by Amy Noelle
“I think it’s best if we work at separate desks for the day.” No! I wanted him by my side. He must have known what I was thinking, because he squeezed my hand. “It’ll put Chris at ease if he thinks we keep separate spaces.”
“Fine.”
“And it’ll keep me from repeating what I just did,” he said and let go of my hand.
“That’s not fine,” I said, pouting.
“You’re gorgeous when you sulk.” He laughed as he went around to his desk. “I really want to kiss you again.”
I glared at him. “So, you won’t sit by me, but you will make suggestive comments to drive me crazy all day long?” I asked.
“Pretty much.” He smiled.
Ass. Well, two could play at that game. I licked my lips, and now he didn’t look so amused. I bent forward as far as I could, letting him get a good peek down the front of my blouse before I said, “I really want to come over there and sit on your lap while you do some dic . . . tation,” I said.
“Okay, you win,” he said. “I won’t play with you any more.”
“But I want you to,” I said.
“Damn it, woman, you’re going to kill me. Save it for later.” He sounded really frustrated. It was kind of adorable.
How much later? That was the question I really wanted an answer to. But I knew he wasn’t about to tell me. “All right, I’ll be good. Very good,” I added slyly when I saw his shoulders relax.
He cursed and turned toward his monitor. “I have no doubt of that, but if you want to survive this day—this week—then you’ll stop teasing me and start wearing a parka into the office.”
“A parka? It’s going to be seventy degrees today.” He was too cute, all flustered like this. Usually he was so cool. I liked getting to him.
“Well, something unattractive then.”
“Hmm, well, I don’t own anything unattractive, so I guess you could bring me some of your clothes to wear. You know, one of your T-shirts or one of your button-downs.”
“Come on. You know what the idea of that does to me.” I did, and I loved it.
“Fine, I’ll play nice if you move back to this side of the room.” I patted the chair next to me. “I’ll keep my hands off you.”
“I don’t think it’s your hands that are going to be the problem. Less than a minute after reassuring Chris I could behave with you, I had you pinned against the door.”
“As long as we’re careful not to let it happen again, we’ll be fine. It’ll be better if you sit here, because we can have innocent kisses when we need them, so we don’t have to explode later. It’s really the smart way to do things.” That was my story, and I was sticking to it. Plus, I missed him. I’d already had to deal with him being away from me last week, and I didn’t want to do it again.
Josh pursed his lips. “What you say sort of makes sense.” Of course it did. I was being sensible and not at all the horny teenager who had been lurking inside me for weeks. “If you promise you won’t tease me anymore, I’ll come over there.”
“I promise.” I had to resist bouncing in my seat. I loved getting my way.
He stood, and I barely managed not to drool at the sight of his long, lean body. But I’d made a promise, and I was going to keep it. I tried to look at my monitor as he walked over to sit beside me. The instant he did, I felt better. “I missed you last week,” I said. “I know that seems silly, but I did.”
He shook his head and put his hand on top of mine on the desk. “I missed you, too. I love being next to you.” Love. My stomach dipped. It scared me but, at the same time, it made me feel . . . no. I barely knew the guy.
“Good. Don’t leave me, then,” I said, and I didn’t know if he knew I meant ever.
“I’ll have to, now and then,” he said, running his thumb along the back of my hand. “But I’ll always come back.”
Chapter 19
“What are you doing, Nicole?” Josh asked from behind me.
“I’m making sure the coast is clear.”
“From what?” he asked, practically pushing me against the door as he tried to peer into the hallway.
“Derek! Who else would I be hiding from?” How could he not know? Josh was the reason I had to avoid the guy in the first place. Well, half the reason. The other half was my being a rude bitch on our date, but since it was Josh I was thinking of at the time, he was equally culpable.
Josh laughed and pushed the door all the way open as he steered me into the hallway, his hand feeling hot on my back. “What do you think he’s going to do? Attack you? Hand you a bill for wasting his time?”
Well, when he put it like that . . . I sighed and kept my eyes peeled just in case. “He might yell at me or call me a bitch or something.” Not that I would be overly traumatized if he did, but still, this was my workplace and I didn’t need to be humiliated over a shitty date.
“I’d like him to try saying that in front of me,” Josh said, looking positively fierce. He was really hot when he was mad, way hotter than when he was mad at me. I shivered a little as we reached the elevator. He slid his hand down my back and around to link with mine as the doors opened.
I looked at him in surprise, and he just shrugged. “In case he’s watching.” So he could be possessive, too. Maybe that should bother me. It didn’t.
“Hold the elevator,” Angela called as she ran toward us juggling a few papers. Josh hit the button and I started to pull my hand away, but he tightened his grip. Well, all righty then.
She got in and thanked us profusely. “My bag broke and I need to take these home and I have a recital to get to by seven and . . .” Her focus finally landed on our joined hands. “Well, isn’t this interesting?” She grinned at me. “Lisa’s going to shit a brick.”
“Yeah, well.” I shrugged.
“We’re heading to dinner,” Josh said, smiling at me.
“To talk about that super-secret project?” Angie asked.
“No, we’re officially off the clock, finally.” He smirked. “It’s been a long day.”
