“Yes, we are. She just finished her degree in business management.”
“Congratulations,” Daniel said. “That’s quite an accomplishment.” The other man stepped forward, and Daniel continued the introductions. “This is my brother, Dave. He’s part-owner of Anderson Construction. Dave, this is another veteran… a former SEAL. He has hands-on experience and is thinking about going into contracting.” A new round of shaking hands took place.
Ben nodded. “I’m still working on my grandmother’s house, and I’m getting some work done on Violet’s. But I’m definitely interested in talking with you. I called the other day and left a note with the receptionist.”
“Fuc… fudge,” Daniel cursed then covered quickly, his gaze glancing apologetically toward Violet. “I had a receptionist, but I didn’t get your message, Ben. But then, I wasn’t getting a lot of messages.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Not getting messages is one of the reasons I don’t have a receptionist anymore.”
Dave huffed, shaking his head as he looked at his brother. “I’m more of a silent partner and not there much. What we are in serious need of is an office manager who can run the whole office, but that’s not easy to find.”
“Why is it not easy?” Violet asked.
Daniel shrugged, rubbing his chin. “We’re a small, family-run business, but we’re busy as hell and growing. The problem is that we need someone who can manage an office, handle the ordering, handle some of the crew and work assignments, plus be a receptionist, and can handle basic bookkeeping. We’ve got an accountant for our taxes, but it’s hard to find somebody. Usually, someone either comes with no experience and they can’t handle all that, or they’re looking to climb the corporate ladder and don’t like a job where jeans are as good to wear as fancy clothes.”
Ben stared at Violet, seeing the wheels turn behind her eyes. Glancing up at the two Anderson brothers, they were watching her closely as well.
“I don’t suppose you’re looking for a job, are you?” Daniel chuckled as he moved his gaze between Violet and Ben.
“As a matter of fact, I am. My experience is in bookkeeping, and I’ve certainly worked as a receptionist. And now, I have a degree in business management.” Her gaze darted over to Ben, and with his hand on the back of her neck, he could feel both her nerves and excitement.
“Well, we’ll let you get back to your celebration, but Ben, send me an email. That way I’ll be sure to get it and we can talk about you, your construction goals, and what we can do for each other.” He pulled out another business card and slid it across the table toward Violet. “And Ms. Mayfield, if you’re interested, you can come by and check us out, and we’ll be more than happy to interview you.” He turned toward Dave and said, “And just think, I almost didn’t come over here and interrupt them.” With a laugh and a wave, the two Anderson brothers walked away.
Violet made big eyes at Ben, then leaned forward, touching her forehead to his. “Can you believe that just happened?” she whisper-squealed.
“Pretty amazing, I’d say.”
Her brow crinkled, and he lifted his hand to gently smooth the crease. “What sent you from happy to concerned in the span of two seconds?”
“Would it be weird if we ended up working in the same place?”
“Violet… let’s not start worrying about what-ifs that aren’t even here yet. Plus, if I work for them, I’ll be out on job sites.”
She sucked in her lips between her teeth and nodded. “What do you think about it, though?”
He kissed her lightly. “I say sleep on it, and if you still like the idea tomorrow, then arrange to go by and see what they need. Go slow, make sure you think it’s what you want and that you’re not just taking a job to get you out of where you are now. Talk to them. Look around. Discuss benefits, salary, duties. And then sleep on it again. If it’s still good, then I think you’ll know what to do.”
She held his gaze, her delicious lips curving until a smile spread across her face. Lifting a brow, she whispered, “Sleep on it, you say? What if there’s something else I want to do in bed tonight?”
His brows jumped to his hairline. “Damn, woman.” Slapping money on the table to pay for their drinks plus a huge tip, he hopped down, waved toward the server, and turned to lift Violet down from her stool. With his hand wrapped around her waist, they fast-walked out of the bar. As soon as they were outside, he whirled her around, and with both hands cupping her face, he drew her closer. Their lips met and flamed immediately. He kept it short, dragging his mouth from hers, already his breath heaving.
“Home?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, let’s go home.”
19
As soon as they entered Violet’s townhouse, Ben flipped the deadbolt. He turned and hesitated for only a second as they stood, staring at each other. Then, as if on cue, they reached out and grabbed each other’s hands and raced toward the stairs. He hadn’t felt this primed since he was a teenager, and hoped he had more finesse… but at the rate they were taking the stairs two at a time together, he doubted finesse was on either of their minds.
Reaching the bedroom, he dragged in a breath as his heart pounded, feeling as though he’d just finished a twenty-mile run in full pack.
Violet kicked off her shoes and her fingers went to the side zipper of her dress. Not waiting, he fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, almost popping them off in his haste. Jerking it off at the same time he toed off his shoes, his belt buckle was next. Stripping in record time, they stood in the middle of her bedroom, both naked but several feet apart. His gaze raked over her body, the soft curves and dips begging his hands and lips to explore.
She slowly lifted her hands to her head and deftly removed the clip holding the dark tresses from her face. Now free, the waves fell down her back, over her shoulders, and the ends hung in the front, allowing her nipples to peek through.
His breath caught in his throat, almost afraid to exhale as though the apparition in front of him would disappear. A chuckle erupted from deep inside his chest, and her questioning gaze showed a tinge of insecurity. Rushing to explain, he said, “We’ve got all night. All night just for us. And yet here we are, in a big hurry as though we’re on the clock for the fastest sex in the history of time.”
Now it was her time to laugh. He loved the sound coming from her, but his gaze took in the way her hair rippled and her breasts moved with her mirth.
She stepped forward a foot, maintaining a space between them. “As a mom, especially a single mom, it seems as though anything that’s just for me has to be done quickly. A bath… a facial… a nap.”
He moved another foot forward until their bodies were only an inch apart, and he lifted his hand to cup her face, his thumb sweeping over the petal-soft skin. The rich color of her eyes was not as discernable in the barely-lit room but their intensity still burned straight through him. “We don’t have to rush. Not tonight. We have the entire night to do whatever we want. To touch, feel, explore, learn… to make love.”
“All night?” Her hopeful whisper escaped as her eyes widened.