Wright with Benefits Read online

  She cringed. “No. Everyone’s already left for the weekend.”

  “Maybe we could get a few cases in my car,” I suggested with a shrug. “I’d probably have to make a couple trips, but at least it’d get done.”

  “We could do that,” Sophia said uncertainly.

  Jordan interrupted. “I…have a truck.”

  All of my blood dropped into my toes. I felt woozy. Oh, this was not a good turn of events.

  Sophia brightened. “That would be so helpful,but…what about our meeting?”

  Definitely, definitely a date. But…maybe Jordan didn’t know?

  “We can reschedule. I don’t want you to lose business. We need to keep small businesses around for the sake of our economy.”

  She laughed softly. “Says the man who is a executive at Wright Construction?”

  “Absolutely,” he agreed. “We started out as a small business.”

  Oh God, I could not stay for the business-talk foreplay.

  “Well, great,” I said, running a hand back through my now-hopelessly-tangled red hair. “That might solve our problem. You’re just our knight in shining armor, aren’t you?” I said with just enough saccharine sweetness for him to second-guess my sincerity.

  Jordan’s eyes shot up to mine. Calculating and defensive. I saw all the things he wanted to say run through him like a window to his soul. But then he seemed to remember Sophia standing there—his not-quite date, just like I was his not-quite ex—and he decided to let it go.

  He smiled brilliantly. Blindingly. “I’d be happy to help. I’d hate for the whole party to go without wine.”

  “I’d really appreciate that,” Sophia said when I didn’t immediately thank him for being the best person this side of the Mississippi. “You can pull your truck around back. I’ll get everything together to load up.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll meet you both in the back.”

  Sophia smiled again, putting her hand on his sleeve. “Thanks, Jordan.”

  I actually rolled my eyes this time. Unfortunately, Jordan saw it—because of course he did—and he just grinned wider before departing. This day sucked.

  Sophia showed me the way through the back of the store and into their warehouse, where cases of wine were stacked nearly to the ceiling. She opened a garage door, which let in a burst of cold air, and Jordan backed into the spot with his heavy-duty F-250. Who the hell knew why he needed a truck like that, but I couldn’t deny that it was a fine-ass truck…and he looked hot as fuck, jumping down out of the cab.

  I never would have guessed that the guy I’d met in too-nice dress shoes from Vancouver would three years later be driving a lifted F-250. Texas sure owned a person.

  “All right, what am I loading?” he asked.

  Sophia walked briskly around the warehouse, pointing out how many cases of which wine I needed for the party. Jordan lifted the first load like it weighed nothing and set it into the back of his truck. I tried to pick up a case of wine and my back groaned in protest.

  “Jesus,” I muttered, dropping it back down the inch I’d managed.

  “I’d leave that for Jordan. They’re each about fifty pounds,” Sophia said.

  “Yeah, I guess I’ll leave that for Jordan.” Not to be outdone, I kicked off my stupid shoes and hopped into the bed of his truck.

  “What are you doing?” Jordan asked as he dropped down another case. “You’re going to freeze.”

  “I’ll be fine.” I shoved against the case of wine and positioned it into place. Maybe I couldn’t lift the case, but I could make this go faster by shoving them into place. Plus, it kept my blood pumping, so I didn’t think about the cold. I just wanted to get this over with and not see Jordan Wright’s handsome face again for a very long time.

  By the time we finished loading, I could barely feel my feet. I grabbed the slingback straps of my heels and nodded at Sophia.

  “Nice doing business with you.”

  “I’m so glad that we got this figured out,” she said. “Good luck with the person who put in the wrong order.”

  “Oh, have no fear. He’s going to get an earful.”

  Sophia laughed and held her hand out. “I hope we can work together in the future.”

  “Likewise.”

  We shook, and then I found Jordan waiting next to his truck. Right. I still had to deal with him.

  “I’ll just, uh…follow you?” Jordan asked.

