Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“Um … I’d like to take her to lunch.”
“Oh, really? And where will you be taking her? It better be somewhere worthy of her time.”
“Griffin, move!” She gives my back a push, which has no effect at all except to make me realize I’ve inadvertently trapped her behind the desk, a stack of supply boxes blocking the other way out.
“Now, wait a minute, Ember.” I step aside, but keep her date pinned in my sights. “Don’t go hurrying off until I’ve gotten to know—what’s your name, son?”
“Just ignore him.” Ember takes the guy’s arm and turns him toward the door. “Let’s go, Perry.”
“Perry?” I can’t contain my snort, not that I try. “Perry, make sure you buy our girl a steak,” I call after them. “I’d better not hear that you went to a sandwich shop. And don’t bring her back a minute after midnight, or you won’t be allowed to take her out again!”
Ember turns and gives me a pointed glare, which only makes me want to taunt them more. She’s extra cute when she’s angry.
Zeb scowls as he passes by again. “Clean up your station, Griffin.”
My station is fine, and ready for my next appointment, who appears to be running late. Once Ember and Pipsqueak Perry are out of sight, I settle down in the reception area to wait. When the woman finally arrives, I wave away her apologies and jump right in on the design I discussed with her last week, a small rose on the back of her shoulder.
She slips out of the right sleeve of her loose top and drops her bra strap to clear the area, and while I don’t get turned on watching her do this, because I’m a fucking professional, her actions do make me think about Ember again, and wonder for the millionth time whether or not her skin bears any ink.
I don’t think it does, because she doesn’t seem like the type, but I’ve asked her, and was told to mind my own business, which makes me suspect the answer is yes. My top picks for where on Ember’s body I might find a tattoo are the swell of her left breast and the back of her right hip, curving onto her ass cheek. Unfortunately, the clothing she wears to work keeps these spots fully concealed, but that hasn’t stopped my imagination from fueling more than a few DIY hand jobs.
EMBER
Breaking off the death glare I’m sending Griffin’s way, I give the shop a final scan to make sure everything’s under control before I head out for my lunch date with Perry. Zeb’s headed this way, and I suppress an involuntary shiver of attraction as his long, lean form comes toward me, as sinuous as a cat.
Yummy. Sizzling, in fact.
Why are all of the tattoo artists so ridiculously hot?
I love my job, but the amount of inked-up eye candy in this place is off the charts, and I can't get involved with coworkers.
Not that I would. I'm pretty good at ignoring my hormonal urges, and I date with my future in mind, which means business-minded types.
Zeb crosses over to Frank’s station and my eyes follow. Frank’s busy with a client, but even viewing his handsome profile is enough to give me feelings in inconvenient parts of my anatomy.
Shoving those feelings into my Sexy Stronghold lockbox, I slam the lid closed, triple padlock it, and hurry out the door with Perry.
“And if things continue as they are, I’ll be on track for a record quarter. Last year closed out really strong, as well.”
I break off a piece of roll and smear it with butter as I try to appear interested in Perry’s sales reports. His boastful story is a perfect example of why I schedule most of my dates for lunch rather than dinner.
I need to get back to work—long before midnight, despite Griffin’s joke—so there’s a time limit to how long I’ll need to listen to details about Perry’s tales of … oh god, I forget what it even is that he sells.
“After my results last year, my territory’s been expanded, and it’s opened up a whole new market for our textbooks, both print and digital, and—”
Textbooks, that’s it. Perfectly admirable work, but apparently not very exciting. Not that I’m looking for excitement, but I would like someone who’s interesting, and not so full of himself.
“My boss says I’m in the running for salesman of the quarter. I’ve won before, of course, but I had to give the other guys a turn.”
I manage not to roll my eyes. Perry’s a nice enough man, boasting aside, if a bit too ordinary. Not that I want anyone extraordinary.
Like Griffin.
A spike of annoyance makes me want to scowl, and I focus on hiding the emotion, barely registering Perry’s saga of a business lunch he attended recently. Griffin is the last man I should be thinking about in connection with dating.