Getting Down to Business

by Allison B Hanson

  “I wish we weren’t in the conference room so I could kiss you right now,” he said so quietly she barely heard him. Laughter abandoned, they stared at each other for a long moment. She may have even leaned in slightly.

  Fortunately, Randy called everyone’s attention and they both snapped out of whatever spell had bound them.

  “So did you learn anything about the other person? How much of it was non-verbal? Reading body language is an important skill and you can improve on it. It’s a vital way to communicate with our clients. Learn how to spot unease. We don’t ever want our clients to feel uneasy with us. If your client isn’t confident, then you need to stop and explain things differently. Even if it’s bad news, we have to make sure our client understands and feels confident in us.” He paused to let that sink in and then clapped once. “Go out and make us money.”

  Those were always his closing words. Alyssa breathed a sigh of relief and went back to her office as quickly as possible.

  * * * *

  Grayson wasn’t sure what had happened at the meeting, but it wasn’t entirely bad. Although from the way Alyssa had run off, she was clearly spooked. He didn’t need a lesson in body language to see that. She had shared personal information with him. She’d told him about her mother. That was a huge step for her. And it meant she trusted him enough to let him in. A little bit at least.

  He called her a little before noon.

  “Alyssa Sinclair,” she said.

  “Is it wrong that I’m aroused by your professional voice?” He used humor to make her feel comfortable when things got too serious between them.

  “Thanks. What can I do for you?”

  “Go to lunch with me.”

  “Do you mean food or a quickie at our place?”

  “Whichever. I’ll leave the details up to you.”

  “I can’t do either. I’m skipping lunch so I can impress my new boss by finishing this project early.”

  “Come on. You gotta eat.”

  “I will eat. I’ll eat at my desk while I work.”

  “That’s sad.”

  “It will pay off in the end.”

  “So what are we doing tonight?” He moved on.

  “I’m going for groceries, remember? It’s my turn.”

  “Right. Do you care if I go out? Doug needs to vent before he combusts, and Chanda is working.”

  “Are you asking me if you can go out, after you asked me to buy you the striped cookies this morning? God, Gray. What the hell?”

  “Relax. I’m sorry. It was more of a courtesy than asking for permission.”

  “Are you sure?” He wasn’t sure. He was comfortable with her, and that comfort leeched out into other areas. Areas that could be interpreted as intimacy.

  “I’m going out tonight. I’ll see you when I see you. And don’t stay up.” He tried the tough guy routine, which just made them laugh.

  “Do you mean I’ll see you when you crawl in my bed to snuggle?”

  “Women are supposed to like snuggling. There is something very wrong with you,” Gray said.

  “Yep,” she agreed easily. “I’ve got to go. This report isn’t going to analyze itself.”

  Gray chuckled and hung up, his heart happy.

  He didn’t love Alyssa. He was pretty sure of it. He hoped for his sake he didn’t love her. If grocery requests and brushing their teeth together freaked her out, falling in love with her was a very bad idea.

  That night after work, Doug wanted to go to a different bar than where Chanda worked so she wouldn’t think he was a stalker.

  “I don’t think she would think that,” Gray said.

  “I don’t want to overdo it. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.” He pointed to himself and laughed.

  Gray caught himself checking his phone a few times, wishing the night would speed by so he could go home. He knew it was important to go out with his friends. It was healthy, and with the way he’d been feeling that morning, he felt it was necessary to get out and prove to himself he wasn’t in love.

  “Hi there.” A brunette with bright red lips stood next to him.

  “Hello.”

  “I’m Hailey,” she said, though he hadn’t asked, nor would he have asked given the opportunity. That was probably a bad sign.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said.

  “It’s kind of chilly in here,” she noted, making small talk.

  “Well, the air conditioning is cranked up and you’re hardly wearing any clothes,” Gray pointed out, remembering too late that strangers didn’t converse with this much honesty. This comment threw her for a moment, but she rebounded quickly.

  “Where do you work?”

  “Sanitation,” he lied.

  “Really?” she looked him over in his dress shirt and slacks. “I hear they make great money.”

  “Oh, sure,” he agreed. “And we get plenty of free stuff too. This morning I scored half a bag of chips and a bottle of shampoo.” Alyssa would have laughed, Hailey didn’t. In the short time they’d lived together, Alyssa had ruined his ability to communicate with other humans.

  Hailey twitched and then pretended she saw someone she knew on the other side of the room.

  “What was that about?” Doug asked.

  “I’m just not interested.” Which was a good thing since he’d totally blown it.

  “She’s not doing it for you?” Doug raised his brows.

  “I think I’m going to head out.” Grayson didn’t want to get into all the reasons why Hailey didn’t measure up to Liss.

  “I’m going to go down and see Chanda. I think we’ve set some good boundaries here, but, you know.” Yeah. He knew. He wanted to get back to his girl too. Except Grayson didn’t have a girl.

