“Hmm.” He took another pull of his beer. “Maybe I will.” More than likely I won’t.
“Did you know there are seventeen species of penguins?” She opened the door, gently picking out a black and white penguin with a red-orange beak from the back. “This is probably the most recognizable species.”
“Which one is it?” He turned the figurine over in his hands, taking in the delicate contours, trying to understand what attracted Allison to this little bird.
“This is the gentoo.” Her eyes sparkled, and his eyes dropped to her mouth. Shit. He wanted to kiss her. Maybe penguins were fucking romantic.
She grinned and took the figurine he offered, then traced her finger along the bird’s beak. She propped the curio door open with her hip and, biting her bottom lip and holding her breath, snaked her hand around several other figurines until she put the penguin back in its place.
“What about you? Do you collect anything, or have some hidden addiction we don’t know about besides motorcycles?” Humor tugged at the corner of her mouth.
I might have an Allison addiction. He cleared his throat. “Nope. I collect bikes like my oldest brother collects cars.”
Her brow furrowed. “Roth, right?”
“Omar. I don’t think Roth collects anything. Well, at the moment he might be collecting baby clothes.”
“Oh, you’re going to be an uncle?”
“Looks that way. I’m a little nervous about what type of obligations that entails.” He grinned. Not nervous in the least.
“You’ll be a natural, I’m sure.” She locked the cabinet and dropped the key into the penguin bowl on top. “So, bikes are probably a lot cheaper to collect than cars?”
He shook his head. “Unfortunately for me, I have expensive tastes. I prefer the Harley and have one from the late forties, a couple from the seventies, and—” He laughed at her wide-eyed expression. She looked at him as if she’d never met him before. “Maybe I should tell you to search Google if you really want to know more.”
She slugged him in the arm, and he almost choked on his beer.
“There you go getting all flirty again,” she teased. “You get as excited about your Harleys as I do about my penguins. I almost feel guilty I know nothing about bikes.”
“Is this the part where I’m supposed to confess the same and tell you that I’m sorry I don’t know much about penguins, either?”
Her laughter filled the room. “Only if you mean it, and I’m pretty sure you don’t.”
“You’re intuitive.” He swallowed the last of his beer. “I’ll have to take you out on one of my bikes sometime. I can teach you a few things.” What the hell had possessed him to bring that up? And how come it sounded dirty, even to his own ears? Did he really want to get involved any deeper than he already was?
Yes.
No!
“Bikes are your only passion?”
“And penguins are yours?”
She tilted her head to the side and grinned. “After today I might have found a new addiction.”
He held his breath as he waited to hear what it was.
“Shopping.”
His shoulders sagged.
“Your turn. Drop some dirt,” she teased.
He opened his mouth and then closed it—on the verge of confessing his little secret, the one nobody knew, because he’d taken a shitload of ribbing from his brothers as a teen.
When he and Roth were younger, one of the many classes his mother had signed them up for had been dancing. Ballroom dancing, to be exact. Over time, Jared found he liked the way he got out of his head when he danced.
It had always sounded crazy when he tried to explain it, and although he trusted Al, he wasn’t sure he wanted to bare that part of himself. And right now, his emotions were already raw after their day together. He’d stick to the old college standby.
“I can make my pecs dance.”
“Your pecs dance?” She busted out laughing, and the sound easily had him joining in.
“It was a fraternity party favorite.”
“I bet. You’ll have to show me sometime.”
Now that’d be trouble. No shirt—around Allison—might be more than either of them bargained for. “At this point in my life, my pec dancing days are few and far between. I’d have to have one too many beers in me.”
She eyed the empty beer bottle he tapped against his thigh. “Are you ready for another, then?”
“I’m easy, Al, but not that easy.”
Her eyes sparkled, and she chewed her lip. The little bit of shyness mixed with her humor drew him to her. Maybe once they got to know each other better…
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Don’t start thinking like that. There’s no need to get to know each other any better than this right here.
