Wait for Me / Trust in Me (25 page)

She blushed and her smile grew. “I would like that very much.”

“That's good. I want to take you out someplace nice and not talk about business and not have to share you with anyone.”

“You don't have to make a fuss, Jason. I'd be happy just going someplace casual.”

He knew she would put up an argument, but he also knew that for one night, he wanted to spoil her a little. “You'll just have to wait and see,” he said distractedly.

“How will I know what to wear?” Maggie asked, leaning in to trail kisses down the column of his throat to his sculpted chest.

“Whatever you wear, Maggie, will be perfect.”

She raised her head and looked at him doubtfully.

Jason whipped the sheet away from them both and scooped her up into his arms. “Personally, I can't wait to see you wearing nothing but bubbles…”

* * *

Jason arrived back at Maggie's promptly at seven. “Wow,” he said, stepping inside and handing her a bouquet of white tulips. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

Maggie blushed. All day she had worried about what to wear, because Jason had essentially seen most of her wardrobe over the last several weeks, but then she remembered a cocktail dress she hadn't had the opportunity to wear.

Now, dressed in the curve-hugging black dress with the tiny straps and wearing a pair of killer skinny heels, Maggie knew she had made the right choice. “Well, I wasn't sure where we were going, so I decided I couldn't go wrong with a little black dress.”

He leaned in and kissed her, slowly and thoroughly, and when he lifted his head, he scanned her slumbrous and sexy eyes and smiled. “It's perfect.”

Maggie turned and grabbed her purse and a wrap to take with her and then walked out the door that Jason was holding open for her. “Are you going to tell me where we're going?”

“We'll be there soon enough,” was all he said as he placed a strong hand on the small of her back and led her over to his sporty BMW.

Within minutes they were in downtown Charlotte and pulling up in front of one of the best steakhouses in the state. Maggie was more than a little impressed with Jason's choice and then heard a commotion across the street. A sports bar. She sighed wistfully and jumped when Jason called her on it.

“Is there a hockey game on tonight?” he asked with a knowing smirk.

“I don't know…maybe.”

Indecision marked his face. On one hand, he wanted to take her out for a romantic dinner where it was just the two of them and he could spend time getting to know her. Then he remembered how much fun Maggie had when they had gone to see the game at Madison Square Garden. His mind made up, Jason walked around the car, took Maggie by the hand, and began leading her across the parking lot.

“Jason? The restaurant is back there.”

“Yeah, but you know you'd rather be over here watching the game and eating a burger,” he teased and was surprised when Maggie stopped short and stood her ground. He turned and faced her. “It's not a big deal. As long as I'm with you, I don't care where we eat.”

She closed the distance between them and kissed him. “I can watch the game later on the DVR. I'd very much like to have a quiet dinner, just the two of us.”

Nothing could have pleased him more. They walked back toward the restaurant and were seated immediately at a quiet corner table. Maggie was overwhelmed by the atmosphere as well as the menu, but it didn't take long for her to relax and order. When all of the preliminaries were out of the way, Jason reached across the table for one of her hands. “Thank you for coming out tonight.”

“Thank you for inviting me.” She took a look around and sighed at the beautiful surroundings. “So tell me,” she began, “do you think we accomplished everything that you wanted on this trip?”

“Oh, no. No talk about business tonight. Tonight I want to learn more about you,” he said seriously, his thumb gently stroking her knuckles. “I want to know about your family, where you grew up and…everything.”

Maggie blushed as she ducked her head on a chuckle. “That's quite a list. I grew up in Virginia and went to college at the University of Richmond. My parents are great; they're retired now and down in Florida.”

“Why didn't you say anything? We could have stopped to see them,” Jason said, concern marking his handsome features.

“Jason, we were working
and
on a tight schedule. Believe me, there is no such thing as a quick visit with my family. I don't see them as much as they'd like, and so whenever I do make arrangements to visit, it's for at least a week. Anything less and I get the huge guilt trip.”

“Should my dad ever retire and he and Mom move away, I think we'd have to deal with the same thing. Working with Dad ensures that we see him every day, and Mom stops in enough that we see her several times a week. I think it would be strange not to see them so often.”

“You get used to it,” she said and reached for her water. “Luckily I have older siblings who are each married and keep my parents entertained with grandchildren. As the baby of the bunch, I do get a little more smothering than they do, but they claim it's all out of concern.”

