by Cari Quinn
“Oh I know. I’ve made it my business to learn all about you, Mr. Galvin.” She fluttered her lashes teasingly. “Well, as much as I could. You’re not easy to find out stuff about.”
He slid his lips along her jaw. She’d dabbed some of her scent here too. “Should I be flattered or concerned?”
“Both.” She patted his chest and stepped out of the circle of his arms. “I go after what I want. Even if what I want isn’t particularly good for me.”
Spencer dipped his hands into his pockets. Despite her casual clothes and her dusty pigtails, the gleam of purpose in her eyes was unnerving. “So you keep saying. Kelly, you know we’re playing with fire here.”
“I like it hot.” She turned around to pick up an unopened carton of books. “Although I have to admit, on a night like tonight the store’s air-conditioning is a godsend.”
He glanced toward the hallway that led back to his office. That’s where he should be right now, making up for lost time. Not taking a seat beside her on the floor and opening the carton of books. She looked as surprised as he felt but she didn’t comment.
They spent a few minutes in easy silence, unpacking and shelving books according to her new system. “You don’t have A/C at your apartment?” he asked.
“It’s hit or miss.”
“Should tell the super.”
“I have. He’ll get around to it eventually.”
Silence reigned again until she grabbed his box cutter and opened a second box. When he reached for another stack of books, she raised an eyebrow. “Why are you hanging here with me? If you came back this late, I’m assuming you have work to do.”
“Yeah.” He blew out a breath and thought of the spreadsheets and mindless correspondence waiting for him. He’d done the stuff he enjoyed first so that only left the drudgery. Well, other than tinkering with the floor plan of the Roanoke store, which he’d already tinkered with ten times. “I do.”
“Want an assistant? I only have these last few boxes to shelve then I can clock out and be your little helper monkey.” Her saucy grin reinvigorated the erection still bulging against his zipper.
“Aren’t you tired? You worked today and tomorrow—”
“Is my day off,” she finished. “So I can sleep all day if I want, though I do have an urgent date with my vacuum cleaner.”
“You like things that suck, hmm?”
“Well, you don’t, but I still like you.” She winked and popped to her feet. “Why don’t you go on back and get started and I’ll come find you when I’m finished?”
“Not sure that’s a good idea.”
She set her jaw. “Oh I get it. A lowly day manager’s not important enough to see private company documents, is that it? Well, never mind.” She waved him on. “Go do your thing and I’ll stay here and do what I do best.”
Rising, he caught her around the waist and fastened his lips around her earlobe. Her large hoop earring clinked against his teeth. “Definitely not what you do best.”
“Best while clothed,” she amended, her tone airy.
He turned his face into her hair. What was the big deal? He knew how much the business meant to her. Kelly didn’t have ulterior motives. She was just trying to help.
Bottom line, she wasn’t him.
If she did a little filing, she’d be placated and he’d get some work done while spending time with her. A win-win.
“Come on back when you’re ready,” he murmured, tightening his arms under her breasts until his rigid length nestled in the denim-clad cleft of her ass. “I’ll put you to work.”
“Maybe I have a headache.”
Ah, so she thought she knew what kind of work he had in mind. Maybe, but not yet. If he didn’t put a dent in his piles of paperwork, his upcoming move to Virginia wouldn’t only be put on hold, it would be cancelled. Indefinitely.
“Maybe I’ve got some aspirin.” He gave her ass an absent rub and strode away.
Twenty minutes later he was ensconced at his desk and plowing through a stack of employee files in the hope of picking some reasonable candidates to go to Virginia with him. So far he had exactly two. Ellie, the organizational goddess in the accounting office, and Tony, whom Marcia would not be happy about. But his comment about Kelly during the staff meeting aside, he was a solid worker and clearly wanted to advance within the company. Marcia—and her glands—would just have to commute.
Otherwise? Nada.
“Need to schedule a couple job fairs,” he muttered, shoving the folders into the cabinet next to his desk.
“For Virginia?”
He looked up to see Kelly in the doorway, her hair tumbled around her drowsy eyes and her mouth freshly glossed. His cock lurched to painful awareness.
