curiously blank, as if masking an emotion he didn’t want me to see. Anger? Disinterest? Irritation?
“What do you think of Colin?” he asked mildly. “The man you were flirting with outside my office.”
Forget anger, disinterest and irritation. The man was positively livid with jealousy. Jealousy. About me. His eyes blazed with it, the blue irises resembling vivid sapphires. I shook my head in amazement, feeling just a little giddy.
No, not giddy, I told myself sternly. I was angry. Definitely angry. I forced myself to frown as I crossed my legs and folded my arms together. “I wasn’t flirting.” Did I sound properly offended he’d imply such a thing? “And just so you know, he seems very pleasant.”
“Pleasant?” Royce growled. “What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Pleasant.”
“Pleasant agreeable or pleasant I want to go on a date with this man?”
“What does it matter?”
“Answer the damn question.”
“I did.” Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, don’t laugh. You’re pissed, remember? “I said he was pleasant and that’s what I meant.”
Royce clenched the edge of his desk and his knuckles turned white. “What. Kind. Of. Pleasant? You should know, the man likes women and lots of them.”
“That makes him better suited for me than you.” My traitorous lips twitched at the corners. This situation called for fury, damn it. I mean, how dare he question me about my intentions toward another man. Royce and I had kissed once. That didn’t give him exclusive rights to me.
I still wanted to smile.
“He’s never been in a lasting relationship.”
“Good for him.” I paused, savoring my next words. “I liked him.”
“You liked him?” The words left his mouth with so much force I almost flew backward.
“Yes. He was nice. And pleasant.”
For a moment, I thought I saw Royce’s eyes glow bright red, thought I saw steam coming from his nostrils. Then he scrubbed a hand down his face. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Listen,” I said, determined to stop this line of conversation before I started dancing on his desktop. Maybe stripping. “I’m not interested in dating him. Really. But I’m not interested in dating you, either, remember?”
His hands dropped to his side and he frowned. “Why not?”
“We went over this yesterday. You’re just not my type, okay?” God, I was such a liar. Lately I lied to everyone. My cousins, Royce. Myself.
“I’m honest, honorable and not looking to simply get laid. When I kiss you, you burn up. What part of that is not your type?”
Yes, Naomi, do tell us the answer to that, my hormonespiped in. “There’s one quality you didn’t mention, and it immediately throws you out of the running.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, tightening the fabric of his jacket over his biceps. “And what’s that?”
“You have a penis,” I said, squirming in my seat. Just saying the word in front of him made me hot.
“A penis? Baby, that’s something you should be thanking me for.”
Typical male response.
He worried two fingers over his jaw. Yet, even with the movement, there was something so…still about him. “Is this your way of giving me the brush-off?”
“I’m not trying to throw you over for Colin, if that’s what you mean. If I was attracted to him, I could have asked him out months ago at his sister’s wedding reception.” Which I still didn’t recall seeing him at. “You attended that party, too, by the way.”
He lost his air of irritation and his expression became guarded again.
“Don’t worry if you can’t remember seeing me there.” Bastard. “You were too busy helping your—” whore “—date put the tissue back in her bra.”
He almost choked at that bit of information. When he stopped coughing, he said, “I remember you,” surprising me.
As if. “You don’t have to pretend. It won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t remember me.”
“Ha! Seriously, work on the
“What do you think of Colin?” he asked mildly. “The man you were flirting with outside my office.”
Forget anger, disinterest and irritation. The man was positively livid with jealousy. Jealousy. About me. His eyes blazed with it, the blue irises resembling vivid sapphires. I shook my head in amazement, feeling just a little giddy.
No, not giddy, I told myself sternly. I was angry. Definitely angry. I forced myself to frown as I crossed my legs and folded my arms together. “I wasn’t flirting.” Did I sound properly offended he’d imply such a thing? “And just so you know, he seems very pleasant.”
“Pleasant?” Royce growled. “What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Pleasant.”
“Pleasant agreeable or pleasant I want to go on a date with this man?”
“What does it matter?”
“Answer the damn question.”
“I did.” Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, don’t laugh. You’re pissed, remember? “I said he was pleasant and that’s what I meant.”
Royce clenched the edge of his desk and his knuckles turned white. “What. Kind. Of. Pleasant? You should know, the man likes women and lots of them.”
“That makes him better suited for me than you.” My traitorous lips twitched at the corners. This situation called for fury, damn it. I mean, how dare he question me about my intentions toward another man. Royce and I had kissed once. That didn’t give him exclusive rights to me.
I still wanted to smile.
“He’s never been in a lasting relationship.”
“Good for him.” I paused, savoring my next words. “I liked him.”
“You liked him?” The words left his mouth with so much force I almost flew backward.
“Yes. He was nice. And pleasant.”
For a moment, I thought I saw Royce’s eyes glow bright red, thought I saw steam coming from his nostrils. Then he scrubbed a hand down his face. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Listen,” I said, determined to stop this line of conversation before I started dancing on his desktop. Maybe stripping. “I’m not interested in dating him. Really. But I’m not interested in dating you, either, remember?”
His hands dropped to his side and he frowned. “Why not?”
“We went over this yesterday. You’re just not my type, okay?” God, I was such a liar. Lately I lied to everyone. My cousins, Royce. Myself.
“I’m honest, honorable and not looking to simply get laid. When I kiss you, you burn up. What part of that is not your type?”
Yes, Naomi, do tell us the answer to that, my hormonespiped in. “There’s one quality you didn’t mention, and it immediately throws you out of the running.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, tightening the fabric of his jacket over his biceps. “And what’s that?”
“You have a penis,” I said, squirming in my seat. Just saying the word in front of him made me hot.
“A penis? Baby, that’s something you should be thanking me for.”
Typical male response.
He worried two fingers over his jaw. Yet, even with the movement, there was something so…still about him. “Is this your way of giving me the brush-off?”
“I’m not trying to throw you over for Colin, if that’s what you mean. If I was attracted to him, I could have asked him out months ago at his sister’s wedding reception.” Which I still didn’t recall seeing him at. “You attended that party, too, by the way.”
He lost his air of irritation and his expression became guarded again.
“Don’t worry if you can’t remember seeing me there.” Bastard. “You were too busy helping your—” whore “—date put the tissue back in her bra.”
He almost choked at that bit of information. When he stopped coughing, he said, “I remember you,” surprising me.
As if. “You don’t have to pretend. It won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t remember me.”
“Ha! Seriously, work on the
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