Getting Down to Business. Allison B. Hanson

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СКАЧАТЬ He looked up at the sign above the counter. “Every morning for the last year and a half to be exact.”

      “Really?” she said, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

      “Yep.”

      “I’ve never seen you here before.”

      “Maybe neither of us was looking before.”

      “Maybe.”

      “Let me buy you coffee,” he offered. It seemed the least he could do since they’d been intimate.

      “You don’t need to do that.” She pulled out her wallet as she ordered her double vanilla latte with foam.

      His brows rose in surprise, and he quickly came up with a morning beverage alternative. She would surely think he was nuts if he ordered the same drink. Even if it was his normal drink. He wondered what the odds of that were as he ordered a mocha.

      “Which way are you headed?” he asked.

      “Up,” she answered, pointing in the direction he was going.

      “Me, too. Are we allowed to walk together?”

      “Sure. I’m not far.”

      “I got your note and wanted to tell you I also had a really great time last night.” Great wasn’t the right word. From the ease of talking with her to the way they’d connected in bed, it had felt so different. Then she let him stay when he asked. Holding her while he slept felt right on so many levels.

      “Great. We both had a great time.” He smiled at her overuse of the word he found lacking. “But now it’s the next day, and we agreed there would be no next day.” Alyssa had made it very clear she didn’t want anything from him but sex. Was there a reason? Had someone hurt her in the past? He swallowed down his urge to ask, knowing it would lead to him wanting to help.

      If his past relationships had proven anything, it was that he couldn’t help everyone.

      “We’re just two people walking up the sidewalk. Don’t panic.” He gave an easy shrug, at odds with how he felt. He wanted to see her again. Maybe they could have dinner and get to know each other better. Would that be so strange? People did it all the time.

      “Suit yourself.”

      “I’ve had sex on the first date before, and it’s generally kind of stressful because you don’t know what to expect from the other person. Last night wasn’t like that. I was completely relaxed. Maybe because I knew you weren’t expecting anything,” he shared.

      “I was expecting one thing.” She laughed and licked foam from her upper lip. He wanted to do it for her. “You delivered, which is impressive because, like you, I’m usually not able to relax enough to get to point B.”

      “Nice,” he said as she stopped walking at the same time he did. They were standing in front of his building.

      “This is me,” she said.

      “Seriously?” he choked.

      “Yeah.”

      “This is me too. Hasher Borne, twenty-ninth floor.”

      “Hasher Borne, twenty-third,” she said, eyes wide.

      “Oh, shit. Do you believe in fate?”

      “No way,” she said firmly.

      “Okay, good, because this could easily be misconstrued as fate interceding.”

      She laughed.

      “What department do you work in?” he asked.

      “I’m an account rep, but I’ve been trying to move up for years.” She sounded irritated, but stopped herself from continuing what he was sure was going to be a rant. “What department do you work in?”

      “Senior accountant.”

      “Oh.” Her eyes flared and she looked away.

      “What is it?”

      “Nothing. Have a great day.” She moved toward the front doors, but he stepped in front of her to keep her from getting away.

      “There’s obviously something. Even if you don’t want to be friends, we are coworkers, and apparently, we both work for the number-crunching side of the business. What’s wrong?”

      “Have you ever had any family members work here?”

      “No. None.”

      She seemed relieved, and explained.

      “I’ve been passed over for a promotion to account manager three times because people up in your office have brought in their unqualified family members.”

      “Ouch.”

      “Yeah. I’m doing many of the account manager functions, but I’m not getting paid for it. And I don’t have the fancy office up on twenty-nine.”

      “I think I might know who’s responsible for that.” Randy Taber had also filled their department with people from his large family. “It wasn’t me. My family is in Connecticut.”

      “Why are you telling me about your family? You’re sharing personal information.” Yes, he was breaking the rules from the evening before. But in his defense, the rules should be null and void at this point.

      “Are we really going back to the original plan now? We work together.”

      “No more so than we did before and never saw each other.”

      That might be true, but he’d be looking for her now. If for no other reason than to get a look at her in a pencil skirt. Wait. Should he be ogling someone who worked with him? She wasn’t his boss or anything. Surely it should be okay. In fact, this might be the in he needed.

      “Can I get your phone number?” he pushed.

      “Why?”

      “Because I had a good time. We might like to do it again sometime.” Lots of times.

      “I don’t think so.” She shook her head.

      “Why not?”

      “You don’t seem to understand the concept of a one-night stand.” This was true. The last time he attempted to have a casual fling, he ended up in a relationship. They’d been together for seven months when she told him it wasn’t working. Despite his desire to figure out why, she simply moved on. He was hoping to move on as well, thus the reason he’d taken Doug up on his offer to go out on a Wednesday for ladies’ night.

      “I understand the concept, but if I meet someone I like sleeping with, why can’t I have another one-night stand with the same person?”

      “Because that would be a two-night stand.” She laughed.

      “Not if they’re СКАЧАТЬ