The whispers at the watercooler were saying she’d only gotten the job because she was blowing me. I didn’t want to add any more fuel to the fire. We ran a no bullshit office, but gossip was something we couldn’t stop or control.
When everyone had cleared out for the day, I made my way to Aubrey’s desk, where she sat transfixed on her screen. I waited for a few beats before clearing my throat. A small yelp escaped from her, and the sweet sound shot straight to my dick. I swallowed down the groan that hovered on my lips.
She looked up at me, her eyes wide with surprise. “Noah. Hey. Hi.”
“From what Michael tells me, you’re doing a great job. Congratulations on figuring out what caused the glitch. I knew you would be perfect for us. How do you like The James Group?”
“I love it. Most everyone is super friendly and have gone out of their way to show me the ropes. There are almost no egos. I kind of expected there would be more. But I guess that comes from the top down.” A contented sigh puffed from her lips. “Being here is a dream come true. And the hot chocolate bar is a bonus.”
I perched on the edge of her desk. “I want to talk to you about something.”
Her eyes fell. “I thought everything was okay and that Michael was happy with my work. Did I do something wrong?” She flinched then rolled her lips between her teeth, waiting for whatever reprimand she thought I was going to give her.
I shook my head. “I just congratulated you on a job well done. Why would you think you’ve done something wrong?”
“Oh, you know, I’m the new girl, and I’m still learning the ropes.”
I swallowed hard and licked my parched lips. What the fuck was up with me? I was acting like a lovesick idiot. Asking a woman out had never been an issue for me before.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
I rubbed a hand over the back of my neck. “Every year there’s a thing called the billionaire’s ball. Dumb name, I know, but it’s for a good cause. All of the billionaires in the United States get together to raise money for charities. It’s a night filled with silent auctions and champagne.”
“Sounds like you’ll have fun.” She gave me a wary look. “But why are you telling me about it?
“I was hoping you’d be my plus one.”
Chapter Four
Aubrey
“Huh?” I stared at him like he’d just announced unicorns were real. “As in a date? As in you want me to go with you to a billionaire’s ball?” I laughed so hard I was in danger of peeing my pants. “Is this some kind of joke? Are you messing with me right now? You’re not seriously asking me to go somewhere like that with you, are you?”
He grinned. “I’m deadly serious. I think you’d enjoy yourself. And it’s not really a date. It’s me bringing someone who won’t run to the gossip rags and who isn’t a gold digger.”
I wanted to slap myself across the face. Why would I think it was a date? I was a safe bet. Someone he didn’t have to try with.
“Isn’t that against company rules or something?”
“My company, my rules. Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“I don’t want people talking about me any more than they already are. As friendly as everyone has been, I’ve heard the whispers about how I got this job. I don’t want to give the wrong impression.”
“If it helps, I’ll send out a companywide email about gossip.”
“No, don’t. I can handle it. I just don’t want to be the subject of anymore chin-wagging, and if I go anywhere with you, I will be.”
He slid off my desk and stood tall. “I like you, Aubrey.”
My heart stilled, and I held my breath waiting for him to declare his undying love.
“We get along. You’d be easy company for the night. Come as my friend.”
Ugh. I’d been relegated to the friend zone, but what was new? I quickly thought through his invitation. Every day since I’d bumped into him, he’d been on my mind.
Who was I kidding? I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. I worked late so I could catch a glimpse of him when he left the office.
When he was in the boardroom with his brothers, I continuously glanced at the glass walls. And when he was in his office, I couldn’t help but gaze longingly wishing he would notice me.
“You’d be doing me a favor,” he encouraged. “The single women there are like ravenous vultures.”
If he wasn’t going to declare his undying love, then I would take his friendship and go to the ball as his friend. He was right, we got along, and for a billionaire tech God, he was normal.
“When is it?” I asked.
“Saturday week. That’s plenty of notice, right? Unless you’re busy that night.” Maybe I’d imagined it, but I thought I saw something close to fear in his eyes.
“Let me check my diary,” I said then laughed. I lifted my hand, flicked through my imaginary diary, and scanned the imaginary pages. “Nope. Looks like I’m free. What’s the dress code?”
“Black tie. I’ll give you an expense budget. You can go buy yourself something.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. I can buy whatever I need. Don’t want you to think I’m a gold digger.”
He chuckled, the sound chasing goosebumps all over my skin. “It’s a date.”
“Not a date,” I reminded him.
“Right. I’ll see you tomorrow, and I’ll email you the details as soon as I get home.”
When he was out of eyesight, I silently squeed. The sexiest man I’d ever met had asked me to go to a billionaire’s ball with him. But then my elation waned. What kind of dress could I wear that was both sexy and demure? I needed something that would cover my scars but, at the same time, made me look sophisticated and hot. The night might take us somewhere neither of us had planned.
Like that was really going to happen. If he saw what I hid beneath my baggy sweaters, he would run a ten-second mile. I had to remember we were friends, and friends didn’t see friends naked. I would flirt and laugh with him, but that’s all it could ever be.
After all the crap I’d gone through as a kid, I promised myself I’d hide my body forever. Growing up, some of my nicknames had been dragon, lizard, and Freddy Krueger. When I got old enough to notice the stares, whispers, and horrified giggles, I threw out my T-shirts, shorts, and swimsuits. I never ever wore anything that showed too much skin.
The cruel nicknames and curious glances had stuck with me. No way would I ever let a man see me naked or touch me. And yet, I wanted Noah in a way I’d never wanted anyone in my life. He’d roused the hormones I’d kept at bay, and they were demanding some satisfaction. Well, too bad, because they weren’t going to get it.
****
I’d never been this nervous in all my life.
I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, scrutinizing my reflection, turning this way and that.
I wore a floor-length black, sparkly dress with long sleeves and a conservative neckline. The fabric clung to my curves, and the design gave me a cinched waist before flaring out over my hips. I’d put the cost on my emergency credit card. The price tag was more than a month’s wages, but the splurge was worth every penny.