She smiled and helped him, tugging slightly until it was straight. The small, kind gesture made his throat tighten and his pants shrink. “You’re welcome. Turns out, once you relax, you’re actually a cool guy.”
“Because I was with you,” he said, forcing himself to stand still as she smoothed his jacket, even though every instinct within him screamed that he should grab her, kiss her, and show her why their relationship would be so much more enjoyable if they let loose a little bit more, this time without those strict rules of hers. “I had fun.”
“Me, too,” she said softly. So softly he almost missed it. “Benjamin.”
They fell silent, staring, almost as if they measured one another. The tension between them was impossible to ignore. Heart pounding, he reached out and ran his thumb over the curve of her chin, getting another hit of the drug that was Maggie Donovan. She shivered, gripping his jacket with a sigh. “You’re so fucking unique and beautiful that I’m not even sure what to say to you half the damn time.”
His words seemed to yank her from some sort of trance—the same trance he’d been stuck in. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud…but even so, it was true. She was gorgeous, inside and out.
In his world, that was as rare as the Hope Diamond.
“You can say whatever you want, Benjamin.” Stepping back, she tucked her hair behind her ear and gave him a shy smile. “I’ll see you at the office Monday?”
“Yes. Of course.” He shoved his trembling hands into his pockets and inclined his head. “I’ll leave once I see you turn the light on, so I know you’re safely inside.”
She nodded and headed up the stairs, her hips swinging naturally. As soon as the light turned on, she pushed the curtain aside and waved at him. He nodded back, and slid inside his town car. After he closed the door, the driver pulled away.
No sooner had he cleared the curb, than his phone rang. When he saw who it was, he stiffened. He’d called his brother that morning, but hadn’t gotten a hold of him. Apparently that was changing now. “Andrew. Thanks for calling me back.”
“No problem,” his brother’s deep voice said through the line. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. What makes you think something’s wrong?”
Andrew paused. “Well, you called me.”
“Yeah?”
“You never call unless something’s wrong.”
While true, it still hurt to hear. When had he become such a recluse that he forgot to pick up the damn phone and call his brother? “That’s not true. I called you last week.”
“For my birthday?” Andrew laughed. “Yeah, that doesn’t count, Ben.”
Benjamin winced, because he was right. “Sorry. Life’s been busy.”
“I hear you’ve been working constantly.” He paused. “I also heard you have a new woman in the picture. One Mother doesn’t approve of.”
“Big shocker there.”
Andrew laughed. “Who is she?”
“My lead researcher. We’re…” He hesitated because he’d never lied to his brother before. “We’re engaged, actually.”
“Whoa! Another one bites the dust, huh?”
He rubbed his scalp. “Yeah. Something like that.”
“That’s great.” Andrew exclaimed. Thing was, he actually sounded sincere. “When do I get to meet her?”
“She’ll be at the mayor’s dinner with me.”
“Excellent.” Andrew sighed. “Confirmed bachelor, Benjamin Gale the third, finally taken down by a woman. I can see the headlines now.”
“Yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m dreading them already.”
Andrew laughed. “I’m not.”
Benjamin took a second and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Hey, did Mother tell you about the motion she wants to put forward?”
“No.” Andrew’s laughter died. “What’s she up to now?”
“She wants to propose a motion of no confidence, on account of my nonstop philandering lifestyle.” He paused. “She wants you to take over as CEO.”
“Shit.” Andrew was silent a minute, then asked, “Is that why you’re suddenly engaged? If so, don’t do it. Don’t give in to her insane demands.”
“Nah, the engagement happened before this. We’ve been dating for a while now.” Benjamin relaxed against the seat. It appeared that Andrew wasn’t in on his mother’s scheme, but that didn’t mean he was going to come clean about the farce. “But you seriously weren’t aware of it?”
“Of course not. I have no interest in taking your position.”
At least he had one family member who wasn’t trying to take him down.
Thank God.
Chapter Six
At exactly five o’clock Monday evening, Maggie closed her computer, slid it into her bag, took a deep breath, and stood. A few coworkers had already gathered their belongings, and they shot her some surreptitious glances the second she moved. She wasn’t sure whether it was because she was leaving earlier than normal, or if it was because word had spread about her and Benjamin being engaged.
Either way…
They were freaking staring.
And they had been all day, too. At first it had been mildly amusing, but after the tenth person stopped by her desk to chat—correction, to gape at her ring—it had gotten old, really fast. Obviously, some sort of announcement was needed.
She might as well get it over with.
“Just do it, Maggie. Stand up, and announce you’re dating Benjamin,” she muttered under her breath. Fisting her hands at her sides, she cleared her throat loudly, ignoring her racing heart. “Yes, I’ve been secretly dating Mr. Gale, and yes, I have been since before I even started working here. And yes, I’m engaged to him. He gave me a gorgeous ring.” She led her hand up high, rotating it every which way. “Here it is. Now, can we all move on, and stop staring at me like I’m a freak?”
People ducked their heads, returning to whatever they’d been doing earlier. Maggie nodded once, smoothed her skirt, and headed for Benjamin’s door.
That went surprisingly well.
Hopefully this next step would, too.
“You can do this. Everything will be fine,” she whispered under her breath, staring at the Empire State Building as she went. She could just make out the red neon sign on top of the old New Yorker Hotel, too. “It’s fine. This’ll be fun. You’re strong and steady, like that building. Benjamin won’t make you cave. You won’t kiss him or touch him. You’re not going to lose.”
If she said it enough times, maybe she’d actually believe it.
After a long, calming breath, she lifted her hand and knocked three times on his door. She heard a muffled “come in” through the wood, so she twisted the knob. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d left the office before seven, and Benjamin rarely did either, but tonight…
They were going to do it together.
Be rebels.
It had taken most of the last two days to get everything lined up properly, but she was ready to show him what a real first date should be like. When she walked in, the frown he wore faded a tiny bit, and he studied her without lifting his head from his work. “Hey. How’s it going out there?”
“Awkwardly. They’re all staring.” She waved a hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. He looked so handsome sitting behind his desk in his navy blue suit, with his perfect hair begging to be touched. “Like, constantly. I’m about to drag my desk in here so I can have a closed door, too.”
He set his pen down and sighed. “Do I need to say something?”
“No, please. It’s fine.”
“Okay.” He paused again, frowning. “Why are you in here, if you don’t need my help?”
Her cheeks heated, because he seemed annoyed at her intrusion. “We’re leaving.”
“What?” He glanced at his watch and shook his head. “No way in hell. I’ve got at least two more hours of work here on my desk, and it’s only five o’clock. Not to mention, you still haven’t gotten me that report you owe me. I told you it would wait, but I didn’t mean forever.” His tone was dismissive, as if having dealt with her, he expected her to leave.