Chapter 3 #2
But now he looked like anything but an interloper.
He stood in the doorway, hands on the jamb, leaning in slightly as if he were ready to do a push-up.
He had a body that did not quit. His suit jacket was open, revealing his broad chest under the white shirt, a flat abdomen, and thighs in his slacks that suggested he lifted weights.
As for his package—she didn’t shiver, she didn’t avert her eyes. But she did salivate a little.
Then he sauntered into her office and made himself at home in the chair opposite her. “I hope you had a good weekend,” he drawled.
“I did. I finished all the work on Friday so I didn’t have to come in over the weekend. I enjoyed a coffee date with my girlfriend,” she said pointedly, showing she wasn’t interested.
But a moment later, his knowing gaze made her wonder if he’d noticed she hadn’t mentioned going out on a date. And from that, he might glean that she wasn’t seeing anyone right now. Just as Lee said—she had a big mouth.
Thank God he didn’t pursue it. “Your daughters?” he asked, pointing at the pictures of her girls on her desk.
She couldn’t help beaming with pride. “Their high school graduation photos.”
“They’re both beautiful women, like their mother.”
Oh no. Here it came. She decided to ignore any innuendo in what he’d said. “They’re smart too.”
He grinned. “Just like their mother.”
This time she wanted to groan. He was definitely about to hit on her.
Then he did it. “So, was that your significant other on the phone on Friday?’”
All right. She’d screwed up. She’d talked about sex in the office and sparked his interest. But she wanted to make it clear to Knox that she wasn’t interested.
“No. I don’t have a significant other. I’m not planning on having a significant other.
I don’t date. He was just a friend. I’m busy with my career, and I have no time for relationships. ”
He gazed at her with his gorgeous, all-knowing dark amber eyes. “Except late at night over the phone when no one’s in the office.” His eyes gleamed as if they were spotlights shining directly on her.
The awful, terrible part was that his voice, his words, and the knowledge that he’d heard everything made her wet.
“But I’m so glad to hear you don’t have time for relationships,” he went on, that gleam growing to a blaze in his eyes. “Because all I’m interested in is your voice over the phone. And your imagination. You are one amazing woman.”
Really, how could any red-blooded woman not preen under those words? But she had to be strong—after all, they worked together, and things could get messy. “I appreciate the compliment. But I can only handle one friend with benefits at a time.”
He leaned forward, legs spread, elbows on his knees, eyes boring into her. “Ah, but I’m not asking to be a friend with benefits. Just a phone call. Because I’m very curious about you, Summer. I have so many questions to ask. But only over the phone.”
He pulled his cell out of his pocket and punched in a few numbers. Suddenly, her desk phone rang. She looked at it but didn’t pick it up.
“That’s my personal cell number,” he said.
“If you feel like a little talk sometime, I’d love to hear from you.
” Then he rose to his full, sexy height and smiled.
God, what a killer smile. Just like on Friday night, he turned at the door to look at her and offered his parting shot.
“I can make it just as good for you as you made it for your FWB.”
He would absolutely make it good for her. She felt that deep in her core. Because she was already feeling the effect he had on her right now.
But she must resist. No way, no how could she get involved with him.
Knox Turner and phone sex would not go together without serious negative consequences.
She was an intelligent, forty-five-year-old woman, and she wouldn’t let herself be phased by Friday night’s incident with Knox.
By Wednesday, it didn’t appear there would be any repercussions from her ill-advised naughty phone call.
He obviously had no intention of telling Holt Montgomery—or even Spence, her first-level boss.
Knox hadn’t even asked for her cell phone number.
And he hadn’t hassled her when she didn’t call him.
Instead, he’d left everything up to her.
Of course, she’d never call him. Even though she’d added his cell number to her contacts. Who knew, she might have to contact him sometime about a shipment.
But by Thursday night when she got home from work, she needed something, badly. It was lucky Knox was out of town with the R&D guys, evaluating the test product, or God forbid, she might actually have used that number.
But tonight, it wouldn’t do to take care of things by herself.
There was just something about the involvement of another person, even if it was only a voice on the other end of the phone.
The climax was always better if she was talking to someone.
Of course, the ultimate was doing it with someone, in present time, physically.
If only Knox hadn’t put her on edge this entire week.
But there was always Paul. Her fallback position.
While taking a bath, she let her fingers trace lightly over her skin, the slippery touch sending heat to her core.
Afterward, she smoothed on lotion, slow and deliberate, as she thought about Knox.
His voice. What it would be like with him.
There was no harm in a little fantasy. Then Paul would help her take the edge off.
All revved up after her bath, she popped in her earbuds and slid beneath the covers. Paul answered with a simple hello, and her usual naughty undertones crept in. “Hey,” she said, her voice low and seductive. “I’m so horny tonight.”
Instead of the start of a delicious, mind-numbing session, Paul said, “Look, we need to talk.”
She knew what was coming. She’d been down this road with Paul before. They weren’t in a relationship, and if either of them met someone else, they were free to pursue whatever they wanted. And yet her mind screamed, Please, not tonight, please.
“You know that wedding I went to a couple of weeks ago?” he began.
She made a small sound for him to continue.
“I met a woman there. She was amazing, Summer. And she seemed as into me as I was into her. And I finally had dinner with her tonight. But we’re taking things slow. She’s just out of a nasty divorce.”
Wasn’t everyone, Summer thought.
“But I really want to give this a chance.” He paused, and she could almost see him gesturing in the air.
“I just feel like what you and I do,” another pause, “I just don’t feel right about dating her and still talking to you.
Not that it’s cheating or anything. I barely know her. But still, it just doesn’t feel right.”
She let him off the hook. After all, that was the nature of their arrangement, nonexclusive, pure sex, no emotion.
“I get it. Honestly. I hope this one really works out.”
She wanted to beg him for just one more time, but that was her own neediness. She’d gotten herself all worked up about Knox Turner, and now the problem was hers to deal with.
“Thanks,” he said. “I knew you’d understand.”
“I’m happy for you. But check in with me—let me know how things go. We’re still friends.”
“Of course we are.”
They said their goodbyes, and she wondered if she’d hear from him in another three months or so, only to learn that it hadn’t worked yet again. She hoped that wouldn’t be the case. She liked Paul, and he was looking for a partner. She might not be that woman, but she wanted the best for him.
Except tonight, when she needed a partner in crime. She’d depended on Paul too much to be there. And now she was like a woman all dressed up for a night on the town with no place to go and no one to meet.
Damn Paul for not being available when she needed him.
She reached into her bedside table for her trusty BOB—battery-operated boyfriend.
Though she indulged in a few of her favorite fantasies, Knox’s face kept popping up in all of them. And solo just wasn’t giving her the satisfaction she craved. She couldn’t seem to reach that amazing peak. She needed a man. She needed a voice.
She needed him.
As much as she told herself it was a terrible idea, she reached for the phone.