“I just assumed he’d fill you in on her since he’s coming back to the office. Not that you have any reason to worry.”
Worry?
“Maybe there’s a reason he doesn’t want me to know,” I suggest. Maybe Andrea shouldn’t tell me whatever this is.
Andrea scoffs. “There’s no reason his girlfriend shouldn’t know. It would be only because he has no feelings or intentions toward her, but you and I both know that a determined woman could still make things awkward and difficult for you. I want you to know about her so that you don’t listen to anything she says about her and Grayson.”
Ah. It all clicks into place instantly.
Felicity wants Grayson.
It sounds like Grayson doesn’t feel the same way, but Andrea’s right. Felicity could still try to cause trouble between me and Grayson.
If there was a me and Grayson.
Still, without even seeing Felicity, I feel a niggle of jealousy and…possessiveness.
I’m not Grayson’s girlfriend. No, really. Not long-term.
But he’s mine for now. Kind of. At least for while we’re doing this thing we’re doing with James and Cas.
We’re just having fun, but we’re really having fun. It’s not just sex. It’s friendship. It’s mutual support for all the guys as new dads. It’s a reunion between the three of us who share Honeysuckle Harbor as home. It’s establishing a new, hopefully lasting friendship between the guys.
And I can definitely see them all being people I want to see when I’m home between jobs.
Hell, I can see them being people I stay in touch with while I travel.
I can imagine texting with them, sending selfies while I’m sight-seeing, asking about how their days were.
I better be getting photos and updates on Evelyn and Noah.
So yeah, while we’re doing this friends-with-hot-as-fuck benefits thing, Grayson is mine and Felicity can just back off.
“Okay, so Evelyn and I need to make an appearance so Felicity will leave Grayson alone?” I clarify with Andrea.
“Please,” Andrea says. “Grayson never dates people who work for him. Ever. But Felicity thinks he’s going to make an exception for her. It’s starting to become very annoying and make other people in the office uncomfortable.”
“And you’re sure he’s not interested?” I ask.
Andrea laughs. “Very. Even if she didn’t work for him.”
Okay. Andrea probably knows him well. She sees him every day and I’m guessing they put in long hours.
“He’s very picky,” Andrea adds.
Stupidly, I feel my ego inflate a bit. He really likes me. Yes, he likes sex with me, but he also trusts me with his daughter, in his personal space, seeing him at his worst, and I can make him laugh.
He could have had me as a helper with Evelyn without ever opening up or letting me closer, but he did open up.
And he really likes me naked.
“Then shouldn’t Grayson just put his foot down?” I ask. But I’m already headed for the bedroom and my suitcase to find something else to wear.
“Yes. He’s told her he doesn’t date people in the office. But he doesn’t want to be firmer because she’s very good at her job and he doesn’t want her to leave and he doesn’t want things to be awkward between them. He’s sure he can handle it.” Andrea lowers her voice. “He’s actually a little oblivious to a lot of it.”
I grin. I can see that. I’m sure Grayson is totally in charge and on top of everything with the business, but interpersonally? Yeah, I can see him missing some things.
“Despite how it might seem, he’s actually a nice guy,” Andrea says. “And while he’ll take the head off of a fellow CEO or competitor, he treats his employees very well, with a lot of respect.”
