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Carly
Brady shows up at eight,right on the nose. I’m hit with the aroma of coffee. He says, "I brought you a cup but wasn't sure what to put in it, so there's cream and sugar packets too."
My usual habit is to be caffeine-free to avoid the shakes when working, but the sweet gesture makes me throw caution to the wind and go for the java buzz. "How thoughtful, thank you. I'm a cream and sugar girl."
The plastic of a to-go mug is smooth in my hands when I open it. The faint smell of maple wafts up. "Is this maple coffee?"
Brady's full lips turn up at the corners. "Good nose. I almost added more to yours but after one drop realized I didn't know if you liked sugar in your coffee. I hope it's okay."
"It's more than okay, I'm beginning to wonder how I lived my life before discovering real maple syrup." Yes, I'm totally buttering him up. But the smile I get for it is so worth the effort.
"Are you flirting with me, Carly Cutler?"
"I sure am, Brady Le Roux."
He reaches over and takes my hand. Still amazed at the sheer size of him, I squeal a little on the inside at how small he makes me feel. I sip the hot liquid, and it warms my insides on the way down.
Brady says, "The plan today is to show you what I do in the morning and then take you and Sierra on a hike to a wonderful spot Keith is setting up for a picnic. How does that sound?"
"That sounds fantastic." The sun is shining, and tiny buds of green and red are peeking out on the hardwood trees. We bounce along a dirt road, and I wonder how it is I'm supposed to be drinking coffee. I decide I'll wait until we stop before taking another sip.
Brady lets go of my hand and cracks our windows open. "Can you smell it?"
I inhale deeply, and the odor of musty, rotting plant life comes to mind. "I'm smelling something."
The baritone laugh that erupts from Brady goes straight to my core and starts me twitching.Really, body? Can't you just enjoy the man without wanting to screw him?
He says, "I suppose if you aren't used to it, it's not very pleasant. But to me it means things are starting to grow."
"And more trees means more money?"
He nods. "Yes. The tree business is in my blood." Brady throws a sideways glance at me. "Someday I hope you love this smell too."
I flash to my dreams and the musky animalistic odor I was drawn to. I think that must have been a sign. "I think someday I will."
We arrive at a plain-shingled building. It's not very big, and I'm surprised by that. I had expected something a little more elaborate, with mirrored glass and metal. I envisioned high-powered deals going down within the walls. Gravel crunches under the tires as Brady pulls up near the front door. Three other SUV-type vehicles are in the lot, but there is room for at least ten more.
Brady hops out, and before I can climb down, he's taking my hand to help. I gasp when he pulls me tight against him. He says, "I'm not sure I can go on without a kiss."
I happily oblige, and just at the point I’m ready to rip his shirt off, he pulls away.
"Damn, it's getting harder to stop." Brady's lips are flushed ruby red, and I lick mine, thinking about what I want to do with his mouth. A low noise comes from the back of his throat.
I take a deep breath, and my voice lowers an octave when I say, "Yeah, I know what you mean."
"C'mon, I'll take you to the CFO first. That's bound to put a damper on things."
I laugh and then ask, "So numbers aren't your friend?"
He grins. "Oh, they're my friend as long as I let someone else crunch them."
We enter though a glass door and take a few more steps to another one. A counter is straight ahead, and an older woman is behind it.
"Marjorie, this is Carly."
Dressed smartly in a wool suit, she pops up from her chair and comes around to greet me. I'm a bit taken aback to see she's almost as tall as I am. Is she a relative? Or is something in the water here? She says, "It's so nice to meet you. It's about time Brady found a nice girl."
I guess she spied us making out in the parking lot. "Thank you, it's nice to meet you too."