“They just want to make sure you're okay and taken care of.”

“Yeah, well, it's nice not to have them living so close by. When everything happened…three years ago, I didn't tell them. I didn't want them to worry, and as your father stepped in and took care of everything, all they needed to know was that I had gotten a fabulous job offer and jumped on it.”

Jason nodded and then felt his rage building just thinking about her ex-boss again. “Maggie, I hate to bring up an uncomfortable subject, but I need to know. Was this guy at any of our meetings? Was he with any of the companies that we met with?”

She shook her head. “No, no…I hadn't seen him anywhere else and the company that he ran back in Virginia was owned by his brother-in-law. I doubt he left it. It was all just a terrible coincidence that he was there.”

“Can I ask his name?”

Maggie's head snapped up and she looked at Jason in horror. “Why? Why would you even want to know?”

“Maggie, if there is even the slightest chance this guy is doing business in the same circles as I am, I need to know who he is so Montgomerys doesn't do business with him. The last thing I want is to do business with someone who would treat a woman the way this creep treated you.”

For a moment she felt oddly deflated. Secretly she had hoped Jason wanted to know the name so that he could track Martin down and defend her honor. It was a ridiculous thought, she knew, but still, it was easy to picture Jason in the role of knight in shining armor. “Martin Blake,” she said quietly.

Jason simply nodded and quickly changed the subject. “So, two older siblings? Tell me about them.”

Maggie was relieved that he wasn't going to pursue the conversation about Martin any further. Smiling, she took a sip of her water and launched into a funny story about growing up as the baby of a family of five.

Being back in the office on Monday wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as Maggie had thought it would be. After debating extensively whether or not it would be wise to continue working together, ultimately neither one was ready to admit it wasn't a good idea. So it was with confidence that she walked through the executive office of Montgomerys and went about getting settled at her desk.

“Maggie!” William Montgomery's voice boomed from across the room. “You're back from your whirlwind trip. I saw from all of the reports that it was a rousing success.” He walked over and gave her a hearty embrace that made her smile. “Not that I expected anything less from you and Jace. I knew you would be the perfect assistant for him. So tell me, did everything go okay?”

She couldn't help the smile growing across her face. “Everything was wonderful. We met so many people, and while not all of them were a good fit for Montgomerys, we had some interesting stories to talk about afterward. Then there were the places we stayed and the things we saw… I got to stand next to John Lennon's guitar at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Then we went to see a hockey game at the Garden…Oh, it was just amazing!”

William couldn't help his own grin. He knew that pairing the two of them together was the right thing to do! While he couldn't be sure that anything had clicked romantically yet, from the exuberance in Maggie's voice and the spring in Jason's step, William could tell it was just a matter of time.

“I am so glad it went so well,” he said when she finished talking. “I know you were worried about going on the trip, but it sounds to me like you had nothing to worry about. Jason would never do or say anything to hurt anyone.”

“No, I know now that he wouldn't. You've raised an amazing son and I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to work with him.”

“Well now, you're going to keep working together, aren't you? I mean, Jason still needs an assistant, and I can't imagine after all the interesting things you two managed on this trip that you'd be anxious to go back to customer service.”

“Actually, Jace and I talked about that and we're going to see how it goes. We still have a lot to do to wrap up all of the dealings from the trip and then we'll see if it's really necessary for me to stay up here.”

“Nonsense, Jason has always had an assistant. Granted, he and Mac had Rose splitting her time between them for a while, but with all of this new growth, Jason's going to need his own assistant. Plus, I think Mac likes having an assistant of his own, too.”

Maggie shrugged and gave a noncommittal “We'll see” before reaching over and getting her computer booted up. “I hope you're right, but for now I'm content to live in the moment and see where Jason needs me to be.”

William smiled knowingly. “So, um…how did the whole husband thing work for you? Did you have to play the married card much?”

Maggie blushed. “Actually, it didn't come up to much while we were on the trip but I did end up telling Jason the truth. I'm not sure how to go about doing that around here.”

“No worries,” William said. “I'll take care of it. We'll just tell people that you've been legally separated for some time and now you're finally getting a divorce and would like everyone to respect your privacy.”

“I can't ask you to do all of that for me again. I got myself into this mess, I'll get myself out.”

