Page 20 of Twins with Daddy’s Bestie

She leans forward and stares at me, forcing me to look her in the eyes. Her smile falters as a look of realization crosses her face. “You can't like him, Liv. He's no good.”

Even though I want to agree with her, I can't. My life would be much simpler if I could just say that Drake Vance is a womanizing sleaze and that I should stay as far away from him as possible. But I've seen a different side of him. I know there's more to him than what he projects to the world. It might be deep down, but it's there.

“I don't like him.” It’s a lie she immediately sees through. “Whatever. A part of me likes him, but I'm only telling you this because I need advice. I can't keep doing this with him. Whatever happened between us can’t happen again.”

“Sure, Jan,” Callie says and shakes her head.

“I mean it!”

“You might mean it now, but I know that look. I've seen it on my face. Remember when I told you Steve was just a fuck buddy?” I nod and laugh, remembering how adamantly I argued against that to help Callie realize she had feelings for him. “I can see it in your eyes just as much as you saw it in mine. You want him, and I don't think anything I say will stop you from acting on that.”

I sit up on the couch and turn to her with a serious look. I can feel myself wavering as three shots of tequila tear through my system. “My heart and my head are at war. I need your help, Cal.” She reaches for my hand, and her hardened look softens as she sees how much turmoil I'm in. “My heart wants me to forget about the guilt and just be with Drake. I feel so good and free when I'm around him. But my head is telling me to quit my job and run as far away from him as I can.”

“What about your job, though? This is everything you've worked for for so long. Quitting means giving up on your restaurant dreams for now,” Callie argues. “Going with your heart means potentially getting caught and dealing with those repercussions. Your dad is going to be devastated.”

“Why do you have to use logic?” I ask, sinking against the back of the sofa and shaking my head.

Callie leans back with me and rests her head on my shoulder as I mull over what to do. Running isn't an option because I need this job. If I work for Drake for a year, I'll have enough money to open my restaurant. But working for him is dangerous. I don't know how long I'll be able to resist temptation, and if anything else happens, I stand to seriously hurt my relationship with my dad.

She turns on the TV, and we eat macaroni and junk food from the fridge as she tries to get my mind off Drake. It's nearly impossible, but I force myself to not talk about it. When I'm done for the night and lying in my bed, the only thing on my mind is the way Drake kissed me in his office earlier that day.

Working with him will be nearly impossible if he is as tempted as I am, but I don't hate that idea. Just thinking about walking into his office after everyone is gone and straddling him on his chair is a turn-on that I try desperately to stop thinking about.

After hours of tossing and turning, sleep finally finds me, and the only thing I dream about is Drake Vance.

12

Drake

Over the next few days, it becomes clear that Olivia is avoiding me at work. I don't blame her, but it still doesn't feel good. I feel bad about kissing her in my office on Monday and wish I could take it back. She was coming to me to tell me that what happened between us was done, and I ignored her wishes.

I try to forget about her and focus on work, but I can't. Every time I think I'm in the clear, I look up and see her at her station, stirring or cooking with that adorable furrow in her eyebrows while she concentrates. She laughs with some employees as they make small talk, and I wish I was one of them. I would give anything to go over there and joke with her, or be the one to make her laugh.

I wish things could be different between us. Maybe if we had met under different circumstances, she could be the one I settle down with. I wouldn't mind coming home every day to the smell of freshly baked bread and finding her in the kitchen with a messy apron. It's a weird fantasy that I've never had. I hardly know what to do with myself.

Friday rolls around, and my work from the week has stacked up thanks to the constant distraction. I need to get a lot done before the weekend, so I force every non-work thought from my mind. It's amazing what having deadlines will do for your focus.

I arrive at the office an hour earlier than normal, and I instructed Joseph to not let anybody bother me. I even closed the blinds in my office to make sure I couldn’t look at Olivia all day.

It doesn't even occur to me that the workday has passed until two light knocks on my office door catch my attention, and I look up to see Olivia with a plate of food in her hands. I gesture for her to come in, and she gingerly takes a seat across the desk from me.

“I figured I would bring you something to eat before I leave for the day,” Olivia says, setting down a plate across from me. I look at the clock on my computer, see that it's already 6 p.m., and wonder why she's still here. “I noticed you’ve been locked in here all day, and I thought you might be hungry.”

“Thank you; I really appreciate that,” I say, pulling the plate toward me. I look at it to see orange chicken, Chinese lo mein, and two spring rolls. It smells heavenly. “This is one of my favorites. How did you know?”

“Well, you've never asked me to cook anything for you, so I took the liberty of asking around. It was either this or Hawaiian pizza.” She laughs and settles into the chair as I eagerly take a bite. “I thought you were a picky eater, so I was a little surprised to hear that.”

“Honestly, that's about as adventurous as my culinary palette gets,” I joke, nodding as I bite into the flavor-packed dish. I don't know if it's because I haven't eaten anything all day or if her cooking is this incredible, but it's the best orange chicken I've ever had.

“I guess this is sort of an apology, too,” Olivia says, looking away nervously and fidgeting with her hands. “I feel bad about how I left on Monday, and I've definitely been avoiding you.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” I say after swallowing a bite of the spring roll. “You told me you wanted to make sure nothing happened again, and I didn't respect that. I should have listened to you. I was too swept up in my feelings to hear what you were saying.”

She exhales a long sigh of relief and smiles appreciatively. “I'm starting to feel guilty about how things ended. I just wanted to make sure there was no animosity. I really like this job, and if we can forget this happened, that would be perfect.”

“Does that mean you're not going to tell your dad?” I ask, putting my fork down as the conversation gets a little more serious.

“I thought about it a lot this week, and I think it would be best if I don't. He's very protective, and if he found out anything happened between us...”