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“Yeah, yeah.” Her lips pecked against mine. “You sound like a broken record.” Another kiss.” I’m going to keep kissing you…” Another. “…until you shut up about it.”
“Your kisses are quite convincing,” I said.
“Good. Because this wasgood, Jude. And it was a long time coming since we met at the bar.”
“That was less than a week ago.”
“Exactly! Far too long. We have chemistry. I want to keep doing this. It’s a much better fringe benefit than that gym downstairs I’m never going to use.”
I knew I should have protested more. Insisted that this be a one-time thing. Getting it out of our system and then maintaining strict professionalism. But while she was half-laying on my body, breasts warm and soft against my chest, gazing up at me through her long eyelashes? I would have agreed to anything in the world.
“That’s the look I was hoping to see,” she said, sliding a hand up my thigh.
As her fingers wrapped around me and began stroking, I forgot all about my reservations.
*
I arrived at work early the next morning. It was probably my imagination, but I thought I could smell sex in my office, mixed with Amber’s flowery shampoo. The scent ignited all the memories from the night before, and I felt myself stiffening in my slacks.
“Good, you’re here,” Owen said as he came down the hall with his laptop in hand. “We’ve got some details to discuss regarding the investment.”
He pulled up a chair and went over the specifics with me, just like how Amber had done yesterday. The different context did nothing to dispel the memory of Amber from my mind as I nodded along with Owen and gave him my opinion on specific points.
“I’ll defer to you on that,” I said when we got to the last item. “You’re better with optics than me. I like to sit in a cave and code away.”
“Nothing wrong with being a code monkey.”
A noise at the top of the stairs drew both of our eyes. Amber had arrived and was walking toward her office. She nodded to us, sharing a private smile with me, before disappearing next door.
Owen cut his eyes back to me. “You two seem to be getting along, Boston.”
“Yeah, sure, I guess,” I sputtered. Could he smell the sex in the room? “She’s a capable worker.”
Owen narrowed his eyes at me. “You have a big crush on her. Don’t you?”
“I… no. Not at all. She works for me. I’m her boss. We get along, is all.”
“You mean you two haven’t been flirting like awkward teenagers since she got her?”
“You’re reading into things too much,” I replied. I was pleased with how firm my voice sounded. “We’re coworkers. That’s it.”
Owen nodded along like he believed me. Then he said, “The thing is, I was reviewing the security footage from the rooftop bar the other night. Before Mr. Rossi and I got there, you were at the bar. Chatting her up.”
“You knew that already,” I said, but I felt my stomach sink.
“What Ididn’tknow was how friendly you two were,” Owen said. He had that sparkle in his green eyes that he got when he was giving a speech and was on a roll. “You didn’t just chat for a few minutes. It was more like fifteen. Long enough for her to buy you that Seven and Seven. And the two of you were giving each other allsortsof signs.”
“Signs?”
“Don’t play dumb, buddy. I know you too well for that. She was leaning forward on the bar, showing off her cleavage. Touching her hair a lot. And then she was touchingyou, taking off your tie and rolling up your sleeves.”
“I can’t help it if a friendly girl flirts with me at the bar,” I said, but Owen was already replying.
“You’ve dressed the same way ever since then.” He pointed. “You’re dressed that wayright now. No tie. Top button undone. Sleeves rolled up. Before last week, you insisted on wearing a jacket to the office. Now suddenly you’re Johnny Fashion. Admit it. You like her.”
My cheeks grew hot. I felt like I was a rabbit caught in a snare… until I realized what his comments meant. He thought I liked her.
Which means he doesn’t know we slept together.
