AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But I wasn’t happy that he’d asked me to talk Vanessa into including him, and now he was bailing because some female had turned his head. It made me a part of him being a jerk for persuading my sister to allow our father to come to her place—only for him to cancel because something better had come along.
“You’re seeing a new woman?” I said, unable to keep the judgmental tone from my voice. “How old is this one?”
“Hey, don’t be like that. I really like Kristie.” When I didn’t respond, he sighed. “Fine. She’s thirty.”
“God, Dad,” I said, shaking my head. “Your girlfriend is three years younger than I am. She’s barely older than Vanessa.”
“Love knows no age.”
I snorted at his cheesy quote. “And yet, you keep dating women more than twenty years younger than you.”
“You sound jealous,” my father huffed.
“Of what, exactly?” I asked, my eyes straying to Sophie as she walked past the open doorway to my office. Did she even realize that the pencil skirt she was wearing made her ass look amazing? Or that those heels inspired a dozen different fantasies?
“I think you need to get yourself a woman. Then, you might not be so bitter about me enjoying myself and my life.” I let out a small noise of disbelief, but he continued, “I think you work too hard. I get it. I was very dedicated to the company, especially in the early years when I was trying to get it off the ground, but I learned over the years that it’s important to find time for some fun, too.”
“I know you did.” Feeling a headache coming on, I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my eyes with the palm of my hands.
Dad sighed. “Are you going to make a big deal out of this? I promised Kristie that we’d go to the Caribbean for a Christmas cruise, but if it’s going to be that much of a problem…”
“No,” I interrupted, ready for this conversation to be over. “No problem. Go. Have a good time. Merry Christmas, Dad.”
“You too, Connor.”
The call ended, and I decided that now was a good time to go get my shopping done because I desperately needed the distraction. At least I didn’t have to worry about finding something for my old man now. It was hard to shop for a guy that always indulged in whatever he wanted in life.
I cleared all the paperwork off my desk and powered down my computer before standing and shrugging on the suit jacket that I’d draped over the back of my chair earlier in the day. When I walked out of the office, Sophie wasn’t at her desk, and there was no sign of her anywhere.
I walked down the hall to the small room where we kept the copier and found the door ajar. When I pushed it open and peeked inside, my mouth went dry and a jolt of lust shot through me, landing in the vicinity of my dick.
Sophie was down on her hands and knees, looking under the copier. I felt like a voyeur as I paused, imagining all the different ways I could take advantage of the situation. It was wrong to even think about it, but I couldn’t erase the idea from my mind, and my erection was starting to grow as I ran my gaze over the curve of her hips.Damn it.
I cleared my throat to get her attention, and she jumped, straightening up onto her knees and whipping around with a comical look of surprise on her face.
“Oh, Mr. Renshaw, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“My earring fell out and rolled under the copier,” she explained, turning her head to show me that one of her earlobes was missing the small emerald stud that matched her eyes.
“Let me get it.”
I had never realized just how small the copier room was—barely more than a closet—until now. Every nerve ending in my body seemed to fire to life as I found myself enclosed in this tight space with her. Her body heat and the scent of her perfume—similar to vanilla and orchids—seemed to surround me, intoxicating my senses.
I clenched my jaw and reminded myself for the thousandth time that I wasn’t going to act on my attraction to her. Then, I knelt on the floor where Sophie had been, while she got to her feet and stepped back as far as she could. I spotted the earring and was able to grab it with my longer arms. When I stood and handed it over, our fingers brushed and I felt an electric tingle travel up my arm.
Jesus, Christ, I needed to get out of here.
“Thanks,” she said, smiling as she put the earring back in her lobe.
“Sure. No problem.” I rubbed a hand along the back of my neck. “Listen, I was just coming to find you to tell you that I’m taking off for the day. I’m hoping I can get all my shopping done this afternoon.”
Her brows raised incredulously. “Have you even started yet?”
I grimaced. “Not really.”
Sophie laughed. “With the way you spoil your nieces, I have a feeling you’ll be out at the stores until closing time.”
