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Naomi's face flushed. "I should've warned you I had company."
When Naomi met his gaze, Lucas grew semi-hard again. Her lack of make up and messy hair showed off her elfin features. The jeans and a delicate white crochet top also made her look as if she'd just wandered out of that glen painted on her bedroom wall. She was a total woodland nymph. And she seemed dumbstruck at the sight of him all but naked in her tiny boudoir.
Meanwhile the feisty blonde gesticulated with her metal rod and chatted away, relating her discovery, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for the three of them to be in the tiny space together.
"I thought he was a burglar," Megan continued, "when I saw the alarm was off and the mess downstairs. I guess you never made it up the stairs before you…" She started chortling. "Well, you know what I mean."
"Lucas, this is Megan. Megan works in the shop with me. Megan this is Lucas who's…visiting." Naomi rushed through the introduction in an apparent effort to distract Megan from thinking about them having sex.
It didn't seem to work. The blonde woman grinned at him, nodding down to the shirt at his groin. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Lucas grinned back.
As she left, she patted Naomi on the shoulder. "Nice work. About time too."
When she was gone, Lucas raised an eyebrow in query.
"I went out to get some breakfast supplies." Naomi stepped closer and looped her arms around his neck.
Now they were alone, she too seemed amused by the situation.
Lucas tossed the shirt aside and pulled her close against him, his erection fast returning to full mast.
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Lucas took the opportunity to run his hands over his over her curves, enjoying the way she felt when he pulled her to him with his hands on her gorgeous derriere.
"I better go make us some breakfast," she said as she drew back. "You've got stuff to do. The kitchen's at the back of the shop so make your way down there when you're decent." She looked down at his groin and gave a loud sigh, smiling all the while.
Then she was gone.
Lucas glanced at his erection with regret and reached for his watch. It was gone eight. He groaned. It was Monday and he was supposed to be in London. He had to work fast. There would be time to play with Naomi that evening.
He sent a quick text message to his PA requesting she hold the fort until later that morning when he would be in touch with instructions. Using his phone, he quickly researched facilities in the immediate area and discovered there was an intercontinental hotel five minutes walk from his current location. It offered the use of office suites, equipment and admin assistance to hotel guests. Perfect. After breakfast he'd head round there, book a suite and get set up with office facilities. Most everything he could do over the phone, but several of his clients expected head talk time over Skype and he needed a professional, private space for that.
By the time he'd showered and dressed and was on his way downstairs, the smell of coffee and toast indicated which way he should go. He glanced into the tiny galley kitchen. Naomi was busy with a coffee percolator. From what he'd seen of the place there wasn't an actual area designated for her to create her designs. How did she manage? From what he understood, she'd worked from her family home to begin with, and then moved in here. His question was partly answered right away, because he saw a notice board heavily pinned with sketches and fabric samples. Instinctively, he knew the breakfast bar doubled up as her design space.
He glanced the other way into the shop. The blinds were up and Megan was out front cleaning the windows.
"Almost ready," Naomi said.
Lucas nodded and wandered into the shop, taking the chance to look around in full daylight. It was smartly presented and cleverly arranged. He liked the way things were stacked. The range of colors and fabrics really caught the eye. The arrangement was important and he quickly decided it would have to be echoed in franchise displays. Careful manifesto notes would have to be made in consultation with Naomi. As the thoughts ran through his head, he took a quick look at some of the price tags and frowned.
Naomi closed in behind him a few moments later. "Found anything you like?"
"The owner." He arched his eyebrows at her. He'd never get tired of that smile of hers. "Your prices are too low," he added.
Her smile disappeared, making him wish he hadn't said anything.
"Your profit margins must be non-existent."
She shrugged. "There's a lot of competition for the market here in the centre of Edinburgh, and it was one way to get my products out there and seen, people wearing them."
"Are you making any profit at all?"
She glanced away. "Enough to pay the overheads and the manufacturer. Not much else." She was getting defensive. "You have to have a few loss leaders to get off the ground. That's common retail practice."
"A loss leader is one item that lures people in the door to check out the rest of your stuff. It looks as if everything in here is a loss leader."
She sighed. "Well, I'm only just starting out."
