Help Wanted: Mafe Read online

  “Oh, um, sorry about that.”

  While tempted to assure her that he would be happy to hold her hand any time for as long as she wanted, Foster remained silent. He then shifted around the table to an empty chair so the ladies wouldn’t see that his cock pushed at the front of his pants. His body already hoped he and Harper might get better acquainted ASAP. As in, your-place-or-mine better acquainted. His body didn’t care that they were still strangers, it knew what he needed.

  Once they were seated, the bartender appeared to stand in the space between Foster and Harper. “What can I get you tonight, ladies?” the bartender asked, as if their appearing at the bar on a Tuesday evening was a common occurrence.

  After they placed their orders, Harper’s for a hard apple cider, and Brenna’s for a glass of the house white wine, Foster added his order for a beer. He then turned his head and quietly told the bartender he’d be taking care of the tab at the end of the night.

  Turning back, he looked into Harper’s deep brown eyes found himself swimming in warm chocolate. He blinked as he cleared his throat and reminded his body that he was here about a job, not a hook-up no matter how attracted to Harper he found himself.

  “So, Harper, what is a mafe?” he asked, relaxing into his chair once the bartender moved away from the table.

  He wasn’t prepared for the giggles that erupted from Brenna as Harper’s face turned pink. Her gaze dropped to the table in front of her and she bit her lip, which had his cock perking up a bit more.

  “Told you he’d ask,” Brenna teased, holding a hand across the table and curling her fingers up in a hand-it-over motion. “Pay up.”

  Harper closed her eyes and shook her head. Her face turned a deeper shade of rose as she reached under her long shirt. A moment later, she laid a five-dollar bill into the palm of Brenna’s hand. Once Brenna tucked it into her bra with a saucy grin, Harper focused on him. Her expression had gone shy, which only added to Foster’s curiosity.

  “Mafe is a contraction for man-wife,” Harper explained softly. “Crazy wench over there decided to get me drunk and grill me on what I wanted in a man. She then went on Fetish and played matchmaker. But I want you to know, I’m looking to hire a mafe, not marry one.”

  “A man-wife,” Foster said slowly, turning the word, the concept, over in his brain. “You’re looking for a man you can support? Or a man who … umm, I don’t understand.”

  Harper’s cheeks pinkened even further and she dropped her gaze once again. It took another long moment before she took a deep breath and lifted her gaze. “I’m a clothing designer trying to build my own brand as well as a mother to a very special five-year-old. Brenna has convinced me I need a man in our lives, so we’re looking for a unicorn, or a manicorn, if you will. A man who believes life should be about more than just working to support the family. A man who is willing to work around the house, do with the cooking and cleaning and taking care of my daughter. A man who believes in sharing the workload, being a part of and loyal to the family team. A man who picks up the slack around the house instead of pointing fingers and blaming the woman because dinner isn’t on the table, or the laundry didn’t get folded and put away.”

  “And if he’s really good in bed and can help tame the fairy princess at her most demanding, all the better,” Brenna added with a giggle.

  The definition of a mafe, as well as the fact she wanted to hire a man, not romance at once intrigued Foster. “And what are you offering this paragon of masculine virtue?”

  “Room and board and a generous salary to start, at least that’s what Brenna says,” Harper answered honestly. “If we’re compatible on all levels, he’s interested, and we are compatible, eventually I’ll offer everything. All that I am or ever will be. My loyalty, fidelity, and love as well as a home, and a chance to be an instant father to my daughter.”

  Foster sat in silence for a few minutes, studying the woman as closely as he had any critically injured soldier he had ever dealt with. She looked uncomfortable and more than a little embarrassed as she fought to keep her gaze on him. He could tell she wanted to look away, or run away, as she waited for his response.

  Taking a slow, deep breath, he smiled gently before changing the subject. “So, what do you do, Harper Ellis? When you’re not raising your daughter or trying to find what sounds like the perfect man? Which, by the way, you’ll never find because no one is perfect. Even the best of us fart or swear occasionally and sometimes have bad moods, just like women.”

