Chapter Fourteen
Grant sat back in his chair and looked around his spacious office with the expensive, brown leather furniture and original art.
His whole building was modern and state-of-the-art, costing him millions to build.
His house, although not a mansion, was huge and very expensive.
And no, she hadn’t yet visited his house, but she knew he had money.
And still, she wanted to share her food with him.
Never in his life had he met anyone so selfless before.
The women he’d met in the past were hard and cold.
He always knew to go into a short-term relationship or just a night of sex, and he’d pay for it one way or another.
His money was part of the attraction for the women in the circles he moved.
Money didn’t seem to mean much to Jennifer.
Jennifer maneuvered herself deeper within his heart.
He wanted her a little more every time he talked to her.
He had known before he wanted her badly, but now he knew he was going to keep her no matter what.
If he played his cards right, slowed his ass down, and didn’t scare the shit out of her, he’d be able to pull her in because the thought of losing her was unthinkable.
She had already become the best thing he’d ever had in his life.
He stood and grabbed his suit coat. “Mrs. Arnett, I’ll be out for a few hours.”
Mrs. Arnett looked up from her desk and nodded. “Yes, sir. Have a good lunch.”
Almost an hour later, Grant strode into the animal shelter and stopped at the front desk. “I’m here to see Jennifer.”
All three women at the front desk froze and stared at him.
Several quiet moments passed. “Ladies, I’m here to see Jennifer, the director.” Frustration laced his words.
Kari cleared her throat. “Um, yeah. I’ll call her up to the desk.
” It took her a few times to dial because her hands had started to tremble.
“Jen, there’s someone here to see you.” She listened for a moment.
“Okay, I’ll tell him.” Kari turned toward him and cleared her throat.
“She said she’d be right up if you’d like to take a seat. ”
Grant nodded and turned to look at the posters and missing pet papers on a massive corkboard on a wall by the front door.
He turned when she came through the door to the right of the front desk.
His mouth watered, and his eyes roamed over her hungrily as she came toward him.
She stopped a few feet away from him, nervously clasped her hands over her stomach, and smiled.
“Hi,” she said shyly.
A soft smile spread across his face. “Hi, yourself. Are you forgetting something, baby?” Although his tone was quiet, his voice still held an edge of authority.
She looked confused for a second, then a deep flush crept into her features. She took a slow step toward him until her hands were pressed against his chest, then stood on her tiptoes and placed her lips on his.
“Good girl,” he whispered when he lifted his mouth and one of his hands wrapped around her waist. “Where do you want to eat?” he asked, indicating the food bag in his other hand.
Jennifer turned and blushed when she caught her employees frozen and staring at them.
“Guys, I’d like you to meet Grant, my...” Her gaze flew to his when she didn’t know what to call him.
Grant smiled down at her and tightened his grip on her waist.
“I’m her very close male friend,” he said. As he raised one eyebrow, his eyes glittered with mirth.
Jennifer rolled her eyes and smiled at him. “Come this way. We’ll eat in my office.”
Several sets of eyes followed them as they walked past the front desk.
“She’s my lover.”
Grant chuckled as he passed the cage in the corner. “Harry, we’ve already had this talk.”
“She’s pretty.”
Jennifer snorted as she closed the door behind them.
“How about we sit on the sofa and eat?”
Grant sat down and set the bag on the low table in front of the sofa. “He’s right, you know.”
Jennifer pulled a couple of water bottles from the small fridge by her desk. “Who is?”
“Harry. You’re very pretty.”
Jennifer stood silently.
Grant walked to her and grasped her shoulders. “You’re beautiful and sexy as hell.” He raised and lowered his eyebrows comedically.
Jennifer laughed. “You’re silly, Grant.”
He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
“I may be silly, but I’m still telling the truth,” he whispered against the side of her head and breathed in her sweet scent.
She was teasing him, making him soft, but he didn’t mind.
He smiled. He knew no one, including himself, had ever accused him of being silly.
They stood together for several moments, neither wanting to move.
