Your Fierce Love (The Bennett Family 7)

“Why?”

“I didn’t have the grades, extracurriculars, or the money. I took a few classes at a community college, but that was it.”

I took bookkeeping and data organization, basic computer programming and, on a whim, children’s book illustration. That last one turned out to be an unexpected gem. “Then I got very lucky, and one of the companies I was doing cleaning for needed a back-office assistant for the week. The one they had was sick, so I helped them for a while. Then they offered me a job. A few years later, I met Nate. His assistant had just ditched him, so he asked me if I’d like to work with him. See? Luck.”

“And a lot of hard work.”

“I only get lucky when I work very hard.”

“Hats off to you for working your way up. Be proud of it.”

“I am.”

“Do you like your job?”

“Yeah. I don’t love it, but the point of a job is to pay bills, and it does that just fine.”

“Very practical.”

Yep, that’s me. Practical could be my middle name. Ain’t nobody got time for dreams.

“Should we finish carrying these inside?” I point to the bed planks, and he nods.

We take them inside, and then we both breathe with relief.

“Thank you.” I look at the unopened boxes and still-disassembled furniture, whipping up a plan. “I’ll get started right away with setting up the bed and the couch.”

“I’ll help you.”

“I can handle this.”

“I know. But you don’t have to. You have me. Use me,” he offers.

Ah, what an image that conjures. Blake on his back on my couch. I’d start with those arms, tracing the contour of his bicep, then lifting his shirt, applying the same treatment to the ridges of his six-pack (I have not seen them yet, but I have a wild imagination).

What is it with me today? I’ve been near him before.

“Okay. Thank you. When do you open the bar?”

“Four o’clock, but I need to be down at three for a meeting. Plenty of time.”

We get to work right away, and I’m surprised by Blake’s assembly skills. Between the two of us, this will look like home in no time.

“How did you decide to go into the bar business? Why not join your siblings at Bennett Enterprises?”

“I wanted to. I majored in finance in college, so I figured I’d work with Logan.”

“Logan is the CFO, right?”

He nods. “I spent a couple of months there, but it wasn’t panning out. Everyone treated me like their younger party brother. Hard to do your job when you constantly have to convince people to take you seriously.”

“That I can relate to. People at work sometimes think I’m a joke because I’m so….” I wave my hand in the air, trying to find the right word.

“Exuberant?”

“Yes.”

“Us weirdos must stick together. Anyway, striking out on my own seemed like the better decision.”