“I could help with that.” I reached out and ran a finger along the length of him.
“Don’t touch him. He gets confused. He’s a simple creature. Plus, if I make him wait, the better tonight will be.”
I flushed with the anticipation.
The days blurred together. Muscles I didn’t even know I had ached throughout the day, bringing a smile to my face as I coordinated the events with a professional ease. I loved how bossy he was in the bedroom. I loved that I took the lead too. We’d already explored so much of each other but my mind drifted throughout the day imagining a hundred more ways to love his body with mine.
On Friday, Vincent found me double-checking the bus taking the group back to the airport.
“Roxy.” Vincent smiled, standing coolly with one hand in the pocket of his dress pants, his blazer open slightly. Busy with the MooreTek crowd, I’d hardly seen him this last week except when he checked in a few times. The sight of him caused the same anxiety as before despite knowing the week had been a success.
We waited as Sanders finished helping the last MooreTek employees climb onto the buses. I watched him jog over to join us, nodding professionally at me before giving Vincent his entire focus.
Oh, we were so good at this.
Vincent glanced between the two of us. “Do you both have some time to chat?”
Sanders and I exchanged a nod before following him back to his office.
When the three of us were situated in his office, an unaccountable wave of nerves crashed over me. I longed to reach for Sanders but clasped my hands gently in my lap.
“I just spoke with the CEO of MooreTek,” Vincent jumped right in as usual. “She could only say great things about the both of you. I think the term ‘power duo’ was thrown around more than once. Not only do they want to make this an annual event, they’re happy to share their recommendation with other businesses.”
“That’s fantastic,” I said, letting out a slow breath. I knew it, but hearing this review released some tension in my shoulders.
“Great news,” Sanders said at the same time.
“Mr. Olsson, I hope this means you’ll consider partnering with the Lodge on a more permanent basis,” Vincent said. “We can all discuss the details. Maybe we can draft up some ideas before you leave. Things are a little crazy around here but I think it’s an arrangement that would benefit us all.”
I fought to keep myself as still as possible. A thousand thoughts flew through my brain. Sanders and I … it was only supposed to be temporary. Short-term I could handle. Short-term wouldn’t derail me but even just looking at how obsessed we’d become with each other this last week … Could we sustain that momentum and focus on our careers?
Not now,I told the thoughts in my head. I kept my neutral expression on Vincent as Sanders responded.
“I think Outside the Box would very much like that. When Skip returns, I’ll discuss the idea with him.”
I stole a glance to see his big goofy grin.
Vincent turned to me. I sucked in my lips.
“Roxanne, I never had any doubt you’d be amazing. I’ve watched you all week. You’ve learned to trust and delegate. I’ve never seen two people so communicative. Next week let’s discuss your transition into the lead events coordinator.”
“Thank you,” I said with a grin. “That would be great.”
Vincent smiled back. Flicking his gaze back to Sanders, he added, “Now why don’t you two go out and celebrate. You’ve both been working so hard all week, you’re practically dead on your feet. You should really get some sleep.” He glanced between us one last time with an unreadable expression.
I knew we hadn’t been as discreet as we’d thought. My palms began to sweat. Things were happening too fast.
After we left Vincent’s office, Sanders turned to me, his gaze far too intense to be appropriate for work. “Good work, Roxxo.”
“Thanks, Colonel.” I fought to keep my face neutral. “So are you thinking of partnering with the Lodge?”
“Of course,” he said, his excitement growing more palpable with every step. “I think this could really work,” he said. His eyes shone with a manic excitement.
“Well, as lead events coordinator we’d probably work together regularly,” I said, flicking a glance to him, playing it cool.
Once we reached the lobby, he stopped in front of the fireplace, eyes bright and wide as they bounced around my face. “That’s the best part. I could move out here and start a second location in Green Valley. Guaranteed business through the Lodge and maybe more throughout eastern Tennessee.” He all but bounced on the balls of his feet. “Yes. Yes, this is perfect. I’ll start looking for an apartment today.”
“Today?” The shock of his words chilling me. I forced myself to think about the logistics. “Wait. Wait. You can’t just—”
