In truth, my assistant wasn’t coming to my house. I was just driving her home. That should’ve been a safe endeavor.
At least in theory.
The problem was we had entirely too many hormones bouncing around between us. On top of that, I had never given April rides home or anywhere else. I also hadn’t invited her to a “working lunch” the first day of her employment. We had never kissed or fondled glowing hunks of rock or attended speed dating events. That Ryan and I weren’t being matched with each other hardly seemed to matter.
I couldn’t keep my hands off her. And it didn’t even matter if that overly smiley vet Thorne was lurking around. My hand seemed to be magnetically drawn to the small of her back.
Before the speed dating event, Luna had reminded me I had no business entertaining the possibility of anything with Ryan. Too bad I couldn’t seem to remember that when we were alone.
Or even when we weren’t.
She was like oxygen, and I’d been starving for air for far too long.
Now we were walking out to the parking lot, my hand between us carting the carrier holding my new charge, and I could feel her gaze lingering on me. She made an attempt at light conversation, commenting on different things about the event, but the weight of her stare was a physical thing.
Being alone with her in my car was not a smart plan.
I smiled as an idea took form. I would take proactive steps to protect her virtue.
Luna would probably approve.
Before Ryan could stop me, I rushed around the car to open her door.
One black brow winged up. “What’s with this new chivalrous side?”
I frowned. “What do you mean, new? When I have I ever been anything but a gentleman?”
“When you groped me every time you saw Dr. Thorne.”
“I hardly groped you.”
“You touched me in a way to indicate possession.”
I reached up to run a finger under my suddenly too tigh
t collar. “You are my temp. That indicates a kind of...employment possession.” Even I knew that was ridiculous.
She rolled her eyes and got into the car. Then she stuck out her fingers to touch the cat in the carrier. “You’re such a good boy. Just sitting there quietly while your daddy says nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense,” I muttered. Then I frowned. “Daddy? Me?”
“It does seem like a biological impossibility, but that sweet cat doesn’t know the difference.”
I stepped back as she pulled the door shut. Then I rounded the vehicle and opened my door before leaning in to try to fit the carrier on the console area between us.
“What the hell are you doing?”
I grunted as I tried to make the carrier fit between the seats. The cat let out a sound between a growl and a meow at the violent rocking. I couldn’t say I blamed him.
“If you’re this bad at fitting everything, you just made my decision a lot easier. Give me that.” She tugged the carrier away from me and climbed out of the passenger side.
What decision was she talking about?
She opened the back door and set the carrier on the floor in the back before returning to the front.
“Maybe you should drive,” I heard myself suggesting as I reluctantly slid behind the wheel and shut the door. “I’ll sit back there with the cat.”
“Do you have some fantasy about being driven around by a lowly peon? Sorry. I don’t drive beige grandpa cars.”