  “Just head to Spirit Ranch. I’ll meet you there.”

  He looked at me blankly. Right, he wasn’t from here.

  “You have no idea what Spirit Ranch is, do you?”

  “Should I?”

  Fair question. He probably hadn’t been to a wedding in town. Or any number of other events that were held there. That wasn’t exactly his repertoire.

  “Just meet me out front. You can follow me.”

  “Sounds good.” He waved at Sophia. “Sorry about all of this. I’ll text you for the reschedule.”

  She and nodded as he retreated. He hopped in his truck and veered off toward the entrance.

  “Thanks again,” I told Sophia.

  “Enjoy the wine.”

  “Will do,” I told her. I trekked through the warehouse, back through the store, and out to the parking lot.

  Which was the moment when I realized that I’d left my headlights on.

  3

  Jordan

  I was going to have to make this up to Sophia. We’d been talking in circles for the last couple weeks to get together to discuss the new winery Julian and I were considering opening. This was the only night she’d had available, and here I was, doing a favor for Annie instead. Not that I particularly minded. Especially with the way Sophia had looked at me back there. I was beginning to think that she’d want dinner to make up for this mishap. And I had no interest in dinner with Sophia Valero. Strictly business for me.

  I gritted my teeth and pulled into the parking lot in front of the Wine Boutique. Annie stood out front with her heels in one hand and her hair in the other. She looked like she was about to have a mental breakdown. I’d never seen her like this.

  Not that we’d been on the best of terms since I’d moved to Lubbock. But this felt like a tipping point. She hadn’t even been able to hold back her eye roll in there. Usually, she was still cheery, bubbly Annie.

  Not tonight.

  I left the truck rumbling and stepped out onto the pavement. “Everything all right?”

  She looked manic, and fuck if it didn’t draw me to her more. I remembered the first time I’d seen her in the coffee bar in Daisy Dukes. All wild passion and aggression. Her bright green eyes full of mirth and her body promising seduction. I still saw that Annie when I looked at her sometimes, but she reserved that person for others. Not me. Not anymore.

  “I left…my fucking…lights on.”

  “Oh fuck,” I said as she darted for the front seat.

  I rushed after her, hoping that she hadn’t been here long enough to do any kind of damage. She fumbled with the key a few times before getting it into the slot. Then she pushed it forward with a look of desperate hope on her face.

  The engine clicked a few times. It seemed as desperate as Annie to get going, but it never turned over. Just kept trying to force the battery to do its job and failing.

  She beat her hands against the steering wheel. A scream erupted out of her chest. I winced at the pure rage seething from her in the car. It was almost something that I shouldn’t witness. I’d seen Annie angry, of course, but not like this.

  I backed away slowly, giving her a minute alone. I would have gone in search of jumper cables, but I knew that I didn’t have them. I’d been driving a Tesla before this. I’d finally caved in the last two weeks and bought the truck. Before moving to Lubbock, I never would have considered getting a huge truck, but I already loved it. My friends back home wouldn’t even recognize me.

  Annie finally got out of her car and came around the side of my truck, looking defeated.

&nbs
p; “I don’t have cables in the truck. It’s new,” I said right off the bat.

  Her face deflated further. “Of course. Right. I don’t have any either.”

  “We could ask Sophia,” I offered.

  She tilted her head to the sky overhead. Anyone else this frustrated might have been close to tears but not Annie. Annie looked like she might murder the entire world for doing this to her.

  “That would be great. Do you think you could ask her?”

  “Sure. Do you want to wait in the truck? It’s warm at least.”

  I didn’t bother mentioning that she probably should be wearing pants and shoes when it was supposed to drop into the teens tonight. She looked miserable enough.

  “I guess I have no other choice,” she said and then stepped past me to get into the passenger side.

  I shook my head. She must have been having some night to actually accept that offer.

  When I headed back to the boutique, the front door was still unlocked. Sophia sat, slumped behind the front desk on her phone. She looked up when the bell jingled.

