rules.”
“I don't do rules. I'm sure you’ve noticed.”
“We won't get personal,” he forged on as if she hadn't spoken.
She gritted her teeth. “Last night you were the one who got personal.”
“I was drunk.”
His expression didn't even change as he said the lie. She laughed. “Is your middle name Denial?”
“I hadn't eaten.”
“I've got a bridge, Nate. I can call you Nate, right? You kissed me. You liked it.”
Lynne sucked in a breath, stepped forward until she could feel the heat, smell the sweat coming off him. The only way to make her point was to tempt herself with the one thing she craved--him.
“You want to do it again.”
Neither of them moved, especially when she saw the words had hit their mark. His gaze moved to her mouth. He was tempted to do it again. Oh, God. She wanted him to, wanted to see if it would make her toes curl. Maybe the first time was a fluke. Maybe she was riding high off winning a battle. Maybe—
The back door slammed, and they sprang apart as if they were caught doing something they weren't supposed to.
“Good morning,” a woman singsonged. “I saw the shipment. Let me put up the coffee, and I can help.” Sylvia blinked. “Oh.”
Nate rubbed a hand over his head. “Ly―Ms. Kelley decided to drop by to see what I was doing.”
“Ms. Kelley?” Lynne said. The formality grated more than it should. “Nate, I'll leave you to continue your pointless venture.”
She nodded to Sylvia and left with her dignity intact. Sadly, the only reason she didn't turn to get one last glance at Nate was that there would have been a witness.
*****
“Nate?” Sylvia asked. “You don't even let me call you that without giving me a look.”
“I don't give you a look.”
She gave him one that put a chill down his spine. It had to be one of his.
“It's unintentional,” he added.
“Probably, but I still do not call you Nate. You didn't even give her a look. I'm starting to think you don't like me as much as you do her.”
“I don't like her.” I have urges. Big difference.
Sylvia snorted. “I'm teasing you, but all of a sudden you look nervous. You have a crush on her. It's cute.”
“I don't do crushes.”
She offered him a cup of coffee. “What color toenail polish did she have on today?”
Some sparkly blue color, and how did Sylvia know he had a thing for Lynne's toes? “I don't know.”
Sylvia stared him down. It didn't matter. He wouldn't give up the fact he knew.
“Get to work and stop wasting time grilling me.”
Nate stepped out on the stoop, finally able to take in a deep breath. Lynne had brought her scent into the stockroom. A fragrance he wanted to bury his nose in, preferably on her neck where he could lap up the taste of her.
See there...empty .
Unable to shake the weight of her words along with the need to taste her again, he frowned. He did have a heart. Just didn't wear it on his sleeve like Lynne.
He climbed into the truck and then grabbed two boxes. Why did he care what she thought, anyway? What anyone thought. He got the job done. Yes, he put people out of work when he bought a business, but he left them with breathing room to pay their employees, and they were businesses that would have gone under sooner or later. He made them profitable and eventually put more people into the job force. He was practically performing a public service.
Climbing down from the truck, smooth calves cut into his line of vision. She stood on her stoop, her back to him. The curve of her neck tantalized him even from a distance.
In that short amount of time she'd ditched the sandals while on the low step. They swung back in forth in her hand. The short stoop was clean, but come on? She couldn't keep the damn things on for two seconds?
He sighed. For all the business sense he had, this woman seemed to be his Achilles' heel. He put the boxes down, started to close the distance and make the second mistake of this deal.
“Lynne,” his voice broke the
“I don't do rules. I'm sure you’ve noticed.”
“We won't get personal,” he forged on as if she hadn't spoken.
She gritted her teeth. “Last night you were the one who got personal.”
“I was drunk.”
His expression didn't even change as he said the lie. She laughed. “Is your middle name Denial?”
“I hadn't eaten.”
“I've got a bridge, Nate. I can call you Nate, right? You kissed me. You liked it.”
Lynne sucked in a breath, stepped forward until she could feel the heat, smell the sweat coming off him. The only way to make her point was to tempt herself with the one thing she craved--him.
“You want to do it again.”
Neither of them moved, especially when she saw the words had hit their mark. His gaze moved to her mouth. He was tempted to do it again. Oh, God. She wanted him to, wanted to see if it would make her toes curl. Maybe the first time was a fluke. Maybe she was riding high off winning a battle. Maybe—
The back door slammed, and they sprang apart as if they were caught doing something they weren't supposed to.
“Good morning,” a woman singsonged. “I saw the shipment. Let me put up the coffee, and I can help.” Sylvia blinked. “Oh.”
Nate rubbed a hand over his head. “Ly―Ms. Kelley decided to drop by to see what I was doing.”
“Ms. Kelley?” Lynne said. The formality grated more than it should. “Nate, I'll leave you to continue your pointless venture.”
She nodded to Sylvia and left with her dignity intact. Sadly, the only reason she didn't turn to get one last glance at Nate was that there would have been a witness.
*****
“Nate?” Sylvia asked. “You don't even let me call you that without giving me a look.”
“I don't give you a look.”
She gave him one that put a chill down his spine. It had to be one of his.
“It's unintentional,” he added.
“Probably, but I still do not call you Nate. You didn't even give her a look. I'm starting to think you don't like me as much as you do her.”
“I don't like her.” I have urges. Big difference.
Sylvia snorted. “I'm teasing you, but all of a sudden you look nervous. You have a crush on her. It's cute.”
“I don't do crushes.”
She offered him a cup of coffee. “What color toenail polish did she have on today?”
Some sparkly blue color, and how did Sylvia know he had a thing for Lynne's toes? “I don't know.”
Sylvia stared him down. It didn't matter. He wouldn't give up the fact he knew.
“Get to work and stop wasting time grilling me.”
Nate stepped out on the stoop, finally able to take in a deep breath. Lynne had brought her scent into the stockroom. A fragrance he wanted to bury his nose in, preferably on her neck where he could lap up the taste of her.
See there...empty .
Unable to shake the weight of her words along with the need to taste her again, he frowned. He did have a heart. Just didn't wear it on his sleeve like Lynne.
He climbed into the truck and then grabbed two boxes. Why did he care what she thought, anyway? What anyone thought. He got the job done. Yes, he put people out of work when he bought a business, but he left them with breathing room to pay their employees, and they were businesses that would have gone under sooner or later. He made them profitable and eventually put more people into the job force. He was practically performing a public service.
Climbing down from the truck, smooth calves cut into his line of vision. She stood on her stoop, her back to him. The curve of her neck tantalized him even from a distance.
In that short amount of time she'd ditched the sandals while on the low step. They swung back in forth in her hand. The short stoop was clean, but come on? She couldn't keep the damn things on for two seconds?
He sighed. For all the business sense he had, this woman seemed to be his Achilles' heel. He put the boxes down, started to close the distance and make the second mistake of this deal.
“Lynne,” his voice broke the
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