Tymber Dalton - Contractual Obligation

“Once a month at least. Before you know it, we’ll be getting you over to my dad’s house on Boca for weekend fishing trips. I hope you don’t get seasick.”

“Not usually, but I haven’t been out on a boat much.”

“No problem. My dad will be happy to teach you the basics.”

“Do you think he’s going to buy this act?”

They hadn’t spoken about their contract at all until now. “I think,” she said, “that he’ll keep his mouth shut.”

At least, I hope he will!

Doug settled into the job. As his knowledge grew, so did his duties. He was already going to meetings on his own without Gorden there holding his hand. One Tuesday afternoon, Harper knocked on Doug’s open doorway.

He looked up from his computer. “Hey.”

She stepped in and closed the door behind her. “Any plans for tonight?”

“No, why?”

“I want you to accompany me to a Chamber of Commerce meet and greet after work. Starts at seven o’clock, so we need to leave here by six thirty.”

“Do I need to change clothes?”

“Nope, you look fine. We’ll leave from here.” She grinned. “Your first chance to get out and meet people. Time to plant the first seeds. You’ve been working here over four weeks. Time to start showing you around.”

He smiled. She couldn’t get over how sad he sometimes looked. She wished she could walk over and hug him and make him feel better. He was such a sweet guy.

“What about dinner?” he asked.

“We’ll eat there. Lots of goodies to suck up. Cash bar, though.”

He shrugged. “I’m not much of a drinker.”

“Yet another thing I like about you. We’ll take your car.” When he gave her a quizzical look, she added, “I want people to see me getting out of your car.”

“You don’t think that’s giving people too much credit to notice something like that?”

“You have no idea. The speed of gossip in this group is pretty much the same amount of time it takes people to start bitching about Facebook changes. I have no doubts my father will ‘coincidentally’ drop by tomorrow to check in. ‘And, oh by the way, guess what so-and-so called me today and told me.’” She laughed. “And it’ll make it even better when Rebecca Castor starts trying to feel you up after she’s had a few appletinis and I elbow her out of the way.”

That earned her a genuine laugh from Doug. “Sounds like I need hockey gear to survive this.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a damn good goon. I’ll protect you.” She left the office to the sound of his laughter. She liked that she could make him laugh. That was good, especially since he’d seemed so sad the past couple of weeks.

He was ready to go a few minutes early. She also liked that about him, that he didn’t keep her waiting, yet he wasn’t trying to suck up by beating her to work by an hour. They rode the elevator down to the parking garage in companionable silence.

Yet another thing she liked about him, that he didn’t nervously chatter to fill dead air. He talked and asked questions if needed, but he didn’t have to.

He had a soothing presence to him, a calming presence she also relished. Gorden gave her the same feeling of serenity.

She told him where to go, a clubhouse at a ritzy golf club in New Tampa. They walked in together, and she immediately felt swarmed upon by people. She reflexively grabbed Doug’s elbow, and he offered no complaint or resistance as she steered him around the room and through the throngs of people.

* * *

Doug couldn’t help but notice how Harper’s anxiety ratcheted up from the moment they walked through the door and she was besieged by people. It startled him at first. Then, as she grabbed his arm, he realized another role he was playing for her whether she’d admit it or not.

I’m her security blanket.

He didn’t mind. He liked being useful like that to her. It made him feel less like a lying shit. After their first circuit of the room and making a run at the buffet table, they found a relatively unoccupied corner.

“So,” he said, “how many of those people are hoping for donations from you to their favorite charities?”

She snickered around her carrot stick. That was another thing he liked about her, that she took care of herself and ate healthy but wasn’t some sort of proselytizing bitch about it with everyone else. “Bingo.”

“On the nose, huh?”

“I hate to say it, but yes. The few that aren’t are either looking for some sort of corporate sponsorship for something or other, or they’re wanting an in with our company as a vendor or supplier.” She shook her head and lowered her voice. “I hate this part of the job.”

“You do?”

“I despise it with a passion.”