“Are you hungry, baby?” Grant said reluctantly and bent to kiss her forehead.
Jennifer squeezed him one more time and then pulled away. “Absolutely,” she said as she sat on the old brown sofa. The only furniture was the sofa table where their food sat, her desk and chair, a tall wooden bookcase, a filing cabinet, and the tiny fridge.
Grant sat down close beside her and started to pull things out of the bag he brought. “I hope you like sub-sandwiches. I figured if you didn’t like something on it, it would be easy to remove.”
“It’s perfect, Grant. Thank you.”
There was silence for several moments as they ate.
As he studied her, Grant carefully wiped his hands on a napkin in the restaurant bag. “What are you doing tonight for dinner?”
Jennifer swallowed the food in her mouth before choking, then laughing. “We haven’t finished lunch yet.” She stilled when Grant reached out to wipe a bit of mayonnaise from her mouth with his napkin.
“I want to make sure I’m on your schedule tonight.”
A deep flush spread across her face. She tilted her head and smiled. “I’m free.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up after work.”
Jennifer shook her head. “No. I want to go home and shower. Besides, we’d have to return here to get my car.”
Grant leaned forward, set his elbows on his legs, and focused on her. “You like to argue with me, don’t you, baby?”
She laughed at the ironic, sarcastic tone of his voice. “I don’t mean to. I’m just trying to be logical.”
He pulled her onto his lap and leaned back, taking her with him.
Jennifer yelped and then giggled at his abrupt move. He took a deep breath, and she relaxed against his chest and tucked her head under his chin.
Grant felt something relax in his chest with her in his arms. He tightened the arm, curved around her back, and slid his other hand up and down her arm.
Jennifer tilted her head back to stare up at the sculptured perfection of his face and licked her lips nervously as her hand tightened around his thick wrist.
Grant slid a hand up to cup her cheek, and his eyes roamed slowly over her features before he lowered his head and took her lips.
Within seconds, his body tensed up. When bolts of pleasure shot within him, and a mixture of hunger and something like anticipation raced through him, he stabbed his tongue into her mouth to taste her sweetness.
His need for her spiked higher than he’d ever felt with any other woman.
Their moans collided. He quickly diminished the limited space separating them and tilted his head to adjust how their mouths fit together for the deeper contact they needed.
Grant’s hand slid around the back of her neck to support her head as their tongues mated, sending unbearable need through him.
Jennifer jolted and tore herself away from his mouth at a hard knock on the door. He kept her on his lap and against his chest when she nervously tried to push away.
“Jen. Mr. Thomas is here about the repair in the utility room.” Kari’s voice came through the door.
Her heart beat violently in her chest, making her breathing hard to control.
“I’m...” Jennifer cleared her throat without taking her eyes off Grant. “I’ll be right there, Kari.” She lifted her hand and traced the curves of his face. “I’ve got to go, Grant,” she whispered.
He sat her up and lifted her off his lap in one easy movement and grimaced at the tight fit of his pants.
“I have to get back to work, too.” He stood and helped Jennifer clean up their lunch. He held his hand out to her. “Come say goodbye to me.”
Jennifer tucked her small hand in his large, callused one and followed behind him as he walked through the front desk area and stopped by the front door.
“I’ll pick you up at your place at six. Will that work for you, baby?” Grant pulled her in front of him and encircled her waist with his hands. His eyes watched her with a hot, intense expression. “Now, kiss me goodbye,” he demanded quietly.
Jennifer stood on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his for a quick kiss, aware and uncomfortable of her employees’ curious stares. “Goodbye, Grant. I’ll see you tonight and thank you very much for lunch. Plan for dinner at my house this week.”
Grant rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip as his gaze scanned her features. “We’ll see. I just might want to spoil you.”
Her breath hitched in her throat at the intense expression on his face. “Can’t I spoil you, too? I’m a pretty good cook.”
“We’ll talk about it later tonight,” he said as he bent for another quick kiss before he walked out the door.