PJ shook her head. “Or maybe he thinks you want to and he’s trying to be nice because he loves you too. In any case, scrap plans to bang proficient kisser and save your ladygarden for Gavin.”
“Ladygarden?” At least the sadness had eased around Julie’s eyes at the joke.
“You got really mad the last time I said ‘pussy.’ I could say ‘vagina,’ but that’s boring. ‘Flesh pocket’? Do you like that better?”
Horrified, Julie recoiled, her eyes widening to the point that all PJ could do was laugh.
“What? I’d rather have a flesh pocket than a Hot Pocket. At least my stomach won’t cramp with the former.”
“Stop!” Her sister managed to get the word out through a gale of laughter.
Her work cheering Julie back up was done, so PJ sat back with a smile and narrowly avoided the cherry tomato Julie tossed at her head.
Chapter Five
“Hey, Asa. Someone here to see you.”
He looked up from the screen to their office manager, Lottie.
“Thank god, something else to do.” He stood. “Who is it?”
“Hi there, Asa. I was in the neighborhood, and since I hadn’t heard back from you and a few weeks have passed, I thought I’d drop in.” PJ Colman stood there, a bright smile on her face.
Lottie hid a smile as she left, but that didn’t dampen his pleasure at the sight PJ made in his doorway.
“Want something to drink?” He looked her up and down. She was more businesslike than the times he’d seen her before. Navy blue high-waisted trousers and a long-sleeved white blouse. Her hair was pulled back from her face, which he liked just fine indeed because her face was really easy to look at.
And yet there was something about her… something that always cried out for his attention. A pop of color at her arm where her sleeve was rolled up and her ink was exposed. The earrings, which at first glance looked like cameos but were really skeletons instead of women’s faces. Just little things that made up a unique package.
“I like that you’re not only giving in right away but offering me refreshments. I’d love something to drink.”
He moved to her, wanting to brush a kiss against her cheek. But she was there on business, so he reined it in, telling himself it was better anyway. Flirting, sure. No kissing. Kissing those lips would be disastrous. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stop until he’d bared every part of her to his touch.
Which would also be disastrous.
That didn’t mean he didn’t want to be around her for the next while. He liked her. “You’re persistent. I know that already. So I might as well give in, take a break¸ and agree to give you a job so we can see how you work.”
He and Duke had talked about it a week before. Her work had been really good, and they did need to expand to new contractors from time to time. Duke also rightly pointed out it didn’t hurt them at all to have a better relationship with Colman Enterprises either. If PJ was the next generation and she wanted them to be part of the customer base from then on, it was smart to support that.
“Well, of course you should.”
He laughed as he led her toward the break room.
“We’ve got soda and water and I think those flavored water things with vitamins. Duke thinks they’re health food.”
“Damn, I want to work here.” She took in the break room.
“You don’t have a break room at Colman HQ?”
“We have a room with a fridge, a sink, and a microwave. My mother has a deep and abiding love of Costco, so she goes all the time and there are waters and sodas in the fridge. But you have ice cream bars. In a special ice cream bar cooler. How is that even a thing I never knew break rooms had? Now I’m questioning everything, Asa. My entire foundation is sort of shaken. If you say you have doughnut delivery I’m probably going to cry.”
“I won’t tell you, then. There’s a Top Pot up the street. I can take you there if you like.”
She smirked. “Are you mocking me, Mr. Barrons?”
Oh.
Yes.
He liked that bit of formality from her very much. Especially as it was a tease.
“If you get a hankering for ice cream in the middle of your day, feel free to come over and help yourself.”
She slid the top of the cooler open and pulled out one of the chocolate–chocolate chip bars and didn’t pay him any mind until she’d unwrapped it and found a seat. “What? Did you think my manners were good enough to turn down an offer of ice cream? I’m only human.”
He grabbed one of the same bars and joined her.
“So a job, huh?” she prodded, and then took a bite.
“Duke and I think you do good work. We like having plenty of people to call when we need good work done on our machines. Understand we’ll start small and simple to see what you can do. But given the stuff of yours we’ve seen, we’re not worried.”
She smiled. “Awesome. When?”
He watched her eat that ice cream and nearly broke down.
She wasn’t even really trying that hard to be sexy! He was a grown man with excellent self-control, and this woman made him crazy.
He should have called her back the week before to tell her they’d agreed to toss her some work. Could have had Duke call her.
He should have done a lot of things, but he didn’t want to. He wanted what was right there in front of him.
“Finish your ice cream and I’ll show you.”
“Excellent.” She sat back with a smile. “Today is a pretty good day. How are you? Other than super lucky to be here with me eating ice cream, which clearly is a yay.”
He laughed. He’d been stupid to resist this. She was fun to be with. “Any afternoon a man can take a break and eat ice cream with a beautiful woman is a yay.”
The watching-her-eat-it part was pretty fantastic too, though he’d refrain from saying that.
They finished their ice cream and he led her out toward the shop.
He cast a quick look at her clothes and shoes. She wore heels but not stilettos. “Watch your step.” Without thinking he put a hand at her elbow to steady her.
They stood in the back stairwell, just five steps up from the shop floor, but at this part of the stairwell it was just the two of them.
She looked down at where he held her, his hand against the fabric of her blouse, and then back up, her eyes going wide and then half-lidded.
The need was back, gripping him as the heat between him and PJ continued to build.
It grew. And grew until he leaned down and brushed his mouth over hers. His brain screamed at him to stop. Until his cock took over and shoved the brain far away.
Her lips opened on a sigh and he groaned as her taste flooded him, his tongue sliding over her bottom lip. She made a sound so sweet and demanding he’d have given her anything she asked for at that moment.
This was good. She caught his attention, to the point that nothing else registered.
Her bag was between them, which was good because he was so hard he’d have scared her if they were body to body. But she was so fucking sweet he ached for more. Even as she put a hand on his chest and he broke the kiss and stepped back.
He started to apologize, but the look on her face told him that would be a mistake. And he wasn’t sorry. He wanted more and he couldn’t have it, so he’d have to let that kiss be enough.
PJ supposed she was probably going to hell for not telling Asa she didn’t need his elbow because the soles of her shoes were treaded like work boots. She wore them all the time when she was in their different shop spaces at Colman.
But his hand was so big. And warm. And she liked it when he touched her. Then he’d kissed her. It surprised her, but she caught up quickly enough, opening to his mouth, to his tongue, which was quite talented.
He kissed her so well she forgot everything but where he touched her.
Sounds came from around the corner and she didn’t care. She should have cared, but she didn’t. She’d waited how long for him to do this? Wondered if she’d been imagining real heat between them even as she knew that hard-on he’d been sporting was real.