Anyone who doubted the sex drive of a man in his mid-thirties didn’t have to wonder when Kelly Crossman was around, that was for damn sure.
“Yeah, for Virginia.” He sat back and crossed his hands over his stomach. When he accidentally bumped his erection, he stifled a groan. “I have two people, but I need more. Lots more.”
“Which two?” She angled her head. “And you’re not one of them, are you?”
Chapter Nine
Before Spencer had a chance to reply, Kelly rolled her eyes and eased a hip onto the corner of his desk, giving him a prime view of miles of creamy leg. “Yeah, yeah, can’t tell the lowly peons. Just tell me Leigh’s not going.”
“You know I can’t discuss staffing plans until they’re confirmed.”
“Is that your way of saying she is? I’m assuming you’ll be spending a lot of time out there and she’ll slide all over you like icing.”
He opened his mouth then closed it abruptly. He’d almost told her the truth. I’m moving there for a year, minimum. For once reason prevailed. No formal announcement had been made yet. That wouldn’t come for a week or two.
Despite what was happening between them, he couldn’t violate the owners’ trust. His leaving made room for Marcia to become the new regional manager, and he wasn’t about to spill his sister’s news prematurely.
Besides, if he said he was leaving, she’d probably call a halt to things. Which made sense. Ending things now would be cleaner. More logical.
Unfortunately, logic didn’t seem to hold much sway in the face of pouty lips, sexy hazel eyes and a quick wit that turned him on almost as much as her leggy body.
“Leigh and I have a professional working relationship,” he said instead.
Kelly kicked off her sandal and slid her bare foot into his lap. This time he did groan. He’d never met a woman with more talented toes. “Like us?”
“No.” Spencer gripped her calf and stroked her velvety skin. He wanted to push her back on his desk until her legs were spread open like a wishbone. “Definitely not like us.”
“You don’t think she’s hot?” She rubbed her arch against his cock persuasively. “C’mon, tell me you haven’t fantasized about her cute little butt or those perky breasts she loves to bounce in front of you.”
The only butt and breasts he was fantasizing about belonged to the woman currently toeing him into a state of hardness heretofore unknown. “She’s my employee. I don’t go there on work hours.”
“Ah, so after work’s okay.” She removed her other shoe and brought her right foot up to join the left, though this one glided up and down his chest. “Or if she went to Kink.”
The foot in his lap stilled just long enough for him to get control of himself. He glanced up at her and the vulnerability on her face made him kiss her ankle. Even her feet smelled delicious. She looked so soft and pretty in her oddly childish clothes, he couldn’t have rebuffed her if he tried.
“A fleet of gorgeous women could parade through here naked and I’d still be thinking about you,” he said softly. “And only you.”
Kelly’s fingers clamped around the edge of the desk as he rolled closer to press another kiss on her inner thigh just below the frayed edge of her cutoffs. “Now that you know you’re the only woman
who rocks my world,” his lips quirked, “are you going to help me or not?”
“I’m helping.” She pushed him back with her heel. “So what can I do? Other than kneel down in front of that chair, unzip your pants and reward you handsomely for your good taste?”
“You’re going to kill me.” He swiveled back to face his computer and mentally rifled through what absolutely had to get done before night’s end. He opened a folder and debated how they could work in tandem if he got his laptop out of his car. “How are you with spreadsheets?”
“Math major, remember? Computer science minor. Total geek at your service, sir.”
“I like when you call me sir. You should do it more often.”
“You wish.”
She slung an arm around his neck and leaned in to peer at his screen. As her fragrant hair tickled his cheek, his cock twitched in protest.
Just her nearness made his breath shorten. God, he had it bad.
“What do you need?” she asked into the silence.
You. Your sweet pussy, your mischievous laughter, your delicious scent wrapped around me so I can keep you close every minute I’m gone.
Work had suddenly become the last thing he cared about. That was happening more and more often lately. Three guesses why.
“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 disc of her he kept in his briefcase had also played a part in his mental fog that day. He would have to make a copy of it before he wore the thing out.
He’d also have to tell her about its existence. Eventually.
