Read Online Spurs and Heels by Heather Rainier - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Rainier
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wasn’t upset with him. “You made some valid points. I’ve developed this habit of spending all my time at the store, getting wrapped up in it until it’s become my life. If you were to become a prominent part of my life, I’d change things. I need to sit down with Leah and give her more responsibility. I wanted to go slow with her, you know?”
“Do you think you can succeed in doing that?” he asked, smiling but looking skeptical.
“Sure. I never intended to become a workaholic, but I guess I am.
I’m good at what I do. When I’m given responsibility, I take it seriously, like anything I care about. Ash, I care about you,” she said, twining her fingers with his on the tabletop. “Do you think you could give me time? You know I can’t change the way things are overnight.”
“I’m hung up on the part about you caring about me, darlin’. I was afraid you were using the job as a shield so people couldn’t get too close.”
“No, I don’t think I do that. And yes, I am aware I may be training my replacement. Doug has been good to me over the years, and I’ve taken good care of his family’s store, so I don’t anticipate being fired
65
or anything like that, but a change may come. I think it’s only natural for him to want to see his daughter running one of the family businesses. I hope it’s not until after she’s ready for the responsibility and I’ve secured another opportunity somewhere else.”
“It’s good to hear you talk like that. So you want to start dating?”
“Well, that would sort of be backing up, wouldn’t it? I mean you’ve already seen me naked. I think that train has left the station.
But we have gotten off to an interesting start, haven’t we?” she asked with a chuckle, taking a sip of her iced tea. “To be honest, I’m not sure what our next move should be.”
“For right now, I want to see you feeling better and not looking so tired. It’s six-thirty right now. How would you like to go back to your house and watch a movie?”
“I could do that, but, Ash, I have to work tomorrow like normal.”
“I know, darlin’, me, too.”
“I’ll sit down with Leah, and we’ll make some changes in her duties and my work schedule. But it will be gradual. I hope you understand that. I can’t cut back to forty hours in one week, but I’ll start shaving off a few of my early morning hours this week.”
“That’s good. I’m proud of you.”
“Ash, I would—No matter what happens, I’d never want for you to feel like I was too busy for you.”
“I’d do the same for you, Juliana. I know how it can get.
Sometimes my hours are long and unpredictable. I’m glad that you’re willing to carve out time for a life outside the store.”
Ash took her home and stayed to watch a movie, but he left after it was over and he’d tucked her into bed. She’d taken a shower, and he’d applied a fresh dressing so he knew she was well prepared for the morning. Juliana had assured him she would be fine and agreed readily when he offered to bring her lunch.
“Is there anything else you need before I go, darlin’?”
The small lamp by her bed provided the only light, and he waited as she looked at him from her pillows. Her eyes traced over his 66
handsomely chiseled face and his firm jaw, covered by his sexy muttonchops sideburns and moustache. She nodded as she hooked a finger in the neck of his shirt and pulled him to her. When he realized what she wanted, his eyes crinkled at the corners, and he smiled as he lowered his full lips to hers.
He braced his weight on his arms so that he didn’t press her into the bed at all, and gave her a gentle but searing kiss that curled her toes. Juliana laid an arm over one of his shoulders to keep him close, and he deepened the kiss, skimming the recesses of her mouth and dueling unhurriedly with her tongue. He backed off to trace his lower lip across hers and tickled her with his moustache, making her shiver and giggle, then
“Do you think you can succeed in doing that?” he asked, smiling but looking skeptical.
“Sure. I never intended to become a workaholic, but I guess I am.
I’m good at what I do. When I’m given responsibility, I take it seriously, like anything I care about. Ash, I care about you,” she said, twining her fingers with his on the tabletop. “Do you think you could give me time? You know I can’t change the way things are overnight.”
“I’m hung up on the part about you caring about me, darlin’. I was afraid you were using the job as a shield so people couldn’t get too close.”
“No, I don’t think I do that. And yes, I am aware I may be training my replacement. Doug has been good to me over the years, and I’ve taken good care of his family’s store, so I don’t anticipate being fired
65
or anything like that, but a change may come. I think it’s only natural for him to want to see his daughter running one of the family businesses. I hope it’s not until after she’s ready for the responsibility and I’ve secured another opportunity somewhere else.”
“It’s good to hear you talk like that. So you want to start dating?”
“Well, that would sort of be backing up, wouldn’t it? I mean you’ve already seen me naked. I think that train has left the station.
But we have gotten off to an interesting start, haven’t we?” she asked with a chuckle, taking a sip of her iced tea. “To be honest, I’m not sure what our next move should be.”
“For right now, I want to see you feeling better and not looking so tired. It’s six-thirty right now. How would you like to go back to your house and watch a movie?”
“I could do that, but, Ash, I have to work tomorrow like normal.”
“I know, darlin’, me, too.”
“I’ll sit down with Leah, and we’ll make some changes in her duties and my work schedule. But it will be gradual. I hope you understand that. I can’t cut back to forty hours in one week, but I’ll start shaving off a few of my early morning hours this week.”
“That’s good. I’m proud of you.”
“Ash, I would—No matter what happens, I’d never want for you to feel like I was too busy for you.”
“I’d do the same for you, Juliana. I know how it can get.
Sometimes my hours are long and unpredictable. I’m glad that you’re willing to carve out time for a life outside the store.”
Ash took her home and stayed to watch a movie, but he left after it was over and he’d tucked her into bed. She’d taken a shower, and he’d applied a fresh dressing so he knew she was well prepared for the morning. Juliana had assured him she would be fine and agreed readily when he offered to bring her lunch.
“Is there anything else you need before I go, darlin’?”
The small lamp by her bed provided the only light, and he waited as she looked at him from her pillows. Her eyes traced over his 66
handsomely chiseled face and his firm jaw, covered by his sexy muttonchops sideburns and moustache. She nodded as she hooked a finger in the neck of his shirt and pulled him to her. When he realized what she wanted, his eyes crinkled at the corners, and he smiled as he lowered his full lips to hers.
He braced his weight on his arms so that he didn’t press her into the bed at all, and gave her a gentle but searing kiss that curled her toes. Juliana laid an arm over one of his shoulders to keep him close, and he deepened the kiss, skimming the recesses of her mouth and dueling unhurriedly with her tongue. He backed off to trace his lower lip across hers and tickled her with his moustache, making her shiver and giggle, then
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