Rachel closed the lid to a medium-sized paper cup, the scent of freshly brewed coffee surrounding her. The scent of freshly brewed coffee making her feel giddy all morning. It had nothing to do with the fact that the coffee she just prepared was meant for Ryan Parker. At least that's what she told herself. As she glanced around the room she took in the almost empty shop. Customers this early only came over for a coffee or tea to go, needing a hot beverage to start their hectic day. Her eyes trailed to the entrance, her eyes lighting up as she met Ryan's gaze. With confident strides he approached the counter, greeting her with a grin as she pushed the hot paper cup toward him. He reached for it and took a careful sip from it.
"I seriously missed your coffee." He admitted to her, the happiness in his eyes from sipping coffee making her laugh, he ignored her little laugh and continued, "You make a mean cup of coffee, you can't imagine how glad I am you're back."
"It's just a cup of coffee." She brushed him off, her cheeks heating up because of all the praise she received.
He narrowed his eyes at her, "I can't believe you of all people would say that to me."
She straightened up, "I do get what you're saying, I was only teasing you." She noticed that even though he looked great that morning, there was something in his eyes which told her he wasn't quite there with her, "How did your date go?" She asked carefully.
His shoulders slumped, a tired look covering his handsome face. She guessed he didn't succeed in going on a date with a lovely lady. He was determined to do it to get his mind off his assistant, the tiredness resulted from his effort to keep things civil at the office. Ryan Parker was after all not only professional but also a gentleman.
"I did go on a date." He admitted to her, the fact that he sounded so disgusted by that idea intrigued her, "It didn't feel right though, I didn't have a good time. She didn't have a good time and then Naomi showed up."
"Naomi?"
He didn't look too happy about sharing that piece of information either. Lots of things were happening in Ryan's life and even though she was his friend, she didn't want to push him. So she waited until he started talking on his own. If he didn't want to share, she had to respect that.
"Naomi, my assistant." He leaned his side against the counter and started to drink his coffee, obviously, he wasn't leaving anytime soon and she didn't want him to. Not when he wasn't himself, "She showed up with a group of friends, having the time of her life. I couldn't focus on my own date and messed things up. We didn't have a good time that night, Naomi did, however."
She pressed her lips together a few times, wanting to stop herself from speaking her mind. Ryan looked frustrated, confused as what was going on in his life. Maybe he understood his own feelings, maybe he was just frustrated because he couldn't do anything about his current situation. Unlike Gabriel, he didn't want to break his rule about dating the staff. So he was miserable.
"Do you know why you were not having a great time while Naomi was having the time of her life?"
The glare which followed told her Ryan wasn't oblivious, he knew. He just didn't want to change the situation. He would stay miserable if he didn't take action. She couldn't watch the man she cared about fall apart because he was being stubborn. She never met Naomi, but she didn't have to. All that mattered to her was Ryan's happiness. If Naomi made him this miserable because he couldn't be with the woman he was crazy about she disliked the woman on principle. Rachel placed her hand on his, the gentle gesture causing the irritation to fade away from his eyes. A soft smile played on his lips, with his free hand he gave her a soft pat on her hand. His eyes lingered on the empty spot on her finger. Ethan never gave her a ring to make their engagement official and she figured he never would. She awkwardly pulled her hand back, clearing her throat while she suddenly felt the urge to wipe the counter so she did.
"I do know why." He lowered his voice, "But I can't. I can't give into something which I know is going to destroy everything I worked for."
"Maybe you two are the next Gabriel and Valerie." She pointed out. She doubted that but she didn't want him to go down the spiral of depression, "It could happen. And weren't you the one who wanted to have the same thing they have. Their relationship started at the office, you know."
Ryan laughed at her, "Trust me, Naomi is no Valerie. She doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as your sister."
Rachel leaned in again, amused at how annoyed Ryan seemed to be with this Naomi girl. Valerie often mentioned how much alike Ryan was to their boys. It probably meant that Naomi was actually a nice girl and Ryan tried hard to only see her flaws to ruin everything between them. So far his plan was working against him, she could tell by merely glancing at him.
"Does she perform below average? Because you know you could always fire her."
"You're annoying." Ryan told her, the guy knew exactly what she was trying to do and he didn't like it, "Thanks for the coffee, I'll see you tomorrow."
She watched him leave, taking care of his bill. It was nothing, giving him free coffee every now and then.
"Someone sounded pissed." Emma sang behind her.
She turned to look at the amused woman, "You know, men who don't want to admit they're crazy about a woman and are scared of change. The usual."
Emma pouted her lips, "I'm not sure, never been in a relationship like that. My exes were all simple men with steady jobs and quiet lives. You and your sister just met the type of guys who barges into a woman's life and take charge, completely changing everything about their existence."
"It's not that bad." Rachel took the tray from Emma and started to fill up their baskets with muffins, "Ryan is afraid and it's killing him. I can't stand seeing him like that."
Emma sighed, "Yeah, it's not a good look at that pretty boy. But there is nothing you can do about it, you shouldn't interfere in his personal life. You should think about Ethan and your little girl. When Ryan needs help he'll come to you, until then just be his friend."
It was best to stay out of his personal affairs, she knew Ethan wouldn't like it if she meddled too much in Ryan Parker's life. She just hoped he'd be okay. It was hard watching a friend be that miserable and there was nothing you could do about it.
***
Rachel sat at the dining table, finishing off her mashed potatoes with a side of broccoli and spicy chicken while Ethan was once again spoiling their little girl by letting her stay awake even though it was past her bedtime. The five-month-old was being loud, laughing at her daddy and mumbling to him. She stole his heart and made him lose that edge which made him Ethan Hunter. It was something which she could use to her advantage. The softened Ethan would spill his secrets without putting up much of a fight. Also, Ava was keeping him occupied, the secrets would probably spill from his lips without him having any control over it. So she took a shot at it.
