Chapter 16
SEX AND DANGER
London blew a breath out so hard she thought it was going to shoot her chair away from her desk.
Spencer was coming down to meet, and her sister wasn’t here to play the buffer.
Neither was their new hire, who hadn’t even started yet.
Just her and him and her traitorous nerves that never showed their face to anyone else.
She looked at her watch. He’d texted that he was on the way.
Might as well get up and meet him. No reason to make him wait just because she was trying to gather her composure.
When she was walking to the front, the door pulled open, the bell going off, and Spencer was standing there staring at her.
If she’d known he’d be showing up this afternoon, she would’ve dressed very, very differently. A skirt. Something fitted. Something that showed a little leg, just enough to see if she could stir something in him that wasn’t irritation or lawyerly restraint.
She didn’t even get a reply from her email on Friday other than a quick thanks.
And here he was, standing there staring at her.
Black trousers on, a light green collared shirt, a few buttons undone exposing his neck and making her mouth water just thinking about what he looked like when he was getting ready for bed in those ridiculous shorts with the lobster on them.
His suit jacket was open, his hands in his pockets, the tails of the coat behind him.
He was clean-shaven again and she wasn’t sure if she liked that better than the few days’ growth.
Either way, it was sex and danger in one infuriating package.
She put her hand out and gestured for him to walk in as if he was on a game show and being shown the biggest, best prize.
“Come in,” she said. “We can meet in my office if you want.”
“That works.” He followed her down the hall, her feeling the heat of his presence on her back with every step.
She moved behind her desk and took a seat. One of authority in her eyes.
He sat and got comfortable, leaning back in the chair, his eyes almost drilling into hers.
“What?” she snapped before she could stop herself.
All he did was raise one of those patient eyebrows of his. “How have you been?”
“Good. You?”
“Good.”
She didn’t flinch under his stare. She knew this game. It was her turn to talk. She was going to wait him out.
But one minute of silence and the smirk on his lips said he’d sit here all day. “You called this meeting. What did you want to talk about?”
“Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed today?”
“No.” And just to push his buttons. “I slept like a baby. I do when I don’t have so many clothes on.”
The grin didn’t leave his face. “The same.”
There was an air to him today. More confidence than before. She wasn’t sure why.
It was almost as scary as it was a turn on.
She sighed. “Is every meeting between us going to be this awkward?”
“You’re making it that way,” he said.
“I’m being me and you are being you. It’s like we were meant for this to happen.”
“Do I need to get a bottle of wine?”
She laughed. “That does make it better.”
“I wanted to meet because I’ve got an attorney under me. Noelle.”
“I’ve heard her name before.”
“She’s young, a little eager. More annoyed that she thought she’d get my job for some unknown reason.”
She mimicked his relaxed pose. “So you’ve got someone under you that you’ve got to manage who might not be so easy.”
He waved his hand. “I’m not worried about that. She’ll be fine. But I’d like her to look over what you draw up for changes and policies before it gets to me. I wanted you to know that.”
“That could have been in an email.”
“But then I wouldn’t get to see the annoyed look on your face that I knew was coming.
And I wouldn’t get to ease your mind that nothing she does is final unless I agree with it.
She’s learning, the same as everyone else.
Everyone needs a chance, but I wouldn’t push work off and take the easy way either. ”
“I don’t think you do anything easy.”
“No. It’s more work doing this because I’m positive I’m going to have to change things. But it doesn’t hurt to have more eyes on it.”
“It doesn’t. So you’re not trying to avoid working with me?”
“No. That’s why I wanted to talk. That’s why I’m here. Nor could I avoid you. I’m assigned you.”
“Assigned me?”
“You know what I mean,” he said.
“But it’s not what you think,” she said. “Or what you really want.”
His eyes got dark. Good. She was getting to him... again.
And she was glad to know he wasn’t as immune as he tried to pretend.
She thought long and hard about what her sister said.
And the proof was in front of her. Spencer’s pride was as big as hers.
He might be putting up just as much of a front as she was.
“Are we going to play that song again?”
“Yes, I think we are,” she said with finality. “This time I want you to tell me yes or no. Do you want me?”
“Wow, cutting right to the chase.”
“Might as well. I think we are both trying to read the other. Trying to skirt around things. Trying to do anything and everything but admit the truth.”
“Since you’re bringing it up, I’m going to assume you can’t let it go. So that means you’ve put a lot of thought into it.”
She ground her teeth. “You’re avoiding.”
“And you’re pushing.”
“Maybe I need to. Maybe it’s the only way to get to the other side.”
“What side is that?” he asked.
He still hadn’t answered her question.
Maybe if she answered his, he’d do the same.
“The side where we liked each other. The one where I didn’t snap at you and you didn’t put so much patience in my face that it makes me want to mess you up to see if it’s possible for you not to be so perfect.”
His smirk dropped, his eyes got wide, and he laughed. “Considering you’ve seen me with bedhead I’d say I’m far from perfect.”
“See,” she said, pointing. “Why can’t you be more like that?”
“Because we are at work and it’s not professional.”
She pursed her lips. “Have you always been this way at work? Not just around me?”
“Yes.”
So she wasn’t special. Hmm, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
She should be relieved.
But she was just more confused.
She got up and walked past him and shut the door. Not that she expected anyone to come in. Paris wasn’t due back for close to an hour.
Rather than sit behind her desk, she leaned against it, almost in front of him, her arms crossed.
He had to look up at her. She was looking down at his blue eyes.
“Do you or don’t you want me? Yes or no?”
His gaze swept across her body as if he were trying to measure every part of her. That alone should have given her the answer, but she wanted the word.
“Yes.”
She smiled. “Finally. Then why did you act that way last week coming home?”
“What way? The one where I was trying to be professional? The one where during working hours I was trying to clear the air? The one where I didn’t have to worry about being accused of sexual harassment?”
Oh shit. Why hadn’t she thought of that?
“I know how it works. My father’s an attorney. What we did was consensual between two single adults. At least I’m assuming you’re single.”
“I am,” he said. “You?”
“I told you how long it’s been since I’ve had sex.”
“No, you said you didn’t want to think of it.”
“Well, when I’m with someone, I have a lot of sex.”
The pink that covered his cheeks said her words hit home with precision. “Now you’re bragging.”
“I don’t need to brag. Just stating a fact.”
“Well, whether I find you attractive—”
“No, you want me. Say it.”
He put his tongue in his cheek. The one she remembered in her mouth. She wanted it there again. “I want you. But whether or not I do doesn’t mean we have to act on it.”
“Maybe I want to. Unless you don’t. And if you don’t, say it. Then we will forget about this conversation for good and I won’t have to worry about you claiming sexual harassment on me.” He laughed, but didn’t say a word. She put her wrist in front of her face. “You’ve got thirty seconds to say it.”
They sat there in silence. Thirty seconds went by.
Then another.
Neither of them was saying a word.
She got the point.
She dropped her arm, but he reached for her hand, then tugged her toward him.
She caught herself on the arms of the chair, their faces just inches apart.
“If you want it, then you can kiss me.”
Their eyes stayed locked. Their lips were just a whisper away from each other.
She leaned down to do it, but stopped before they touched.
“I want it, but not here. See, I can be professional too.”
She straightened and walked to her chair, returned to her seat and waited for him to say the next word.
“We might be at a standstill.”
“No, we aren’t. Because you’re going to go back and think this to death, analyze every side and possibility, and realize that I did what you wanted all along. Even taking the guilt away by not kissing you during working hours.”
And that was how you get the last word in!