She snapped her fingers as if she’d missed out. “Maybe another time.”
“You’re not going to try to get rid of me now, are you?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because I shot down the pec dance?” But part of him wished she did. He’d be safer. He followed the flick of her tongue over her lips. Hell, she’d be safer.
She shook her head, her hair brushing against her cheeks, making his fingers itch to reach out and touch the silky-looking strands.
“Nah, I’m sure I’ll eventually see the pec dance firsthand. Somewhere down the line you’ll have a few too many, and I’ll pop out of the shadows and persuade you to show me your moves.”
A tinge of red crept over her cheeks, and she lowered her lashes. Desire shot through him with the force of a rocket launch. How the hell could she do that? Look so innocent but seductive at the same time?
After he regained his good sense, he laughed. A bit shakily. “I’m not too sure about that.” Those days ended when Nick and he had decided to get serious with their business. “Anyway, you were about to kick me out and—”
She playfully punched him in the arm, hitting him in the same spot she had earlier—her aim uncanny. “I was not.”
He rubbed his arm, exaggerating the motion when she gave him a lopsided grin and shook her head.
“Then I better kick myself out.” Before I do something we’ll both regret. Like take you in my arms and kiss you until neither of us can see straight.
“Thanks for playing hooky with me today and for everything you did.” She trailed her fingers against the wall as she led him down the short hallway toward the door.
“My pleasure. See you in the morning?” He stepped past her and turned, one eyebrow raised.
She nodded. “I’ll be the one dressed for success.”
“You’re already a success.” Unable to stop himself, he leaned in and grazed her cheek with his knuckles. Her quick breath drew his attention to the rise and fall of her chest. A mesmerizing sight against her tight T-shirt.
He lifted her chin and touched his mouth to hers in a featherlight kiss. Her lips moved against his, pliant and sweet like he knew she’d taste. He broke away, even though he wanted so much more. He’d have to settle for this as a good-bye before hello had even started. “Sweet dreams.”
Chapter Six
Allison’s nerves were shot. Today would be ten times harder than yesterday. She had no choice but to paste on a smile and get through it for a couple reasons. One, she couldn’t miss two days in a row or the guys would give her crap for the next month. And two, she couldn’t let Jared down after all he’d done. With head held high and shoulders back, she strode the last several feet to the revolving doors of her office building as sprinkles of rain hit the cement. She repeated Margarite’s mantra “awesome” in her head as she entered the lobby. It also didn’t hurt that Colleen had drummed another dose of bestie pep talk into her head last night. Allison owed her big for her encouragement and support.
After Jared left, she had put away all her purchases while spilling her day to her bestie. She’d shared everything…except her feelings for Jared. Although she loved Colleen to pieces, the unexpected feelings s
he’d developed for Jared weren’t something she wanted to talk about. Why get herself all worked up about how he made her feel when he smiled at her, looked at her, or paid her a compliment when that was just his nature? Nothing would come of it, and she couldn’t let it go to her head. If she mentioned it to Colleen, it’d go to her head, too, and she’d start asking questions certain to consume both their thoughts with silly wishes. She might not have much experience, and sometimes her romantic fantasies even drove her crazy, but she never let her imagination float so high into the clouds that she lost touch with reality. She and Jared would never, ever happen.
Period.
She tugged at the waistline of her embroidered blazer, the one Jared had paired with the silver midi dress that hugged her every curve. He had assured her it picked up the lighter, brighter shades of her hair.
His words had left her openmouthed and speechless, but she trusted what he said and put the outfit in the buy pile. But now, out in the real world, she questioned her impulsiveness. If she wanted to survive the day, she best concentrate on something other than what she wore.
Jared’s voice echoed in her head: you’ll get used to it.
Her fingers pulled on the tiny pearl-like buttons of her jacket as the elevator raced—at least that’s how it felt—up to the twenty-third floor and the offices of Firstline Security.
