Page 39 of Apparently, I’m Torture

His eyes dropped to my mouth again, glazing over as his own tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip. My gasp was soft, but the throb that pierced my lower belly was sharp. He leaned forward, just the smallest fraction, his gaze half-lidded and heavy, and it was enough to send a thrill screaming through me.

I squeezed my knees together as he pushed away from the desk. And just like that, whatever that was, was over before it began. While I was still trying to process what had happened, what I’d just felt, he thrust his hands into his pockets and shifted back to unbothered, professional Shawn.

“I want us to be able to get this fundraiser done without any more issues. Do you think we can do that?”

Still flustered, I pushed my stare to the ground and nodded.

“Good. What did you want to finish tonight?”

While sitting on the desk, I pointed to my monitor, which was now in sleep mode.

He followed my finger and said, “I really want to go home and eat something.”

Eyes wide, I leapt off the desk, bent over my chair, and shook my mouse. My computer woke and there was my static desktop, just as I’d left it. I could feel Shawn’s eyes on me as I worked.

“I just have to send the approved logo to the coffee cup distributer, order the t-shirts and confirm our storage facility.”

“We don’t have enough space for the cups.”

I turned to eye him over my shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“The board I met with yesterday pulled one of the storage units for other supply needs. I don’t have a place to put them.”

I straightened and turned. “Then what am I supposed to do with thirty thousand reusable coffee cups?”

He shrugged. “I know a guy who can help us.”

Shooting him a look, I drawled, “You have a guy? Now look, I’m not surprised or anything, since you’re the great Shawn Jackson, and all. I mean, of course you have a guy. But we’re on a tight budget. Is this going to cost us anything?”

His dimples reappeared as he smiled, and I felt my insides melt. Damn him. Mia was right; he was a sexy, sexy asshole. “It shouldn’t. Not if we ask nicely and promise to go to his next gallery showing.”

And then it clicked. “Your guy is Tristan?”

“Well, why not? He’s got enough space for it.”

“So, I can go ahead and order them?”

He nodded. “We should check with him first, but I doubt he’d say no.”

I rubbed a finger across my chin, aware of Shawn’s dark eyes tracing my movement. “Maybe I should promise to babysit the girls again. As payment.”

A slight smile and he was almost back to being the Shawn I knew and loved. Almost. His face hardened as a new thought seemed to cross it, and he asked, “You’re not still doing that, are you?”

I pulled out my chair and sat in it, fingers tapping against my keyboard as I absently asked, “Doing what?”

His hands braced against the top of my chair, and I felt the weight of it pushing onto me as he leaned. Was he studying the back of my neck? Did he want to run his fingertip along my jawline and watch me shiver?

Probably not. Nuuurgh, this was too much to handle. Was I becoming Mia-level horny?

“Overextending yourself.”

“Over… what?”

“Lilly, you know what I’m talking about.” His voice ground down on me as I typed.

I flicked him a glance over my shoulder. I couldn’t say I was surprised by his white-knuckled grip.

“No, I don’t.”