William waved her off. “Maggie, it is worth it for me just to see you looking so happy and relaxed. I've never seen you smile so much. I hated pushing you into this trip, but I'm glad now that I did.”

“Me too, sir,” she said wholeheartedly. “Me too.”

* * *

It was almost lunchtime when Jason finally had time to call Maggie into his office. From the moment he had gotten in earlier, he had been wrapped up in conference calls and returning messages, and then meeting with his father and brother to discuss all the contacts he'd made while he was away and where he saw all of this expansion going. His frustration level at not having a minute to himself was getting to him. Picking up his phone, he buzzed Maggie's desk and essentially barked for her to come into his office.

Less than a minute later she was standing in his doorway, notebook in hand and looking anxious. “I wasn't sure what else you needed me to bring,” she said nervously. “I left all the essential files on your desk while you were in with your father and brother.”

“Come in and close the door, Maggie,” he said sternly and while her back was turned, he quickly moved around his desk so he was right behind her when she turned around.

Maggie nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of Jason so close to her. “Oh, Jason! You scared me half to death.” It was the last thing she got to say for a long time. Jason's mouth came down on hers and claimed her in a slow, wet kiss that went on and on and on. When he finally released her, Maggie sagged against him. “Oh, my…”

Jason reached up and cupped her face, taking in the flushed skin and bright eyes, and smiled. “Hey,” he said softly.

“Hey, yourself. How is your day going?”

“Much better now that I have you to myself for a few minutes,” he said, taking Maggie by the hand and leading her to the sofa to sit down. “How about you? How has your day been so far?”

They talked business briefly, and when Jason invited Maggie to join him for lunch, she hesitated. “I don't know, Jason,” she said, chewing her bottom lip. “I don't think it's a good idea for us to be socializing here at the office.”

“We're not; it's just lunch, Maggie. It's not a big deal.”

“Trust me, it is. None of the other assistants go out with their bosses.”

“Emma used to go out with Lucas all the time!”

“They're married; it's not the same thing.”

Jason sighed with frustration. “Fine, I get it. You don't want anyone speculating on the nature of our relationship. I can respect that. How about dinner? Can I take you to dinner tonight?”

She smiled. “Actually, how about I make dinner for you? You can come by when you're done here and we'll just hang out and relax. What do you say?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Is there a hockey game on? Is that why you don't want to go out?”

Maggie couldn't help but giggle. “Maybe. Either way, after a long day back at work I think it will be nice just to be able to relax and be casual and
maybe
catch a game on TV.”

Jason leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. “Sounds good to me. I normally leave here around six so I could be at your place by six thirty. Will that work?”

“Perfectly.”

* * *

When six thirty rolled around, Maggie was ready. She had the table set, a salad made, sauce simmering on the stove, and a pot of water ready to come to a boil for the pasta she had waiting to go. All she needed was Jason.

At six forty-five, she was mildly concerned, and by seven, she was on her way to being seriously pissed. She had put off calling Jason as long as she could and before she could let herself be genuinely angry, she needed to call him and make sure he wasn't hurt somewhere on the side of the road.

The fact that he answered and there were no sirens in the background confirmed he was perfectly intact.

For now.

“Oh, damn, Maggie…” he stammered distractedly. “What time is it?”

“It's seven o'clock. I was just wondering if something came up or if you were still coming over.” She tried not to come off sounding annoyed but she didn't think she quite pulled it off.

“Um…yeah, I lost track of time. I got a call from the people we met with in Atlanta and it turned into a conference call and then I was going over some projections with Mac and we're trying to figure out…”

“It's okay, Jace, really.” She did her best to squash her disappointment. “It's not a big deal. It was just a quick dinner and some TV; no worries. We can do it another time.”

He hesitated before responding. She heard him whispering “Give me a minute” to Mac, she assumed, and then he spoke. “I really am sorry, Maggie. It's just that this project is so big and time-consuming and it didn't all come to an end when we got back.”

She wanted to yell that she knew that because she had been working on the damn project with him for weeks! But she held her tongue and spoke sweetly. “Jason, I knew from the get-go that your work is very important to you. I would never expect you to blow it off for me.”

“Dammit, Maggie, you're important to me, too. I honestly lost track of the time. I'm sorry,” he said sincerely. “If it's not too late…”

She smiled at his effort. “Jason, you're obviously in the middle of a bunch of stuff. Go back to it so you and Mac can actually go home tonight. I'll see you in the morning.”

