“You’re a real jerk. You know that?” I laughed and threw a crumpled up piece of paper at him from across the desk.
“Hear your dad is in town. Must be why you look angry as a cat whose tail got rocked on.” He laughed. One of his mother’s silly sayings.
“Oh, don’t remind me. Old windbag was already at me yesterday. Wants to inform me that the only way to get ahead is to be corrupt, as if I don’t already know.” I was still angry about it. I couldn’t believe he would flat out tell me to bribe a judge.
“Hey, the man’s name is on my paycheck, you know I am not gonna say a word about my boss.” He took a sip of his own coffee, a slow smile coming over his face.
“Why doesn’t that apply to me?” I asked. We’d been best friends since I could remember.
“It will when you’re the one who officially signs the payroll,” he said. “Hey, just being honest.”
“You know that’s just a stamp, right, I can have one made up of my signature too.”
Luke turned and walked to the doorway before saying, “If you do decide to, what were your exact words, ‘tan her ass’ don’t do it too hard, okay? It’s a mighty fine set of curves she’s got, and I’d hate them to get damaged.”
“Shut the hell up, and get to work.” I thought about the last time I felt that ass, it spooned up into my body while she laid next to me on a blanket in the middle of a field. It was one of the best memories of a woman I had, and it was also the last good night I had with her. She broke up with me the very next day.
“Yes, boss.” His voice trailed off.
I didn’t know how I was going to approach this. How I was going to convince her to go out with me again, but I had some calls to make.
It was going to be memorable. That’s for sure.
Chapter Three
I wasn’t sure if Wyatt Graves was a romantic, or a stalker.
He gave me flowers early in the day and now he was standing there at my car.
I didn’t know if I should smile or turn and run.
Seek shelter, a part of me said, seek it now, or you will be hit with a tidal wave of good looks and muscles.
It was one storm I wasn’t sure I could weather.
Turn and run. Turn. You can do it, just swivel your hips and- “What are you doing at my car?” I asked as I ignored my inner voice.
It could be a real pain in the ass.
“Oh, I don't know. I thought I would just break in, see if you have any spare change sitting around." He smiled that wicked smile of his. He thought he was being cute. "I was waiting for you. I thought I’d see how your first day of work went.”
“Who told you?” I asked. “Who is your informant?”
“You have a mole. It’s true. It was good source, too.” He took a step towards me, a grin on his face. “Your mother, she’d pretty easy. I just called her up and asked where you were.”
Of course. She loved sticking her nose into my love life. Even when I lived hours away, she’d call to ask all kinds of questions.
Now she didn’t have to pry. It came right to her.
Not that I had a love life. Not that he was my love life. I sighed. I couldn’t even convince myself that there wasn’t an attraction. I was doomed when it came to her meddling.
My stomach flipped as I looked up at Wyatt. He’d always had an effect on me, even if I didn’t want to admit it. He was the kind of guy who could get whatever he wanted with a smile. No words were necessary.
It’s what got me to open up to him the first time, after all.
"So, why are you here?" I asked. I didn't want to shy away from it, or him. I knew the best way to take him on was to do it without any sidestepping.
"I wanted to ask you to dinner."
"What?" I asked. Then I considered him. He'd given me flowers, done his best to make sure that I had a good day, and he was waiting for me after work. Either he was one hell of a stalker, or he was genuine. "Why?"
"I have this last minute investors’ dinner that I have to attend in Billing, and I need a date. They'll all be bringing their wives or their flavor of the month. At least in my father's case. I need someone on my arm." He reached out and touched my arm. I tried to ignore every little spark that shot through me. It was like the warmth of his touch spread through his fingers and into me, up my arm and down to parts of me that should've stayed dormant.
Why did he have to have such an effect on me?
"No tricks, just dinner?" I asked again. I tried to ignore that hand on my arm, but ignoring it was like ignoring a burning coal touching flesh.
"No tricks. Just dinner," he confirmed. "I want to take you for a meal and some exceedingly boring conversation."