the various resources, the capability of the support staff to gather data and market more effectively for new clients. The Thorpe Group didn’t need more clients, he’d argued. They were turning clients away all the time because they couldn’t hire and train new lawyers fast enough.
She’d fought him tooth and nail on every last penny spent on the system so it was a huge relief that it had been easy to implement and that staff members were actually using it. A point for her, she thought.
But somehow, the idea of scoring one more point in their ongoing office battle just didn’t make her feel as victorious as it used to. Another problem with sleeping with the enemy, she berated herself one more time. Even winning a point didn’t excite her as much.
She sighed and looked around at her office. She’d spent so much time here lately; the space was starting to feel a bit closed in. More like a prison than a sanctuary. Maybe she should head out after all. She wasn’t doing much here anyway. Why log the hours when she wasn’t being productive? She suspected that, if she left the office for a little while, she might get more done at home. It was worth a try anyway. At least it would get her away from Xander. She simply couldn’t run into him again after that kiss! She had no idea how to explain her reaction, or even why she’d let it happen.
She stuffed her bag with work she might do over the weekend, then shut down her laptop and stuffed that into her bag as well.
“Mary, I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to head out. If anyone asks, just tell them I’m fine but working from home this afternoon.”
“Sure thing,” Mary replied, barely pausing in her typing.
Autumn walked out of the office, but instead of taking a right to head towards the elevator, she turned left instead and walked to the stairs. She didn’t care that they were so many floors up and her heels were not meant to take that kind of abuse. She just didn’t want to risk running into Xander one more time today. She’d embarrassed herself enough for one week.
When she got home, she changed into a pair of soft, well-worn jeans, thick, fuzzy socks, poured herself a glass of wine and carried all of her work onto the back patio. Today was warm enough, but by the time night arrived, it would most likely be too cold to sit out here. So she took advantage of the sunshine while she could.
She curled up on her extra-large chair and pulled her laptop out. But that was as far as she made it in her quest to finish up the project she’d been working on earlier today. Instead of focusing on the report about employee productivity Ryker had asked for, she stared into space, not even remembering the wine she’d poured that was warming by her elbow.
“I thought you said you were working at home,” a deep voice said from her doorway.
Autumn’s head whipped around and her mouth fell open when she spotted Xander standing in her doorway. “What are you doing here?” she asked, standing up quickly but she forgot about all the papers that she’d spread out around her and the computer she’d had balanced on her knees. The papers slipped down from the cushions but she couldn’t stop them since she was trying so hard not to let the expensive laptop hit the stone patio.
Before she knew what was happening, Xander was there on his knee as well, grabbing papers and computer. She looked up, right into his eyes and realized that he was closer than she’d thought.
There was a long, tense moment when her eyes went from his and then down to his mouth. And then she remembered what had happened earlier today when she’d done that and she took a deep breath and pulled back. “What are you doing here?” she asked again.
He smiled that charming grin that always made her stomach flutter. “I knew you’d need help catching all of these papers,” he explained, “so I rushed over as quickly as I could.” She used to love that smile, she thought. Initially, she’d
She’d fought him tooth and nail on every last penny spent on the system so it was a huge relief that it had been easy to implement and that staff members were actually using it. A point for her, she thought.
But somehow, the idea of scoring one more point in their ongoing office battle just didn’t make her feel as victorious as it used to. Another problem with sleeping with the enemy, she berated herself one more time. Even winning a point didn’t excite her as much.
She sighed and looked around at her office. She’d spent so much time here lately; the space was starting to feel a bit closed in. More like a prison than a sanctuary. Maybe she should head out after all. She wasn’t doing much here anyway. Why log the hours when she wasn’t being productive? She suspected that, if she left the office for a little while, she might get more done at home. It was worth a try anyway. At least it would get her away from Xander. She simply couldn’t run into him again after that kiss! She had no idea how to explain her reaction, or even why she’d let it happen.
She stuffed her bag with work she might do over the weekend, then shut down her laptop and stuffed that into her bag as well.
“Mary, I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to head out. If anyone asks, just tell them I’m fine but working from home this afternoon.”
“Sure thing,” Mary replied, barely pausing in her typing.
Autumn walked out of the office, but instead of taking a right to head towards the elevator, she turned left instead and walked to the stairs. She didn’t care that they were so many floors up and her heels were not meant to take that kind of abuse. She just didn’t want to risk running into Xander one more time today. She’d embarrassed herself enough for one week.
When she got home, she changed into a pair of soft, well-worn jeans, thick, fuzzy socks, poured herself a glass of wine and carried all of her work onto the back patio. Today was warm enough, but by the time night arrived, it would most likely be too cold to sit out here. So she took advantage of the sunshine while she could.
She curled up on her extra-large chair and pulled her laptop out. But that was as far as she made it in her quest to finish up the project she’d been working on earlier today. Instead of focusing on the report about employee productivity Ryker had asked for, she stared into space, not even remembering the wine she’d poured that was warming by her elbow.
“I thought you said you were working at home,” a deep voice said from her doorway.
Autumn’s head whipped around and her mouth fell open when she spotted Xander standing in her doorway. “What are you doing here?” she asked, standing up quickly but she forgot about all the papers that she’d spread out around her and the computer she’d had balanced on her knees. The papers slipped down from the cushions but she couldn’t stop them since she was trying so hard not to let the expensive laptop hit the stone patio.
Before she knew what was happening, Xander was there on his knee as well, grabbing papers and computer. She looked up, right into his eyes and realized that he was closer than she’d thought.
There was a long, tense moment when her eyes went from his and then down to his mouth. And then she remembered what had happened earlier today when she’d done that and she took a deep breath and pulled back. “What are you doing here?” she asked again.
He smiled that charming grin that always made her stomach flutter. “I knew you’d need help catching all of these papers,” he explained, “so I rushed over as quickly as I could.” She used to love that smile, she thought. Initially, she’d
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