Casual Affair

He grunted in response, which he tried to cover up as a cough. “Oh, believe me, Ms. Paxton. You’ve made quite the impression.” He mumbled something under his breath that sounded to her like zipper impression, but she figured she had just heard wrong.

“I promise, you won’t be disappointed,” she assured him.

His large hand engulfed hers in a firm grip that he held for a few too many seconds. “Wear a tight skirt to that second meeting, and I’m sure I won’t be.”

She leveled him with a narrowed look and, before she gave herself time to think about it, instinct took over. Without a word, she raised her paintball gun and fired two clean shots at his thigh, knowing he would feel the sting.

Silence.

He went as still as a statue, and she immediately began to panic.

Oh, shit. She had just shot her soon-to-be-boss. Or he had been, before that little stroke of genius.

What the hell was she thinking?

Her eyes widened as he pinned her with an evil grin. Crap. She knew what that look meant. She took off at a sprint, darting behind the building where the restrooms were, hearing his heavy footsteps closing in as he gained distance.

“You really don’t want to fight me, luv,” he called in a taunting voice. “Because I’ll win. I saw your accuracy on the field earlier, and I have to say, I’m not scared.”

At that comment, for some absurd reason she giggled like a ridiculous schoolgirl. You’re embarrassing yourself.

“You probably should be,” she shouted back. She peeked around the edge of the building and had to quickly duck down to avoid being hit in the face. “As I recall, the last time my people were at war with your people, we won!”

“That smart mouth of yours is going to get you in loads of trouble one of these days,” came his deep rumble of a reply.

Ten minutes later, she surrendered with her hands in the air and a scowl on her face when she realized it was a lost cause. She was now covered head to toe in blue paint, while Price still only had the two shots to his thigh.

He laughed like a cracked-out hyena when he got a good look at her paint-smeared body. “Aw, don’t be blue, luv. I tried to tell you. Call of Duty has practical purposes.”

She wanted to be mad but couldn’t be. Damn him and his charm. “You’re just lucky that blue is my favorite color,” she grumbled.

“Good to know,” he replied as they walked back toward checkout. “I should probably also know your favorite food, favorite movie, and favorite flower if we’re going to be working together.”

She turned away to hide her goofy expression. “Pretty sure the only thing you need to know for that is my fee.”

“I like to know the type of people I hire.”

After turning in their gear, she looked back at him. He was standing there watching her with his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. “That sort of information could always come in handy,” he said. “You never know.”

What the hell. “Chocolate ice cream, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and lilies.”

He simply nodded. “My office will call to set up that second meeting. It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Paxton.”

It irritated her that she was looking forward to that so much.

She got the feeling that he was, too.

He walked off, leaving her with a look that seared right through her. That look was like a promise, though she didn’t want to think about what he was promising.

Climbing into her car, she rejoiced that Paxton Designs had just landed a huge client. Nothing was official yet, but they had the account. She was sure of it.

All of a sudden, she broke out in a fit of laughter.

Zipper impression. She’d just gotten it. She shook her head at his audacity, but also had to admire his boldness. It was different.

Refreshing.

And something told her that the fun with Zane Price was only just beginning.

Chapter Two

Bugger me, I need a pint.

Zane sighed, scrubbing his hands down his face. That was what managing three different branches of a company simultaneously, along with overseeing a large store launch, did to a man. But he couldn’t complain. The decision to take the position in the U.S. had been his own. There were a handful of other people who could do this same job, but he knew no one else was better than him.