Dark and Stormy: Sacred Hearts Coven Read online

  “I know about the reheated chicken. It get's the strangest taste after it goes into the microwave, or should I say when it comes out. Cold chicken is just fine for me, as long as it’s cooked through.”

  They started to dive into the large lunches. Reddick examined every bite of chicken before he put it in his mouth.

  “What are you doing?” she asked him.

  “I don't know. You got me all bugged out about the chicken being cooked through. I normally don't do this.” He started to laugh. “You haven’t even touched your pasta.”

  “I’ve been too busy watching you. It’s very distracting.” Not wanting to admit to herself she was enjoying the view, she poked at a piece of pasta and a slice of zucchini.

  “In all seriousness, we need to hurry up and eat so we can get this project done. No offense, but I don't want to waste a lot of time on this. I’m all for finding ways to expand our business, but business is what I want to do, not marketing.” Reddick shoveled a large piece of chicken and some broccoli into his mouth.

  Regina was very glad that his lips stayed closed while he ate. It was a huge pet peeve of hers. Paul was famous for talking with a mouth full of food. She wasn't raised that way and found it downright rude. Adults shouldn't need to be told to close their mouth when they eat.

  They ate lunch quickly and quietly. The next forty minutes they spent rummaging through the ideas of their sales teams. Most of the ideas weren’t worth the paper they were written on. They found a few ideas worth exploring and of course came up with a superior list of their own.

  After several interruptions from people coming in to ask if they could leave early and if they planned on being open tomorrow, they decided to call it quits for the time being. The PowerPoint presentation would have to wait.

  They cleaned up lunch and decided to leave the workspace set up in case they had time to work on it again before they went home for the night. Laptops were the only thing to accompany them back to their desks.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Alone at the Office

  BY THE TIME four o'clock rolled around, Serena called in and said that if anyone wanted to leave early they could. She told Regina she preferred everyone get home safe. That was one admirable thing; she made sure everyone that worked there felt valued and respected. Of course they had to earn that respect each day by working to their potential. It was an agreeable arrangement.

  Regina let the staff know that an email would be going out by six a.m. to let them know what the status of the storm and office hours would be for Friday.

  Half of the staff flew out the door when Regina announced the news. The rest diligently wrapped up what they were working on and trickled out the door before five. More often than not, Regina worked well past eight.

  She didn't understand what all the commotion was about. In the three years she worked there, they only closed once because there was over two feet of snow and the governor called a state of emergency. They couldn't have opened if they’d wanted to. Only essential people were allowed on the roads, mostly medical and law enforcement workers.

  Regina sat back in her seat and enjoyed the silence. She found it easiest to bang out all her emails at night just after everyone left. No one was asking or telling her anything. Above all else, she didn't have to listen to Jackie and Maria talking about the brothers they were newly dating.

  That situation was way too bizarre. It was only a matter of time before someone started to say the wrong thing and the fighting would begin. Those two were the most catty in the office. For now, it was fun for them to be besties. Regina knew there was no pretty way for it to end. She warned them against the ramifications of it. It was almost like dating someone at work.

  She also warned them that when it did take its ugly turn for the worse, she didn't want to hear or see it in the office. Serena would never allow someone to leak out negative poison into the attitudes of the staff. She’d been around long enough to see how fast it could spread like wildfire.

  Serena didn’t have a policy on inner-office dating. How could she? Her husband was her partner. Her only policy was to come to work with a smile. Leave the frowns, fights, and festering for home.

  THE THUNDER CRACKED against the dark night sky. The loud booms had Regina jumpy and on edge. Reddick pretended not to notice, but he snickered to himself at her childish reaction. He always saw her as a hotheaded workaholic, but there was something innocent about the way she reacted to the storm. Whether they got along or not, he didn’t mind the way her cherry-red heels carried her across the sales floor.

  It was well past the close of most people’s normal business hours, even with the storm. The only two lights that remained lit resided on Regina’s and Reddick's desks. They weren’t going to let a little storm warning get in the way of having their name at the top of the sales board for the month.

  The wind and rain started rattling the siding on the exterior of the restored Victorian. Regina found all the noise distracting, but she tried not to let it show. There wasn’t a chance that she would let Reddick think he would have an upper hand this month.

  She’d let herself become distracted all day and now the storm wasn’t helping any. She was a fighter and she was determined to fight against even herself, if that’s what it took to get her name and her team at the top of that sales board.

  A little caffeine would help do the trick; maybe a little piece of that chocolate covered bacon would hit the spot. She wasn’t sure if there would be any left. Even though everyone jumped at the chance for free snacks, she was hopeful there would be some left. The bagels did help fill everyone’s bellies that morning.

  She made her way past the desk of her associate, glad the glowing halo of light that hovered over his work area lit the way to the stairs. She made sure not to look in his direction, but her eyes couldn't help but admire the way his skin reflected the honey-colored light. She opened her mouth to offer to grab him a cup of coffee, but rescinded the thought before he noticed her gesture.