  She blinked and looked stunned at the change of subject. In that instant, he felt something inside him shift. Though he was still skeptical about this ideal man she wanted to hire, he also wanted a chance to see if things between them could go beyond drinks.

  When she didn’t answer right away, he said, “I’m starving. Would you have dinner with me? Right now?”

  Chapter Three

  Foster Michaels intrigued her. To the point that Harper nodded before giving herself a chance to overthink things like propriety or that this was a job interview and not a date. “Yes, I’d like that,” she said softly as she stared into his worn-denim-blue eyes.

  She found herself lost in their warm, sparkly depths until Brenna loudly cleared her throat. Harper jumped at the intrusive sound, blinking to break the spell that had her stomach in a freefall she’d never felt with any other man. Turning her head, she frowned at her best friend.

  “I just wanted to tell you not to worry about Miss Miranda. I’ll keep her and walk her over in the morning. Unless you call and need me to drop her off later in the afternoon,” Brenna said with a grin and a wink. She then hopped off her stool and held out her hand to Foster. “It was great to meet you. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon. Thanks for bravely responding to my ad. Good-bye.”

  Before Harper could say a word to stop her, Brenna raced across the bar area toward the front door. She watched as her best friend stopped and spoke to the hostess for a moment before pushing her way out of the building.

  Turning back to Foster, she shrugged. “Well, I guess it’s just the two of us for dinner.”

  She sucked a breath when he smiled in approval. It was a great smile, not perfect, but it made the beautiful man seem more human.

  Before he responded, the bartender returned. It was obvious she had been eavesdropping when she asked, “Would like to eat here in the bar, or would you like a table?”

  Harper looked at Foster and shrugged. “Either is fine with me,” she said.

  “How about a booth in the back?” Foster suggested with a smile that had Harper’s lower belly tightening in response.

  Harper nodded as her belly then did a somersault. Sliding from her stool, she followed the bartender to the hostess station. “A booth in the back, eh?” Stacy Daniels, a friend since high school and the restaurant’s night manager looked at her with a broad grin. Then she looked past Harper and her eyes went wide for a second. She then swallowed and winked at Harper with a grin of approval. “Please, follow me.”

  As Harper followed her friend, she began to question what she was doing with this stranger. At the same time, she wondered if she should offer to buy dinner or go Dutch. No, since Brenna had started this, and it was supposed to be a business meeting, she should pay. But she’d never hired a man before, and it was feeling less and less like business, and more and more like a first date, so she wasn’t sure what the protocol was.

  When they reached the booth, she slid into the side that would put her back to the rest of the room. That allowed Foster to slide in on the other side with his back to the wall. According to Brenna’s husband, John, men preferred to sit so they could see the entire room. She had a feeling that military men like Foster Michaels were even more driven to sit so they could see any threats coming their way.

  Folding her hands on the table, she looked at the man who seemed too perfect to be applying for Brenna’s “Mafe Wanted” position. A man like Foster Michaels should be a model, an actor, or a sports star.

>   Though taller than any man she’d ever known, he was well-proportioned, built like the sexy god Brenna kept telling her to hold out for. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, no beer belly. She would probably be able to count a six-pack if she asked him to pull his shirt up. But that would be sexual harassment, and she didn’t want him suing her for being that kind of a boss.

  His pale-blue-gray blue eyes had had shadows in them, but they also glinted with happiness as he laughed at Harper’s description of Miranda’s latest scheme to take over the world. His dirty blond hair was thick, wavy, and just brushed his shoulders, making her envious. He seemed to be one of those perfect people. The kind of men who dated size-zero, high-maintenance women who lived off their husbands’ money, not exhausted, overworked, single mothers.

  “So,” she started nervously, though she couldn’t think of something to say.

