Kindling Flames—Gathering Tinder Read online

  Vicky thanked her and went to wait for her boss.

  ***

  Leaning against the side of the car, Vicky waited for Darien to arrive. She watched as the ground crew guided the plane into the building and cracked the hull open. She smiled as her tall boss emerged and looked around. There was a bit of a bounce in his step as he climbed from the plane and moved towards her.

  “The café au lait is probably cold, but the beignets should be okay.” Darien held out a brown bag and a cup of coffee for Vicky to take.

  She gave him a confused look as she relieved him of the gift. Expecting him to get into the driver seat, he surprised her again by heading around and hopping into the passenger’s side. Vicky took a sip of the chicory coffee laced with milk as she stowed the bag of beignets in the back with her satchel. The coffee had cooled off, but it was still tasty.

  She slid into the driver’s seat and looked over at the man who had relaxed back into his seat as if he were going to take a nap. “Are we going straight over to your meeting, or do you need to stop someplace first?” Vicky was unsure if this was the same suit her boss had worn yesterday or not.

  Darien rolled his head a little and cracked an eye to look at her. “Straight over.”

  Vicky gave him a hearty “Yes, Mr. Ritter,” and started the car.

  Darien made a pained noise as soon as they pulled out of the hanger into the sunshine. “Could you please put the top up?”

  She looked over in concern. Figuring he must have a hangover, Vicky quickly located the button that worked the roof.

  He let out a relieved sigh as the top closed overhead, blocking out the sun. He hadn’t realized it had gotten that late in the morning. Once more protected from the strong rays of the noonday sun, Darien relaxed back into the seat to enjoy the ride.

  “Where’d you get the café au lait and beignets?” Vicky asked, sipping at her coffee.

  “Café Du Monde.” Darien smiled as if he was remembering something good.

  Her brow furrowed, and she turned the cup to read the green logo on it. “You mean the one in New Orleans?” Vicky had heard of the famous shop but had never had a chance to see it.

  “That’s the one.”

  “What were you doing in New Orleans?” Vicky was too shocked that he had flown down there to stop the question from slipping from her mouth.

  A mischievous grin curled the corners of her boss’s mouth, and the tip of his tongue darted out to wet his lips. “I had a late night meeting with a Cajun.”

  Vicky’s eyes widened at his answer, and she turned her mind to not wrecking the car. What her boss did on his own time was his own business, and she was not about to ask any more questions. She decided she should just do her job and shut the hell up.

  ***

  After the last few days, Vicky wasn’t sure what to expect from her eccentric boss. She was just glad it was finally Friday, and she only had one more day until she could relax and attempt to process the past week.

  When she knocked on Darien’s office door, she was surprised to find him already inside, poring over some files. “Good morning, Mr. Ritter. Please let me know if you need anything.” Vicky dropped two clementines on his desk. She wanted to give him something nice for yesterday’s beignets.

  A look of amusement crossed Darien’s face as he looked over his papers at the gift. “Thank you very much, Miss Westernly.”

  Vicky nodded, and considered her boss. “You need to fix your tie.” She pointed to the crooked knot at his throat. It was one of her pet peeves. Vicky was surprised when Darien dropped his paperwork to the desk and stood up.

  He pulled off the strip of cloth as he rounded the desk and held it out to her. “Show me how to do it.”

  Vicky took the silk tie from Darien’s hand. She quickly wrapped the material around her neck and demonstrated the knot she had learned. Darien watched her closely as she repeated it several times before handing the tie back.

  He attempted to copy her movements but fumbled and ended up with the back of his tie facing outward.

  Vicky giggled and stepped closer so she could help. “Like this.” She flipped the fabric over to get him started.

  Darien could hear Vicky’s heartbeat quicken as she explained each step of the knot.

  Once it was finished, she slid it into place and made sure his collar was neat before stepping back from the handsome man employing her. The way her heart pounded when they were close told her it was a bad idea to get physically near him. It would be too easy for Darien to sweep her away.

