Sam throws back his head, howling laughter bursting out of him before he looks back at me with mischief in his ice blue eyes. “You should see your face right now. If ‘deer in the headlights’ were in the dictionary, there’d be a picture of you beside it. You want her.”
“I do not,” I grit out, the lie tasting sour on my tongue.
He shakes his head as the humor flees his expression. “How long have I known you, Jared? You’re my best friend, and I know you. Probably better than anyone. And I’ve seen the murder in your expression every time you’ve seen us talking. Which, by the way, have just been friendly conversations between co-workers. I’m not interested in her that way, but you are. You want her, but you’re not going to let yourself have her because of some asinine reason you’ve made up in your head.”
Another denial sits on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it down. What would be the point? Sam is right. He does know me, and I guess I haven’t been exactly subtle in my reactions when I’ve seen Sophie talking to him. He’s like a fucking Ken doll come to life, all blond and buff like a California surf god.
“She’s my assistant. My employee,” I say quietly as my molars grind together.
“So? You’re both consenting adults––assuming the attraction is mutual––and there’s nothing in the employee handbook restricting employee fraternization. As long as you don’t take advantage of her position, which I know you won’t, what’s the harm in trying?”
I just stare at him, my mind turning over his words and weighing the pros and cons. If I take his advice and go for it, things could end badly. I’ve seen it before. Sexual harassment lawsuits in this town are a dime a dozen. While I hope Sophie wouldn’t file a bogus claim against me if things went south, how do I know for sure? How do I know she won’t do it out of spite if I so much as display an interest in her?
I lift a hand and press my fingers against my cheek where she kissed me. Dropping it back to my side, I look at Sam.
“I don’t know…”
“Just think about it,” he says when my words trail off.
Then, clapping me on the back, he gives me a two-fingered wave before turning and heading back to the pit. I watch him go, then pivot around to walk back to the employee parking garage. I’m going to head home to think. Maybe make a list of pros and cons to weigh the possible ramifications of pursuing that stubborn, annoying, fascinating, beautiful woman.
And I’m definitely not going to roll around in my bed to see if the sheets still smell like her.
No. Definitely not.