Table For Two: Barrington Billionaire's Series: Book Two (7 page)

“When I tried to question why he wanted to see you, he became very defensive. Before I could react, Zoey stepped between us and set him straight. I was impressed. She’s fearless, but I guess growing up in a house with all brothers would do that to a person. You should have seen her in action. Zoey’s obviously very protective of you.”

That thought of family watching out for each other may have appealed to others but not to Dean. She was only four years older than he was, and at a young age Zoey had decided to take him under her protection. It started when their father would come home from work in one of his moods, looking for someone or something to hit. Dean must have been four or five at that time, but he remembered one time Zoey had grabbed him by the hand and led him into a different wing of the house, far away from their father. They had stayed there all night. No one ever tucked them into bed so there was no reason for either of them to have been missed. It was every man for himself back then. He was lucky Zoey was there to teach him the art of duck and cover.

Over the years, Dean had stopped running and hiding and met his father’s abuse head-on. Each hit and each word only made him stronger, made him who he was today. Nothing hurt him anymore.

“You thought I needed your protection?” Dean laughed. “You should worry more about protecting yourself from me.”

Tessa’s eyes widened. “And why is that?”

Dean wanted to tell her he knew who she was, why she was there. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and claimed her lips with his. Nothing about it was soft or tender like before. No, he wanted to make her his. To remove any loyalty or association she had with Dax.

He took what he wanted, his invasion of her mouth meant to show her he was in control. But the sweet taste of her only made him want her more. Her hands pressed against his chest at first in a defensive mode, but then clung to him. Her mouth firm, now yielding to him, her tongue exploring him.
Fuck.

His cock hardened with the feel of her breast crushed against him. If he didn’t stop this now, he would pick her up and take her right on his desk. It didn’t matter who heard her cries of passion.

Dean pulled away from her, leaving her standing staring at him, confused. Her lips were swollen from his assault, her breast heaving with want. He needed to remind himself why Tessa was here. If she thought getting him into her bed was going to knock him off his game, she was mistaken.

He watched her as she bolted out of his office with her hand over her mouth as though ashamed of what had just happened between them. Dean knew better. Anger filled him as he went back to his desk.
I’m not falling for your sweet innocent act any longer.

T
essa couldn’t make it back to the safety of her office fast enough. If she never had to see Dean Henderson again, it was fine with her. How he could kiss her like that and then push her away in disgust was beyond her. Was he purposely out to drive her crazy? First he kissed her in the car, now the office. But at the same time, he accused her of lying to him.
Who does such things?

As she got off the elevator, she was met by Miss Sunshine herself. That was the last thing she needed right now.

“Tessa, are you okay?” Lexi asked.

“Fine,” Tessa answered as she walked past her desk.

Lexi obviously didn’t get the hint that she didn’t want to talk and wanted to be left alone. “You sure don’t look fine. Was it the boss? Did he yell at you or something? You did say he could be a jerk.”

Tessa didn’t remember using those exact words, but right now they sure fit. “Please Lexi, go back to your desk and just do what you are here to do.” She couldn’t believe how cold and mean she sounded. That wasn’t her. No matter how she was treated, she never treated others that way.

Lexi had already turned and headed back toward her desk. Tessa knew she had hurt her feelings.
God, what a jerk I am. Dean, you must be rubbing off on me and not in a good way either.

“Lexi, wait,” she called after her. “I’m sorry I snapped at you like that. I’m not having the best morning.”

Lexi turned, looked her over, and said, “I know exactly what will change that.”

Tessa raised a questioning brow. With all the crazy things that Lexi had already said in the few hours she had been there, Tessa couldn’t begin to guess what that would be. “Getting my work done is what I need to do right now.”

“Don’t even think about it. Trust me. I’ve seen that look before. You need to get out of this office for awhile. So why don’t we take an early lunch and go shopping?”

Tessa laughed softly. “For one, I have a job to do and so do you.”

“Tessa, what good are you going to do today? I mean look at you. You look all discombobulated. Anything you try to work on now is probably going to be shit. So let me show you where I go to unwind. Besides, from the way you are dressed, I think you could use my help. I think you and my sister, Willa, shop at the same stores. And for the record, that’s not a compliment.”