  “So,” Foster said as he sat back on the bench seat, looking relaxed. “You’re a mother and a businesswoman. What do you do for fun? To relax after the workday ends and the fairy princess Miranda goes to bed?”

  Harper tried to hold back her laughter at his suggestion. She wished she could sit and relax after Miranda fell asleep. “Once she crashes, usually later than she’s supposed to, I clean house, prep meals for the next day, pack up orders to be mailed out, pay the bills, and try to get just a little ahead on my never-ending to-do list. But what about you? You said you’re were a paramedic in the military, but you got out six months ago. What do you do these days?”

  Time sped by as they nibbled on a variety of appetizers and had another drink. She learned more about Foster trying to get hired on by the local fire department, but not meeting their qualifications for being an experienced firefighter as well as a paramedic and deciding to take his life in a different direction. She also realized she led a boring life and needed to find a way to add more excitement to it.

  By the time she began yawning, Harper decided she needed to offer him the job. She wanted to spend more time with the man, learn about him, from him, and maybe even see how Miranda would react to Foster as the new mafe. Though she considered holding off on offering the job and dating him instead, she had no idea where she would find time for a date in her already too-packed schedule.

  “You’re tired,” Foster said as he looked around for their waitress.

  Harper sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long couple of days.”

  Foster gave her an expression she couldn’t read. “Why are you sorry? It’s not your fault I’ve kept you out far later than you expected.”

  “But I’ve enjoyed myself. I like talking with you and wish we could keep talking,” Harper said, then broke off when she yawned widely. When she was able, she said, “But you’re right, I am tired, and morning comes early with a five-year-old.”

  “You didn’t drive, did you?” Foster asked, looking uber-serious for the moment.

  “No, Brenna did,” Harper admitted then realized she was without transportation home. “Oh, no. How am I supposed to get home?”

  Foster grinned. “I’d be happy to see you home, Miz Ellis,” he said in a better-than-decent Rhett Butler imitation.

  Harper relaxed with a smile as she pulled out a poor Southern accent of her own. “Why, thank you, Mr. Michaels. I’d be most honored to accept a ride.”

  That sent them both into laughter once again. If nothing else, Harper had to admit a couple of hours with this man had brightened an otherwise dark week. She wished she could do more than offer the man a job, but until her lawyers found Miranda’s father and dealt with his issues, she was stuck in a rotten kind of limbo. But for now, Foster didn’t need to know about that mess. After all, he was applying for the job as their mafe, nothing more.

  ****

  Foster was glad she hadn’t driven. Despite having only two hard apple ciders before dinner, Harper was still a little wobbly when they headed toward the front door. There were not many diners left in the restaurant, so when she bumped into a table, she didn’t offend anyone.

  She giggled when Foster laid his hands on her shoulders and guided her the rest of the way to the door without further mishap. Once on the sidewalk outside, he released her. A few steps later, when she tripped off the curb into the parking lot and then swayed like tall grass in a high wind, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side to keep her safe.

  “A real lightweight, aren’t you?”

  “’Fraid so,” she said sadly. “Being single and responsible while raising a small child doesn’t leave much time for partying. Especially when working to grow a small independent business at the same time.”

  Though Foster wanted to learn more about her daughter as well as the man who’d had a hand in the child’s creation, he held his tongue. That was a conversation for another time when Harper wasn’t exhausted and slightly toasted. For now, he would focus on getting her home.

  After helping her into the passenger seat of his SUV, Foster rounded the back of the vehicle, taking a moment at the driver’s side door to shift his hard cock to a more comfortable position. He then opened the door and climbed in. Harper gave him directions to her house as he pulled out of the parking lot.

  Silence fell, but he wasn’t sure if it was his comment about her drinking, or her own exhaustion, so he didn’t push for conversation. He had learned during his time in the service that waiting, watching, and listening was often more informational over the long term than asking inane questions just to fill the silence.

