And how ridiculous am I that I’m actually worried she might be?
She snorts. “Please. But I’m seriously terrified that we’re going to need to upgrade the security system to keep the ladies away from you.”
The train slows, and we move toward the door. I take her elbow in my hand again, the feel of her soft skin making my body light up in awareness.
“Sounds like you just might be jealous after all, Jules, baby,” I tease. Jules baby? What the fuck? Where did that come from? But I go with it.
She elbows me in the ribs as we move off the train and head toward the stairs. “Maybe I am. Wouldn’t you just love that?”
Her tone is light, full of jest, but the thought that she might be jealous of other women wanting my attention gives me pause. She’s never given me any indication that she thinks of me as anything other than a friend. I mean, hell, we discuss sports on a daily basis. Like she’s one of the guys.
I shamelessly take in her ass as she climbs the stairs in front of me. Okay, definitely not one of the guys.
I’m lost in my thoughts—and fantasies. Her naked on my desk, her naked on her desk, her naked on the boardroom table—and I think about it all the way to the office. The morning flies by in a rush of meetings, even the one with my brother going well. And it’s official. He’s dating a girl named Celine. When lunchtime finally rolls around, I’m ready for the break.
Jules knocks on my office, holding up a bag from my favorite gourmet deli. “Hungry?”
“Starving. You’re an angel,” I say, happy that it’s now one of the highlights of my day. We fell into the habit of eating lunch together early on, and now it’s a ritual.
I follow her to the boardroom, my tabletop fantasy high in my mind as she leans forward to set the food out. When she turns around abruptly, I jerk my eyes up to her face, but I’m pretty sure it was too late.
“Lincoln Brightman, were you just checking out my ass?” She places a hand on her hip, her eyebrows flying up.
I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. I laugh, lifting my hands in the air. “Busted.”
Incredulous laughter rings from her mouth, sucking me in a little further. “You’re no better than your brother.”
“Now that’s just playing dirty, Jules.” I smirk and take a few slow steps toward her. “But I guarantee I am way, way better than my brother.”
I don’t know what made me say it. Why I didn’t shove those words right back where they came from. But now they’re out there, hanging in the air between us. She blinks rapidly, as if she’s not sure she heard me right. Or if she did, that she might be imagining the innuendo.
Nope. It’s totally there.
“I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it,” she manages, but I don’t miss the way her eyes dart down, running over my body. I also don’t miss the telltale dart of her tongue across her lips as her eyes reach my cock.
Holy fuck.
What?
I can’t even process what’s happening. Because there is no denying there’s some kind of sexual tension gathering in the room, sweeping us up in it. It’s like every fantasy I’ve had come to life. She’s seriously looking at me like she wants me. Something I have never seen on her face before.
And fuck me, because even though I know it’s a terrible idea—that I’m her boss and there’s nothing that terrifies me more that running her off—I’m walking toward her, stalking, really, with nothing but dirty, wicked intentions.
37
Jules
Oh god. Linc has a glint in his eye. That same one I thought I saw this morning on the train. I didn’t recognize it then, but there’s no denying now what it is. Pure, unadulterated lust. As if he wants to spread me across the table like I’m what he wants to eat for lunch.
I gasp, my thighs quivering at the mere thought of him between my legs.
“Yeah,” he murmurs, his voice pitched low, “you should just take my word for it, Jules. That would be the smart thing to do.”
My throat feels tight, and I struggle to swallow against the nerves that are rising up.
Another step closer.
“You’re a smart woman,” he says, his eyes locked on mine. “You know what you need to do.”