“No, that’s not what I mean. I don’t know, I think maybe I’m a little burnt out. All I know is that I don’t want to go directly from this assignment into another. I’m not…” He grimaced, knowing he was botching this up and not wanting to seem like an ungrateful asshole.
“You’re not enjoying it anymore?” Brand finished for him.
“Not really. After Lally, and now Vicki, I need to do something else.”
“Do you want to quit?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe I just need a vacation. I could head Stateside, see some buddies, visit my old stomping grounds. I dunno, something to mix things up.”
For some reason, Brand didn’t look as upset or angry as Ty had been expecting. He didn’t even look particularly disappointed. Instead, he was smiling. Which was always disconcerting to witness. Brand was an easygoing guy, but when it came to his business, he would sooner plant his boot up your ass than smile at you. Which meant Ty was more than a little unsettled by that strange grin.
“I’ve been wondering when you’d grow out of the CPO gig,” Brand said, stifling a yawn. “Look, Tyler, I don’t want to lose you, you’re an asset to the company. I’ve wanted to access your other qualifications and move you into recruitment and training for a while now. But you seemed so damned content with your current job description.
“I was going to sound you out next year about changing things up a bit. Job is coming to the South African branch, and I need someone to take over his position. If you’re up for it, the job comes with a pay raise, better benefits, and easier hours.”
“Yeah?” Ty asked, his lips lifting as a huge weight dropped from his shoulders.
“Yes. You can start shadowing Job immediately after you’re done with the Hollingsworth assignment. He’ll be relocating in March. The recruitment and training program is all yours after that. If you want it.”
“Hell yeah, I want it.”
“You could even take that vacation if you really need it. And start in January. Think about it.”
“I’ll let you know. So, the Hollingsworth assignment is really over for me at the end of November?”
Brand laughed. “Do you hate it that much? I didn’t think Miles’s little sister was that much of a menace.”
She was only a menace to Ty’s peace of mind.
“She’s okay. I’m just…bored, I guess.”
“After November, Victoria Hollingsworth will no longer be your concern.”
But until then, Ty had some serious decisions to make about his interactions with her. Part of him whispered that the time remaining was nothing but a formality, his job was done, he could relax his strict no fraternizing with the client rule for just nine short weeks.
An even larger part sternly reminded him that the no fraternization rule wasn’t his, it was a company mandate. That he would be putting the company’s reputation in jeopardy if he succumbed to this progressively overwhelming attraction to Vicki.
He would keep his hands to himself, and then he would move on…and forget about her.
“Thanks, Brand. I’m sorry I bothered you so early.”
“Nah, it’s all good. Lia is up and feeding Connor before she heads out for work. And I have a couple of Zoom meetings with Colby and Job in the next hour or so. In fact, I’d better get showered and dressed for those.”
“Yeah, I’ll leave you to it.”
“Hey, Chambers, before you go,” Brand said, seconds before Ty hit the disconnect button. “In case I don’t get around to it tomorrow, happy birthday, man.”
Ty grinned. His birthday was one of the reasons he’d arranged for the weekend off. “Thanks, Sam.”
After the call ended, he pushed to his feet and swept his gaze around his apartment, not really seeing anything as his mind drifted to that scene in the elevator last night. God, he had wanted to kiss her so badly. The irresistible fragrance of her had settled around him like a fog. Coconut and lime, vanilla and almond…his mouth flooded with moisture at the memory. It had eroded his judgment. All he could do in that moment was wonder if she tasted as delicious as she smelled. That temptation combined with the feel of the warm, silky skin of her face beneath his hands, had nearly tipped him over the edge. He still wasn’t sure how the hell he’d resisted her.
He scrubbed his face with his palms and meshed his fingers together at the back of his neck as he bowed his head to glare at his hard dick tenting the fabric of his boxer briefs.
This was not great.
“You can’t have her,” he told his rampant cock, hoping some of that stern conviction would seep into his brain as well. Verbalizing it was one thing, actually carrying it through was another thing entirely.
He shook his head in disgust and fled to the bathroom. He hoped that a cold shower—his third in twenty-four hours—followed by an intense session at the gym upstairs would take the edge off some of the lust he was feeling right now. Short of jerking off every few or hours, which he was already doing, or actually—God forbid—banging his tantalizing charge, there was nothing more he could do.