“Right,” I called over my shoulder. I saw Mark rub the back of his neck and roll his head back and forth like he was working out the tension, and I tried very hard not to picture how it would feel to give him a nice long massage. I failed.

When I reached my office, I shut my door behind me and sat back in my desk chair thinking again. I couldn’t go on like this. Maybe the meeting this afternoon would be a good time to mention all the creepy guys who hit on me at these fundraising events I attended without a date.

4:00 PM

We had an executive staff meeting every Friday afternoon in the library, just so everyone could touch base. Braden and his wife Gabrielle, who I adored, had started The Justice Project to represent people wrongly accused and convicted of crimes and they believed in what they did. They had hired their closest friends to work with them, and there was a strong feeling of teamwork here that everyone loved.

The attorneys had all arrived; Lily, Gabrielle, my cousin Cameron, and his girlfriend, Jess, another good friend of mine, joined Braden, Mark and Adam. Bruce and Liz were both there too. We could start the meeting.

I had planned out what I was going to say, and I knew my girls would have my back if necessary. In fact, as it turned out, I didn’t even have to say anything; toward the end of the meeting, Lily brought up exactly the subject I had been planning to discuss.

“So, Beth, there’s that fundraiser tomorrow night at the art museum. I read that the theme is Old Hollywood,” she said casually.

“Old Hollywood? Oh, that should be fun, honey, well, as long as nobody hits on you,” Jess jumped in.

“I can’t even imagine having to fight off those jerks every time you go to one of those things,” Gab added, making a sour face.

“It’s a shame there isn’t anyone you could bring with you. Don’t you have any male friends you could invite?” Lily asked, looking concerned.

“I’ll go if they let me dress like Joan Crawford,” Bruce volunteered and Lily kicked him under the table.

“Beth, are you being harassed at the events you’re attending?” Braden broke in suddenly, leaning back in his chair and plowing his fingers through his hair. Both Braden, and my younger brother Drew, could be very protective of me. Having grown up in the public eye had made us particularly close.

“There are guys who mistake these things for single’s bars, but they usually cease and desist eventually,” I answered truthfully. I didn’t want to worry him, but I did want him to suggest that maybe someone escort me…

“Why don’t you bring a date then?” he asked, and I hesitated a beat. Okay, not quite what I was hoping for, but close.

“Because I’m not dating anyone at the moment.” I started shuffling through the papers in front me as if there were a reason for it, other than to avoid the subject of my not-very-successful dating history.

“Why not?” Braden asked crossing his arms and raising one eyebrow.

“Why not?” I gave him an appalled look. When you don’t know what to say, repeat the question and look offended. It usually works.

“What happened to the filmmaker?” Oh, shit here we go…

“I found out his most successful production to date was entitled Suzie Loves Gangbangs, Part II.”

“Wait, there’s a sequel?” Adam asked, earning him a raised eyebrow from Lily.

“How about the Green Architect who was all into sustainable energy?” Braden went on, undeterred. He could be like the Spanish Inquisition.

“He couldn’t sustain enough energy to get off the couch.”

“The i-banker from New York?”

“I” was his very favorite word. In fact, He was a poster child for narcissism. This is an interesting approach to running a staff meeting, Braden. Whose dating history should we discuss next?”

“I’m just trying to figure out why an intelligent, attractive, single woman doesn’t have a date on a Saturday night.”

“Maybe I’ll get a cat to keep me company, or ten. Could we discuss something business related now?”

“This is business related. You represent this organization at these events and it sounds like you’re being harassed. I’m the Director here, and so, I’ll have to address that somehow, probably by making sure that you’re escorted.”

Hearing that, everyone shot a surreptitious glance at Mark at the same time. I shut up and looked down at the file in front of me, feeling my face heat up. That was what I had wanted him to say, but I could have done without the public reminder of what a loser I was when it came to romance. Why was nothing ever easy?

Afterward, they really did discuss business. Specifically, they discussed their caseloads. Whenever they got into the details my mind wandered. It usually wandered to Mark. I figured I cold use a mental break, so I let myself daydream about the two of us being alone in the office one night and having sex on my desk. And his desk. And my desk again. It was a long meeting.

Chapter Two

Mark

Friday 5:00 PM

Braden and Adam were in my office discussing a case after the staff meeting when he brought it up. I had been waiting because I knew it was coming.

“You’re quiet, Mark. Got something on your mind?” Braden asked and looked over at me. I was tapping a pen against my desk like a machine gun, but I hadn’t offered much to the conversation.

“He’s probably thinking about his weekend,” Adam cut in with a knowing smirk. I loved Adam like a brother, but I swear, there were times I wanted to beat the shit out of him.