Casual Affair

So, for Zane, it had been good-bye London, hello DC.

Though not for much longer.

He would be returning to London as soon as the new store opened its doors.

Because there was…something waiting for him back in London. Something he would never be able to leave. Not permanently.

Envision Tech Industries was the most cutting-edge personal technology company in all of Great Britain, and it was currently expanding its operations into brick-and-mortar stores to sell their products, following the trend of other large tech companies. ETI was headquartered in London but had recently opened offices in New York, Atlanta, and Washington, DC, where they had decided to launch their trial retail store.

Zane and his associates wanted to have the grand opening around the time Envision released its newest software, which they had been promoting over the last few months. But with this new software, a new company image concept was needed for the store launch. A rebranding opportunity for Envision that Zane and his boss, Peter, wanted to take full advantage of. The marketing department had done their job, but the store itself needed a new face. Which was where Paxton Designs entered the picture. Their top-notch ideas and sense of style were just what Zane was looking for.

But if he hired the Paxton sisters, that was going to bring him a whole other set of problems.

In his trousers.

He laughed, shaking his head at the irony.

The thing was, he didn’t even have to work if he didn’t want to. He had started at Envision years ago as a software developer, and one of his patents, plus a few wise investments, had made him a very rich man. But despite the fifty phone calls a day and nonstop Skype sessions with his people back in England—not to mention hundreds of emails a week—he actually loved his job.

“Mr. Price,” the receptionist said over the intercom on Zane’s office phone. “Ms. Schumer is on line two for you.”

He stifled a groan. Brilliant.

One of Envision’s largest clients in the U.S. had about five thousand questions a week regarding her new ETI software, all of which—naturally—fell to Zane to deal with. Not how he wanted to start his day.

“Thank you,” he responded through the intercom. “You haven’t heard back from Peter yet, have you?”

“No, sir. I’ll let you know the second he calls.”

Zane thanked her again and spent the next twenty minutes explaining to Ms. Schumer that there were backups on top of backups and that, no, years’ worth of her company’s research would not be lost just because someone pushed the backspace key.

By the end of the call, he felt unbearably strung out and had never been so thankful that it was Friday. And the fact that he was going to be seeing her again later that afternoon didn’t hurt, either.

Her, as in Beatrice Paxton.

He couldn’t stop thinking about that afternoon they’d spent paintballing. The whole thing had been playing on a loop inside his head. Every time he closed his eyes, he pictured the woman with the bedroom eyes and legs that were made for wrapping around a man’s waist.

The second he’d met her, he’d told himself firmly to stay away.

But had he listened?

Nooo.

He’d had to grope her, proposition her. Hell, he fucking rubbed his dick against her.

He would be lucky if she’d even agree to work with Envision after that little stunt. Sexual harassment, anyone? You bloody idiot.

But damned if he’d been able to stop himself from touching her, making his interest known. From the moment he’d shaken her hand and looked into those sharp, intelligent eyes, he was immediately drawn into her web. And her sassy comebacks and quick wit had him officially hooked.

But that body?

Bloody hell. All caution was thrown to the wind after he’d felt her soft curves against him. Wrapping his arms around her had him instantly picturing her naked. The intensity of his attraction to her surprised him—he never usually felt anything quite so potent. It made him want to pursue her, fight her sass with simple persistence, until she agreed to go out with him. A rejection from her was just unacceptable. Working relationship be damned.

None of it made a bit of sense.

Just as he began to feel a stirring in his pants from thoughts of her, his laptop pinged with a video call. Peter, Envision’s CEO who lived in London, had finally called back. Zane accepted the call and Peter’s face filled the screen.