’re blond and beautiful.”

“I’m not stupid.”

He folded his arms over his chest and cocked one brow. “You did get your head stuck to the windshield of my car.”

He had a point. And I was most definitely not starting off on the right foot by arguing with him again this morning. Getting myself back on track, I held up the long, slim package I’d picked up on my way to the office.

“That reminds me, I wanted to apologize for yesterday.”

Bennett seemed to assess me for a minute. Then he took the wiper blade from my hand. “How the hell did you get your hair stuck to my car, anyway?”

I felt my face heat. “Let me start off by saying cars aren’t my thing. I don’t like to drive them, and have crap luck with them working properly. At the old office, I could walk to work. Now I have to drive every day. Anyway, I got a parking ticket yesterday morning while I was unpacking boxes from my car. We happen to have the same make, model, and color Audi. Yours was parked illegally, too, but you hadn’t gotten a ticket. So I tried to put mine under your windshield wiper, hoping you would pay it. Only a gust of wind came, and my hair somehow got tangled when I lifted the wiper. When I tried to unravel it, I made it worse. I really didn’t mean to vandalize your car.”

His face wasn’t giving anything away. “You only meant to make me pay your parking ticket, not break my wiper.”

“That’s right.”

He smirked. “Now it all makes sense.”

Bennett had a water bottle in his hand. He brought it to his lips and took a long gulp, his eyes never leaving me. When he was done, he nodded.

“Apology accepted.”

“Really?”

“We have to work together. Might as well keep it professional.”

I was relieved. “Thank you.”

“I shower at the gym downstairs after my morning run. Give me about twenty minutes, and we can get started going over our accounts.”

“Okay. Great. See you in a bit.”

Maybe I’d underestimated Bennett. Just because he was good looking, I had assumed he would be an egomaniac, and I’d never live down my moment of insanity. When I reached my supply closet office, I jiggled the key in the lock. It was stuck, but eventually it clanked and the door opened. The smell of cleaning supplies immediately permeated my nose. At least I understood why he’d stuck me in here now. Sighing, I flicked on the light and was surprised to find someone had left a bag on my desk.

Assuming it was probably the janitor, I picked it up to move it to where the other chemicals were piled and spotted a handwritten note on top.

You’ll be needing this. —Bennett

A gift for me?

Setting my laptop and purse down, I dug inside the bag. It was light—definitely not cleaning chemicals—and the contents were wrapped in tissue paper.

Curious, I unwrapped it.

A cowboy hat?

What?

You’ll be needing this.

Hmm…

You’ll be needing this.

As in, for my job.

In Texas.

Maybe Bennett wasn’t that mature after all.

Chapter 4

* * *

Bennett

Tomorrow maybe I should leave some lingerie.

Right on time, Annalise strutted into my office carrying a large cardboard box. She had on the cowboy hat I’d left her to be a dick. Only now that she was wearing it, I was thinking with my dick.

She looked sexy as hell with her wild blonde hair sticking out all over. I bet she’d look hot as shit in a black lace corset and some spiky heels to go with that cowboy hat. I shook my head to knock that visual from my imagination. But my mind wasn’t having it. It was busy thinking of a million ways I’d like to see her wear it.

Riding me.

Reverse cowgirl.

Yeah, not smart, Fox.

I looked away for a minute before clearing my throat and walking over to take the box from her hands. “Looks good on you. You’re going to fit right in at the new office in a few months.”