  While Regina went for coffee, Reddick adjusted the knob on the small radio to the local news channel to listen for a weather update. He could hear the storm outside was gaining strength. The tropical storm warning just got elevated to a category-one hurricane for their area. The news reporter suggested that people in Blue Beach County evacuate. At this time, it wasn’t a mandatory evacuation, but they emphasized that the smartest thing to do would be to move inland. They recommended if you have family or friends that you can stay with, now would be a great time to go visit.

  Reddick had lived in the area long enough to know that the weather never got that bad. Any time they predicted a hurricane, it was downgraded back to, worst case, a tropical storm before the front passed over their neck of the woods.

  That knowledge wasn't about to stop him from suggesting to Regina that she head home or to a friend’s house before the hurricane was in full force. It would be a great opportunity for him to stay behind and outwork his red-heeled competition.

  As soon as he heard them clicking away at the wood floors, he voiced his concern for her.

  “Hey, Regina…”

  “What's up, Reddick?” Her voice squeaked a little.

  “I'm just sitting here listening to the weather. The tropical storm just got escalated to category-one hurricane,” he informed her with the most serious face he could muster.

  “Oh yeah?” She looked down at him like a disinterested waitress taking his order.

  “I'm guessing it will be called Hurricane Regina.” He gave her a little wink. It gave him great pleasure to get her irritated and it showed in the way his lips pursed together into a smirk.

  “You might think that’s funny, but you look like you’re sniffing poop right now.” She giggled, glad to get the last laugh.

  She turned on her heels to get back to work. Reddick rose to his feet and gently grabbed her arm, turning her attention back on him.

  “In all seriousness, they said we should evacuate. Do you have family t
hat you could stay with west of the county line?”

  Regina bypassed his question and responded with a question of her own. “So are you heading out now?”

  “Not a chance. I'm not afraid of a little storm, but I saw how jumpy you were. If you need me to walk you to your car, I would be happy to do so. Just let me know.” His attempt to sound genuine sounded more like a challenge.

  “I have a few more emails to do and some filing. I’m probably going to head out in an hour. I forgot we ordered salads; I might just bring mine home. Are you serious about the storm getting that bad?” She shifted her weight from one hip to the other.

  “That’s what they said. I wouldn’t make this stuff up.” He sat back down and clicked a few letters on his keyboard to look busy. “Have you still not looked at the weather at all?”

  “No, I’ve been busy making money. You should try it sometime.” Regina reached over and hit a few numbers on his keyboard to mess with him and left to fetch her coffee.

  Reddick’s lips curled up. He licked his lips and bit his lower lip to try and stop himself from enjoying the view of her storming off.

  She was feisty, and he wondered what else she was good at. Her work ethic was strong, strong enough to contend with his own. That was a quality he knew was hard to come by in a lady. A lady was just what she always was, and he respected that.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Power Outage

  REDDICK WALKED INTO the kitchen and was greeted by Regina’s long, shapely legs. The way she was bending into the refrigerator had her dress hiked up in the back just high enough for him to see her lacey red panties.

  He couldn't take his eyes off her ass. He noticed the red lace didn’t seem to match the white of her bra that peeked out at him a few hours earlier, but it sure did go well with her new shoes.

  Reddick was loving that she wasn’t wearing a tiny little thong. The lace covered enough of her skin to leave him wanting an even better view. Her panties were reflective of everything else about the way she carried herself. Red-hot, strong, and always sexy, but in a conservative way that she could never look slutty or offend anyone. She knew just where to draw the line.

  Images of what he wanted to do with those legs flooded his mind faster than he could push them away. He pictured his thick hands gliding up both of her thighs. The creases below her cheeks would be the perfect resting place for his thumbs. Her skin looked so soft. He wanted to reach out and touch her in that very moment.

  He laughed to himself, thinking about the crazy reaction he would get if he dared. Reddick’s laugh might have slipped out a little, causing Regina to quickly remove herself from the refrigerator and stood up.

  Regina thought she saw a box from Swanson’s on the lowest shelf. She leaned into the fridge to investigate its contents. It never occurred to her to squat down or bend at the knees.

  When she heard a noise behind her, she realized in an instant that her ass was up in the air. With her quick movement to exit the refrigerator, she bumped her head on the shelf.

  “What the hell, Reddick!” She rubbed the top of her head and straightened her dress. “You shouldn't sneak up on people like that.”

  “I wasn't sneaking up on you. I just came down to grab some water.” She wasn’t sure if he was pretending or if he didn't just take witness to her ass. Her thoughts drifted off to what her ass would feel like in his large palms.

  “You sure do drink a lot of coffee.” He offered up his observation.

  “You sure do drink a lot of protein shakes,” she replied in a mocking tone.

  “So you noticed what I drink?” Regina may not have known what she was walking into, but she knew Reddick had plenty of practice manipulating the ladies. “What else do you notice about me?”

  “Well, let’s see.” She looked him up and down. I see a very fine, handsome, successful man that has way too many layers of clothing on.