“Plenty of uses,” he said, nudging 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, you undress 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. Her advertising ideas were especially good. She had a cousin in graphic design who could get them excellent rates for ad layouts, and she also knew someone who worked at a small paper in Virginia. Best of all, that newspaper represented patrons of the arts, people who were more likely to visit a bookstore and coffee shop a little out of the ordinary.
When she finished one thing, she went right to the next without waiting for direction. She didn’t complain she was tired or ask to take breaks. Just watching her study the computer screen while her fingers flew over the keys pushed his buttons in all the right ways.
Hours passed in a companionable blur. Somewhere along the way he stopped being concerned whether what he was doing was skirting the line of boss and employee and started seeing the incredible asset she could be to the company if she were given room to grow. That wasn’t even taking into consideration his personal feelings, which seemed to be rearing their head more and more.
Working made him happy and he definitely derived pleasure from the company’s success. But since Diana, he didn’t ever truly relax while he was at the store. As much as his job gratified him, he still looked over his shoulder at every turn. He’d never managed to shake the feeling that his past would come back to bite his ass.
Until tonight. Bouncing ideas back and forth with Kelly was the closest thing to true enjoyment he’d ever had in his office.
So far. Rectifying that would be her reward for making the night so much…well, fun.
Good God. Fun. Now there was a word he didn’t use that often. Even sex wasn’t particularly fun to him. It was a way to release tension. He needed an escape valve or he’d blow. Literally and figuratively in this case. But Kelly made everything an adventure. He caught himself smiling more than once at her off-key humming and occasional wisecracks. Just at her.
After a while, he turned off his computer and set it aside in favor of admiring her bare foot flexing in time to the beat. She’d gotten up a few times to change CDs, but the style of music didn’t change.
So his new lover was a fan of hip-hop and spreadsheets and didn’t mind indulging his desire to watch.Or his newly emerging need to give others that same thrill. Such a strange mix of contrasts in a woman had never seemed so appealing before.
“It’s past three a.m., Ms. Crossman. Think you’ve done your duty.”
“I’m almost done with this spreadsheet. I added another column. Your projected advertising expenses weren’t tabulating correctly so I did some tweaking. Wanna see?”
“I’d love to, but not now.” He rubbed his grainy eyes. Why the hell hadn’t he ever guessed how much was going on in that busy brain? “I
t’s late and I’m tired.”
“Oh, okay.” She frowned as she rose out of his chair. “I got kind of involved.”
“Yeah, you did.” Casually he adjusted his erection. She looked so studiously sexy in her glasses, with her hair all tousled from her wandering fingers. “I’ll look over what you came up with tomorrow.”
She nodded and took a couple steps toward the door. “Gotcha. I’ll just—”
“Sit on my lap.” He caught her wrist and tugged, overbalancing her so she landed right where he wanted her.
Her smile held more wariness than warmth. “Trying to confuse me, Galvin?”
“Sir, remember?” He spoke softly, his breath fluttering over her lips.
“Dream on.”
“Right now I’m more concerned with your dreams.” He combed her hair back from her face. “I’m at your command.”
She stared at him as if he’d just sprouted horns and a tail. “Um, excuse me, what?”
Spencer laughed. A genuine, no-holds-barred, belly-shaking laugh. “You’ve voiced some, ah, complaints about my performance. I’m also fully aware those complaints were expressed during a heated moment.”
“When I was pissed the fuck off, you mean?” she asked sweetly.
“Yes. When you were pissed the fuck off.” He cleared his throat. “And I’m also well aware you’ve come every time, sometimes in multiples. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement.”
“Wow, that had to hurt.” She tipped her head to the side. “Though truthfully I wasn’t sure if you were pleading your case or about to ask for an apology.”
“No, we’re not apologizing. What was said was said. Goes both ways. And anyway, I don’t want to talk about last night. Or talk at all.”
She slid her hands over his chest.All over his chest, so that his heart started beating in triple time. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
“You helped me, now I’m going to help you. Anything you want is yours for the asking.” He nibbled the side of her throat and inhaled her flirty scent. “Except my car.”
“Oh.”
Her silence made him laugh again, a bit uneasily. “Don’t you want anything?”