He wasn’t kidding. Our sexual tension was still off the charts, despite the fact that we were dating and kissing now. Maybe it would calm down once I nailed him. I met his hot gaze and knew that wasn’t going to happen.
“Tell me about it. Our little group misses you. It’s too quiet out there without you.” She laughed lightly. “I don’t guess you miss us overly much.”
To say no would be rude, but we both knew I was quite content in my current location. “I miss some of you,” I said.
“Good.” The doors opened, and Angela waved as she stepped out. “You two have a great dinner. Nic, we’ll talk soon.”
I had no doubt we would. We got off the elevator and followed behind her at a less hurried pace. “What was that all about?”
“What? I was thinking we’d hit that steak place a few blocks over.”
“Keefer’s? Sure.” I was momentarily distracted by the food question but then came around. “Why didn’t you let go of my hand, and why did you announce to Angela that we were going out?”
“Because I didn’t want to, and because we are,” he said, looking completely unruffled. I didn’t fail to notice that he was getting quite a few admiring looks from women, and even some men, as we walked through the lobby.
“But . . .” I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to say.
He stopped walking and turned to look at me. “Chris knows, so I figure we don’t have to hide it from anyone. Are you telling me you’re not pleased that Lisa’s going to know? I saw that look on your face this morning.”
So much for being subtle. “So? She wants you. I don’t like it.”
He laughed, and we started walking again. “Well, I want you, and now she’s going to know it.”
That was actually awesome. Though short of wearing a T-shirt that said “He’s with me,” I wasn’t sure how I was going to get her to back off, since we had to forgo the office PDA. At least until we were behind closed doors. That mind-searing kiss wa
s still fresh in my memory.
“All right. That works.”
“I thought it might.” We got to Keefer’s and he chuckled as he held open the door for me. We stepped inside, and my mouth started watering. Josh secured us seats, and the hostess led us outside. It was a gorgeous evening, so I was excited when he pulled a seat out for me underneath a royal blue umbrella.
“Is this all right with you?” he said into my ear as he helped me into my chair.
“It’s perfect.” I could really get into this dating thing. A hot guy, wonderful-smelling food, and perfect spring weather.
“Good.” He sat across from me, and we looked over our menus. The prices here were kind of high, and I wondered if I should temper my desire for filet. It was more than twice the price of the chicken dishes, but they all had garlic which was clearly a no-go. I needed more than the little kisses we’d exchanged during the day.
Chris had come in three different times and found us all business each time, thank God. Josh had sat next to me, sometimes with his hand on the back of my neck. It drove me nuts, especially because he sort of gave me light massages. I wondered if Jen had told him my secret. I’d let my friends know that the only reason I occasionally wished for a boyfriend was because I wanted massages, and I was too cheap to pay for them.
The waitress came and took our drink order. I picked a Heineken, and Josh did the same. “I love that you drink beer,” he said when she left.
“Don’t the girls you date drink beer?” I asked. I still had a hard time wrapping my head around his not being taken.
He laughed. “I’m not sure what you think my dating life was like, but I assure you I didn’t go out that often. A couple of them liked beer. My exes preferred wine and fruity drinks.”
“Well, I’ll have a frozen margarita every now and then, but tequila’s not really my friend, so I save that for special occasions. And I can drink wine, but I don’t prefer it.”
“Well, I like a girl who drinks beer,” he said, smiling.
“Just wait until the game on Saturday, then.”
He grinned. “Oh yeah? Are you going to get drunk and belligerent? Am I going to have to fight angry Cubs fans?”
“No. I mean, I might lord it over those around us, but they won’t be able to dispute the Cardinals’ superiority.” Our beer arrived and the waitress asked for our order. “Uh, I’ll have the filet? Cooked medium?” I said as I eyed Josh to see if he thought I was a gold digger.
“Regular or large?” she asked.
“Large,” Josh said for me. I shot him a look, and he laughed. “What? I’ve seen you eat.” He was right. I wanted the large. “I’ll have the same.”
The waitress left and I said, “Were you implying I was a pig when you ordered me the large steak?”
“No, I most certainly was not. But you have to admit you wolfed down that giant salad at lunch, and you hit the vending machine for candy not long after.”
Crap. We’d eaten lunch in the office but he’d worked through it, and I hadn’t thought he’d paid attention. Though why I thought that was beyond me. He saw everything.
“Do you cook at home?” he asked. He buttered some sourdough bread and handed me a slice.
“Not really. I tend to eat Lean Cuisine or order take-out.” God, I sounded like a loser. “I can cook some things, I just don’t see the point in bothering when it’s just me. Winchester gets underfoot if I cook, and that means taking my life in my own hands.” I sipped my beer. “Do you cook?”
“I make a mean omelet,” he said, looking proud. “And I can grill, of course.”
“Naturally. Very manly of you.”
He chuckled. “Well, like you said, it’s a lot easier to just order take-out. Ryan’s not a bad cook, though. I’ve been eating pretty well since I got here.”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll have to beat up Jen and take him for myself,” I said.
Josh said, “Good luck with that. I’m pretty sure when they’re not together they’re on the phone with each other unless she’s talking to you.”
