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My head shoots up and I lock on to his soft brown eyes. “I told you that? I don’t remember that at all. When did that happen?”
“When we were lying over there”—he points to the recycling bin at the end of his desk—“trying to calm your stomach.”
“Oh, yeah, we did…” A vague recollection of being flat on my back on the carpet wafts across my memory. “I don’t remember telling you about Dan and Brody, though.”
“Hopefully you’ll tell me more some other time.”
I doubt that.
I lean forward to get a closer look at the recycling bin, which is now empty and without a trace of vomit. “Did you clean that up?”
“Nope. It was like that when I got in this morning.”
“Oh God. Some poor janitor did it? I subjected someone just going about their daily business to that horror?” I shake my head in disgust at myself. “I’ll find out who they are and get them a gift. What about the carpet?”
“Cleaned up too. It’s like it never happened.”
“Not in my head, it isn’t. I don’t think I’ll ever not feel awkward around you again. You won’t be offended if I avoid you for the next twenty or thirty years, right?”
He pulls a sad face. “I’d rather you didn’t. I mean, who would I tease?” He stands up. “No need to worry about any of it. You’ve recovered, and that’s all that matters.”
He turns away so I can’t see his face and moves toward the window. “And the stuff about your family wasn’t the only new information I gathered.” That’s a suspiciously mischievous tone. “So it’s all good.”
Shit. He’s talking about me telling him he has nice arms, isn’t he? There’s no way in hell I’m going to let on I remember that. That memory needs to be consigned to the trash can of history and blamed on incoherent delirium.
“Okay.” I stand up and adjust my top to pull the V of the neckline a little higher. “I should get back to work. I’ll call the contractors to make sure they’re still good to start work fitting out the First Byte space on Monday.”
Elliot strolls back toward his desk. “Great.”
“And thanks again for taking care of me last night. You were incredibly thoughtful. And, you know, respectful. With the, er…” I pick at a fingernail. “…putting me to bed stuff, and all that.”
He slides off his jacket and hangs it on the back of his chair. “I did my best to maintain your dignity.” He pops off his cuff links and drops them onto the desk, just like he did last night. “Figured sleeping in a skirt wouldn’t be very comfortable.”
“Thank you.” As if hypnotized by a swinging pendulum, my eyes fix on his fingers as he slowly, unnecessarily slowly, folds back one cuff until it reaches his elbow. “Yes.” The word comes out breathy. “It would have been. Uncomfortable, I mean.”
He repeats the same lazy sleeve-folding on the other arm, knowing exactly what he’s doing. But not knowing I know he knows what he’s doing.
The desire to crawl across someone’s desk to run my fingers and mouth over their bare skin is a new one. But here it is, coursing through my veins right along with my blood, which is getting warmer by the second.
I have to admire the man’s ballsiness. If only I could laugh and call him out on it without admitting I know what I said.
“I hope you don’t mind.” He picks up the Pac-Man stress ball and squeezes it, making those beautiful naked forearm muscles flex.
“I’m sorry, what?” I drag my eyes to the half smirk on his face and the full glint in his eye.
“That I took off your skirt,” he reminds me. “I hope you don’t mind.”
There is nothing I’d like more than for him to take it off again right now. And sit me on the edge of his desk while the gentle hands that stroked my hair last night and the full lips I pulled so close to mine as I lay in bed work their way all over me.
“All good,” my mouth says, somehow having bypassed my brain, which is otherwise engaged with forearm-related business.
Shit. I have to get the hell out of here.
I spin around and do my best to move toward the door at something less obvious than a sprint. “Must get back. Have to go do…” I pull the door open. “… the… thing…” And let it close behind me.
Well, that was a whole new side to Elliot.
Who knew he could be such a devilish, sexy tease?