  “Hey,” I said with my same winning smile. “You don’t have jumper cables in here somewhere, do you?”

  Sophia’s hope died before my eyes. Two girls in one night. Man, I was on a roll.

  “I don’t,” she said.

  “Ah. Annie’s car died. I guess she left her lights on, and she needs a jump. Anywhere close that would have them?”

  She shrugged unhelpfully. “I have no idea. I don’t think so.”

  Yeah. She was pissed.

  “All right. Sorry about all of this,” I said, gesturing around us. “We’ll definitely have to reschedule. My schedule is pretty tight, but I’m sure we can figure something out.”

  Sophia looked down and then back up, as if steeling herself for what came next. “Maybe we could do this over dinner…and drinks.”

  Ah. Well, fuck.

  “Maybe,” I said with that same smile. “Just, uh, text me.”

  Then I pushed back out into the cold, unforgiving January weather, back to the girl who didn’t seem to give two shits about me. I probably should have been interested in the cute wine owner, but instead, I couldn’t ignore Annie. Even when she wanted to jump down my throat.

  I walked back to the passenger side to find Annie rubbing her long, lean legs. She was trying to get warmth back into them, but fuck, those legs.

  I needed to get my shit together. I rapped on the door. She jerked up and met my gaze through the window.

  “No luck?” she asked when I opened the door.

  “No,” I confirmed. “She didn’t have anything.”

  She dropped back against the seat and sighed. “I’m not surprised.” She ground her teeth together. “I guess I could call someone to come help.”

  “What about the wine?”

  “Fuck.”

  She wasn’t going to like my idea, but I pushed forward anyway. “How about you just ride with me to take the wine to whatever ranch your party is at? Someone there probably has cables. Then we can come back and jump your car. I know it’s not ideal, but it’s better than waiting in the cold for someone to show up.”

  She mulled it over, trying to find a way to get out of riding in my truck with me. It was a sign of her desperation that she was even thinking about it. We hadn’t been alone this long in years.

  “Fine,” she said, crossing her arms and facing forward.

  Fine. Huh. I hadn’t expected that to work.

  Well, I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I wanted Annie Donoghue in my truck. Wasn’t going to lie—I wanted a lot more than that. I always had with her. If only I wasn’t so fucking terrible at relationships. Then I might have been able to see where everything went wrong three years ago. I might have been able to pick us up out of the pieces of it all. But that sure as hell wasn’t my specialty. The only thing I’d ever been good at in relationships was ruining them.

  If I had a chance to make up for it, I’d take it. And just hope I didn’t fuck it all up again.

  4

  Annie

  Fine.

  I’d just said fine.

  Here I was, in Jordan’s truck, with two ten-minute drives in front of us. Jordan and I had been circling each other for years. It was impossible not to be around him when I was best friends with his cousin, my brother worked with him, and we existed in the same circle in this small West Texas town. Still, I’d managed to keep my distance.

  It wasn’t like what he’d done was so egregious. I’d had worse done to me by other assholes. Much worse if I was honest. I just hadn’t expected it from Jordan, and that made everything so much harder.

  I couldn’t keep my typical vivacious, extroverted personality in his presence. Which was why my arms were crossed and I looked determinably out the window as we pulled away.

  “Where is this place again?” he asked.

  “Just go north on 27, like you’re going to the airport.”

  He nodded and took the exit for the interstate. The silence stretched interminably. His hand drifted to the radio as if he was going to switch it on before pulling back. I’d never been good at quiet. I liked to fill space, but I couldn’t fill this one. I was too defeated from this brutal day to even consider it.

  “So, what’s this party about?” he asked, finally breaking.

  “You know, I really don’t want to talk about anything.”

  Jordan clenched the steering wheel. “I’m doing you a huge fucking favor, Annie. You could maybe seem a little grateful.”

  I whipped my head to look at him. “Grateful? Are you fucking serious right now?”