I grinned, because it was true. “We talk a lot.”
“No kidding. I’m surprised your phone hasn’t permanently fused to your hand by now.”
“Yeah, yeah, just remember that our talking obsession is what led me to text you on Saturday night.”
He grinned and reached across the table to take my hand again. “I’m very grateful. So grateful that I promise to protect you if Derek tries to corner you.”
“That’s not being grateful, it’s your duty since that whole situation was your doing,” I said. But I didn’t pull my hand away.
“Well, I promise I won’t set you up on any dates with anybody who’s not me again.”
“Better not.”
“Never.” He gave me a searing look. Date number one, I reminded myself. I couldn’t attack him tonight, no matter how much I wanted to.
Josh shook his head and took a long pull of his beer. “Tell me about where you grew up,” he said.
A subject change was necessary, it seemed. I smiled. “I grew up in a small town in southern Illinois. It’s grown a little since I was a kid, but it’s still pretty small. You know, there’s one elementary school, one junior high, one high school. Everybody knows everybody, for the most part. It’s not far from a military base, so we’d get a little new blood every year, but most of us knew each other from birth.”
“I can’t imagine it. I guess I’ve always lived in a city, though Kansas City is far different from New York.”
“Well, that’s kind of why I had to get out of there. Way too many of my classmates married straight out of high school and stayed in town forever. I wanted something different, so when I got into Northwestern, I started packing right away.”
He chuckled. “How did your parents take that?”
I shrugged. “They weren’t surprised. I’d been pretty vocal about my desire to get out. Weekends spent at the mall or the movie theater got pretty old. We went into St. Louis now and then to go to games, but I wanted more. They were supportive, even though they’re quite content there.”
“My parents were the same. I think they would have preferred if I’d stayed home and worked for Dad’s construction company, but they didn’t stand in my way when I needed to get out.”
“What are your siblings like? I know your sister has good TV taste, but that’s it.”
Josh snickered and told me about quiet, thoughtful Kelly, a student at K State, and Robbie, who did work for their dad’s company and was outgoing, just like Josh. He pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of a baby with bright blue eyes and dark hair.
“Robbie got married a couple of years ago, and this is their baby girl, Heather.”
She was beautiful. I bet Josh would father beautiful babies, too. Why was I thinking of that? I didn’t even want kids. At least, I didn’t think I did. But they didn’t sound so bad when I thought of them in relation to Josh.
“So you and Robbie are both outgoing, which I imagine is why you’re in sales,” I said.
“I suppose. I like talking to people.” I made a face, which made him laugh. “I know it’s not your thing. You’d rather have your cats and your computer than a roomful of computer nerds talking about their product line.” He grinned. “That is, unless you were looking for a date.”
Bastard. “Computer nerds happen to rule the world. If I’d met Bill Gates in time, I’d have married that smarty-pants in a minute. Good-looking guys are just too much trouble.”
He chuckled. “I’m in a conundrum here. Either I assume I’m a good-looking guy and ask you if I’m too much trouble and therefore look like an ass, or I tell you I played Dungeons and Dragons in junior high and hope you’ll consider that nerdy enough, even if I’m not Bill Gates.”
I giggled when I thought of a younger Josh wearing a cape and rolling dice or whatever the hell they did. “That’s sufficiently nerdy. And you know you’re good-looking, so don’t even pretend.”
“I know y
ou think I’m good-looking, which is all that really matters.”
Our dinner came and I cut into my steak, which looked perfectly cooked. I took a bite and, oh yeah, it was as good as it looked. I let out a little moan and got lost in the taste as my eyes rolled to the back of my head. I heard his fork drop and noticed he was staring at me. “What?” I asked when I finished chewing.
“I just don’t understand why everything you do has to drive me crazy,” he said as he picked up his fork.
“In a good way or a bad way?” I asked with a half smile. I didn’t mind driving him crazy, because he did the same to me.
“Both, I think. Mostly the good way now, though.”
I grinned. “Same goes for you. Do you know that my friends were ready to disown me up until yesterday when I told them I’d finally stopped fighting it?”
“Ryan threatened to haul me into jail and call you to come bail me out,” he said with a laugh.
“I guess it’s a good thing I stopped being stupid.”
“You were never stupid, just stubborn. And I like that about you.”
“So are you.”
“Yes,” he said. “I’ve found I have to be, especially in business.”
“It could make things interesting.” And complicated.
“It will. But that’ll make it kind of fun, won’t it?”
“I suppose.”
Dinner was great, as was the warm chocolate cake he’d insisted upon sharing with me. He moved over to my side of the table and fed me. I wasn’t sure if I enjoyed the cake or the company more. It was a close call. Like on Saturday night, he accompanied me home and walked me to my door.
“You’re very chivalrous.”
He laughed. “My mom insisted that her boys were going to know how to treat a lady.”
I leaned against my door. “Nobody has ever accused me of being a lady.”
“You’re beautiful.”
He raised his hand to cup my face and stepped even closer. I couldn’t breathe. “You’re smart, and funny, and maybe a little weird, but I wouldn’t change a thing about you. I don’t care if you’re a lady or not. You’re what I want.”
