Heaven’s sake, I hadn’t blushed since I was fifteen. What was this man doing to me?
Bentley walked in, set his leather-bound journal on the boardroom table, and clapped his hands.
“Morning everyone. We have a busy week ahead of us, so let’s get to it.”
I was grateful for his briskness this morning. I needed to occupy my hands—and my mind.
Blushing.
What next?
Swooning?
Heaven forbid.
I stayed in my seat, furiously writing the last few moments of the meeting as people filed out. Bentley had been on fire this morning, discussing new projects, the hiring of additional staff, the transition of some people to the new building, as well as a hundred and one other items on his list.
Busy, indeed.
I jotted down some questions I needed to ask, then snapped shut my notepad.
I glanced up, surprised to see all the boys still in their seats. They were all relaxed, sipping coffee, Aiden eating what I was certain was his fourth Danish of the day. I met their glances, confused.
“Boys—what’s up?”
“Just checking in, Sandy,” Maddox drawled, a smile on his lips.
“Checking in?”
“You look good today,” Bentley stated softly. “Lovely as usual, but better.”
“I had a nice weekend.”
Aiden lifted one eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Very productive. Cleaned out some drawers, went shopping, that sort of thing.”
Reid leaned forward. “Anything particularly interesting filed under ‘that sort of thing’?”
I rolled my eyes. They were fishing. They knew I had lunch with Jordan last week, and like curious children, they wanted to know what was going on. I stood, brushing off my skirt.
“I deleted that app, if that is what you’re wondering. You can all stop worrying.”
“We’ll never stop worrying about you, Sandy,” Bentley stated. “We love you too much.”
His words made me smile.
“I’m fine, boys. Carry on with your life.”
“Dee and I were out to dinner on Saturday,” Maddox said.
I glanced at him, waiting for him to continue.
“Imagine my surprise”—he smirked—“when I saw you across the restaurant, having dinner. With Jordan.”
“Imagine,” I replied, trying not to laugh. I was incorrect. They were worse than curious children. Four sets of eyes stared at me, all waiting for me to speak.
“The restaurant was lovely. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we did,” I responded, keeping my voice neutral.
“You looked quite cozy,” Maddox added.
“Tell me, how many phone calls happened between the four of you on Sunday? I’m quite shocked none of you was at my door demanding answers yesterday.”
They all spoke up at once.
“Emmy wouldn’t let me.”
“Cami said to leave you alone.”
“Dee refused to let me come say hello on Saturday. She told me to give you some privacy.”
“Becca told me to butt out.”
I picked up my notepad. “Good thing your partners have some sense. Yes, Jordan and I went out for dinner. We had a nice evening. We spoke yesterday on the phone, and we do plan on seeing each other again. Now, I will try to refrain from dragging him into the supply cupboard and having my wicked way with him, and I promise not to make kissy faces at him during meetings, but heaven only knows. He is rather sexy. Now, I believe we’re done here.”
I swept out of the boardroom, shutting the door behind me. The silence I left was deafening and the shocked looks on their faces priceless.
But I had a feeling I had made my point. I knew that each of them would approach me today and grovel. I planned on enjoying it. I found it quite funny, if I was being honest.
I wasn’t angry or even upset. I knew they were all concerned about me, and I also knew they were idiots a great deal of the time when it came to personal matters. Still, I had to set some boundaries.
Even if I loved them all the more for their behavior.
I approached my desk, all other thoughts disappearing when I saw what waited for me. Sitting beside my keyboard was a small vase containing three perfect irises.
There was no note. No indication of who had left them, but I knew who it was.
Jordan.
It was a lovely little reminder of the weekend.
Of him.
The boardroom door opened, and the partners all filed out, heading directly to their offices. They all looked crestfallen, and I was instantly ashamed of berating them.
“Boys,” I called softly.
They all turned, looking at me.
“I love you. Interfering idiots you are, that hasn’t changed. I promise if I need you, I will call, okay?”
They all smiled in relief, making me chuckle. They couldn’t stand it if they felt I was upset—the hard-hearted, tough businessman image they projected was simply that. An image. Underneath their fancy suits and gruff exteriors, they were all caring, loving men—and fiercely protective.
I was glad to be one of the people they cared so deeply about.
“Now, get back to work,” I demanded. “I can’t do all this myself, you know.”
Reid laughed. “I think you do most of it.”
I tilted my chin. “Remember that.”
They were all sniggering as they dispersed.
I touched the petals on my irises, smiling. I looked up to see Bentley in his doorway, watching me. I winked at him and he grinned.
“I love seeing you smile like that again.”
I arched an eyebrow at him, and he lifted his hands in supplication, then disappeared into his office.
I opened my laptop and got to work.
Sandy
Jordan’s eyes widened in shock. “Maddox was there? I never noticed him.”
I nodded with a grin. “Neither of us did. Apparently, Dee dragged him out of the restaurant and refused to let him interrupt us.”
He lifted his wine. “What are the odds?”
“I know.”
“Does it bother you? Their interference? Or should I say, attempted interference?” Jordan asked with a smirk. “I love how you shut them down.”
I felt the need to defend them. “No, I know how worried they have been. They’re just trying to watch out for me.”
He leaned across the table, his voice low. “If you still have to prove a point, I’m okay with you dragging me into the storage cupboard.” He sat back with a wink. “I’ll take one for the team.”
I laughed at his humor. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You do that.”
The waiter slid a plate in front of us. “Elk ravioli with a blue cheese and thyme cream sauce,” he announced, then poured us the next wine pairing. “A rich Syrah with essence of black plum, pepper, and blackberry.”
I eyed my plate with anticipation. Everything had been delicious so far. I cut into the pasta and tasted the offering. The richness of the cheese and the dense filling was heaven.
Jordan groaned around his mouthful. “This is amazing.”
I sipped the pungent, dry wine with appreciation. It was the perfect accompaniment to the decadent pasta.
“This just gets better and better,” I agreed.