  “Thank you.” Darien, smiling warmly, looked down at Vicky.

  Color bloomed on her cheeks as she excused herself from his office.

  He watched Vicky go before returning to his desk and the work waiting for him. This was definitely the girl he needed to make sure his life ran smoothly. He made a note to call the temp agency and have her contract changed from a trial temp to a permanent hire.

  The heavy beat of the music pulsed through Vicky as she glanced around the club for her friends. Finally laying eyes on the girls chatting in the corner, Vicky slipped through the growing crowd to their booth.

  Vanessa was the first to notice her friend’s approach and frowned at her. Vicky looked good in the tight, black dress and heels, but the strap of the bag she carried ruined the line. “What’s that?” Vanessa pointed to the bag.

  Vicky shrugged. She had tried to leave the annoying satchel at home, but it had weighed too heavily on her mind, so she went back to get it. Darien had told her to keep it with her at all times, and she didn’t want to risk his needing something and her not having it.

  Vicky looked at her tall friend and noticed Vanessa’s long, red hair had been curled and styled to frame her beautiful face. “Work,” she explained. “I’m on call, so I brought this with me in case I’m needed.”

  Vanessa rolled her eyes as Vicky unslung the bag and dropped it on the floor next to the booth. She took a seat with the other three girls, and they chatted about their weeks as the waiter brought them drinks.

  “I thought you were on call.” Maggie giggled as Vicky took a long pull from her fruity drink.

  Vicky smiled over her glass at the petite brunette. “Just because I’m on call doesn’t mean he will call.” Vicky took another sip as the rest of the girls joined Maggie laughing. “Anyway, I didn’t drive, so if something comes up, I’ll just have to take a cab.”

  The rest of the girls agreed this was a sensible idea.

  “So what is this new job of yours?” Beth asked, from the other side of the table.

  Vicky shrugged at the dark-haired girl. Looking over her three friends, she thought about the answer. “I’m a personal assistant,” Vicky wasn’t sure if she should fill them in on whom she was assisting.

  “Ohh… a personal assistant,” Maggie repeated, giggling even harder.

  Vicky elbowed her. “Not like that!” She fumed at her friends teasing. “I keep my boss’s life in order. You know: appointments, finances, running errands, that kind of thing. That’s what is in the bag.”

  Her friends were still giggling as she shook her head.

  “So what’s your boss like?” Vanessa asked.

  “He’s just your normal businessman. He has enough meetings to run a racehorse ragged, but I guess that’s to be expected in the corporate world.” Vicky shrugged. “Otherwise, he’s nice. A little absentminded at times. And he can be somewhat eccentric, but he treats me well, so I can’t complain.”

  The girls nodded their approval.

  “Is he cute?” Beth asked.

  Vicky blushed as Darien’s image came to mind. The giggles commenced around the table again. “I have to admit, he is handsome.”

  The girls perked up, so they wouldn’t miss any of the details.

  “Tall, with rich, brown hair and emerald-green eyes.”

  “Tall, dark, and handsome,” Vanessa teased. “No wonder you don’t mind being on call.”

  Vicky scoffed at her friend. “He’
s my boss!” She defended herself, making the other girls laughed again. “Now, if you’re done teasing me about my gainful employment, do you want to go dance?”

  Her friends poked at her in fun for a moment more before agreeing.

  ***

  It didn’t take them long to get lost on the dance floor. Vanessa was the first to pick up a guy, but the fact that she was built like a supermodel made it easy for her to get just about any guy she wanted.

  Vicky had just started dancing with the friend of the guy Maggie was clinging to, when a familiar tune cut through the din of the club and grabbed Vicky’s attention. She quickly excused herself from her dance partner and ran to the messenger bag to retrieve the phone. The guy followed her from the dance floor.

  “Hello?” Vicky answered breathlessly, plugging up her other ear so she could hear what her boss was saying. She was surprised she had even heard the gentle tones of the phone over the heavy beat of the dance music.

