Page 14
“Come in.”
Nash pushes the cart inside, and the moment his eyes find me, a smile spreads across his face. I grin right back at him.
I stand and slowly pull the tails of my shirt free from my slacks. Nash’s eyes follow my hands before returning to my face, his bottom lip caught briefly between his teeth.
A smirk pulls at Nash’s mouth. “You’re doing this on purpose now.”
“Doing what?”
His eyes follow my hands before lifting back to my face. “You’re an asshole.”
My shoulder is already much better, and we both know I don’t need Nash doing this again. I keep giving him an excuse to put his hands on me because I want him to.
Declan moved Xavier into the penthouse after Ronan got him evicted. Ronan moved Colton in because he needed protection, and Conor brought Jaxon home for the same reason. None of them ever had to ask the man they wanted on a fucking date.
Nash has his own apartment, his own job, and no reason to need me to fix anything. Apparently, I’ll have to do this the normal way and ask him out. I almost laugh at the thought. Women have always approached me. I’ve never had to figure out how to ask someone for a date, and Nash is the first man I’ve ever wanted one with. He’s made it pretty damn obvious he’s interested, but I’m done guessing.
Nash gestures toward the coffee table. I take my seat, but when he reaches for the muscle cream and starts to step behind me, I grip his hip and guide him forward until he’s standing between my knees.
His eyes widen. “What’re you doing?”
“Have dinner with me.”
That finally leaves him speechless. His mouth parts as he stares at me before his eyebrows draw together. “You want to take me out? Like… on a date? In public?”
“Yes. I want to know you.”
He folds his arms across his chest, studying me like he’s trying to figure out what I’m really asking. “Why?”
His eyes narrow slightly. “What are you playing at, Mr. Murphy?” He says my last name like an old Hollywood actress delivering a line from a black-and-white film.
“I’m not playing at anything, Mr. Campbell.” I keep my hand at his hip. “I’ve been watching you just as closely as you’ve been watching me. I’m interested, and I’m asking you to dinner.”
He studies me for a few seconds before one corner of his mouth lifts into that infuriating smirk I’ve become entirely too fond of.
“Well,” he drawls, “that’s either the best line you’ve ever used.” He leans closer. “Or the worst.”
I return his smirk. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Nash studies me for another moment before nodding. “Fine. I’ll have dinner with you.” Relief isn’t a sensation I experience often. “I’m sure you have my address in my employee file.” A mischievous grin spreads across his face. “Pick me up at eight. Unless you chicken out between now and then.”
The brat can’t help himself, and I have to fight the smile threatening at the corner of my mouth. “That won’t be a problem.”
His grin widens as he lifts a hand toward my shoulder, but before he can touch me, the office door swings open. Daniela Norris stands in the doorway.
Her gaze moves from the muscle cream in Nash’s hand to my bare chest, then back again. One perfectly sculpted eyebrow rises. “Am I interrupting something?”
Of all the times Daniela could have walked into my office, she chooses now. We met two months ago at a charity fundraiser. She needed a respectable escort to social functions, and I needed someone intelligent enough to navigate them without becoming a liability. We’ve attended two galas together. Nothing more, despite her efforts to change that.
Nash doesn’t know any of that, and the grin disappears from his face as he looks between Daniela and me.
“As you can see,” I say, “I’m in the middle of something.”
“I’m just helping him out with a strained muscle that’s hard for him to reach.” Nash’s tone has gone completely professional.
“Oh.” Daniela looks him over, taking in the Murphy Enterprises logo embroidered across his polo, the delivery cart and finally the tube in his hand. “Well, isn’t that nice of you. So thoughtful.”
Nash pulls the tube back when she reaches for it. “Actually, I should get back to work.”