"You used to trail Ryan Parker, right?"
He held Ava close to him, ignoring the whining noises Ava made because they weren't playing anymore. He kissed her head, trying to calm her a little. He placed his hand on her head and let her settle down against his shoulder. The minute she leaned her head against his shoulder her eyes drooped.
"Yes, I still do." He admitted to her without blinking an eye, "Why do you want to know?" He asked her.
She scooped up a spoon full of potatoes, swaying the fork as she thought about how to break it to Ethan. He was being honest with her so she might as well spill everything to him as well.
"Ryan is having problems with his assistant, Naomi. I think he's losing his mind over her because he doesn't want to break his personal rule about dating the staff."
"That's not your problem, Rache."
She glared at him, "He's my friend."
He sighed, "Fine, whatever. It's good he moved on, maybe I can even start buying this friendship thing." He gently patted Ava's back, the little girl was falling asleep fast, "Naomi Sparke just started working at his office. She's cocky, has lots of friends and enjoys the nightlife. She does little work while getting all the praise. The kind of woman who could destroy everything Ryan has built."
"So she's bad for him."
Ethan didn't seem to care, "She might be bad for him, or she might be the kind of woman who waited for the right kind of guy to walk in her life and change everything."
She took a bite of her potatoes, covering her laugh, "You people like to say that. But people only change if they want to change. They don't change their behavior just because they're sexually attracted to someone."
Ethan's lips twitched, "You sound like you're talking from experience."
She reached for her glass of water and took a sip, "Maybe." She trailed her eyes to Ava who was peacefully sleeping in his arms, "You should put her to bed. She should sleep in her crib."
Ethan glanced at the little girl in his arms, "Don't meddle in his life, Rache. I might not like Ryan, but I know you care about him. If you want to protect your friendship, let him make his own decision."
She smiled when Ethan made his way to her and kissed her temple. He then walked to Ava's nursery putting her to bed just like she told him. Ethan was a good father and he proved to be a good fiancé too. She could live with the fact that she didn't have a ring to prove their engagement. Ethan still didn't trust Ryan, but he was finally backing off because he knew she cared about that man. The fact that he kept an eye on Ryan wasn't something she'd hold against him. She assumed Ryan was also keeping an eye on Ethan and Gabriel. They were rivals, that kind of behavior wasn't something to frown upon. The fact that Ethan shared information with her was something she wouldn't take for granted.
***
Rachel checked on Ava before she joined Ethan in their room, She locked up their place and turned off the lights, taking care of their nightly routine because Ethan had an urgent email awaiting him. Things were not going great in Boston. He was talking about heading their first thing in the morning, nothing was official though. The mere thought of Ethan leaving Ava and her for a week or longer made her anxious. She was used to having him around, all the time. When Ethan came home from work he was all over Ava, taking the little girl off her hands because he loved taking care of her. A mere week would feel like months had passed.
Rachel strolled to their bedroom, closing the door behind her while she took in the sight of her fiancé leaning against the headboard of their bed while his laptop was put aside. He was talking on the phone, looking concerned. He was going to Boston, she didn't need him to confirm it for her. Swallowing away the ache she felt she flashed him a small smile, moving to the bathroom to fill up the tub. Soaking in hot water which smelled like a field of roses would do her some good. She let the water run, testing it with her fingers. When she was satisfied with the temperature she started to undress. She tossed her clothes in the hamper and covered her body up in a silk white robe. Her breathing hitched in her throat when she felt a warm hand press against her belly, the long fingers spreading and pulling her in. She tried to keep quiet as Ethan continued his conversation with whoever informed him about the dire situation in Boston.
"I'll be there at eight, I promise."
She turned around, meeting Ethan's determined gaze. Her eyes lowered when his hand shot up to the tight knot, undoing it which caused her robe to fall apart. His eyes settled on her breasts, trailing down to her flat stomach. For a second she felt embarrassed when he trailed his eyes lower. When he looked up again and met her eyes she wanted to speak up, but he didn't let her. He pressed a finger to his lips to tell her to keep quiet.
"Mr. and Mrs. Starr will handle the situation from the main office." He continued, "We already lost the Lee account if we lose this account as well we're going to lose credibility. I'll smooth things over with Jefferson."
"Ethan-"
His name left her lips barely above a whisper. She bit her lip, trying to keep herself quiet as his hand massaged her breast. He was playing dirty and she liked it. He noticed the spark in her eyes and continued his little game. Ethan trailed his eyes to the tub, gesturing for her to get in. She hesitated which earned herself a pinch to her nipple. She nearly made a sound, but then reminded herself that Ethan was actually making a business call. Glaring at him she did what he asked of her, settling into the sweet-smelling hot water. The hot water felt good, loosening up the tightness in her body. She inhaled deeply when Ethan moved around the tub and stood behind her, exhaling deeply when he placed his hand on her shoulder. He gave her shoulder a firm squeeze and slowly trailed his hand down her arm. He was teasing her, trying to get her worked up while never giving her what she wanted.
"Thank you very much, I'll see you tomorrow then."
The minute he ended the call his fingers trailed lower and settled between her legs. She grabbed his arm, a moan leaving her lips which echoed through the bathroom. He showed her no mercy, rubbing her sensitive spot relentlessly. Intense pleasure raked through her body, her nails dug into his arm, but he didn't seem to mind. He kept up his dirty little game until she was spent and couldn't move. She figured that had been his intention all along.