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His sixth sense told him her commitment to that aspect of the favor was going to become a problem down the road. Maybe this was the time to mention he’d promised his brother no more workplace hookups, and that he could teach her how to seduce a man without the two of them engaging in sex.
However, before he could broach the subject, she broke out into some weird victory dance, something akin to the running man, and he laughed.
Penny Beaumont was an odd one, but damn if he didn’t enjoy hanging out with her.
“Fine,” he begrudgingly agreed. “We can beco-captains.”
Beaumont tapped her chin, pretending to think about it. “Okay. It’s a deal. We’re co-captains, and I promise to tell you when someone tries to lure me away from the company so that you can match—no,beat—the offer. I’m not going to lie…it’s starting to feel like I won three times, not just once. Co-captains, better contract, and…a big, big favor.”
“We’ll commence with Operation New Beaumont on Monday. But if you’re serious about wanting my help, that means you do everything I say, exactly. Got it?”
She tilted her head. “Give me an example.”
He stepped closer, taking note of Beaumont’s height. The Russo men were tall guys, his brother Conor the shortest of the three, at six-two. He was used to looking down—way down—at his dates, but Beaumont’s face wasn’t that much lower.
“How tall are you?” he asked.
If his question caught her off guard, she didn’t let on. “Five-ten.”
He reached for the band holding her hair and pulled it free, letting her thick mass of dirty-blonde hair fall loose. He’d never seen it down. Not once in six years.
She reached up to push it back off her shoulders. He circled her, taking note that it hung halfway down her back.
“I didn’t realize your hair was so long.”
“It’s a pain in the ass, but I’m too lazy to go to the hairdresser. Actually, I’m too lazy to make an appointment, so it’s gotten out of hand. That’s why I wear it up all the time. I’ve considered just being done with it and shaving my head, but—”
“No. You’re not shaving your head. Most men like long hair. Gives them something to wrap their fists around when they’re…” He wiggled his eyebrows, letting her fill in the blanks, and grinning at her instant blush. “It just needs a style and highlights.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Although I’d intended to ask Jess’s advice in regard to makeup, hair, and clothes.”
He shook his head. “No. I’m in charge of all of it. My advice is the only advice you’ll be taking.”
She gave him a salute. “Sir, yes, sir.”
Gage shook his head, thinking for the first time he might have bitten off more than he could chew. Then he took the ugly-ass glasses off, amused by the way she blinked a couple times and squinted. When her gaze focused on him, he was slightly taken aback by her bright light-blue eyes. “Ever wear contacts?”
“I tried a couple times, but it always took a few minutes to get them in, which usually made me even later to work than I already was.”
Gage was aware of Beaumont’s inability to arrive anywhere on time. One of Matt’s biggest pet peeves was employees who were consistently tardy. To keep her out of trouble, Gage had “changed” her work hours, telling her the start time was fifteen minutes earlier than it really was. Ever since then—and unbeknownst to her—she’d been right on time, even though she constantly apologized for being late.
“You’re going to try them again. And throw these Edna Mode glasses in the garbage.”
She grabbed her glasses from him and slapped them back on. “I love these glasses.”
“They hide half your face, Beaumont.”
“That’swhyI love them.”
He narrowed his eyes. “No more hiding.”
She grumbled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Not that it mattered. He was going to get his way.
Gage reached for one of her hands. “You also have to stop biting your nails. It’s a bad habit.”
She sighed. “I know, but that’s going to be easier said than done.”
“I’ve got a plan for that too.”
She studied his face then smirked. “You seem to have given this some thought since yesterday. Knew you were going to lose, didn’t you?”
“Did you ever consider that I’m a selfless humanitarian and I threw the contest because I knew you needed my help?”
“That thought never crossed my mind.”
He laughed. “Meet me at my office Monday at five p.m.”
Beaumont nodded, grabbed her bag, and left.
She’d said she was excited for the first time in a long time, and Gage couldn’t help but admit to himself that he felt the same way.
