People loved them.
I spent the rest of the day refreshing our page and watching the number of guests who signed up through ArgoS’ event feature climb.
“Noah, you’re a genius!” Maddie called as she rushed across the staff room a few hours later. “So many people signed up already! If even half of them come, I’ll call it a success.” She hugged me around the neck, then directed the two huge Orc carpenters who helped with the setup to the next spot. “Louise Reid got back to me, by the way,” Maddie said when she turned back to me and continued the conversation as if there hadn’t been an interruption. “She’ll drop by this afternoon. Do you think you could be there to meet her with me?”
“You want me to be there?” I gaped at her.
“I do, yes. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing, and I actually have to answer this time”—she cringed—“and I need someone to take over the conversation if I need to leave to put out some more fires.”
“I’d be honoured, Mads. Thank you. I’ve been listening to their show. Lew always turns on the radio—”
“The radio.” She sketched quotation marks in the air.
“Oh, come on!” I giggled. “Me, too,” I whispered. “But also the radio.”
“Text me when she gets here? I’ll go back to work for a bit.”
“Sure, thanks, Noah.”
Lew came to find me in my office half an hour later. He knocked and paused in the half-opened door, and leaned against the doorframe.
Oh my God, you hot thing.
A smirk curled the corners of his mouth, and he licked his lips so slowly it made me hot all over.
“Hey, sorry to interrupt. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure,” I squeaked.
Lew bit his lip as he slipped into the room. He closed the door behind himself and locked it.
So stealthy.
He rounded my desk and leaned in with one hand on the tabletop and one on the back of my chair.
“Hey, Puppy,” he whispered against my lips before he went in for a kiss like the apex predator he was. I clutched the front of his hoodie to steady myself.
Holy fucking shit.Lewis didn’t just kiss me, he searched for my fucking soul.It’s all yours, big boy.
“Hey, Pretty Kitty,” I gasped, coughing to clear my throat. “How are you?”
“Better now. I missed you today.” Lew knelt on the floor, hugged me around the waist, and rested his cheek on my heart. My soul evaporated. “You?”
I nuzzled the soft fur on his brow. “Fantastic. I stared at your ass earlier.”
His chuckle shook my body. “I noticed. Did ye enjoy the view?” Lew raised his face and pecked me on the lips again.
“Always. How did your meeting go?”
“Well, I barely remember half of it. My brain was a little sidetracked.”
“Yourbrain,” I put great emphasis on the word and grinned at him.
“Both brains.” He shrugged. “We only have a few days until the course, and we had a lot of details to talk through. And to tell you the truth, I absolutely hate that. I just want to cut straight to the course. It’ll be fine, but Ollie ….”
“He needs to feel in control,” I finished the sentence for him.
“Yes, but we’re in the home stretch. Perla’s going to handle the last few things we need to prepare, Ollie and SweetPea willhandle the rooms and food, and I can get back to doing my actual job.” Lew winked at me. “And you,” he added as an afterthought.