  “Sorry to disturb your night, Miss Westernly, but I need something from the satchel. Do you have it with you?”

  Vicky could barely hear Darien’s voice over the noise. She waved the guy she had been dancing with back with a mouthed response of “my boss,” and disappeared into the bathroom.

  “Sorry, Mr. Ritter, I couldn’t hear you. Could you please say that again?” she asked as soon as the walls of the restroom held out most of the thumping music.

  “I asked if you had your bag,” he repeated.

  “Yes, I’ve got it with me.”

  “Good. Where are you?”

  “Alchemy, on the west side of town.”

  “That’s not far. I’ll see you out front in about ten minutes.” Darien hung up before Vicky could respond to his request.

  She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it. What was someone like him doing on this side of town?

  When she stepped out of the bathroom, she found that her friends and the guys they had picked up were standing around the table waiting for her return. Vanessa had seen her bolt from the dance floor and had followed.

  “My boss needs something from the bag.” Vicky smiled at her friends as she gathered the satchel from the floor. She had kept a close eye on it all night, but no one had bothered it at all. “He is going to meet me out front in ten minutes.”

  Vicky’s three friends all perked up when they heard that her mysterious boss was coming to the club. The prospect of meeting Vicky’s tall, dark, and handsome employer overshadowed the men clinging to them. The girls paid out their tabs and promised the guys they’d be back after they had made sure their friend’s boss was treating her right.

  ***

  Vicky rocked on her heels as she waited for Darien to show up. The excitement from her three friends was tangible as they chattered about the possibilities.

  “So, what’s he like?” Vanessa prodded as they waited for the man to show up.

  “I told you, he’s just your average businessman.” Vicky sighed.

  “Ohh, I bet he’s rich.” Beth giggled. “He has to be well-off to have a personal secretary ready to do his every bidding.”

  Maggie agreed, making Vicky shoot them a frosty glare.

  She rolled her eyes at her friends. “Of course he’s rich. He runs the company.”

  Her friends giggled again. Vicky could tell they’d been drinking a little too much.

  “I bet he’s a hot, foreign guy,” Maggie piped in. “Does he have an accent?”

  “I would love a rich, hot guy with a foreign accent!” Beth moaned. “I so want him to be English, or even Scottish. I love listening to British guys talk!”

  Vicky shook her head as their ideas got wilder and wilder. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but he doesn’t have a cool accent.”

  “Oh, I know!” Vanessa added her idea to the pot. “Wouldn’t it be great if he came from some mega-rich family, like a lost prince or a lord or something?”

  “Yeah, a vampire lord out to drink your blood!” Beth added as her imagination worked overtime in her slightly drunken state. The others laughed at this outrageous idea.

  Vicky sighed. “No, Beth, he’s not a vampire. We work during the day. What kind of fiction do you read, anyway?”

  The others picked up this train of thought and ran with it. By the time Darien finally showed up, the girls had reinvented Vicky’s boss as a master vampire. Vicky had been given the role of the fair maiden who was seduced into being his courtesan and food.

  When Vicky spotted the familiar Aston Martin pulling up to the curb, she shushed them, but the women didn’t need any encouragement to be quiet. All three stood with their mouths open in awe at the little, black sports car. They were even more taken aback when Darien stepped from the car in a black dress shirt and slacks. He looked over at his assistant standing on the sidewalk in front of the club.

  “He can bite me any day of the week,” Vanessa whispered, just loud enough for the girls to hear. She was rewarded with a string of giggles from her friends and a stern look from Vicky.

  “He doesn’t have fangs. Now cut it out!” she hissed at her friends, trying to get them to be more serious. This was her boss they were talking about.

  Darien smiled as he ran his tongue over the tip of one of his canines. If she only knew how pointy those teeth could get when he wanted them to. He’d heard everything the girls had said from the moment he had stepped out of the car. His hearing was exceptionally good.

  “Good evening, Mr. Ritter.” Vicky addressed him as professionally as possible, under the circumstances. She heard more giggles from her teasing friends and swore she was going to beat them as soon as her boss left.

