Page 80 of The Work Wife

“What is it?”

“I was just wondering . . .” She swallowed. “Will you be there?”

“Be there? Where?”

“If my dad doesn’t . . . get better. Will you help me?” Her voice sounded so small.

The bed shifted and the light turned on, blinding her momentarily.

“First of all, your dad isn’t giving up, so you shouldn’t be worrying about this. And secondly, you know I would. Why would you even need to ask me?” His blue eyes sparked like fire.

“Talking about it tonight made me think about it. And I don’t think I could get through it without you.”

“You wouldn’t have to.” He reached out his arm and pulled her against him. While her head rested on his bare chest, she was released from her earlier sexual urges. This was friendship and kindness. This was them, how they were meant to be.

“We’ll call your dad tomorrow morning to see how he’s feeling,” he said. She felt his breath in her hair and was instantly calmed.

“Thank you.”

He turned the light off again and she felt him kiss the top of her head. “Like you said tonight, I’ll always be here.”

Chapter 15

Ben didn’t know what he was doing at MacGregor’s. He wanted to think it was because he liked the food. He did like the food, but actually it had been the company he’d had the last time he was in the pub, where he was seated now.

He’d invited Anna to lunch in an effort to get to know her better, but it hadn’t worked out as planned. She’d gone back to being the shy Anna he worked with every day.

She answered his questions politely, but didn’t offer anything else. She was just as much a mystery as she’d always been.

One thing he learned was that she’d been with the company for eight years. She’d originally been his father’s assistant, and then went to work for Richard before he ditched her on Ben. At the time, Richard hadn’t said why he didn’t want her to work for him any longer. He just said he had someone else he wanted to hire, and Ben needed an assistant.

After the handoff he expected he was getting the short end of the deal, but Anna was always competent and professional. Maybe a little too professional for his liking at times. Her experience working with all three Archers gave her insight into every facet of the company. She, no doubt, knew more about the inner workings of the company than he did.

MacGregor’s was busier than it had been during his last visit, but that was to be expected on a Saturday night. In the corner of the room a band was setting up and he ordered a beer to settle in for the evening. He’d spent his day off at the office doing the same thing he did every other day of the week. He needed a life.

Maybe enjoying the musical talent of Hellz Bellz would be a step in that direction.

He was halfway through his first drink when a woman captured his attention as she walked through the door. Her long hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, revealing the shaved locks underneath, which had been died bright purple.

The dim light reflected off the Monroe piercing above her lip and something inside him stirred. He’d always liked the wild girls. Reckless girls. Women who were so unlike his real life he felt free to be whoever he wanted.

She shrugged off the guitar from her shoulder and greeted the other members of the band as he watched. Her legs were long, covered in red leggings down to her black ankle boots. She wore a silvery shirt and a black leather motorcycle jacket. He couldn’t look away.

After a brief sound check the mic squeaked and the bartender gave it a tap.

“You ready, Bellz?”

The wild woman he’d become fixated on—Bellz, apparently—gave a nod.

“Welcome, everyone, to Saturday Night at MacGregor’s Pub! We’re happy to have local favorite Hellz Bellz with us tonight. Get ready to have some fun.”

The bartender put the mic back in its holder as the band cranked up. They had a great sound, and he was sure the other members were doing an adequate job, but his gaze was stuck on the woman with the guitar. When she leaned in and began to sing, he twitched with arousal. Her voice, low and flinty, completed the sexy package.

By the end of the first set he was well and truly entranced. As she walked toward the bar, he stood, ready to greet her and tell her how wonderful she sounded. He didn’t even care if he sounded like a complete fangirl.

But as she approached the bar, she froze in front of him, eyes wide.

“Ben? What are you doing here?”