  “I’m just saying. I had an important meeting that I ditched for you, and I didn’t have to do that. Sulking and staring out the window and then jumping down my throat really doesn’t help anything.”

  “Oh, excuse me, Prince Charming. Allow me to fawn all over you,” I growled. “So sorry about your date.”

  “Date?” he asked with wide eyes.

  I snorted. “And you didn’t even notice. Wow. Same old Jordan.”

  “Sophia and I are not dating.”

  “You might be the most oblivious guy on the planet. Did you not see the way she fell all over herself when you showed up? Or are you just used to that from the rest of the female population?”

  He gritted his teeth. “I know she’s into me, but we’re not dating. I don’t even know why you’re getting upset about this. It’s not like you want to date me.”

  “You’re fucking right about that.”

  “Annie—”

  “No,” I said, cutting him off. “I don’t want to have this conversation.”

  We’d had this conversation before. Jordan and I’d had a one-night stand. One of the best nights of my life. He’d told me he was leaving, going back to Vancouver. He hadn’t mentioned that he was moving here. Which meant, of course, that he hadn’t wanted me to know. Fine by me. If that were where it’d ended, I’d have just shrugged it off, and we wouldn’t have this distrust between us.

  But it hadn’t ended there. He’d brought his girlfriend to Jensen and Emery’s wedding a month later, and it had all gone downhill from there. I still didn’t even like to think about that wedding.

  Somehow, the best night of my life had been tainted by one of the most humiliating. I’d been vulnerable with Jordan, and now, I knew better than.

  “One day, we’re going to have to get past this,” Jordan said softly.

  I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. The worst part was that he was right. One day, I would have to get past this. It wasn’t like we were suddenly going to be in a different circle of friends. He was a Wright. And I’d known Sutton Wright my entire life. I was on a rec soccer team with his brother, Julian. None of this was going away or getting easier.

  And my day sure as hell wasn’t helping anything.

  Deep down I knew that I was taking out my anger on Jordan. He was an easy target.

  I deflated a little at that. J
ordan was doing me a favor. Maybe I could shelve my resentment for the next half hour and get through this day with his help.

  I breathed out heavily. “Sorry,” I said with a sigh. “I’ve had the worst day. Like, honestly, the worst day in existence.”

  He startled at my apology. He clearly hadn’t been expecting that. “What happened?”

  My body relaxed back into the seat. I hadn’t even realized all the tension I was holding in my back and shoulders until he asked. “Well, my house flooded. Like, completely flooded, and I don’t have a room right now.” I got choked up at the thought. “I lost all my shoes!”

  “Holy shit, Annie!”

  “I know. I’m still recovering from the loss. The landlord is going to cover everything, and he has insurance, but it’s pretty terrible. Hence the impractical snakeskin shoes.”

  He laughed softly. “And I just thought those were you.”

  “I was about to donate them. It’s a mess.” I shook my head. “I almost got into a car accident on the way to the party. Then all of…this.” I shrugged. “Wine dilemma, car trouble…” You. I trailed off. Keeping him as the last problem to myself. Ten minutes ago, I would have slung it into his face, but there was no point now.

  “I’m so sorry. That sounds terrible. No wonder you’re so mad. I would be, too.”

  “Understatement,” I agreed. “So…what was your meeting actually about? What does Wright Construction have to do with a small wine business?”

  “Nothing,” he said with a laugh. “You’re never going to believe this, but I’m considering going in with Julian and Hollin on buying a local winery.”

  My eyes widened. “You’re going to go in on the winery?”

  “I know. It’s ridiculous.”

  “I thought that was all Julian.”

  Julian had always been the wide-eyed dreamer to Jordan’s stoic business practicality. But their cousin Hollin Abbey had worked at a defunct winery on the outskirts of town, and at soccer matches for months, Hollin had cajoled Julian into purchasing it. I’d never have guessed that Jordan would actually want to invest in it, too.