  By the time he pulled into her driveway, Foster felt a shift in the energy. She was growing nervous, though he wasn’t sure of what. After turning off the engine, he climbed out and rounded the vehicle. He arrived at her door just in time to catch her when her knees gave way as she slid off the seat and hit the ground seat.

  Moving automatically, Foster swept her up into his arms. He then stepped around and shifted his hip to bump the door closed.

  “You can put me down now,” she said softly.

  He looked down into her face and, though he couldn’t see the pink through the shadows, knew she had to be blushing. She was just that sort of woman.

  “You’re fine where you are.”

  He crossed the grass that looked like it needed some attention and up three steps to a wide porch that went all the way across the front of the two-story farmhouse. Only when he reached the door did he set her on her feet.

  “Keys?”

  She reached under her shirt and brought out the smallest wallet he had ever seen. Opening it, she pulled out a single key, which she handed him without comment.

  After unlocking the deadbolt, he pressed down on the lever before pushing the door open. “Thank you for an interesting evening,” he said with a smile. “I’ll look forward to hearing whether or not I got the job.”

  Though tempted to push his luck and kiss her, Foster had a feeling that such a bold move would get his face slapped. Especially since this evening had been an odd sort of job interview and not a first date.

  Everything about this evening felt weird, odd, and peculiar, but becoming a man-wife for Harper and her daughter did seem like an interesting challenge. And these days, Foster was all about new and interesting opportunities.

  Harper looked up at him for a moment, her expression unreadable under the glow of the porch light. She then smiled as if she had thought of something funny. A moment later, she shocked the piss out of him when she reached up, wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, and pulled his head down so she could kiss him.

  Her full lips felt soft against his, making everything he had just decided about remaining professional fizzle away like a vampire stepping into in the midday sun. He moved slowly, sliding his left arm around the back of her waist while his right hand moved up her spine to encompass the back of her neck. She felt good in his arms.

  No, not good, perfect. She felt perfect in his arms. In the next instant, his best intentions and his restraint shredded and he took control of both the woman and the kis
s.

  Holding her head still, he tilted his slightly to the right, mating their lips while allowing them both to continue breathing. He traced the seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue. When her lips parted on a sigh, he took advantage and pushed forward, claiming her mouth for his own. She dropped her jaw open further, allowing him full access as she leaned closer.

  He sucked in a breath when she pressed her belly against his hard cock. Then she wiggled her hips, and everything below his belly button tightened. He had to fight down the urge to strip them both and take her. Right here. Right now.

  Never before had he had such a strong, instantaneous reaction to a woman.

  He took her soft moan as approval for his taking control.

  The sound of a rumbly car engine roaring down the street, followed by a wolf whistle and laughter shattered the evening’s silence. Foster broke the kiss and took a half-step back.

  Resting his forehead against hers, he smiled at the dazed look in her eyes. “Invite me in? Or should I leave quietly and we can forget the last two minutes ever happened?”

  She blinked slowly before reaching for the doorknob. “Would you like to come inside? We can talk more about the position, because you’ve got it. That is, if you’re still interested in being the Ellis family’s mafe.”

  Foster grinned and straightened. His cock twitched as his heart gave a silent squeal of joy. He had a job that was as far from the battlefield as he could get. Working for Harper and her daughter would be a pleasure, especially once he convinced Harper that kisses, and more, wouldn’t damage their working relationship.

  “I’d love to. Thanks.”

  Chapter Four

  Harper’s business sense battled with her heart and pussy and lost big time as Foster followed her into the house. Though he had accepted the job, and she didn’t want to be accused of sexual harassment, she was also curious to feel his body wrapped around hers, again. It had been too long since she’d experienced such a powerful hug, or kiss, and she admitted that she missed it. If Foster was amiable to such displays, she had a feeling she could become addicted to long, strong hugs and deep, wet kisses that wiped every other thought from her brain.