Sugar (Gimme 1)

“Good. Because I would lock you up all St. Patrick’s Day and give you just one pair of Irish lips to kiss.” Realizing we’re creating a little backlog, I lead her to a dark corner of the shop. She looks up at me with questions in her eyes.

Maybe I’ve gone too far.

Chapter 3

Lexi

I replay his words and every ounce of my being tingles as I take his hand and he leads me over to a small table. I want him to pin me down and kiss me. “I’m sorry if I came off a little crass. Please still have dinner with me tonight.”

“Why? I thought you didn’t like Valentine’s Day?” I challenge the handsome bastard. It’s sexy when he’s demanding and yet hot as hell when he’s unsure.

He leans in tormenting me with desire. “I didn’t have anyone worth my time to spend it with. Now, it’s become my favorite holiday.” I’m hoping that he’d kiss me. That’s nuts since we didn’t know each other, but I still want him to do it. Instead, he pulls back and takes a drink of his coffee.

“So where are you going to school at?” he asks me.

“Northwestern,” I admit proudly. I don’t tell him that I hate it and I’m in the wrong field, or at least it feels that way.

“Wow, you are a perfect gift, wrapped up in a tiny little package, aren’t you? Brilliant and beautiful.”

“I don’t know about all that, but what about you? You’ve obviously finished college, so what do you do?”

“Sugar, are you trying to say I’m old?”

“Not at all, but there does seem to be a touch of gray right there,” I tease, reaching up to the edge of his beard. He snatches my hand and kisses the inside of my palm.

“I can tell you’re going to be a pain in my ass. I’m a Lawyer, and I’m thirty. I work at my family’s firm just down the street.”

“Oh goodness. So you’re pretty brilliant yourself.”

“I guess you can say that, but I work hard.” His phone rings in his pocket.

“You probably need to check that.”

“Sorry,” he mutters, pulling it out of his pocket.

“Yes, I’ll be there in fifteen. No, I won’t. I’m getting my coffee now.”

“Sorry, that was my assistant. I’m late to the office, and they worried that something was wrong.”

“I didn’t mean to keep you.”

“Well, I’m only five minutes late. I’m usually in at eight-fifteen.”

“Wow, not eight?”

“It’s a thing I have about starting on the hour. It makes the hours seem longer. As much as I want to stay, I have to leave. Please give me your number.” I read it off while he enters it. Then I receive a text.

I’ll pick you up at seven.

“I thought you said you didn’t like starting on the hour.”

“This half-hour has felt like five minutes. I need it to start as soon as possible. Will you be okay? Should I call you a car?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m going to finish my coffee and jump on the next bus. It’ll be here shortly. Thanks, Lucas. I can’t wait for tonight.”

“Call me when you get there. And I just can’t stop myself,” he growls, cupping my chin and leaning in. His lips caress mine briefly. “Fuck, you are sweet. Have a good day.” He walks out, and I’m left there in a fog. It takes me a minute before I get wits about me, then I look at the bus schedule. I have twenty minutes before the next bus comes. Normally, I would drive to the campus, but the weather and traffic make it hard to judge how long it will take to get there.

Chapter 4

Lucas

I don’t know how I made it to my office. The entire time I fought to turn around and go back to the coffee shop. The thought of her light brown eyes smiling at me eased all the tension I was having. I was so anxious about tonight that I forgot to ask for her address. I don’t know where she lives, but I’ll figure it out. I go through the revolving doors, then smile at the front desk receptionist. This building is a larger one, but we only have floors two and three. All of our personal offices are on three, and the conference rooms are on the second floor. The building management handles the security, but some of these people have been working here for a long time. Angela’s so taken aback that she stammers out a hello. People at the office call me stone because my face was always hard to read.

“Mr. Fox, it’s good to see you. Your father was looking for you. Would you like me to message him or are you going to see him?”

“I’ll pop by his office. Is there anything for me?”

“No, Rochelle took it.” Rochelle has been my assistant for several years and is on top of everything.