Page 56 of Just a Little Tempted

I’d met his eyes steadily. “I know what I’m doing, Liam. Raina is different.Thisis different. I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize her position here or make her uncomfortable. If anything, I’m more motivated than ever to make sure she’s treated fairly. By me, by the company, by everyone.”

Liam had studied me for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “Okay. I trust you. Just… be careful. With her and with yourself.”

It was as close to a blessing as I was going to get, and I’d take it.

All in all, it had been a productive but exhausting week, which made today a welcome relief. No negotiations, no contracts, no strategy sessions. Just good food, good company,and a hockey playoff game. Something relaxing, fun, and casual with family and friends…and Raina.

My dining room table was buried under enough food to feed a small army. Sliders, buffalo wings, chips with an array of dips, jalapeño poppers, and other appetizer type food covered every inch of the polished wood surface. There wasn’t a vegetable in sight unless you counted the guacamole, but I didn’t mind. The people coming over to watch the hockey game weren’t going to care either.

The Lynx had their first playoff game in New Jersey tonight, and I’d invited a group over to watch on my eighty-five-inch TV. My brother Noah had arrived early with his wife Fallon and his twin girls, Dakota and Dylan. The girls made a beeline for the dining room the moment they walked through the door, immediately loading paper plates with wings and chips.

Fallon, in her third trimester of pregnancy, followed more slowly, one hand pressed to the small of her back. As she maneuvered around the table, her hip caught the edge of a chair, sending it teetering. Noah’s reflexes saved it from crashing to the hardwood floor.

“Sorry.” Fallon cringed, steadying herself. “I’m so clumsy these days.”

Her hand drifted to her swollen stomach, and I chuckled. “You’re about ready to pop, Fallon. I think you’re entitled to a little clumsiness.”

She frowned at me, and Noah immediately stepped closer, sliding an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Don’t listen to him, baby,” he murmured, his voice warm and reassuring. “You’re just as beautiful as ever.”

The look he shot me over her head suggested I’d somehow implied she wasn’t. “Of course she is,” I agreed quickly, even though I’d never thought of Fallon that way. She’d always beenlike another sister to me. “I just meant… a big stomach doesn’t make someone less attractive.”

To my horror, Fallon’s frown deepened and her eyes went glassy with unshed tears.

“Simon!” Noah hissed.

“Boy, you really know how to step in it, don’t you?” Liam’s amused voice came from behind me.

I hadn’t even heard him come in. When I turned, I found him grinning at my predicament, his girlfriend Morgan at his side, both of them clearly entertained by my fumbling.

“I wasn’t trying to upset her,” I said, spinning back toward Fallon. Her face was flushed, and I felt panic clawing at my chest. I could be ruthless in a boardroom, could stare down hostile investors without flinching, but making a woman cry, especially someone I cared about, was my personal nightmare. “I didn’t realize it wasn’t okay to comment on a pregnant woman’s size. I mean, sheknowsshe’s big, right? It’s not like—”

Morgan groaned and shook her head. “Good God, man. Stop talking. You’re making it worse.”

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. “I give up.”

I retreated to the living room just as the apartment door opened again, admitting the rest of my guests. My sister Shannon swept in first, holding a bottle of red wine aloft like a trophy.

“I figured you’d only have crappy beer,” she announced, pecking my cheek as she passed, “so I took the liberty of bringing something a little more refined.”

I rolled my eyes as she disappeared into the kitchen to find a corkscrew.

Then my gaze landed on Raina, and everything else faded to background noise. She was standing between her brother Kurt and a woman I hadn’t met yet but knew must be Wren, her best friend, who I told her to invite. Raina wore a casual dress—something flowy and feminine with a ruffled hem that hit mid-thigh, showing off her toned, bare legs, and strappy sandals. Her blonde hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders, catching the light every time she moved. She looked like sunshine personified.

I wasn’t normally one to invite strangers into my home, but I’d wanted Raina to feel comfortable here. I knew having Wren present—someone from her world, someone who knew her outside of work and outside of me—would help ease her into this gathering of my family and friends since this was the first time Raina was meeting everyone. From everything Raina had told me, she and Wren were as close as sisters.

I crossed the room to greet them, and Raina’s face lit up when our eyes met. That smile of hers hit me square in the chest every single time.

“Simon, this is Wren,” she said, gesturing to the dark-haired woman beside her. “Wren, this is Simon.”

Wren had sharp, assessing eyes that swept over me with obvious curiosity. Her handshake was firm, her smile knowing. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“All good things, I hope.”

“Mostly.” Her lips twitched. “The jury’s still out on the rest.”

I decided I liked her.