The people she shared the elevator with didn’t know her from Eve, and it gave her a reprieve. Nobody had stared at her or given her the looks she’d earned twenty-four hours ago. So that had to be a good sign.
In order to not bare herself to the same extreme as yesterday, she’d worn her glasses. Kind of a shield of protection. A comfortable habit. Maybe tomorrow, or in a few more days, she’d try the contacts again.
The moment the elevator stopped, she sucked in a breath, which earned her a quick glance and smile from the woman beside her. She was about Allison’s age and seemed nervous as she kept straightening her skirt and rubbing her hands up and down her side seams. If anyone could recognize a kindred spirit, Allison could.
The door opened, and she turned to give the woman a smile before stepping off. “Have a good day.”
The brunette’s eyes widened in surprise and then she smiled. “You, too.”
Allison hoped both their days would live up to that one word—good. She turned the corner and entered the empty reception area. It paid to be early. Maybe she could make her way through the office to her own space and avoid all contact.
Not that she didn’t think she looked good. Not that she didn’t feel good. But after yesterday…
Yesterday is long gone. I’ve got this.
In order to boost her confidence she pasted on the smile she’d let go lax. She walked down the corridor—the silky swish of the hem of her dress brushing her lower thighs and urging her on—toward the break room, just as Jared emerged. He carried a travel mug, and the strap of his laptop case was slung over one shoulder.
“Morning, Al. Looking good.” He winked playfully, and she lifted her chin, greeting him with a warm smile.
“Thanks. I feel good.”
“You got this?”
She nodded, loving his support. It almost calmed her more than Colleen’s encouragement. “Where you off to?” She motioned to his laptop.
“Nick and I are tag teaming it. He couldn’t quite close the deal with Bricket Engineering, so I’m flying out to Denver. We’ll have everything settled by the end of the week.”
“Good luck.” Another example of why she’d chosen to ask Jared for his help. And definitely another reason she was glad he’d changed his mind. He hadn’t even considered he wouldn’t get the contract with Bricket, it was only a matter of when. Never if.
“See you at dinner Sunday?” he asked.
Even though she’d just reminded herself Jared was off-limits, she couldn’t stop the wave of anticipation that rippled through her.
“I’ll be there.”
“The one dressed for success?” His lopsided smile, mixed with his amazing voice, sent another wave of chills over her skin.
“I’ll just be basic Allison. Sundays are my day off,” she teased. How she managed to sound so normal blew her mind. Especially since her skin throbbed with excitement from the sound of his voice alone.
“Even though you’ll never be basic, I’ll try to follow your lead.”
His words sent her mind spinning. She wanted to say something but had no clue what. He’d given her the best compliment, and he probably had no idea how his words made her day. You’ll never be basic.
He cleared his throat, saluting her with his coffee mug as he continued down the hall. “By Sunday I’ll be ready for a day off, too. See you then.”
“See you.”
She counted to ten slowly before she dared look over her shoulder in hopes of catching a secret glimpse of him before he left. The way his suit jacket hugged his shoulders; she could only imagine how his trousers wrapped around his rear. She almost lost her footing when she turned and caught him looking at her.
He gave her a mischievous smile, and heat invaded every inch of her body as she abruptly turned back around, but not before she misjudged the distance to the break room door and bumped into the wall.
“Smooth as silk, Al,” she said under her breath as she pressed her hands to the wall. She snuck another glance over her shoulder to see if he’d witnessed her geek attack. He’d already disappeared from view, so hopefully he’d missed the show.
With a small sigh, she pushed her glasses back into place and continued to the break room, inhaling a large dose of coffee-scented air. Her heart squeezed when she noticed Glenda and Andrea talking with Kenny across the room. He looked out of his element. His eyes went back and forth between the women as if he watched a tennis match. Whatever they were saying, he appeared lost. His shoulders hunched, and his focus kept returning to the floor, looking like he wanted to curl into a ball and get out of sight.