“But I wanted to see you tonight.” She could almost see the pout from the sound of his voice.

“Go back to work, boss,” she said, ignoring his statement. “I'll see you in the morning. Good night.”

He wished her a good night and wanted to say more but she had already hung up. Jason reclined in his chair, thinking about their conversation, when his brother came back into the office.

“Care to tell me why your assistant is calling you and what you were apologizing for?” Mac was the oldest of the Montgomerys, and far more serious than his younger siblings. If Lucas had made the statement, there would have been a hint of teasing; when Mac made it, it was an accusation. That had Jason's back up in defense.

“None of your damn business. Let me see that contract for Atlanta,” he said, leaning over his desk toward the file in Mac's hand.

“Hell, no. I want to know what's going on, Jace. You've been distracted all day, walking around with a sappy grin on your face, and now Maggie's calling you after hours and… Oh, no…you didn't.”

Jason merely glared at him. “Choose your next words carefully, Mac,” he warned.

“After all your bitching and complaining about your previous assistants all hitting on you and you're sleeping with Maggie? What the hell's the matter with you?”

“Maggie is nothing like those other women,” Jason defended. “And neither of us planned on this happening, it just…did.”

“Geez, Jason, isn't she married?”

Jason hated to betray Maggie's confidence, but he felt it was best if his brother understood the whole story. By the time he was done explaining about her former boss and the way their father had saved her, Mac had visibly relaxed.

“I think you're making a mistake, bro,” he finally said. “Sleeping with your assistant never ends well.”

“It did for Lucas and Emma.”

Mac swiped a hand over his face. “I honestly wish the two of them had met some other way. I am tired of everything getting compared to Lucas and Emma. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am happy for them both, and Emma is terrific, but every time someone has a problem around here, it all comes back to the two of them and how everything worked out.”

“This is different, Mac. I mean, I fought it, I really did but there is just something about her that I can't explain. She's smart and funny and we have great—”

“Sex?” Mac teased.

“Watch it,” Jason warned again. “I was going to say great conversations. She's exciting to be with.”

“So this is serious?”

“I think it could be,” Jason admitted and found it wasn't such a hard thing to do.

“How does Maggie feel?”

“I'm not sure. We were supposed to have dinner tonight and I'm sort of treading carefully with her because of her past. I don't want to rush her or do anything to scare her off.”

“So then what are you doing here with me working late when you had plans with her?”

Jason shrugged. “This is who I am; work has always been first and foremost in my life. Maggie knows that.”

Mac laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, there's a difference between knowing your boss is a workaholic and dating a workaholic. You'll have to pay more attention to the time, Brother; otherwise you may find that she's not as understanding as you thought.”

Jason waved him off. “You don't know Maggie. She'll understand. But you're right. I will start paying more attention to the time and try to get out of here more often at a reasonable hour. How hard could it be?”

* * *

By the end of the week, Jason knew how hard it could be. Damn near impossible. He didn't realize how much of himself he gave to the business until there was something else that he wanted to do, and yet he couldn't tear himself away. Maggie had been patient all week long, always quick with a word of understanding. It was Jason who hit the breaking point.

At six o'clock on Friday evening, Mac walked into his office and smirked. “Working late on a Friday night? Nice.”

“Shut up,” Jason snapped as he walked around collecting paperwork and shoving it into his briefcase.

“You've been here late every night this week,” Mac said lightly. “How's that working for you?”

Jason flipped him the bird and closed his case, walking toward the door.

“Big plans tonight?”

Jason stopped and hung his head down. “Is there something you wanted, Mac?” he finally asked.

Mac was the king of poker faces, and he gave Jason his best
dude, I'm really sorry to have to do this to you
face. “Well, actually, I just needed to come in here and let you know”—he paused for dramatic effect—“that I'm glad you're finally taking your sorry ass out of here and hopefully going out with Maggie.”

Jason was so relieved he practically sagged to the floor. “You're an idiot,” he murmured as he turned and strode out the door.

“I do not want to see you back here until Monday!” Mac called after him.

By the time Jason got to his car, his brother was all but forgotten. He had to get to Maggie. All day he had tried to pin down plans for them for tonight, but she had been elusive, telling him just to give her a call if he had the time. He hated letting her down. All week. He had not had any time alone with her since that brief time in his office on Monday, and he was ready to explode with need for her.