Page 31 of Under Her

“Are you supposed to talk about your employees like that?”

“No. But the guy put me to sleep in a meeting once, so it’s only fair to give you warning.”

She laughs again. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll make sure to have an industrial-strength coffee before I go in.”

She’s heading for the door. And I’m still not ready to let her go.

“So, any plans tonight?”

“Any plans tonight?”

Jesus. Could I be any more transparent?

She pauses and regards me with a tilt of her head. “Yep. I have a date with Jamie Fraser.”

Disappointment lands in my chest like rocks.

“Jamie…is he your boyfriend?”

She barks out a laugh. “I wish.” At my puzzled expression, she says, “He’s a character in a show—Outlander. I’m guessing you’ve never heard of it.”

“Nope. What’s it about?”

“Kind of hard to explain, but it’s about this woman who goes back in time to the 1700s in Scotland. And, once there, she meets Jamie Fraser. The hot Scottish warrior. It’s based on a series of books.”

“Sounds shite.”

She laughs again.

“Does your boyfriend like it?”

That stops her laughter. And I want to punch myself in the face.

“Does your boyfriend like it?”

Fucking hell, Cross. Are you back in grade school?

She’s appraising me with her eyes again. A small smile touches her lips. “I don’t have a boyfriend.” She gently shakes her head.

Pressure lifts off my chest.

“Oh. Cool. Well, have fun tonight with Jamie Fraser.” I move around my desk and sit down.

She smiles, clutching the iPad to her chest. “I will. You, too. Have a good night, that is.”

She turns, and I watch her leave, the door closing behind her.

Could I have been any more obvious just then? Jesus. I’m so off my game, it’s ridiculous.

But I can’t be on my game. Not with her. She’s off-limits, no matter how much I don’t want her to be.

Morgan and I are having dinner with my mom and dad. When I called Mom to tell her that Morgan came up with a great idea for the business, she suggested a dinner meeting. I checked with Morgan to see if she was free, and she was, so we’re meeting at my parents’ favorite restaurant—Alinea.

I take a cab from my place. When I arrive, I’m the first one there. The hostess seats me, and I give the drink order—beer for me and a bottle of red for the table—to our waitress, who I’m ninety percent sure I’ve hooked up with before. When you sleep with as many women as I do, it’s hard to keep track. But she looks familiar, and the way she keeps looking at me tells me that we’ve quite likely bumped uglies in the past.

“Hey.” Morgan slips into the seat beside me, putting her clutch on the table.

I turn my eyes to look at her, and—