His Temporary Assistant

“She texted me after you sent her that photo of us. I need a copy of that.”

“Uh huh. Texted you about what?”

“She was worried about you.” He pocketed his phone without looking at it. “I tried to abide by her wishes.”

“Which were what?” I asked uneasily.

I did not like people in my life talking with other people in my life without my knowledge. Besides, how could anyone know what was best for me when I didn’t have a clue myself right now?

He skated his thumb over my lower lip. “She cares about you. I tried to stay away.”

I glanced at the tangled sheets on my bed. “So, this is you showing restraint?”

“Actually, yes. If I hadn’t shown restraint, we would’ve been on that conference room table by Monday afternoon.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Yet now you’re asking my best friend about what kind of dates I like.”

He shrugged and dipped his hand into his pocket. “Well, I had an idea in mind. But if she knew something you loved, I’m not averse to suggestions.”

I studied him for a long moment, taking in his handsome features highlighted by the sun. His dark hair messy from my hands, his surprisingly full mouth, the black slash of his eyebrows and carved line of his jaw all added up to a hell of an attractive picture. Beneath his austere surface, he had hidden slices of sweetness that came out at unexpected times.

And every time, they rocked me.

“You were asking for her approval,” I said once I could speak around the lump in my throat. “She’d warned you off, but you had no intention of going.”

“I tried.” He shifted toward me. “But I can’t seem to stay away from you.”

I wanted t

o be flippant. The last thing I wanted to do was to behave as if this made any sense. Lust at first sight—or at first type—was one thing. Chemical reactions couldn’t be explained easily. But this wasn’t that. Or not only that.

I didn’t know what the hell this was, and that scared me to death.

When I looked away, he cupped my cheek and brought my gaze back front and center. “Will you come over to my house?”

“Why?”

“Because I want you to.” He covered my lips with his fingertip. “Let’s just spend some time together.”

The same question sprung to my tongue but I forced it down. Tomorrow was my last day at work. I hadn’t been on a date in a long time. Not that this was one.

Ugh, I was sick of my brain.

“Okay,” I said finally.

His grin was quick and entirely too charming as he nudged me out of the room with his hand on my lower back. “Great. I have food waiting at home.”

“I thought you wanted to ask Luna what I liked?”

“Well, yes, but I had a contingency plan.”

“Of course you did, PMS.”

He pinched my ass as I grabbed my sunglasses and my purse, making me laugh as I evaded him. While he was taking out his key fob, I slipped on my sandals and discreetly tucked a mini-sized tarot deck into my bag.

We’d see if he warranted a reading tonight. The jury was still out.

We walked down to the street, talking about the Donnelly case and how he’d rescheduled the signing with the notary for early tomorrow. He said it as if he didn’t expect me to be punctual, which I took offense to considering I’d been early today.