  Alyssa was lying on the sofa watching reality TV when he came in.

  “Wow, it’s early,” she mentioned.

  “Is it?” It felt like it had been hours.

  “It’s not even ten.”

  “Right. Well, it was kind of lame.”

  “Kind of lame at a bar so you came home to watch television and eat leftover Chinese with me?” She laughed. Obviously unaware it was the “with me” part that had him home so early.

  “Sure. It was a long day. I just want to unwind.”

  “I bought beer.” She held one up for him.

  “Thank you, Genie. You only have two more wishes to fulfill.”

  “I bought the cookies you wanted, and your new toothbrush is on the counter. Consider me retired.”

  They snuggled on the sofa, drinking beer and making fun of the people on TV the rest of the night. He let her use the bathroom first when it was time to go to bed. It was only when he walked in the bathroom that he realized he was smiling.

  He’d been in relationships before, but none of them had felt like this. This unrelationship was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

  Chapter 14

  “Did you buy me a Barbie Doll toothbrush?” Grayson asked, holding it up as he walked into her bedroom. She tried to hold back the laughter and failed miserably.

  “I thought it would be easier for you to tell which one was yours.”

  “Very funny.”

  “It sings,” she added.

  “I hate you,” he said, making her laugh again. She could tell he didn’t mean it.

  “So what are you doing this weekend?” he asked, coming back into her room with the singing toothbrush.

  She was laughing so hard she could barely answer.

  “My team has a meeting next week and I’m presenting. I really want to impress them. I’m going to be preparing for that.”

  “It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.” He left to go back to the bathroom.

  She listened as he went from the bathroom to his bedroom and then walked back in her ro
om carrying a pillow. He traded it out for the one on the other side of the bed and got in next to her. He adjusted the pillow, and then let out a happy sigh as he snuggled under her covers.

  She sighed and turned off the light, lying there next to him, looking up into the darkness of the room. She’d missed having someone to sleep with. Not just for sex, but just…there.

  “FYI, the Barbie toothbrush sucks. It’s so tiny I have to brush one tooth at a time,” he complained.

  She laughed again and let him pull her against him.

  * * * *

  The next morning, she awoke alone. Gray was in the kitchen.

  Her heart squeezed happily at the sight of him in boxers and a T-shirt at the coffeepot. She decided the reaction was more about the coffee than the man. Though he was pretty damn sexy, even when he wasn’t trying.

  As she passed, he turned, pinning her to the counter and kissing her deeply.

  “How’s that to start your day?” he asked, while wiggling his brows at her.

  “It would have been better if you didn’t have morning breath,” she joked.

  With a laugh, he poured coffee into her favorite travel mug and added a huge helping of vanilla creamer.

  “I know that’s not true, because I used your toothbrush this morning when I got up.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Well, I didn’t have all day to spend brushing my teeth. I have to get to work.”

  “Whatever.”

  “So I was thinking about your upcoming meeting and I want to help.”

  “Help?”

  “Yeah. Maybe you could bounce your presentation off me and I’ll give you feedback.”

  “You are not going to want to listen to my budget findings for Pinecrest Parking Systems.”

  “Oh, but I am. I’m riveted by the thought of parking systems and how they spend their money.” He grinned at her.

  “You don’t have a car.”

  “I used to. And I might want one again, if I had a safe place to park it.”

  “They have a sizable budget for safety upgrades.”

  “Good plan,” he agreed with a nod while leaning over the eggs on the stove, the slope of his back inviting her to lean up against him.

  “It’s also convenient.” She hopped up on the counter next to him before laying out her plan. “They need to spend more money in advertising. I’m going to suggest they get the extra income by not going to trade shows. According to the data, they’re not getting enough of a return in that area.”

  “But they will from advertising?” He sounded doubtful.

  “I spoke with marketing and got a plan. If they spend it in key locations, it can pay off.” He nodded at this and they both went off to get dressed.

  “So what locations?” he picked up the earlier conversation as they walked to work.

  “I actually came up an idea that Diana in marketing loved. I’m thinking the subway. When you’re crammed in on the train, everybody wishes they had a car. I’m going to suggest some less expensive spots on the platform. Seeing that option day in and day out might make more of an impression than throwing their advertising dollars all over the place.”

  “That’s a really good idea.” He held the door open and smiled.

  There was something in that smile. Something comfortable. She nudged his arm with her elbow.

  “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “Thanks for the crappy toothbrush.” He winked as they got on the elevator and rode up together.

  Grayson was good to his word. After their morning meeting, he came in her office to hear her presentation. He made comments and suggestions that were actually helpful.

  “Maybe ease them into the new statement format in stages rather than dumping that on them right out of the gate. People like to feel as though they can trust someone before they’re open to change,” he suggested, taking it very seriously. “Well, most people like to trust someone. Maybe not you.” He gave her a wink.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to trust someone. It’s more that I…can’t.”

