Although that wasn’t entirely fair to Andrew. Despite all the favoritism he’d seemed to show her, she couldn’t say for sure he had anything more than business on his mind. He’d never been overtly inappropriate. He’d always been friendly and encouraging, even though she’d felt an uncomfortable twinge of unfairness at some of the decisions he’d made, and his most recent statement that they’d be travelling together made her want to squirm in her chair.

The temperature in the room dropped by several chilly degrees. “You never mentioned him before,” Andrew said slowly.

True. In their coffee chats they talked about their personal lives as well as work, about Andrew’s wife and her issues with his workaholic tendencies, about Shelby’s friends and social life. The usual kind of chit-chat you have with coworkers—“What did you do this weekend?” “Went to a movie with friends on Friday night, then Saturday night was my friend Riley’s birthday so the girls went out for dinner.” That kind of thing.

And no, she’d never mentioned the new boyfriend because…he didn’t exist.

How was she going to find someone to bring to the picnic? She was so screwed.

Jake Magill smiled at the cute barista behind the counter as he accepted his coffee from her, then turned and walked out of the coffee shop. He had a million things to do back at the office, and he should’ve sent his assistant to get his coffee for him, but he’d needed a break, needed to get up from his desk and move, even if it was only down the elevator and across the street. Sitting in his office all day, in the same routine, day in, day out, doing the same things, was turning him into a stagnating nutcase. Sometimes he just had to get out of there.

Outside on the downtown sidewalk, he stopped. It was a beautiful summer day in Rocky Harbor, California, the sun shining, the sky a clear, cloudless blue above the office buildings surrounding him. Tables and chairs were arranged under a yellow-and-white-striped awning outside the coffee shop, every table occupied with people sipping their coffees, chatting in pairs, a few people there alone reading the newspaper. A man was hosing off the sidewalk in front of the next building, filling the morning air with a fresh, damp scent.

His eyes fell on the blonde sitting at the end of the small patio. She was alone again.

One corner of his mouth kicked up. He saw her there almost every day ordering her skinny cinnamon latte, while he ordered his Americano. Their eyes had caught, assessed, warmed. They’d said hi a few times, had made a bit of small talk, but had never really talked. But he’d imagined they had.

He figured her to be a secretary. Or should he say, sexetary. Long blonde hair, bedroom eyes and big boobs all added up to sex in his mind. The little suits and dresses she wore hugged her curvy body, and heels added inches to her petite height, drawing attention to the hottest pair of legs he’d seen in recent memory. She was like a kitten, but a sexy kitten, soft and cute and little.

She looked up and their gazes connected in the way that sometimes happens when you’re checking someone out and they seem to sense it. Her lips lifted into a smile, recognizing him from all the mornings they’d seen each other there.

What the hell. Yeah, he had work to do, but dammit, he deserved a coffee break before the mind-numbing boredom of his job drove him around the bend. The beautiful summer day made him want to sit at one of those tables too, and enjoy the sun, the warmth, the fresh air. Every table was occupied, but there was an empty chair at the little sex kitten’s table. Why not?

“Hi,” he said with a smile as he approached her, carrying his coffee. “Mind if I join you? There are no empty tables.”

She returned the smile, though the shadow he saw in her eyes had him pausing. “Sure,” she said. “I was just leaving anyway.”

“No, no, stay. I don’t want to disturb you. I’ll sit somewhere else.”

A lie. He wouldn’t mind disturbing her. He started to turn away.

“That’s okay,” she said. “Have a seat. Please.”

He slowly pulled out the chair and sat. “Okay, but don’t run away on my account.”

“I’ll finish my coffee.” She lifted the cardboard cup with its domed plastic lid.

“Your skinny cinnamon latte.” The faint cinnamon scent drifted across the table.

They shared a smile. “Yes.”

“My name’s Jake,” he offered.

“Shelby.”

“We’ve sort of already met, but it’s nice to know your name.”

“Yeah.”

He watched her assess him, felt the tug of attraction, the flare of interest.

“On your coffee break?” he asked, removing the lid of his cup and setting it on the small table. The rich, dark-roasted aroma rose to his nose.

“Sort of.” She made a face. “I just needed to get out of the office for a few minutes. I kind of had a run-in with my boss.”

“Uh-oh.” He lifted a brow and sipped his coffee, hot and black. “Everything okay?”

She gave a heartfelt sigh and the emotion behind it pulled at something inside him. “Yeah, things are okay. I was just given a great new project to manage. If I do a good job, it’ll probably get me another promotion.”

He tipped his head and gave her a curious look. Okay, not a sexetary, apparently. “And the problem with that is…?”

Her wry smile held a hint of uncertainty, though intelligence gleamed in those blue eyes. “It’s a long story.”

“Go ahead.” He waved a hand. “I have time.” He tried to encourage her with his smile, curious about why she was so clearly upset over something she should be celebrating.

“I’m afraid my boss is…I don’t know how to explain it.” She looked down at her cup, both hands wrapped around it. “I think he’s…”

Her glum expression had him leaning closer, concern swelling inside him. “Is he harassing you?” His voice went rough and he frowned.

Her ocean-blue eyes flew back up to meet his. “No! No, not really. It’s just…he keeps giving me the best assignments, the best projects to manage, even when I think someone else might be more qualified. He calls me into his office and sometimes he just wants to talk. He takes me out for lunch. People are noticing and it’s making things…very uncomfortable.”

The shadows in her eyes and the way her voice went a little shaky told him how much this disturbed her.

“At first I was happy,” she confided. “I was glad he liked my work, and I was doing so well. Then I started to realize what was going on. Now he’s given me this big, high-profile project and he says we—he and I—have to go to New York together next month. I really don’t want to do that.” She bit her bottom lip.

“I see.” His frown remained in place.

“Oh heavens, why am I talking about this to a total stranger?” She gave a light laugh and shook her head.

“Hey, sometimes it helps to talk about it. And sometimes strangers are the best ones to talk to.”

“I suppose.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. But I kind of screwed up this morning. I told him I have a new boyfriend. I thought that might get him off my back. But he actually got…kind of annoyed, I think.”

“Hell.” His shoulders tensed. What kind of scumbucket did she work for?

“I know.” She shook her head, her eyes troubled. “This weekend is the big company picnic. It’s a schmooze-fest and I have to go. He’s going to expect to meet this nonexistent new boyfriend.”

“That was a good idea, though. Maybe the boyfriend could be sick that day. Or out of town on business.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s what I’m going to have to do, make up some excuse. If my boss was bringing his wife, it’d be better. With her there, he wouldn’t try anything. But he says she doesn’t like coming to company functions.”

“He’s married.”

“Yeah.”

What a rat bastard. Jake shook his head. “That’s shitty.”

“I get the impression things aren’t so great between him and his wife. But I don’t know if he’s ever really cheated on her. Maybe I shouldn’t complain. I’m probably reading too much into all this. It’s just…” She hitched one small shoulder and another soft sigh escaped her pretty mouth. “I know people are talking and jumping to conclusions, and I hate that. I’m good at my job and I want to be judged on my work.”