And then he spotted Allison. His smile revealed his gapped front teeth as he gave her a slow appraisal.
The grin spreading across his face as he took in her appearance shot another dose of confidence through her. It was nice to see someone recognized her effort. That a guy sat up and took notice, even if it was Kenny.
Her confidence urged her to come to his rescue. All she had to do was get their attention, and then he could escape. Easy. Peasy.
She hummed as if she didn’t have a care in the world and made her way toward the coffee station, only a few feet from where they stood.
“Allison?” Andrea’s mouth fell open.
“Good morning, Andrea. Glenda, Kenny.” She nodded as she looked each one of them square in the eye; all the while her mind was racing with a nonstop pep talk. Kenny mumbled something and broke away, poured decaf into his Marvel Comics mug, and left the room as if the soles of his shoes were on fire.
Allison grabbed a Styrofoam cup from the counter and poured her own coffee, adding a splash of cream and two sugars, trying to ignore the way Andrea poked Glenda in the ribs and her mouth hung open.
Did she really leave them speechless? The idea almost made her laugh. Now that would be a confidence booster.
She turned toward the two women, and their expressions—a little awe mixed with something else that she couldn’t label—made her relax. A sudden bit of brazen sass spiked up her backbone. “Cute dress, Glenda. Did you get that at Bloomies?” She abbreviated Bloomingdales in hopes they’d think she was a regular. Why? She had no clue, but for some reason it made her feel better.
Glenda nodded, her mouth still open. She licked her lips, swallowing hard. “I’m surprised you’d know that—”
Allison waved her words away. “I saw it in their flyer a couple weeks ago. I thought about it, but got this one instead.” She straightened the wrinkle-free fabric of her dress. At least she hadn’t fibbed on that account. She had seen Glenda’s dress in an ad and loved it, but after she’d tried it on she decided it was best left on the hange
r.
She took a sip of her coffee, as if she didn’t mind being in their presence this long. But in all honesty her entire body screamed at her to make an exit. Confidence was one thing, but she was in no way ready to play with these girls.
“What happened to you? Yesterday…” Andrea’s hand dropped to her side, and the coffee she’d been holding, and apparently forgotten about, spilled over onto her hand, and tiny droplets splattered on her white skirt.
Allison lowered her own cup with deliberate slowness. No way would she make Andrea’s mistake. A surge of pride rippled through her. Apparently today she’d passed the test, and her makeup enhanced instead of strangled. “What do you mean?”
That little bit of cockiness Margarite warned her about spiked. It might be fun to kind of drag it out. At least for a minute or so.
“Your hair, make—”
“Oh. That.” She waved away their words with the flick of her wrist. “Nothing. The clowns all got together for a burning of the midnight oil and decided to shake things up. From now on we’ll be using brushes instead of dipping our faces.”
She gave each of them another smile that basically said suck it and walked toward the door. The click of her heels as she crossed the silent room matched the quick rhythm of her heart. She used all her control to hold on to her cup as her palms grew sweaty. At least she’d sounded surer of herself than she felt.
As soon as she cleared the break room door and turned the corner, she sagged against the wall and took a gulp of air, pressing her cup to her chest until the Styrofoam creaked.
She’d survived the office bullies. Confidence felt good.
Allison whipped the royal blue dress up and over her head and threw it onto the ever-growing pile of rejects that lay spread across her bed. She’d wanted to wear that dress so badly—she’d picked it out herself, mainly for the scalloped scoop neckline—but she didn’t want everyone in her family to freak out at her new look. They’d need little spurts of change to get used to things. Nick had been out of the office all week so even he didn’t know anything about her transformation.
She also didn’t want to come off too cocky with Jared, especially after she told him she didn’t dress for success on Sundays.
A Friendly Flirtation (Friends First #3) Page 8
