him.
Elise smiled tremulously and pointed to the far wall, near the window. “Over there will be fine.”
Luc released her. “Come on, Calhoun. Let’s get this moved so you can get back to work.” And away from my wife. He didn’t like the admiring note in her voice at saying the geek’s name.
“Yes, sir.”
Five minutes later, the desk was positioned in what Elise declared the perfect spot. Calhoun looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion as he meandered towards the door.
“Thank you so much, Calhoun. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Elise beamed up at the overgrown computer geek.
Calhoun smiled with something Luc suspected might charm the ladies and Luc’s fist itched to pound it off his face. “My pleasure, ma’am.” He nodded politely to Luc, then hightailed it out of the office, closing the door behind him.
“Elise,” he began slowly, reigning in his jealousy. “The next time you feel the urge to—”
She halted his words by going up on tiptoes and giving him a chaste kiss. “Thank you, Lucien. The desk will do so much better over there. You’ll see.”
He caught her before she slipped away from him and hauled her into his arms, then kissed her with the pent up frustration he was about to explode with.
Luc pulled back, panting for his next breath, and mindful of the need throbbing in his body. “Darlin’, next time you want to crawl around on the floor, call me. I’ll be more than happy to oblige you.”
Elise smoothed a lock back from his forehead. “You were busy. Besides it didn’t take but a minute.”
His eyes drilled into hers. “It took more than a minute, Elise. Half of the building was gawking at you on the floor. Including your precious Calhoun.”
She blushed and leaned back in his arms. “Why, Lucien, are you jealous?”
He opened his mouth to deny her accusation, but was interrupted by the door opening after a brief knock.
“All right. None of that,” Ben said brusquely. “Some of us don’t have wives to play with in the office.”
Elise smiled at Luc’s oldest and most trustworthy friend. “Good afternoon, Ben. How are you on this fine day?”
Ben lounged against the door frame. “Hungry.” He smiled in return and Luc took back what he thought about Ben being trustworthy. He looked like a hungry wolf, eyeing Elise like she was lunch. “May I say that you are looking quite lovely today, Mrs. Masters?”
“You may and I thank you,” Elise replied airily. “You are looking quite the thing yourself, Benajah. I simply adore that tie.”
Ben smoothed a hand down his navy blue, white polka dotted tie. “You are too kind, madam. This tie is a part of my disguise.”
“Oh? And what disguise would that be?”
Luc tightened his hold on her. “Wolf in sheep’s clothing.” He pinned his friend with a hard, warning glare. “He only gets dressed up when he’s found an unsuspecting lamb to lead to slaughter.”
Ben’s smiled deepened. “You know me so well, Luc.”
Elise braced her palms against Luc’s chest, gently urging him to release her. “Who is the lamb?”
Luc reluctantly released her and stepped back.
“Not who your husband thinks.” Ben pushed off from the wall. “If you would do me the honor of joining me for lunch, I shall be only too happy to explain.”
“Aren’t you having lunch with Bingley,” Luc asked, frowning.
“We are.” Ben’s golden eyes gleamed with excitement. “I finished my perusal of the schematics. You and I have something to discuss. We can do it on the way to the restaurant.”
Luc arched an eyebrow. “Are you bringing your checkbook?”
Ben pulled a blank check out of his breast pocket. “I’m not filling it out until you and I talk.”
Luc hadn’t seen Ben act this cocksure since he had found and bought his first company. “I’ll go get my
Elise smiled tremulously and pointed to the far wall, near the window. “Over there will be fine.”
Luc released her. “Come on, Calhoun. Let’s get this moved so you can get back to work.” And away from my wife. He didn’t like the admiring note in her voice at saying the geek’s name.
“Yes, sir.”
Five minutes later, the desk was positioned in what Elise declared the perfect spot. Calhoun looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion as he meandered towards the door.
“Thank you so much, Calhoun. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Elise beamed up at the overgrown computer geek.
Calhoun smiled with something Luc suspected might charm the ladies and Luc’s fist itched to pound it off his face. “My pleasure, ma’am.” He nodded politely to Luc, then hightailed it out of the office, closing the door behind him.
“Elise,” he began slowly, reigning in his jealousy. “The next time you feel the urge to—”
She halted his words by going up on tiptoes and giving him a chaste kiss. “Thank you, Lucien. The desk will do so much better over there. You’ll see.”
He caught her before she slipped away from him and hauled her into his arms, then kissed her with the pent up frustration he was about to explode with.
Luc pulled back, panting for his next breath, and mindful of the need throbbing in his body. “Darlin’, next time you want to crawl around on the floor, call me. I’ll be more than happy to oblige you.”
Elise smoothed a lock back from his forehead. “You were busy. Besides it didn’t take but a minute.”
His eyes drilled into hers. “It took more than a minute, Elise. Half of the building was gawking at you on the floor. Including your precious Calhoun.”
She blushed and leaned back in his arms. “Why, Lucien, are you jealous?”
He opened his mouth to deny her accusation, but was interrupted by the door opening after a brief knock.
“All right. None of that,” Ben said brusquely. “Some of us don’t have wives to play with in the office.”
Elise smiled at Luc’s oldest and most trustworthy friend. “Good afternoon, Ben. How are you on this fine day?”
Ben lounged against the door frame. “Hungry.” He smiled in return and Luc took back what he thought about Ben being trustworthy. He looked like a hungry wolf, eyeing Elise like she was lunch. “May I say that you are looking quite lovely today, Mrs. Masters?”
“You may and I thank you,” Elise replied airily. “You are looking quite the thing yourself, Benajah. I simply adore that tie.”
Ben smoothed a hand down his navy blue, white polka dotted tie. “You are too kind, madam. This tie is a part of my disguise.”
“Oh? And what disguise would that be?”
Luc tightened his hold on her. “Wolf in sheep’s clothing.” He pinned his friend with a hard, warning glare. “He only gets dressed up when he’s found an unsuspecting lamb to lead to slaughter.”
Ben’s smiled deepened. “You know me so well, Luc.”
Elise braced her palms against Luc’s chest, gently urging him to release her. “Who is the lamb?”
Luc reluctantly released her and stepped back.
“Not who your husband thinks.” Ben pushed off from the wall. “If you would do me the honor of joining me for lunch, I shall be only too happy to explain.”
“Aren’t you having lunch with Bingley,” Luc asked, frowning.
“We are.” Ben’s golden eyes gleamed with excitement. “I finished my perusal of the schematics. You and I have something to discuss. We can do it on the way to the restaurant.”
Luc arched an eyebrow. “Are you bringing your checkbook?”
Ben pulled a blank check out of his breast pocket. “I’m not filling it out until you and I talk.”
Luc hadn’t seen Ben act this cocksure since he had found and bought his first company. “I’ll go get my
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