Layer by Layer (Riggings Brothers 1)

“Sawyer.” My name is a growl.

Blinking hard once, twice, three times, I pull my eyes up his body to meet his eyes. “Hi,” I manage to croak.

His heated gaze bores into me, and I have to shift my feet to ward off the arousal I feel from just one look. “Sawyer,” he says, his voice even sounds like sex. He reaches out and traces his index finger over my shoulder, causing goose bumps to break out against my skin. He slides his hand under the strap of my bag and gently removes it from my shoulder. “I’ll take this,” he says huskily.

“Thank you.” I manage to find my voice. “I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, so I packed a towel and some different clothes.”

“You’re perfect,” he says, letting his eyes roam over me.

There is not one single part of him that’s touching me, but I feel him everywhere. “I’m all set,” I say, ignoring his statement. I don’t know what to say to that. Thank you? You’re too kind? You’re my boss, and we’re breaking the rules? Yeah, I should have gone with that last one, but to be honest, I like this Royce. He reminds me of the man I met on the plane, with an added edge of sexiness. Not that he didn’t give off the sexy vibe on the plane, but today he’s taking that to a whole other level. I’m kinda hoping he sticks around. At least for today.

Stepping outside, I pull my door closed, making sure it’s locked. When I turn to face him, he gives me a lazy smile, laces his fingers through mine and leads me to his car. I slide into the buttery soft leather seats and try not to moan. Like his brother Owen, Royce drives a car that is sexy and sleek. I don’t know what model it is, but I do recognize the Jaguar emblem on the front. I guess what they say is true. You get what you pay for. I’ve never been in a car with the leather this soft. I was wearing jeans this morning, but now, the soft leather against my bare skin has me shifting in my seat. It feels more intimate. Then again, maybe that’s just Royce, and his laidback persona, and the sexy-as-fuck clothes. Definitely the clothes.

“Your tattoos, do they have meaning?” I ask, staring at his sculpted arms, and the ink that adorns them.

“Some do, some don’t.”

“You and your brothers, you’re not your typical businessmen,” I state.

“What makes you say that?”

“The ink, for one. At least you and Grant. I don’t know if the others have tattoos.”

“They do. You’ll see some of them today. Marshall, Owen, and Conrad all have theirs hidden, Grant and I are the only two who have gone far enough that they can be seen on a daily basis, no matter what we’re wearing.” He moves his arm so his hand rests on my leg. “You know you want to touch them,” he teases.

More like trace them with my tongue. “You seem so… straight-laced at the office. These are a total contrast to that.”

He shrugs. “I like them. Just because I have tattoos doesn’t mean I’m not a professional.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just… another side of you. One that at first glance, if not for the obvious ink some people would miss, the artistic, carefree side that you seem to keep locked away.”

“Another layer?”

“Yeah, definitely another layer to add to my Royce Riggins list.”

“Oh, you have a list?”

“Yep.”

His hand wraps around my knee, and it feels like a bolt of electricity. “Let’s hear it.” His eyes are on the road, but they might as well be on me with the way I’m blushing right now. “We’ve been over this.”

“I guess we have. You think you’re going to see another layer today?”

“Probably.”

He chuckles. “I hope you’re writing these down. I’d hate for you to forget one,” he teases.

“Oh, I have it right here.” I hold up my phone to show him. He throws his head back in laughter. The sound fills the car, and I would give anything to be able to bottle the sound and take it home with me. I could listen to him laugh for hours. The corners of his eyes are crinkled just a bit, and his smile is not only wide but genuine. Sexy Royce just got bumped to the top of the list as my favorite.

He leaves his hand on my knee the remainder of the drive, and I open my mouth a hundred times to ask him what’s going on, but close it, only to repeat the process over again. He’s my boss, but there is an underlying attraction there. Has been since the day we first met. I know it’s not breaking the rules, but I love my job, and I don’t want this, whatever this is to interfere. Then again, if I had to choose, Royce or the job, I’d choose Royce. I can work anywhere, but I’ve never felt this overwhelming attraction before in my entire life.