She wanted to skip the shower and hurtle into his arms. Every little morsel he tossed her way made her so utterly grateful, as if he’d just presented her with a bow-wrapped sports car. A smile, a touch, her name on his lips—she craved it all.
“Okay,” she whispered over the lump in her throat.
This time there was a tear, just one that snuck by her defenses before she shored them up again. She hurried away before he could see it, ashamed she could be so easily broken.
Even so, she knew she’d take the risk of the fall over walking away. Anything was better than that.
* * *
Spencer was at his desk by seven a.m. He’d dropped Kelly off at the club to get her car early enough for her to get to the store on time, which left him up freakishly early. But he hadn’t headed to work right away.
First he’d gone to the gym and driven himself through a punishing routine on the machines. Even when his muscles screamed, he hadn’t stopped. If he hadn’t been such a textbook case of a man severely in over his head, he might’ve laughed at his own actions.
Rather than laugh, he worked.
He wandered out to check the floor around ten. Kelly was back in the romance section, organizing and rearranging. The woman was a perfectionist in the extreme. She shot him one of her teasing smiles as he walked through and there wasn’t a force on earth strong enough to keep him from stopping to see her.
“Keeping busy?” he asked, lifting his voice loud enough for anyone who passed by to hear.
“Always.” She inclined her chin. “What, do you have some other menial task for me to take care of? Maybe a back hall to sweep?”
Taken aback, he belatedly noted the glow of humor in her whiskey eyes. She was keeping up their public persona. Fight, fight, fight. Except now he got to enjoy making up too.
“I didn’t realize you had a problem with anything I asked you to do, Ms. Crossman.”
“You didn’t? Where have you been these past three years?” She made atsking sound in her throat and turned away, offering him a prime view of her ass in her tight little jeans as she bent to shelve books. She even wriggled it, the wench.
His cock jumped as if she’d switched a lever. “Actually there is something I’d like to discuss with you.” He kept his tone cool and businesslike while his blood pumped like lava in his veins.
“So discuss. I’m listening.” She glanced over her shoulder and rimmed her lips with her tongue. “Mostly.”
“In my office.”On my desk, while I’m fucking you senseless.
“What time is good for me to come…by?”
He fought a grin and spoke conspiratorially as he leaned close. “Don’t you mean for you to come?”
“We’ll both come. Promise.” She turned around, wedging him up against the shelf for a brief, hot moment before she glided away. “Sorry, sticky tongue. When should I stop by?”
“About noon. I should be ready for you then.”
Her gaze dropped pointedly to the bulge in his pants. “Looks like you’re ready for me now.” She smiled. “At your command, sir,” she added with a saucy wink.
Suppressing a groan, he turned away. What was he supposed to be doing again? Work. Right. Yeah.
Spencer managed to make it around the perimeter of the store, even held a few semi-coherent conversations with his staff. His erection dissipated once she was out of his sight but the memory of her silky pussy wrapped around his cock that morning was permanently engraved on his brain.
He was in deep and sinking deeper all the time.
He’d never enjoyed flirting with someone as much before. Kelly’s mind was so fucking sexy. Her sarcastic retorts fired him up almost as much as seeing her naked.
Well, not quite, but a lot.
Reluctantly he returned to his office and the work waiting for him. When his stomach started to growl, he glanced up, startled to see it was past noon. He’d been flying through reports and spreadsheets most of the day. Finally he was making some damn progress. In two days he’d be on a plane to Virginia, just as planned.
He would not mess up this expansion. Everything would happen on time, on budget. No matter what it cost.
As for Kelly, he’d have to figure out a way to let her know what was happening without spilling everything. He hated lying to her. He also couldn’t stand the idea of letting her go. Not yet.