Ari’s eyes widen. “Not so much that, just kind of aloof and sharp-tongued. Short tempered.”
A smile spreads across my lips. “So he’s an asshole.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to say it, Ari.” I slap the sofa between us. “Oh this is motivating!” My brain races. If there’s one thing in this world I love, it’s a challenge. I feel that anything in the world worth having is worth going to battle for, and dammit if I have to go head to head with Quinn Strong, a man I haven’t even met, bring it the hell on.
I take a deep breath and stand. Ari follows suit. “You don’t have to worry about me quitting because Quinn Strong is an asshole.”
Ari’s eyes widen. She begins shaking her head. “I didn’t say that.” Her words are clipped.
“You didn’t have to, Ari. It’s pretty clear the man lives to intimidate. If that’s how he treats his managers here, shame on him. Don’t you worry for a second, though. I’m not scared of Quinn Strong.” Ari shakes her head so fast, I’m afraid it might fall off. I gaze out the window, narrowing my eyes. “That man just met his match.”
“Knock, knock.” I swing around as heavy knuckles rap wood. My heart sinks, mouth trapped somewhere between breathing and speaking. Standing in the doorway is the most gigantic man I’ve ever laid eyes on. His bulging chest threatens to tear that t-shirt of his clean off. Destroyed jeans fit his slim hips. But it’s his square jaw that reels me in. Clenched.
“Morning.” I say, fastening on a smile. “I’m Savannah Thorpe, the new manager.”
“Morning.” The man says, engulfing my hand when he takes it in his. My knees grow weak as I gaze into his warm, golden-green eyes. If this guy works for me, we’re going to have problems. I have a strict no employee crush policy. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Quinn Strong.” The man finally smiles, flashing a row of pristine white teeth. “But you can just call measshole.” My stomach drops to my knees. What kind of an idiot doesn’t close her office door if she’s going to talk shit about her boss before she’s even met him.Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
“We’re having a meeting in ten.” He drops my hand and leaves my office. When I turn to Ari, I give her a death look.
She throws her hands up. “I tried to warn you that he was standing behind you.”
“Not hard enough.” I sigh, running my hand through my hair. “Isn’t this just great?” As far as first days go, this has to be one of the worst ones in the entire history of man.
2
Quinn
Caringabout what people think of me has never been high on my priority list, but dammit if that sexy little redhead didn’t just put my feelings in a twist. The second our eyes met, a deep ache vibrated all throughout my body. Call me names if you must, sweetheart. You haven’t the slightest inkling of the type of wrath I can incur. But it’s not that I want to punish her for it. It’s the exact opposite. I want to please Savannah Thorpe like she’s never been pleased before.
My fists ball at my sides as I head to my own office to breathe before the meeting. I can’t introduce the curvy goddess to the rest of the staff when I’m all hot and bothered. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a woman so goddamn beautiful, one I’ve had such a visceral reaction toward. I’m already rock hard against my jeans. Strong women turn me on like no other type, and I bet Savannah is one of the strongest. Her reputation as such is the main reason I transferred her from her former store to mine. Though, I had no idea how gorgeous she would be. How when I see her face, the angels start singing.
I fire up my laptop and make sure nothing crazy came into my email overnight. Luckily, it’s the normal daily grind. A few moments of mundane work gives me a chance to calm down. When I look at the clock, I’m three minutes late for the meeting.
“Shit.”
I head into the café where the staff sits scattered amongst the chairs, coffees in hand. That’s one of the perks of the job, besides an excellent wage and health insurance for part-time workers. I clasp my hands in front of my chest and everyone quiets down. As I cast a glance around the room, I take an extra beat and linger on Savannah’s bright green eyes. Her face flushes a special shade of crimson.
“Good morning everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to introduce our newest member of the Burly Creek team.” I point to the voluptuous redhead, who tucks a curly strand of hair behind her ear. “Savannah Thorpe, our new Head Manager.” Everyone claps and Savannah nods, avoiding my eyes. After I say a few more words, which are surprisingly hard to put together with my mind focused solely on the gorgeous woman before me, the staff disperses.
Quickly, I interrupt her conversation with Ari before she gets too far into it. “Can I see you in my office, please?”
“Of course,” she says, eyes wide. I walk toward the back with her in silence. The tension between us mounts as I close the door behind her and she sits. I’m sure she’s expecting to get reamed out for calling me an asshole, but that’s not my style.
“So,” I lean back and throw my feet up on the desk. “Tell me about you.”
Her fingertips graze her blouse. “About me?” She sighs and tosses her curly mane over her shoulder. “There’s not much to tell. I started at Strong Coffee four years ago. Became the Assistant Manager within the first—”
“That’s not what I’m asking, Savannah.” My nostrils flare, wondering how those sweet cherry lips of hers taste, the creamy curve of her neck, her large, full breasts. “Tell me about whoyouare.”
“Oh, I’m punctual, not afraid to face things head on.”
“Not afraid of assholes like me.”
She huffs an awkward laugh. “True, true, I did say that, and I’m sorry that our first meeting was so…”