Great, now I have no taste in clothes either. My day is just getting better and better.
“Speaking of lunch, I thought you were meeting your sister today. Or have you forgotten?”

Lexi shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll say an emergency situation has come up. One thing about having a twin, we always understand each other, sometimes better than we do ourselves. So no more excuses. Get your purse, and let’s blow this joint.”

Nothing today was her normal behavior. She’d kissed her boss and had practically thrown herself at him, begging for more, so why not go all the way and take Lexi up on the offer?
Really what is the worst thing that could happen? He finds out and fires me? That’s probably a blessing in disguise.

“Two hours but that’s all Lexi. Then back to work for the both of us. Understood?”

Lexi grinned. “Deal.”

It wasn’t long before Lexi had Tessa trying on what she would normally consider date night clothes, not office clothes. The slacks were sleek and hugged her round hips, and the blouses were cut to accent her breast. Lexi even chose a cocktail dress, saying every woman needed one in her closet; you never knew when Mr. Right might show up unannounced. Tessa didn’t want to break the news to Lexi that the odds of the dress sitting in her closet for a few years was pretty high. Tessa could see how men would be knocking down Lexi’s door. She was fun to be around, extremely confident, and drop-dead gorgeous. They were on two different spectrums. What did Tessa know about dating? She hadn’t been on one since moving to Boston. Things here moved much faster than she was used to back home. There was something nice about being from a small town. Everyone knew each other. The dates back home would never require her to dress in such a manner. But here she felt like she was in the lion’s den at all times. So she spent all her time working or reading or studying.
Maybe if I hadn’t, then I wouldn’t be alone right now.

Tessa carried several bags filled with clothes and shoes and even some sexy intimate apparel that Lexi said she needed. Lexi’s rational remarks were priceless. “You wouldn’t want to get caught in granny panties if a sexy fireman ever needed to rescue you.” Tessa wanted to argue and say she wouldn’t care at that moment, but that would’ve been a total lie. She did love rugged men in uniform. Never had she thought she would be attracted to the office type, but there was one who would not leave her thoughts, and it was disturbing her greatly. This little getaway provided a short distraction, but with each item she tried on she thought of what Dean would think if he saw her wearing it.
Oh, give it a rest girl. He’s only playing with you. There is no way someone like him would be interested in someone like you. And even if he was, you come from two different worlds. His father was rich and powerful, leaving a legacy many envied. Your father is a preacher who is content with exactly what he has. If only you were.

Tessa and Lexi finally headed back to the office. It had been fun, but she wasn’t sure if it was the shopping or trying to keep up with Lexi’s endless energy that had tired her. There wasn’t going to be anything productive happening today.
That is what they made tomorrows for.

“This has been so much fun, but I’m starving. We never did get to eat,” Lexi reminded her.

“Do you know the afternoon is half gone already? I’m never going to get anything done at this point. How about we head back and order something to be delivered?” Tessa tried to reel them back into the responsible employee role but her heart wasn’t in it. Not today at least. How could it be after what happened between her and Dean? She could tell herself that it was all him, but even now, hours later, every nerve in her body was still heightened.

“Tessa, do you always do the right thing?”

How was it that when Lexi said it, it sounded like a bad thing? “I try to,” Tessa replied.

Lexi shook her head. “Not today. You have made the first step of breaking free from being a stick-in-the-mud, so why not go all the way? It’s only one day. When you go back to the office on Monday, you can crawl right back into your shell if you want to, but just enjoy today for once in your life.”

Tessa wasn’t sure if this was the best hire she had made so far or the worst, but at least Lexi was entertaining.
Although we probably both will be unemployed shortly.

“Okay, a quick bite but that is all. Some of us need to work for a living, you know.”

Lexi laughed. “You think I don’t? Oh, wait till I tell you all about my prior jobs over lunch. You won’t believe the things I have done.”

Ain’t that the truth?
Tessa found she really was enjoying Lexi’s company. It had been way too long since she laughed so hard that her sides hurt. As they finished lunch, she said, “Lexi you really do live an exciting life, don’t you?”

“I’m just trying to find my niche. Willa has such a great head on her shoulders. She and Kenzi are like two peas in a pod. But they also have the same problem: neither one ever says what they really want to say because they are worried about someone getting their feelings hurt. So they say and act like people expect or need them to.” She looked at Tessa and said, “Kind of like you, I think. Boy, you three all need my help. At least you and Kenzi have seen the light and let me help you with shopping. Willa might be a lost cause.”

