own desk and fanned her face with some paper. Growling? Really?
She shook her head and tried to concentrate on work, but no matter what, she couldn’t seem to get her head around the paperwork. Where were all the receipts and invoices for materials used? Where were the personnel files for all their workers?
What had Glenn been playing at?
And just where the frak had he got this construction crew? The company had done business in Virginia before, so why hadn’t they used the same construction crew they always used? She understood that they had this gig because Conrad went to school with the Mayor of the town, so maybe the Mayor recommended them. Val glanced out the window and was met with an uninspiring array of men lounging around doing very little. Hard to believe anyone would recommend those guys for anything other than draining a keg of beer.
She grabbed the phone and called Conrad’s office phone. His assistant, Lois answered. Conrad was out the office. No, she didn’t know when he was going to return. No, she couldn’t take a message. No, none of the other senior partners were available either. Val slammed the phone down in frustration.
The phone rang again; Shannon let out an ‘ugh’ and Val snatched at it and snarled out ‘yes?’.
“Bad time?” rumbled a deep, husky voice.
“Oh, Jake!” she squeaked and her whole body clenched. “Ummm, no, no, of course not,” she stammered. “I’m glad you called.”
“Are you?” he asked, blandly.
Val relaxed and felt a kittenish mood taking over. “Yes! And if I weren’t so sure you would march right over here and arrest me I’d call you a butthole for doubting me.”
Jake chuckled deeply. “Hold on, let me grab my handcuffs.”
“Yes, please,” she whispered and then blushed furiously.
Thankfully, he didn’t dwell on that. “I was, umm, wondering, that is to say, I…”
Val withheld the giggle that wanted to escape. Yes, her big, bad hunk of a wolf was actually nervous. Awww, it was so cute.
“I’m going to have lunch at the Diner and I thought that you could eat there too.”
“That sounds great! And since we’ll both be there, let’s eat lunch together!”
She bit her lip as a low growl echoed down the line. “Now I really am reaching for my cuffs.”
“Oh, promises, promises. I’ll see you there in an hour.”
“Great, see you then.”
Val hung up and smiled. Yep, she had a date. Hot excitement bubbled inside her.
She looked at the unappealing sights of the messy paperwork piled on her desk and Shannon, who was now snoring lightly. Only an hour to go.
*
After a quick dash back to her cabin to change clothes, put on some more deodorant and touch up her makeup Val was almost perfect. The only thing that could enhance her now would be a wind machine and some professional lighting. And there really wasn’t time to set all that up.
She sailed into the town’s Honeypot Diner and was a little gratified that a number of men looked round and gave her appreciative glances. Yep, her red dress had been a good choice.
A pretty waitress with dark skin and a mass of blonde curls bounced toward her, grinning from ear to ear.
“Hi, Val! Jake’s at the back table.”
Val blinked at her. Had they met before? “Ummm…”
The waitress hooked an arm around her waist, and with strength that belied her small, curvy body began guiding her to the back of the diner.
“I’m Kira, by the way. It’s nice to meet you. Jake’s a great guy, by the way.”
Jake stood as they approached, and his lips curled up slightly. His biceps bulged out of his uniform. Mmm, how it would feel to have those arms wrapped around her?
Kira winked at them. “I’ll be back for your order in a few moments.”
“Thanks, Kira,” he murmured, his gaze never leaving Val.
She was tickled to note that he didn’t sit down until after she had sat. Who said chivalry was dead?
Val inclined her head at Kira as the young woman navigated between tables, chatting
She shook her head and tried to concentrate on work, but no matter what, she couldn’t seem to get her head around the paperwork. Where were all the receipts and invoices for materials used? Where were the personnel files for all their workers?
What had Glenn been playing at?
And just where the frak had he got this construction crew? The company had done business in Virginia before, so why hadn’t they used the same construction crew they always used? She understood that they had this gig because Conrad went to school with the Mayor of the town, so maybe the Mayor recommended them. Val glanced out the window and was met with an uninspiring array of men lounging around doing very little. Hard to believe anyone would recommend those guys for anything other than draining a keg of beer.
She grabbed the phone and called Conrad’s office phone. His assistant, Lois answered. Conrad was out the office. No, she didn’t know when he was going to return. No, she couldn’t take a message. No, none of the other senior partners were available either. Val slammed the phone down in frustration.
The phone rang again; Shannon let out an ‘ugh’ and Val snatched at it and snarled out ‘yes?’.
“Bad time?” rumbled a deep, husky voice.
“Oh, Jake!” she squeaked and her whole body clenched. “Ummm, no, no, of course not,” she stammered. “I’m glad you called.”
“Are you?” he asked, blandly.
Val relaxed and felt a kittenish mood taking over. “Yes! And if I weren’t so sure you would march right over here and arrest me I’d call you a butthole for doubting me.”
Jake chuckled deeply. “Hold on, let me grab my handcuffs.”
“Yes, please,” she whispered and then blushed furiously.
Thankfully, he didn’t dwell on that. “I was, umm, wondering, that is to say, I…”
Val withheld the giggle that wanted to escape. Yes, her big, bad hunk of a wolf was actually nervous. Awww, it was so cute.
“I’m going to have lunch at the Diner and I thought that you could eat there too.”
“That sounds great! And since we’ll both be there, let’s eat lunch together!”
She bit her lip as a low growl echoed down the line. “Now I really am reaching for my cuffs.”
“Oh, promises, promises. I’ll see you there in an hour.”
“Great, see you then.”
Val hung up and smiled. Yep, she had a date. Hot excitement bubbled inside her.
She looked at the unappealing sights of the messy paperwork piled on her desk and Shannon, who was now snoring lightly. Only an hour to go.
*
After a quick dash back to her cabin to change clothes, put on some more deodorant and touch up her makeup Val was almost perfect. The only thing that could enhance her now would be a wind machine and some professional lighting. And there really wasn’t time to set all that up.
She sailed into the town’s Honeypot Diner and was a little gratified that a number of men looked round and gave her appreciative glances. Yep, her red dress had been a good choice.
A pretty waitress with dark skin and a mass of blonde curls bounced toward her, grinning from ear to ear.
“Hi, Val! Jake’s at the back table.”
Val blinked at her. Had they met before? “Ummm…”
The waitress hooked an arm around her waist, and with strength that belied her small, curvy body began guiding her to the back of the diner.
“I’m Kira, by the way. It’s nice to meet you. Jake’s a great guy, by the way.”
Jake stood as they approached, and his lips curled up slightly. His biceps bulged out of his uniform. Mmm, how it would feel to have those arms wrapped around her?
Kira winked at them. “I’ll be back for your order in a few moments.”
“Thanks, Kira,” he murmured, his gaze never leaving Val.
She was tickled to note that he didn’t sit down until after she had sat. Who said chivalry was dead?
Val inclined her head at Kira as the young woman navigated between tables, chatting
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