Chapter One
“What the hell was I thinking?” Ann Griffin said as she
tugged at the Lycra shapewear cutting off her circulation. She smoothed the
black wrap dress over her hips and collapsed into a kitchen chair. “Remind me
never to accept a date from a guy who’s just broken up with his girlfriend ever
again.”
Leaning down, Joe Mathews pressed a kiss onto Ann’s cheek.
“You should have stayed home with me.”
The soft brush of his lips heated Ann’s blood to boiling.
Air jammed into her lungs. Every inch of her body burned with fresh yearning
and mixed with desires she’d spent the evening trying to suppress.
Ever since he’d sat next to her in Business 101 over a
decade ago her hormones had been doing the tango. Up until now, she’d been able
to stamp down her lust for her best friend. But lately her need for him blazed
inside her like an inferno needing something to consume. If she wasn’t careful,
it would consume her .
She forced out the breath stuck in her chest. “Why didn’t
you go out tonight?”
“The Patriots were playing the Jets.” Joe moved to the
butcher-block countertop and opened a pink pastry box. “I take it your date
didn’t go so well?”
He sliced a huge piece of double-chocolate cheesecake and
set it in front of her.
“It was awful.” She pushed the yummy temptation back across
the table.
“That’s what you get when you go out with a guy based solely
on his looks.”
“I didn’t go out with Scott for his looks.” The sad fact was
she needed space from Joe so she didn’t jump him in the hallway between their
bedrooms.
“Yeah, right,” he said.
She leaned on her elbows and sighed. “He seemed nice when we
talked at the gym,” Ann said, referring to the business the two co-owned. To
her way of thinking, if she had to suffer though the misery of dating someone
who wasn’t Joe she might as well have something nice to look at.
“I’m sure he was.”
“Okay,” she admitted. “It didn’t hurt he was shirtless when
we were talking. Maybe I don’t have the best judgment when I’m at your place of
business.” She laid her head on the table. “I should just wait until after
closing to do the accounting paperwork.”
“Mr. Perfect’s is your business too.” Joe’s strong hands
clasped her shoulders and started to massage. “Besides I need all the help I
can get.”
“I’m just a silent partner.”
“There’s nothing silent about our partnership.” His finger
worked the knot at the base of her skull. ”God, you’re tight.”
A moan slipped past Ann’s lips. The needy pull in her core
deepened with every caress of his fingers and her pussy filled with moist heat.
She should let her hormones have their way. Perhaps then she wouldn’t be
soaking through her shapewear on a daily basis.
Ignoring the throbbing pleasure between her legs, she lifted
her head. “The gym has the revenue to hire someone to help you out, you know.”
“Why? It’s fine the way it is.”
The butterflies dive-bombing her stomach every time she was
around Joe told her everything wasn’t fine. “For you maybe.”
“What?”
Shit, did I say that out loud?
“Are you saying our arrangement isn’t working for you
anymore?” Joe squeezed the back of her neck and tilted her head up. “I’ll find
someone if you want.”
The concern filling his beautiful sea-green eyes tore at her
soul. It wasn’t the gym’s fault she couldn’t keep her hormones under control
anymore. “I love helping you build your dream.”
“Then what is it?”
Hoping he couldn’t see what his nearness did to her, Ann
forced herself to smile. “If I wasn’t bombarded with testosterone-enhanced
bodybuilders all the time, Jerry from the office might look better.”
“The testosterone levels in the gym are all your fault.” He
pressed his sexy lips to her forehead.
“Oh please.”
Straightening, Joe lifted his broad shoulders. “It’s true.
When you rush into the gym, all
“What the hell was I thinking?” Ann Griffin said as she
tugged at the Lycra shapewear cutting off her circulation. She smoothed the
black wrap dress over her hips and collapsed into a kitchen chair. “Remind me
never to accept a date from a guy who’s just broken up with his girlfriend ever
again.”
Leaning down, Joe Mathews pressed a kiss onto Ann’s cheek.
“You should have stayed home with me.”
The soft brush of his lips heated Ann’s blood to boiling.
Air jammed into her lungs. Every inch of her body burned with fresh yearning
and mixed with desires she’d spent the evening trying to suppress.
Ever since he’d sat next to her in Business 101 over a
decade ago her hormones had been doing the tango. Up until now, she’d been able
to stamp down her lust for her best friend. But lately her need for him blazed
inside her like an inferno needing something to consume. If she wasn’t careful,
it would consume her .
She forced out the breath stuck in her chest. “Why didn’t
you go out tonight?”
“The Patriots were playing the Jets.” Joe moved to the
butcher-block countertop and opened a pink pastry box. “I take it your date
didn’t go so well?”
He sliced a huge piece of double-chocolate cheesecake and
set it in front of her.
“It was awful.” She pushed the yummy temptation back across
the table.
“That’s what you get when you go out with a guy based solely
on his looks.”
“I didn’t go out with Scott for his looks.” The sad fact was
she needed space from Joe so she didn’t jump him in the hallway between their
bedrooms.
“Yeah, right,” he said.
She leaned on her elbows and sighed. “He seemed nice when we
talked at the gym,” Ann said, referring to the business the two co-owned. To
her way of thinking, if she had to suffer though the misery of dating someone
who wasn’t Joe she might as well have something nice to look at.
“I’m sure he was.”
“Okay,” she admitted. “It didn’t hurt he was shirtless when
we were talking. Maybe I don’t have the best judgment when I’m at your place of
business.” She laid her head on the table. “I should just wait until after
closing to do the accounting paperwork.”
“Mr. Perfect’s is your business too.” Joe’s strong hands
clasped her shoulders and started to massage. “Besides I need all the help I
can get.”
“I’m just a silent partner.”
“There’s nothing silent about our partnership.” His finger
worked the knot at the base of her skull. ”God, you’re tight.”
A moan slipped past Ann’s lips. The needy pull in her core
deepened with every caress of his fingers and her pussy filled with moist heat.
She should let her hormones have their way. Perhaps then she wouldn’t be
soaking through her shapewear on a daily basis.
Ignoring the throbbing pleasure between her legs, she lifted
her head. “The gym has the revenue to hire someone to help you out, you know.”
“Why? It’s fine the way it is.”
The butterflies dive-bombing her stomach every time she was
around Joe told her everything wasn’t fine. “For you maybe.”
“What?”
Shit, did I say that out loud?
“Are you saying our arrangement isn’t working for you
anymore?” Joe squeezed the back of her neck and tilted her head up. “I’ll find
someone if you want.”
The concern filling his beautiful sea-green eyes tore at her
soul. It wasn’t the gym’s fault she couldn’t keep her hormones under control
anymore. “I love helping you build your dream.”
“Then what is it?”
Hoping he couldn’t see what his nearness did to her, Ann
forced herself to smile. “If I wasn’t bombarded with testosterone-enhanced
bodybuilders all the time, Jerry from the office might look better.”
“The testosterone levels in the gym are all your fault.” He
pressed his sexy lips to her forehead.
“Oh please.”
Straightening, Joe lifted his broad shoulders. “It’s true.
When you rush into the gym, all
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