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“Chrissake, Riley,” he says picking up the shirt I’ve made a habit of stealing from him.
Before handing it to me, he lifts me off the stool. Then, spinning me around, he takes inventory of the muddy handprints he left all over my body. “You are undoubtedly the sexiest thing ever to come off my wheel.”
Biting the inside of my lip, trying not to grin like an idiot, I say, “You certainly did leave your mark.”
He pulls me into his arms and kisses me. More gently than before but still as all-consuming as ever. “Because you’re mine, Riley Halford. All mine.”
Just as he’s coming in for another kiss, the bell dings over the door to the shop.
“Shit. It’s Nell,” he says, his eyes wide.
I rip the shirt from Daniel’s fist as he sprints to the door.
“Daniel?” Nell calls out from the other side of the door just before he closes it in her face.
“Morning, Nell. I’ll be right out.”
“Everything okay in there?”
Shit. I haven’t met Nell yet. Half-naked and caked with clay isn’t how I would choose to make a first impression on anyone but especially not one of Daniel’s employees. Talk about awkward.
“Yeah. But, hey, can you do me a favor?” Daniel asks her.
“Okay?” There is a generous amount of skepticism in her voice as she drags the word out.
“We’re running low on nickels. Could you take a twenty to the bank and get a few rolls?”
“Sure.” She doesn’t leave right away. It’s at least thirty seconds before the clack of her feet on the wood floor drift off.
“That was close,” I whisper, now standing next to him.
“Yeah and there’s no way I’m not going to have to have a follow-up conversation about it,” he whispers back.
Riley cocks her head in question.
“Hardly anyone pays with cash anymore. We probably could have gotten by with the change we have for another month or more.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was more than worth it.” Daniel draws my mouth to his with a knuckle under my chin.
“I should get upstairs,” I say.
“She’s not gone yet.”
He’s coming in for another kiss when the bell over the door announces her departure. After he growls an unintelligible protest, Daniel opens and peeks around the door.
“Coast is clear,” he says, then grabs me around the waist pulling me in for one last kiss before ushering me out of the studio.
“See you tonight, baby girl,” he says smacking my ass on my way up the stairs.
I can’t wait.
