Chapter 17
Anderson watchedRuth’s fingers fly across the keyboard, wondering how fast she actually could type. Then he wondered what she was writing. It had been a week since she had told him that she was a writer.
That night he hadn’t really believed her; he was too turned on by her crazy computer skills. Who would have thought? But then again, they had never had any computer issues. Not ever. He remembered once having an error pop up before the end of the day a few years before. By morning the computer was fine—had she fixed it for him?
Then she had taken it into overdrive by admitting she read or wrote sex scenes from her desk a few feet from him while he was there. All he could think about was the sexual tension that was swirling around them the day of the bonfire, and this time he could act on it. And he did.
In the month since they had turned their relationship sexual, she had changed for the better again. In the bedroom, she was bold and adventurous, and it turned him on. He couldn’t get enough of her. During the day, he could barely keep his hands off her and had taken to touching her when he could. Just a quick caress now and again. She had responded by doing the same.
Oddly, he hadn’t told Mia or Rafferty what he had found out, mainly because Ruth didn’t want people to know. So far, he hadn’t pushed to see if there were more secrets. Maybe he didn’t want to know.
“Stop watching me, Anderson. Go get lunch if you are bored.” She was looking at him over her glasses.
Jumping up, he strode across the room and kissed her. But before it could go too far, he headed out the door to the café. Once there, he took a seat on a stool and placed his order with a waitress. It looked like Mia was off today. She usually joked with him or had a few juicy pieces of gossip to tell.
When the boxes were set in front of him, it reminded him of the lunches that went uneaten on Valentine’s Day. He grinned, glad he knew where to find her the next time she disappeared.
Pushing through the door, he called out to her, “Open face sandwich today, your favorite.”
The words died on his lips when he saw his brother leaning against Ruth’s desk, looking down at her. His posture said that he was interested in the personal assistant and was trying to look down her blouse. Anger rushed through Anderson at the sight.
“Andy, you came back. Ruthie here said you went for lunch but would be back quickly.” His brother turned to him and away from Ruth as if he hadn’t been staring at her moments before.
“Jonathan,” he said in a way of greeting.
“Anything good?” He took the boxes from Anderson’s hand.
“Get your own lunch,” Anderson stated.
“Ham sandwich. I will take that one. I love those.” Jonathan gave the other box to Anderson and went into his office, then sat in Anderson’s chair and opened the box.
Ruth gave him a weary look as Anderson followed his brother into the other office. He could tell that Jonathan had been there long enough for Ruth. She had no tolerance for some people, and it seemed his brother had easily made that list.
Anderson sat down in one of the guest chairs across from his own chair. His brother had long made that list for Anderson.
“Mom hasn’t seen you in months,” Jonathan scolded him.
“I have talked to her, and she knows I like to stay here as much as possible.” It was the truth. Another truth was that he hated leaving Ruth. He hated being away from her but hadn’t known if he was ready for her to meet his family. Except now, she was in the worst possible way.
“She says you met someone.” Jonathan ate a chip with a grin. “Nobody like Daphne, though. She was hot. And she was good in bed. But I don’t have to tell you that, do I?”
“Can we not talk about that? I am over her,” he hissed, wishing that Ruth wasn’t so close. Not that he even thought about the woman anymore, not with Ruth in his life.
“What? Only your secretary can hear us. And she is probably interested in knowing that kind of information, office gossip and all.” Jonathan pointed at Ruth with a chip.
Every time Jonathan called her a secretary, Anderson cringed. The word from Jonathan’s mouth made it seem like he was belittling those beneath him. It was a term that turned his stomach and had for years.
“She is my personal assistant.” He shot Ruth a look as she stared at her computer, but her fingers were not moving, so she was listening.
“Wait, is she your rebound?” Jonathan sat up straighter, his own eyes swinging toward the blonde.
“We are not talking about this,” Anderson stated firmly.
“So, it is her. You are having sex with your secretary? She is hot, though.” He grinned and took a bite of the stolen sandwich as he looked over at Ruth.
“Jonathan,” he warned, tired of his brother being there.
“They are always ready for a man when they get done with you, Andy.” He finished the sandwich with a smirk and rubbed the crumbs off his hands.