Crystal looked helplessly at Mark as he stepped closer. He rolled his eyes at his driver before saying, “Stop tormenting her and go park the car. I’ll see you inside.” Denny gave him a quick salute before getting back in the car and driving away.
Studying Mark’s shiny shoes, she said, “So . . . um, thanks again for everything. Are you sure you don’t want the clothes back? I can skip lunch to avoid staining the dress.” Suddenly, a hand was under her chin, lifting her head until their eyes locked. Dear sweet Lord, she’d never thought of a man as lickable before, but oh, how she wanted to taste him. Then it happened . . . the ultimate mortification to put all other moments to shame. His mouth dropped open in shock, and she realized suddenly that she had voiced her desire aloud. “No, no!” she hissed. “What are you doing to me? I can’t stop making a fool out of myself where you’re concerned.”
Mark, seeming to notice that she was now close to tears, pulled her into his arms and rubbed a hand down her back. “Damn, Angel. The only thing you’re doing is keeping me hard. I’ve never wanted to fuck anyone as badly as I want you. I’ve got a meeting with a roomful of men in about five minutes and my cock is hard enough to cut glass.”
Crystal moved closer despite her embarrassment, wanting proof of his words. There it was . . . the unmistakable feel of him pressed against her stomach. He made a pained sound and it hit her that she was practically dry-humping him on the sidewalk. She reluctantly stepped back, breaking his hold on her. She needed to salvage what little pride she had left. She was acting like a teenager with her first crush, instead of a grown woman. Extending a hand to him, she strove for a strong tone as she said, “Thanks for everything. I—maybe we’ll see each other around the office sometime.”
She had gotten a few steps away when she heard him say, “No kiss good-bye, Angel, after all we’ve been through together?”
Before she could talk herself out of it, she whirled around and retraced her steps. Standing on her toes, she dropped a kiss onto his smooth-shaven cheek, causing him to inhale deeply. Then she scurried away like a frightened mouse.
When she reached the doorway of Danvers, she looked over her shoulder to see him still standing in the same place, looking confused. No doubt the poor man probably thought she was mental and was pondering relocation so he’d never have to see her again.
• • •
As soon as Mark opened the door to his office, he saw Denny sitting at his desk in the reception area with a big smirk on his face. “Don’t even start,” he growled as he walked past and shut his door. He’d given his assistant enough to keep him amused for the near future, and right now, he wasn’t in the mood to be heckled. Hell, what could he say? Both he and Denny knew that he’d acted completely out of character for the last several days and even he didn’t know why. It certainly wasn’t like him to be content to play house, but strangely enough, he had been.
When she’d stood on the sidewalk and stared at him as if in some type of daze before saying how much she’d like to lick him, he’d almost lost it. As it was, he’d had the hard-on of a lifetime with her luscious body plastered against him. He should be grateful she’d had enough sense to pull away, because his hand had been about an inch from her ass and closing in fast. His cock still throbbed just thinking about it. He was adjusting his zipper, trying to ease his discomfort, when Denny buzzed to let him know that Brant Stone was there to see him. Grimacing, Mark stayed seated as his friend opened the door.
Brant crossed the room, extending a hand. If he thought it strange that Mark didn’t get up to greet him, he didn’t mention it. Dropping into one of the chairs in front of the desk, Brant asked, “So what’s the deal with you and my sister-in-law?”
Mark was momentarily taken aback by the question. “Ella?”
With a snort of impatience, Brant said, “No—Crystal. I heard she was at your house all weekend. Something about her being sick.” The narrowing of the other man’s eyes told Mark that he didn’t believe a damn word of it. That was the downside to being longtime friends with business associates. They tended to know far too much about your personal life. He and Brant had grown up in the same circles, so there weren’t many secrets between them.
Trying not to look guilty that he was battling an erection at the sound of Crystal’s name, Mark looked his friend in the eyes—and danced like a fucking ballerina. Speaking slowly and deliberately, he said, “Man, Ella is your sister-in-law. You are aware of that, right? I’m almost certain she’s the only one you have.”
Brant had always been a bit on the uptight side, and even though his fiancée, Emma, had loosened him up quite a bit, jokes still tended to fly over his head at times. Of course, he possibly didn’t look amused because he knew Mark was bullshitting him. “You know what I mean,” he said dryly. “I consider Crystal as much my family as Ella now. Declan was a little . . . concerned about how she came to be at your house.”
Mark couldn’t help but be irritated over the fact that neither of his friends considered him trustworthy. Hadn’t he always been there when they needed him, with no questions asked? Okay, maybe a few, but nothing like this inquisition. “For fuck’s sake, Brant, I didn’t chain her up in my basement. She threw up on me on her way out of the building, before passing out. What would you have had me do, leave her on the curb?”
Brant pursed his lips, before shaking his head. “I’m grateful you helped her. But I’m not clear on why you took care of her for so long. I know Declan and Ella were out of town, but you could have called her parents or me.”