“We’ll start with the advertising budget. Marcia, Tony and I have put together some proposals on the most effective usage of our money, but I need someone with an eye for what moves consumers to evaluate where it makes sense to spend big and where to cut back. We need the maximum bang for our buck. No one else has your mind for numbers combined with a flair for the artistic, so you’re perfect.”
“Thank you.” Kelly slanted a glance at him. “Nice to know you think I do have some use.”
He didn’t reply. He knew she was still dwelling on his “not fit to lead” comment the other day, when he’d been so vexed by her ridiculous sex list anything could have come out of his mouth. And not even that she had a list, but that he’d been at the bottom of it.
Days later he still hadn’t moved past that one.
The video footage he’d saved on his hard drive of her having private time alone in his office had played a large part in his mental fog that day. He’d have to tell her about its existence.
Eventually.
“Plenty of uses.” He nudged her aside so he could stand. “Take my seat. I’ll go grab my laptop from the car.”
“Oooh, the chair of command.” She plopped down and grinned. “I feel all official already.”
Smiling, he headed out to his car. The heat hadn’t lessened in the last half hour. If anything, it felt even hotter. By the time he returned, laptop under his arm, his linen shirt clung to him. He wouldn’t have been surprised if his face was beet-red.
He glanced at Kelly as he set his computer on the low table next to the loveseat. He hated the damn thing—who had living room furniture in their office?—but Marcia had insisted she needed it. He didn’t want to speculate why. “Doing okay?”
“Spectacular.” Kelly swiveled to face him. “Hot?”
“Yeah, you could say that.” He powered on his machine and took a long breath. Right now, he wanted a tall glass of something cold to rub against the back of his neck. Kelly’s plump lips encircling his dick would be nice too.
As she rose and walked over to him, he stared dumbly. Had he spoken aloud?
“Here, let me help.” She rested one knee on the cushion beside him and undid the first few buttons of his shirt. “Take a load off. Relax. You’re among friends.”
“Unlike some people, I don’t undress in the office,” he said when she kept going.
She narrowed her eyes, her fingers faltering. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” He forced all thoughts of her video out of his head. The video that wasn’t supposed to exist. “Just that I imagine some people do more in their offices than work.”
She cocked her head, curiosity piqued. Maybe she thought he was referring to Marcia. He hoped. “Well,youundress in the office now.” Easing back, she admired her handiwork with a grin. “I like the view.”
“I feel like an idiot.”
“Yeah, but you look yummy.” She gave him a quick kiss and went back to his computer. “So what else do you have to take care of tonight?”
Bending you over that desk would be an excellent start.
He cleared his throat and opened his files. “A bunch of things. I’m behind.”
“You? Never.”
“I haven’t exactly been focused on work lately.”
“No?” He’d never heard so much pleasure contained in a single syllable, at least while the woman in question was fully clothed. “Well, allow me to help you get caught up. Spreadsheets rev me up in ways you can’t imagine.”
For about the twentieth time that evening, he smiled. “Is that so?”
“Oh yeah. Together, we’ll plow through whatever’s left on your To Do list.”
Together.What a fucking terrifying word.
He was used to doing things solo, not with a partner who hummed along to the hip-hop music still pumping in the store.
Without allowing himself to dwell on the rightness of her presence, he briefly outlined what he wanted to accomplish and then they were off. Occasionally she asked questions or offered suggestions. Invariably her thoughts opened up a new line to pursue.