“You are putting your mark on Colman Enterprises, Penelope Jean. Your mother and I worried about you when you dropped out of college, but since then you’ve really buckled down and made something of yourself. You don’t need to paint things. You already do all our logos. That’s enough.”
All her life she’d taken the scraps he’d tossed her way and pretended they were enough. But this time, this time they weren’t.
“No. It isn’t enough.” PJ stood up. “I quit.”
She didn’t stop walking, even when Jay yelled her name.
Shawn caught up with her as she dropped her keycard and keys in the inbox on her desk.
Though no one had noticed, she’d been taking home little bits and pieces of her stuff over the last two weeks because she’d really begun to feel like it was going to come to this. So she didn’t have much but a small box of her things under her arm.
“Let me walk you out. Julie says she’ll talk to you tonight; she’s yelling at Jay right now.” Shawn took the box and put his free arm around her shoulder. “Big move you just made in there.”
“She’s really yelling at Jay? Can I watch?”
“No. She can get to him in ways none of us can. Anyway, you made your point, babe. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Fee stunned speechless. I owe you a really good bottle of wine for that moment.” Shawn kissed the top of her head and waved off people who wanted to approach her and talk about what had happened.
Outside, he opened her trunk and put the box inside before getting her door. “You can do this, you know. I’d rather you do it here. And I think that’s still going to happen. You know where I am. If you need money —”
PJ hugged her brother. “I’m totally good. Being the Colman black sheep means I save lots of money not buying ball gowns or estates on the water.” She grinned. “Really. I have money in the bank, and though I’ve billed these jobs through Colman, I have a full schedule for the next few months. I’m building this business. I wanted it to be with Colman, but whichever way, it’s me.”
“Okay then, do it hard-core, Penny-Lope.” He winked. “I believe in you. I also believe the monthly dinner is going to be super fun now. Let’s you, me, and Julie meet for drinks before we go over there.”
She smiled at Shawn. “You’re so sweet. I’ll talk to you soon.”
When she drove away, though she was sad about how her father had reacted, she was proud she’d stood up and refused to be pushed aside.
Now she had to prove herself on her own.
Asa had been bent over his workbench when her legs caught his attention. Penelope Jean Colman in the flesh. She walked his way, her hair up in a high ponytail swaying in time with the switch in her hips.
Damn, she looked good. And thanks to that night two weeks before, he knew what she looked like naked, bent over things while he took her from behind, and what she looked like on her knees.
She dropped her sunglasses into a case and replaced them with her prescription glasses and gave him one of those smiles of hers. “Afternoon, Asa Barrons. I came to collect an ice cream and to drop off an invoice.”
Like apple pie and coffee with a dollop of bourbon. Yes, that was PJ.
He needed to deal with the invitation in her eyes, and needed to do it right, because he liked her and he liked the work she did for them. And because he wasn’t a dick.
“Drop off your invoice with Lottie. I’ll grab us some ice cream. Meet me in my office.”
He watched her walk away and then gave himself a stern lecture.
Still, though he was sure their conversation was going to be unpleasant, he found himself hurrying along to see her.
Then stood in his doorway looking for a moment.
She glanced up from her phone, sliding it back into her bag, giving him her total attention. He had to admit he loved that. Most people talked to you with a phone they half watched while they spoke. Asa found that disrespectful, though Duke just told him he was old-fashioned and to deal with it.
“What did you bring me?”
He held out two ice cream bars, not surprised at all when she took the dark chocolate dipped in dark chocolate. She had a decadent side. Sexy as hell.
Wrong direction! He needed to gut up and get this said, and he might never get to that point if he kept up those sorts of thoughts.
She took a bite and closed her eyes with a pleased hum. “This is the best thing about today. Thanks.”
He leaned against the corner of his desk, his legs stretched out. They also blocked her exit, which was not what he should have been doing, but whatever, he was tall. He had to stretch his legs sometimes, didn’t he?
“Did you see the stuff for the next few jobs? I told Lottie to set up a box for you in her space.”
PJ watched him carefully. “Yes. Thanks. You’re being weird.”
“I am not being weird.” Of course, his denial was far too vehement – another danger sign where she was concerned. She was a test to his control.
He had earned that control with blood and a hell of a lot of hard labor. No matter how hot she was, he needed to keep it. That control made him a man he could be proud of.
She slowly raised the brow with the piercing and then pushed her glasses up her nose. Imperious. He nearly groaned and one corner of her mouth tipped up slightly. She knew that got to him.
He changed the subject. “Have you ever thought about surgery? For your eyes, I mean.” And ended up being weird again.
She paused and then ate some more of her ice cream. “I like glasses. Plus, I can’t even put drops in my eyes. I am the worst with that stuff. The few times in my life I have to have drops, my brother Shawn sits on me while Julie keeps my eyes pried open.”
Asa guffawed. “Sorry. I just…” He tried to stop snickering.
She flapped a hand his way. “So, as I’ve made clear, I’m not a good candidate for letting lasers near my eyes. I also take eyebright and other supplements for eye health because I like to avoid being a woman in her twenties calling her brother and sister over every time she needs eye drops.” Then she grinned.
The ground at his feet was shaky. He liked her. When he was around her, he was pleased. Satisfied that she was in his shop.
The only other people he felt that way about were his mom and sisters.
She watched him. “So, you gonna tell me what’s going on with you, or am I going to keep pretending you’re not being sketchy?”
“Sketchy? I’m not sketchy!”
“Oh, so you’re mad that you’re acting weird and I’m calling you out on it? That’s sketchy. Go on and deny it, buster, but you know what I’m talking about and I’m not playing that game. Not with anyone.”
PJ mad was blistering hot. He had to breathe out in one slow exhale to pull the tattered shreds of his control around him.
Sometimes when he was seeing someone he would divert them when he didn’t want to deal with whatever they wanted to talk about. Which was, actually, shady.
“Drug dealers are sketchy. That clerk at the deli across the street is sketchy. Don’t go over there in the afternoons unless you’re with me or Duke.” He paused and swallowed hard. His dad was sketchy. Asa would never, ever be that. “I’m not sketchy.”
Her anger softened and she cocked her head. “I’m truly sorry that I hurt your feelings. It was a poor choice of words. I’m just saying that it’s important to me that I never let myself be lied to. It’s not cool. So you can say you don’t want to talk about something and I’ll respect that. But I’m not going to pretend there’s not something we’re not talking about. Do you get that distinction?”
“I accept your apology. Thank you. I apologize for overreacting.” He sighed, reaching out to close his door. The way he’d acted only underlined why this had to stop. He couldn’t be doing this at work.
“What happened two weeks ago, it can’t happen again. I mean, it was fantastic, don’t get me wrong.” He didn’t want her thinking he hadn’t enjoyed himself, because fuck yeah they had mad heat in bed.