  “Right now, I see an overdressed guy standing in the way of me and my caffeine. Did they eat all your bacon or what?”

  “There might be some in the conference room. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't clean up the mess from lunch.” Reddick turned to walk into the conference room when the lights started to flicker.

  They both looked up at the lights and back at each other.

  “Good thing I already made my coffee. I’m going to go check and see if my laptop and phone are plugged in. I want to make sure they’re fully charged if we lose power.” Regina grabbed her coffee. Again, the chocolate-covered bacon would have to wait.

  “Good idea. I’m coming too. I think we should forward the office lines to our cell phones so we don’t lose any calls or voicemails. Do you know how to do that?” he asked Regina as they walked up stairs.

  “No, but I do have a user pamphlet for the phone system in my desk. I’ll grab it for you.”

  When they got to Regina’s workstation, she sat down behind her desk. She looked through the top drawers and didn’t find the user guide, but she knew it was in her desk. She could remember seeing it recently. Even though she didn’t see why she would put it in the lower drawer, she looked anyway.

  Reddick was blown away by the way this day was going. How could it be that he found himself now staring down the front of her blouse? As Regina leaned forward, the material dropped down in front, giving him a bird’s eye view of her soft and supple breasts.

  In the three years he worked with Regina, he never saw her this way. He tried to remember if she was always this sexy. Had she worn other garments that allowed his eyes to be teased, or had he just not looked at her this way?

  “Yup, here it is.” She popped her head up and handed it to him.

  “Perfect.”

  “I’m going to try to give Serena or Alita a buzz and see if they can help us with the phones. This is a great idea. I can't believe I didn’t think of it first. Maybe you can check out the weather again. It sounds like the winds are picking up.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Regina and Alita Talk

  REGINA TRIED TO get in touch with Serena first, but her cell went straight to voicemail. She considered calling Michelangelo, but he was probably busy with Serena. Not to mention, she rarely spoke to him on the phone and felt a little uneasy about ringing his cell.

  Alita, on the other hand, always answered her phone. If not by answering the call, she was texting you back to find out what was going on. She loved her some gossip. Regina had fun with Alita when they went shopping or out for lunch, but they were birds of a different color for sure.

  “Hello?” a squeaky voice said from the other end of the line.

  “Hey. It’s Regina.”

  “Hi, what’s up? Can you believe this storm? Do you know if we have to work tomorrow yet?” The questions often came in rapid fire. She reminded Regina of a young child sometimes.

  “The weather is getting crazy. The power started to flicker. I really hope we don’t lose it. Reddick is checking the news for an update now. As far as I know, we will be open tomorrow, but that can always change.”

  “Did you just say Reddick? Where are you guys? Having another private meeting?” She enunciated private in a taunting way.

  “Yes, Reddick. We’re still at the office, like we are almost every other day of the week.” Regina sighed.

  “Yeah, I see the way the two of you dance around each other. I can't believe I’m the only one that sees it. You’re like two stars about to collide. How have you not collided yet?”

  “Even if that were true, I am not ready to collide with him, or anyone for that matter.” Regina made her stance.

  “I’m not convinced. What’s the problem? It’s not like you would actually consider getting back together with Paul. Would you? It’s been almost six months.”

  “I don't know. His handsome face still sneaks into my dreams from time to time. I thought I saw him driving on the highway last week, and I did get those nervous butterflies in my belly.

  “On the other hand, I guess we broke up for a reaso
n. After two years, our relationship was pretty stagnant. We never did exchange the L-word. I thought it from time to time, but refused to be the first to say it.”

  “You thought you were in love with him?”Alita drilled her.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I was just in love with the idea of him. He was perfect on paper. He was over six feet tall, always a must have. His crisp blue eyes were the perfect contrast to his silky black hair. He just made VP of his division at his marketing firm. He was still driving a used car, but I guess you can't fault the guy for being frugal.”

  “Uh-huh, so why the breakup then?” Alita pressed on.

  “I didn't feel like it was going to the next level, and he couldn't give me an indication that he wanted it to. Who knows? Some guys will never let you know how they feel.

  “At the end of the day, the biggest thing that was missing was the magic I felt when I first laid eyes on him. I think I built up a fake image of our feelings based on that one moment.” Regina picked up the moonstone and rolled it around in the palm of her hand.

  “He was a magnificent kisser, though, and even with his Italian heritage and dark hair, he had the softest face. It was almost strange how his facial hair grew in soft and not stubbly. I never got scratched by a five o’clock shadow. Every kiss, morning or night, was silky smooth.”

  “So at least you had great sex. You could always hit him up for a booty call,” Alita suggested.

  “Nah. Sex was good. His body was sculpted like an NFL linebacker. But because of his long days at the office, he was often too tired. I'm sorry, but I’m too young to be to be too tired to have hot sex with my hot-body boyfriend. Ya know?” Regina realized more about her relationship with Paul in that moment than she did the two years they dated.