“Who is Kenzi? Another sister of yours?”

“No. There is just Willa and me. Kenzi Barrington is one of our best friends. We met years ago at an all-girls boarding school.” Lexi raised her hand. “Don’t ask. Yes, it was pure hell for me. No boys at all except for the few who snuck up to see one of us once in a while.”

“I feel your pain. I’m an only child and was homeschooled,” Tessa admitted.

“Oh, I think that is worse. At least, I had my friends with me each day. You should meet them, I mean Willa and Kenzi. They would love you. I’ll work on putting something together for us all to go out. Of course, Kenzi is going through some difficult times right now.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” She’d heard of the Barrington family. Who hadn’t? They were one of the richest and most powerful families in Boston and very close with the Hendersons. One thing she had learned over the years was that money didn’t make someone happy. They had problems like everyone else, just different ones.

“Oh, it’s only man troubles, but sometimes those can be the worst kind. She met this man, Dax Marshall, who has her tied up in knots. You know when you want to kiss but kill them at the same time?” Tessa understood that feeling all too well at the moment. “Well, that is what Kenzi is facing. She’ll be okay. I gave her some sound advice.”

Tessa held back her laughter. She could only imagine what Kenzi had been told.
Best I keep my issues to myself.

“Don’t forget we have to pick up your contact lenses on the way back. You really need to stop hiding yourself behind those big rimmed glasses and baggy clothes. You’re such a beautiful woman; you need to let that shine so everyone can see it. If I may suggest, I would go home and throw out all the clothes in your closet, or donate them, but never, and I mean never, wear them again. Unless you want to be a single woman for the rest of your life.”

That wasn’t her future plan, but dressing like this all the time might be stretching it. She had to admit, she did feel different. Was it confident or sexy? Whichever it was, she kind of liked it. “Lexi, can you do me a huge favor?”

She smiled and responded, “You just name it.”

You really should find out what the request is before agreeing. I think I have my work cut for me, too.
“Do you think you can cover the phones for me for the remainder of today? It’s been awhile since I have been home to visit my parents in Denfield, Connecticut, and if I don’t get out of Boston early, I’ll never get there.”

Lexi gave her a hug and said, “Finally you’re thinking straight. You go and don’t worry about a thing. It’s Friday. What can go wrong? Everyone has their party hats on and have already checked out.”

If Lexi thought that was going to ease her mind, she was wrong. Even as Tessa headed off to her parents, there was an uneasy feeling hovering over her. She wasn’t sure what it was, but somehow she knew something big was about to happen, and she wasn’t going to be there to stop it.
Too late to turn back now. Sometimes you just have to let the dice roll and hope you don’t get snake eyes.

Right now there was only one thought on her mind, and that was putting as much distance between her and Dean as she could. She needed to pull herself together. What happened today could not and would not ever repeat itself.

Dean had rung Tessa’s number a few times throughout the afternoon. Was she sitting there looking at the caller ID and ignoring him, or was she actually away from her desk? He could tell by the look on her face when she ran out of his office that he had crossed the line. Never had he acted so aggressively with a woman before. What was it about her that made him lose his common sense, his self-control?

It didn’t matter if she worked for Dax Marshall or not. He owed her an apology. If that meant going down to HR and cornering her until she listened to what he had to say, then he would do so.

Getting up from behind his desk he headed out of the office. “If anyone calls, tell them I’m gone for the day.”

“Have a great weekend, Mr. Henderson.” Brittany-Lynn said.

Dean stopped in his tracks at the sound of his name. “You too, and call me Dean.”

It was the first time he had noticed her smile since her first day. Not shocking. He knew he kept everyone on edge around him. No one was here to make friends. This was a business and he ran it as such. Maybe he could ease up just a bit.
But one mistake and you’re out.

When he got off the elevator, he headed for Tessa’s office. As he walked down the hall he saw a familiar face, one that stopped him dead in his tracks, one he had not seen in almost ten years. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, well, well, if it ain’t Dean Henderson. I heard you were back in the city.”

“Yeah, bad news travels fast,” Dean said seriously. “You never answered my question. Why are you sitting at a desk in my HR department?”