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Done with my examination, I dropped my head to summarize it up for him. “Tin, bolts sticking up for footholds, jumpable and survivable even if you land wrong on anything but your head.”
“That sucks. The owner doesn’t believe in high rises or something? One less access point would help with the security of that place.”
“That’s for sure. When do you land?”
“In two days at 0800 hours. I’ll make my way to you at her office. I’m sure her office’s info is online.” He didn’t sound any happier about that than I did. Google nor Siri could keep anything to themselves. “Later, Graham.”
“Later, Underwood.” Disconnecting the call, I returned from whence I came.
“This building is a series of crimes waiting to happen,” I reported five minutes later to Cherise’s back. The arch of it was filling my head with images of tracing it with my fingers, driving me mad. She was only cleaning up her desk for the day. Actually, it was early afternoon if I wanted to be technical about it. There was one other thing that should be set straight: her safety at the office. She didn’t have any. “Avoid the back and sides of the building at all costs. You’re better off running into the street at rush hour than getting trapped in those parts.”
“Okay.” She bent over to stuff her writing pad in the top drawer of the desk. Her apple-bottom shaped ass filled my line of vision. My whole train of thought derailed. No one’s ass should be that plush or appetizing. She scrutinized me over her shoulder as she put more things into the drawer blindly. “Any other precautions?”
On mute for too long in the doorway, I scrambled to carry my side of the dialog. “There’s, ah, an infinite number of precautions we should discuss you taking. You should go to the carnival with me tonight or tomorrow. Whatever works best for you.”
The words coming out of my mouth registered too late with my brain. Did I just ask her on a date? I was sure my stupid mouth just asked her on a date. That was a major error by the way her head snapped my way. Oh damn.
Cherise
Did he just ask me out?
Tobin’s massive hands began flying through the air as if he was directing traffic. “Wait, wait, wait,” he backpedaled at the speed of light. “Before you throw me out on my ass, I didn’t intend for that to sound like it did.”
I wasn’t supposed to regret drawing the line at dating him. At this point, I’d have said yes. Life was getting far too complicated to not grab every bit of happiness I could find. Backtracking on my decisions would make me look irrational nevertheless. A practicing psychiatrist couldn’t give that impression. There had to be a middle ground to pick up the dropped threads of this conversation.
Crossing my arms, I perched on the end of my desk. “What was it supposed to sound like then, Tobin?”
Pure relief solidified on his extraordinary features. “A meeting. We should combine talking about what’ll keep you from harm while I do my homework. We’d be killing two birds with one stone.”
It took only a few microseconds to think over his idea. A business meeting permitted us to be in each other’s company without risking my license. With my business threatening to collapse under me, I wasn’t all that troubled about a piece of paper that wouldn’t do me much good anyway if Chad Lowell showed up.
“Tomorrow is good. I have to prep Malaysia tonight. And I need to stop by the store and get lots of alcohol, so she doesn’t throw me out on my ass.” Hiding a grin, I went back to putting away material I used during his session then locked the drawer.
“O-Okay?” he sputtered.
“Okay,” I recapped. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he iterated, seeming to be off his guard.
I moved toward him to lead the way out back where my car was parked. With his hands in his pockets, he continued to stand in the doorway, peering down at me. The tip of my head only reached his shoulders. I had to crane my neck to maintain a visual connection. He was way too damn tall. I’d have to climb this man like a tree to get to his lips. I wasn’t saying I had a problem with that, just making an observation. But, you shouldn’t be trying to get to his lips right now, Cherise. There was business to handle at home with Malaysia. Then, he should get the hell out of the way and stop staring at my mouth too.
Well, he didn’t. The craving to kiss him started to build in other places than my mind as his gray orbs caressed my face like f
ingertips. I only had so much willpower to do the right thing. Somebody had to say something before somebody did something they shouldn’t. Apparently, that somebody was me in both aspects and I didn’t really want to go home now. The faster we left, the faster I had to depart from him. Why did that somebody who always did the right thing have to be me all the time?
Fuck my life.
“Tobin,” I tried to rouse him from our stare off delicately.
“Hmmm.” Even the hum of his deep tone was panty-melting.
I should just stop wearing underwear around him. “I thought we were leaving.”
He blinked rapidly as if waking up. “We were. Shit. Sorry.”
Yet, he didn’t move. I was back to trying to hide my grin, loving the discovery that he was obviously attracted to me too. Not having to endure being the only one denying myself something I yearned for made that cross so much easier to bear. Every day, we were finding common ground to stand on together. Too bad I told him standing together was all we could do together ethically.
“Don’t be sorry, Tobin. We both will be sorry if I don’t get Malaysia drunk fast enough first before mentioning the reason I ran to her is back, and we’re both at risk to suffer his aggression. Fun times, right?”