  “You trust me, right? I mean you moved in with me, trusting in the fact I wasn’t going to steal your stuff or hurt you.”

  “You did steal my toothbrush.” She raised a brow.

  “Still. There had to be trust there on some level.”

  “Maybe,” she allowed reluctantly. “A very small level.”

  “Whatever. I’m going to count it as an accomplishment.”

  By lunchtime, Gray’s attention began to wane. He was no longer offering suggestions of the accounting nature, but was still offering suggestions in the naked department.

  “Would you like to go home for lunch?” he whispered by her ear while she tried to type.

  For a second, she let the joy of the moment envelop her. This was what she would have wanted. A man to support her ambitions as well as make her smile.

  She took a breath and let that dream flow out of her as she exhaled and took the thing she could have. Sex.

  “Sure. Let’s go.”

  * * * *

  “Let’s go out,” she said as they left work for the night.

  “Out?”

  “A club. Do you remember the place where you go to hang out with people and socialize?” Of course he remembered. He just didn’t see why he needed to go to a club when Alyssa lived with him. They could have a drink and socialize in the comfort of their own home.

  But he knew what she meant, and it was nice to see her take a break from worrying over the presentation, which she had already perfected earlier.

  “Fine. We’ll go out to a club.”

  “I’ll buy you a drink, since you were such a big help today.”

  He knew he wouldn’t let her buy him a drink as payment for doing something he wanted to do. Not to mention something he was already being compensated for by his salary.

  Besides, he had fun helping her with her proposal. She was brilliant and should have been promoted years ago.

  He showered after Alyssa came out of the bathroom. When he was dressed, he sat on the sofa, waiting. Alyssa was pretty quick about getting ready. She was gorgeous so there was only so much that she needed to do.

  She emerged from the hall wearing a short red dress. Her blonde hair fell in waves past her shoulders and her face had a subtle amount of makeup. Just enough for a guy to see she would still be amazing without it.

  He felt lucky to be able to walk into any place with her on his arm.

  Ten minutes at the club, and Gray was ready to get out. He finished his drink and danced with Alyssa. Grinding up against her body had the effect he predicted. He frowned when they sat down again.

  “You don’t seem to be having fun,” she noticed despite his attempt to hide it.

  “Honestly?”

  “Of course. That’s the rule, right? No bullshit.”

  He nodded. “I would have rather just stayed home and snuggled on the sofa with you while watching a movie where things blew up.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Don’t give me shit about it. You asked.” He frowned at his hands on the bar.

  “I’m not going to give you shit. I was just thinking it sounds nice. I wouldn’t have to wear heels.”

  “Oh, no. You still need to wear the heels, but with your bra and panties.”

  “How about no heels, a T-shirt, and a pair of your boxers?”

  “Deal.” He held out his hand and she shook it before tugging him off his stool.

  “Let’s go.”

  Seeing her in his clothes did something primal to him. It was as if she were marked by him. She was his.

  He smiled as she settled on the sofa in his boxers. She rested her head on his thigh and her long legs stretched out, taking up the rest of the space. He played with the long strands of her golden hair until
the movie began.

  This was so much better than a loud crowd or going off with a stranger. While he’d done this many times with past girlfriends, this was a contentment Grayson had never known before Alyssa moved in.

  The movie was horrible, so he wasn’t surprised when she started to fidget only ten minutes into it. What did surprise him was what she began fidgeting with.

  She slipped her hand under the waistband of his shorts and was now stroking him with a phenomenal rhythm. She twisted around in his lap as he let his head fall back against the cushion. He closed his eyes, letting the feeling of her touch sink into his bones. Then he felt something else.

  Warm, wetness surrounded him and he looked down to see her mouth gliding up and down his length.

  “Liss?” he said shocked.

  She paused and smiled up at him.

  “What? You said this was one of the perks of having a screening.”

  He had said that, but then she hadn’t wanted him to take advantage of that perk for her pleasure.

  “Should I continue?”

  “Yes,” he answered, his voice coming out breathy and desperate. He watched as she ran her tongue up his cock while giving him a naughty look.

  When she wrapped her lips around him again, he jerked. He tugged down his shorts a little so she had more room as she serviced him with incredible enthusiasm. She even moaned a few times as if she were enjoying it. The sound reverberated through his flesh, making him want to explode.

  He made the mistake of opening his eyes and looking down to watch. Her lips were flushed red from the friction. She continued to slide down over him and pull back up with just the right amount of pressure.

  He could feel himself building. Watching was too much, but he couldn’t look away, and it was too late anyway.

  “Liss,” he groaned, giving her fair warning, but she didn’t move. Instead, she kept going, taking in everything he gave her as he cried out so loud it echoed in the room.

  When his breathing came back down to normal, Alyssa tucked him back in his pants and looked up at him.

  “I don’t like this movie. Can we watch something else?” She tilted her head adorably, her lips still shiny and slightly swollen. He’d never seen anyone more beautiful in all his life.