  “Good evening, Miss Westernly.” Darien tried not to smile at her annoyance. “I’m sorry that I pulled you away from your fun, but I need something from inside that bag.” He pointed to the black messenger bag.

  “It’s no problem.” She pulled it off and handed it over to her boss.

  Darien took it to the back of his car, and Vicky grimaced when he plopped it down, unceremoniously, on the expensive car.

  Maggie leaned forward and whispered into Vicky’s ear. “That’s not Darien Ritter?”

  Vicky nodded her head, confirming the theory.

  Maggie whistled her amazement. “How the hell did you get that job?” This was one of the most powerful men in Brenton, and Vicky was nobody.

  “Temp agency,” Vicky admitted.

  Maggie nearly passed out. No one scored a job like this from a temp agency.

  Darien muttered to himself as he dug into the bag, looking for something.

  “Miss Westernly…”

  His call drew Vicky’s attention away from her awed friends.

  “Can you come hold this for me?” He held out the leather books from inside the bag without looking up.

  Vicky quickly stepped up to relieve him of the items.

  “Thank you. They kept trying to slip off the back of the car.”

  She looked at the sloped back window and the short lip of the trunk and smiled. The back of an Aston Martin was definitely not a good place to empty out a bag.

  Vicky was confused by her boss’s actions. Darien had emptied most of the items out of the satchel, but he was still rummaging around, looking for something. She startled when he let out a sudden “Aha!” upon finding what he wanted deep in the folds. Looking on in surprise, she watched as he pulled out a rather worn, leather pouch she had never seen before.

  Darien opened the pouch and dumped out a handful of colorful rocks. He picked out two large, green ones before sliding the rest back in. Tossing the small bag back into the satchel, he pocketed the stones before holding his hand out for Vicky to return the books she was holding. She gave them over, and he stuck them back into the bag and flipped the top over. Darien turned to face his assistant and handed the bag back to her. She eyed it warily before taking it and pulling the strap over her shoulder.

  “It’s dangerous out at night,” Darien looked over the four women standin
g on the sidewalk. Turning his attention back to Vicky, he asked, “How are you getting home?”

  Vicky opened her mouth to answer him.

  “She’s going to walk,” Vanessa cut her off.

  A tiny spark of annoyance lit his face as he pinned Vicky to the sidewalk with slightly narrowed eyes.

  Turning her head, she yelled at her friend. “Not in these heels!” She looked back to her boss. “I was going to call a cab when we’re done.”

  Darien nodded his approval. A cab would be better than walking or driving. He could smell the alcohol on her.

  “But, we’re already done here,” Beth lied.

  Vicky stared at her with wide eyes as Maggie and Vanessa both snickered.

  “Yeah, I’m going to take these two home now,” Vanessa informed him. “So, Vicky’ll have to wait here for her cab by herself.”

  A devious grin curled the edges of Darien’s lips. It was easy to see that these women were trying their best to get him to take Vicky home. He had a good idea what they were hoping would happen, but he decided giving her a lift would be better than leaving his assistant in the care of her drunken friends.

  Walking over to his passenger door, Darien popped it open. “Get in.” He spoke with a commanding tone that wouldn’t allow Vicky to argue with him.

  Looking from the open car door to her smiling friends, Vicky huffed before stomping over to the car. As Darien shut the door, she glared at the three girls waving from the sidewalk. She shook her finger at them, angrily letting them know she would get them for this later.

  The girls laughed at her plight and turned to go back into the bar where their guys were waiting for them.

  Vicky hung her head and shook it in exasperation as Darien slipped into the driver’s seat. “I’m sorry about this, Mr. Ritter,” she sighed. “I really don’t know what’s gotten into my friends tonight.” She looked over at Darien’s profile. “It’s no problem for me to get a cab.”

  Just as she reached for the door handle, he clicked the electronic lock, cutting off any more argument from his passenger.