His hammer hesitated and he glanced up at her, the molten lust in his gaze nothing compared to the forge. He jerked his gaze back to his work and resumed hammering.
Had she imagined his reaction?
When he didn’t say anything, she wondered if she’d stepped over the line. With her kink friends what she’d said would have been considered a bit flirtatious, but unless Severin was kinky he should have rolled his eyes, at most.
“I’d buy something more casual to wear, but with Church gone I don’t have a ride into town.”
“Call a cab.”
“They won’t come out here. I’ve tried.”
“Where were you trying to go?” he asked, his tone blasé, but his expression alert.
“Just to go see a movie.”
He grunted. “You can borrow a car.”
“I wouldn’t be comfortable with that.”
“I’ll talk to Sutton. Maybe she’ll have a solution.”
He worked for about another hour, and when he was finished, he tossed the snake on the table between them.
“That look okay?” He pulled off his apron and went to the fridge in the corner and took out two beers, then put one down in front of her.
She caught herself staring at his nipple rings just as he tugged on his T-shirt.
“It’s beautiful,” she replied honestly, meaning the snake, but guiltily thinking about his chest too. Around the house, Sutton had pointed out his work – the support for a table, several statues, smaller sculptures. His work was primitive and fierce – too aggressive for the flow of the house, and yet the contrast was somehow attractive.
He opened his beer and chugged it, then took the snake back from her and put it on a worktable along the far wall.
“No beer for you?” he asked, pointing at her unopened bottle.
“Well, I’m working. You’re my boss. It seems inappropriate.”
He snorted and got himself a second beer. “I think if the boss hands it to you, you’re safe to drink it.”
When she opened her beer, he nodded in approval. Her cheeks went hot, and she took a long pull from the bottle, the bitter aftertaste doing wonders to distract her from her perverse, subby crush. She downed it quickly, and gave Severin a look of apprehension as he put a second one in front of her before retreating to a seat on the other side of the room. The last thing she needed to be doing was lowering her inhibitions, considering how attracted she was to him. This job paid too well to take a chance of fucking things up, and it was so much better than schlepping coffee.
He watched the way she put the bottle to her lips, but she pretended not to notice. She may have rubbed her bottom lip along the lip of the bottle, just to see if she was delusional, but from the way his eyelids drooped, he hadn’t missed it.
Hot boss was checking her out, and the beer was making her giddy. Her thighs were numb.
Why did she already have a buzz? Oh damn. No lunch.
“So Church used to hang out in here with you a lot?”
“Yeah.”
“Did he help out or just keep you company?”
“Mostly company.”
“Well, next time tell me if you want me to do anything.”
“Anything?” He quirked a brow. “Careful now or I may have you doing things you’ll find unpleasant.”
“Like what?” She arched her brow.