A little more of her mask slipped, allowing him to glimpse the vulnerability she took great pains to hide behind a concrete veneer three feet thick. “Then why do you do it? Why come to these?”

“I have to. Dear old Daddy said that when I took over, I took over. Meaning I have to go to these things. I have to make an appearance, because he used to make an appearance when he was CEO. And since he’s still technically my boss, I have to do it.”

“Feel free to use me as a human shield, m’lady,” he joked with a small bow.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take you up on that more than once, believe me.”

* * *

Harper liked him more with every minute they spent together.

Don’t be stupid. This is business, and that’s all.

But boy, she wished it could be more.

A lot more.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sight of a woman making a beeline toward them.

Oh, fuck.

Harper stood, and so did Doug. “Now’s your chance,” she muttered to Doug.

“What’s that?”

“I’ll give you the story later. Just have my back.”

She sensed him step behind her, close enough she could feel heat off his body through her clothes. Well, okay, she hadn’t meant it literally, but whatever, she’d take that, too.

Julia Carson put on a viper-worthy smile as she sashayed up to them, a nearly empty cocktail glass in her hand. “Well hello, Harper,” she purred. “Nice to see you here.” Harper didn’t miss the more-than-curious glance Julia gave to Doug.

Harper also didn’t understand why it made her bristle and want to deck the bitch. “Julia. What brings you here?”

“I was hoping to run into your father. Is he here?” She spoke at Harper, but looked at Doug with appraisal.

Harper forced a laugh. “Now, Julia, you know he doesn’t cruise the business card–exchange circuit anymore. That’s my job. Quit pissing on my leg, honey.” She heard Doug choking back a laugh behind her.

Julia sneered at her. “You never did like me, you spoiled, little daddy’s girl,” Julia slurred. “He told me when we broke up that you were more important to him than any woman ever could be. What kind of sick freak are you?”

Harper started to step forward when she felt Doug’s hand on her shoulder, not just holding her back, but moving her out of the way and behind him as he stepped forward.

“Listen, lady, you are way out of line,” he said in a deep, dangerous-sounding voice that instantly made Harper’s panties wet. “Just because Mr. Wells figured out you’re a drunk, gold-digging bitch and kicked you to the curb is no reason for you to go all boiled bunny on Harper. So why don’t you just trot your little Botoxed face out of here before you end up looking like the sloshed little tramp you are.”

If Harper had an empty bed within reach, she’d have Doug stretched out on it. Julia’s mouth flapped open and shut a few times in indignation before she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. Doug didn’t move until she’d left. Fortunately, only a few people had been close enough to hear the exchange.

* * *

When Doug turned and looked at Harper’s stunned face, his first thought was, Oh, crap, I just lost my parents their house.

Then Harper threw her arms around him and kissed him, on the lips.

Not wanting to be rude, he kissed her back.

I kissed a girl and I liked it…

When she finally looked up at him again, he couldn’t read the expression on her face. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to say something like that to her! I don’t need to give you the backstory, because you pretty much pegged her dead-on.”

“Playing slap-a-golddiggin’-ho is just one of the many services I offer.”

She laughed and kissed him again. This time, he was ready for her and gave her a better one in return. When she melted into his arms in a hug, he kissed the top of her head.

“Not that I’m not enjoying this,” he said, “because I am, but people are looking.”

“I don’t care,” she mumbled from where she had her face pressed against his shirt.

He smiled. “Okay, then. As long as we’re clear on that.” He hugged her to him until she was ready to step back. “I take it this isn’t exactly what you had in mind by news getting back to your dad.”

“No, but it’ll do. Believe me.”

* * *

Boy, would it. In fact, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket just as they were getting ready to leave an hour later. She’d kept Doug close for the rest of the evening, and he seemed more than happy to fulfill the role. She pulled her phone out to see who was calling.

“Great.” She answered as they stepped outside. “Hello, Daddy.”

“Hi, sweetheart. Anything interesting happen this evening?”

“Oh, you mean like your ex-girlfriend being a royal douchey bitch to me in front of Doug, and him stepping in and putting her in her place? No, just the same ole same ole.”