Trust In Me (Triplets book 2)

Chapter 5

Ellen had sent Shay a message and told her to drop the suit jacket off in the outer office after she got off work, and Ellen would make sure that Nate got it. Shay had to admit that she felt a little bit odd walking into the office when no one was there.  She took a moment and looked around, wondering what it would be like to work in such a place, but after a moment, she walked over to one of the visitor's chairs and gently laid the jacket down. She was having an early dinner with her family and needed to hurry if she was going to be on time.

When she heard the door behind her suddenly open, she whirled around to see who was there, only to find Nathan Wright leaving his office with his messenger bag on his shoulder and his phone in his hand. Their eyes met, and an awkward silence ensued.

"Um, Ellen said to leave your suit jacket here," Shay said as she licked her lips nervously.

Nate looked at her, then her lips, and then the jacket.

"I would have given it to you this morning, but you weren't on the elevator." Shay cursed herself as she said it. She had told him the same thing only a few hours earlier. "I already told you that, though."

"You mentioned it." He didn't move to leave or pick up the jacket. He was as still as Shay.

"I feel like I made a bad impression this morning," Shay decided to go ahead and mention the elephant in the room, hoping it would make it less awkward. "I haven't had many interviews."

Silence surrounded them as Shay waited for him to say anything.

"Why?" he asked as he adjusted the bag on his shoulder.

"Why what?" Shay frowned.

"Why do you want to work as my assistant?"

"I think the more beneficial question would be, why don't you want me to work as your assistant?" Shay let go with a silent sigh as she finally found her voice. There had been this massive wall of hesitancy between them, and she felt it tumble down with her question. It was like the opening of a dam.

"Travel." Was his one-word reply.

"I told you that wouldn't be a problem," Shay reassured him once more.

He watched and waited.

Of course! He couldn't say he wouldn't hire her because she was a woman, but that must be his concern. She was a woman, and he was unsure about traveling with her. Shay thought back to the brunette in the elevator and couldn't blame him. If he traveled with a woman like the brunette, he would have to fight her off regularly. The thought made Shay frown again.

Now she really wanted the job, if only to keep Nathan Wright from women like her. For Shay, protection was a new feeling. Shay had never felt the need to protect anyone before.

"You travel with Ellen and there doesn't seem to be a problem." Shay pointed out that it could be done, ignoring her new feelings of protection. It wasn't a door she wanted to open, especially if there was a chance that she would get the job.

Nate walked toward her and got so close that she had to tilt her head back to look at him. Her heart rate increased at her nearness. She could feel his heat and smell him.

"Do – you – get – the – problem - now?" he said in a rough voice as he drew each word out.

It was an open admission of attraction between them without really being one.

Shay lost her breath, not only because he was attracted to her, but because he was attracted to her enough to be worried about them spending time alone in a hotel.

Shay swallowed hard and powered through. "Look, we're both adults, and you're my boss, so there are boundaries. I get it. As long as I work here, I will always be your employee. Period. End of statement."

Nate was still standing so close that she could reach out and place her hand on his large chest. He wasn't an overly muscular man, but he was tall and lean.

She shook her head as she tried to clear it, then stepped back. "I need the money, and Ellen needs the help. I am discreet, dedicated, loyal, and won't complain about long hours. Ellen is stressed, and she needs someone soon. I'm pretty much all you got."

"I thought you were a man," he growled.

Shay's mind raced as she tried to figure that comment out. It only took her a moment to realize that her name Shayne must be what he meant. She smiled and nodded. "It's not the first time. You should take it up with my parents. The name isn't my fault."

Nate's gaze took in her smile, and she waited for his next comment, but it wasn't what she expected.

"I'll let you know tomorrow," he said as he brushed by her on his way to the door, finished with the conversation.

"Are you hoping for a miracle? Are you hoping that tomorrow someone else will walk through that door better qualified than I am while also being a man or a really old lady?" Shay asked as she followed him.

"You have a smart mouth." He hit the words smart and mouth hard.

"It's negotiable. I can be utterly polite if that's what is needed." Shay assured him as she followed him out of the door, wondering why she was suddenly trying so hard for a job that she wasn't even sure she wanted the day before.

He looked at her, raising his eyebrow in question at Shay's move to follow him.

"I have to leave too. Would you like me to wait here and count to one hundred?" Shay watched as he pushed the down button to the elevator, noticing that his hand was clenching and unclenching his phone like a heartbeat.

There was silence between them once more as he ignored her remark. When the elevator arrived, he stood aside, holding the door for her to go before him.

Despite his disapproval, there was nothing wrong with his manners.

Nate followed her and pushed the lobby button while Shay watched his long, graceful fingers. He had the hands of an artist. Shay hadn't been attracted to anyone since high school, and she had begun to doubt that she ever would be again, but then Nathan Wright appeared, and her senses had gone on high alert. It was a shame that she couldn't do anything about it because she worked for him.

She could quit, but then she'd have to admit to her family that she couldn't hack it in the real world. Or she could become his assistant and tell them all that she had gotten a big promotion.

The silence between them grew tense.

What was it about the two of them in an elevator? Perhaps it was the extra electric current that surrounded them. Shay was aware of every breath he took and how his hair curled around his collar. Their eyes met, and she was helpless to look away.

Damn it! She was trying to prove that she could work for him and respect boundaries, and she was failing. Her eyes dropped to his lips, and she watched as they thinned in response.

"Perhaps we make elevator travel off-limits," she suggested.

She swore she saw his lip twitch since she was still staring at them.

"Perhaps," he agreed.

Shay couldn't contain her grin as she realized what he had said. "I got the job?"

"Against my better judgment, yes." The elevator stopped and he held the door for Shay to exit before he did.

Shay straightened her face and turned as he followed her into the lobby.

"Thank you. I won't let you down." Shay assured him.

"Don't let Ellen down," Nate said as she brushed past her without a backward glance.