wasn’t about to reveal his feelings for Stella either. When she was close, he couldn’t think. And when she spoke, she hit his sweet spot. Damn. He didn’t want to be attracted to Stella Matson. But how does a guy turn off an attraction he didn’t knowingly start in the first place?
Steve jabbed him with the pointy end of a pencil. “It’s Stella, isn’t it?”
“Keep your voice down, Benson.”
“Oh shit! I’m right. It is Stella. Woo-hoo! Alex Clay is back.” Steve scooted closer. “Are you going to ask her out?”
“No.” Alex squirmed in his chair, already uneasy with the conversation.
“You obviously want to.”
Alex shoved away from the desk. “Not a good idea.”
“Why the hell not? You’re not going to be in the department long so it won’t get awkward.”
“Mixing business with pleasure has a way of biting you in the ass.”
“Who the hell are you?” Steve snickered. “The Alex I know would go after that without a second thought.”
“That’s just it, dammit. I’ve had my fill of meaningless relationships. I want something solid.”
“Who’s stopping you from solid?”
“If you laugh I swear I’ll deck you.”
“Calm down. I’m not laughing.”
Best friend or not, he didn’t want to discuss this with Steve, yet it’s exactly what he wanted to do. Maybe Steve could sort it out. Alex ran his hands over his face. “I’m selfish, Steve. I want it all – a great relationship and a great job.”
Steve drew his brows together. “Marc doesn’t have any rules about dating co-workers. Besides, you aren’t even sure you want to stay with the company.”
“The bottom line is I should leave her alone.”
Steve closed his eyes half-way. “You can work anywhere, but there’s only one Stella.” He shrugged. “Decide which one you can’t live without.” He stood up and slapped Alex on the back. “Don’t forget about cards tonight.”
After Steve left, Alex gave his file cabinet a frustrated kick and it echoed loud enough for the whole floor to hear. He leaned out of his cubicle to gauge the reaction and locked gazes with Stella.
Without her glasses on, the light hit her eyes just right and they reminded him of emeralds shimmering in the sun. Alex laughed without making a sound. He thought of himself as romantic, but by no stretch of the imagination did fluff like shimmering emeralds ever pop in his head. His brain fired more fluff when he admired her wealth of curls and how they hung wildly around her shoulders. Stella had the sexiest, most alluring head of hair he’d seen in a very long time. His eyes traveled to her mouth and the word luscious came to mind. Her lips were parted, inviting him over for a taste. Desire scuttled in, took him over and he tried to mask it with a frown. “Not enough room in here for me and my size thirteen’s.” Lame. But he had to say something.
“It sounded like you were getting your wish.”
“My wish?”
She grinned. “An escape hatch.”
He liked when she teased. It took his carnal thoughts deeper. He pictured her staring up at him with that same look while she was lying naked beneath him. Alex gave his head and thoughts a subtle shake. “It’s still a good idea.” His mouth jumped ten blocks ahead of him. “What are you doing for lunch?”
The question surprised them both.
Alex detected a slight quiver in her answer.
“My friend is bringing Chinese food. I could have her pick up some extra and you could join us.”
“Maybe another time.”
Stella gave him a pearly, white smile and wheeled back to her desk.
Alex also wheeled back into his cubicle to figure out what just happened. On one hand he was tickled to get whatever scrap of attention she threw his way. On the other hand his reaction to it affirmed what he already knew – nothing in his entire being seemed to be working in synch. It was like his brain and body were separate entities. While his brain put out rational impulses to stop this thing from
Steve jabbed him with the pointy end of a pencil. “It’s Stella, isn’t it?”
“Keep your voice down, Benson.”
“Oh shit! I’m right. It is Stella. Woo-hoo! Alex Clay is back.” Steve scooted closer. “Are you going to ask her out?”
“No.” Alex squirmed in his chair, already uneasy with the conversation.
“You obviously want to.”
Alex shoved away from the desk. “Not a good idea.”
“Why the hell not? You’re not going to be in the department long so it won’t get awkward.”
“Mixing business with pleasure has a way of biting you in the ass.”
“Who the hell are you?” Steve snickered. “The Alex I know would go after that without a second thought.”
“That’s just it, dammit. I’ve had my fill of meaningless relationships. I want something solid.”
“Who’s stopping you from solid?”
“If you laugh I swear I’ll deck you.”
“Calm down. I’m not laughing.”
Best friend or not, he didn’t want to discuss this with Steve, yet it’s exactly what he wanted to do. Maybe Steve could sort it out. Alex ran his hands over his face. “I’m selfish, Steve. I want it all – a great relationship and a great job.”
Steve drew his brows together. “Marc doesn’t have any rules about dating co-workers. Besides, you aren’t even sure you want to stay with the company.”
“The bottom line is I should leave her alone.”
Steve closed his eyes half-way. “You can work anywhere, but there’s only one Stella.” He shrugged. “Decide which one you can’t live without.” He stood up and slapped Alex on the back. “Don’t forget about cards tonight.”
After Steve left, Alex gave his file cabinet a frustrated kick and it echoed loud enough for the whole floor to hear. He leaned out of his cubicle to gauge the reaction and locked gazes with Stella.
Without her glasses on, the light hit her eyes just right and they reminded him of emeralds shimmering in the sun. Alex laughed without making a sound. He thought of himself as romantic, but by no stretch of the imagination did fluff like shimmering emeralds ever pop in his head. His brain fired more fluff when he admired her wealth of curls and how they hung wildly around her shoulders. Stella had the sexiest, most alluring head of hair he’d seen in a very long time. His eyes traveled to her mouth and the word luscious came to mind. Her lips were parted, inviting him over for a taste. Desire scuttled in, took him over and he tried to mask it with a frown. “Not enough room in here for me and my size thirteen’s.” Lame. But he had to say something.
“It sounded like you were getting your wish.”
“My wish?”
She grinned. “An escape hatch.”
He liked when she teased. It took his carnal thoughts deeper. He pictured her staring up at him with that same look while she was lying naked beneath him. Alex gave his head and thoughts a subtle shake. “It’s still a good idea.” His mouth jumped ten blocks ahead of him. “What are you doing for lunch?”
The question surprised them both.
Alex detected a slight quiver in her answer.
“My friend is bringing Chinese food. I could have her pick up some extra and you could join us.”
“Maybe another time.”
Stella gave him a pearly, white smile and wheeled back to her desk.
Alex also wheeled back into his cubicle to figure out what just happened. On one hand he was tickled to get whatever scrap of attention she threw his way. On the other hand his reaction to it affirmed what he already knew – nothing in his entire being seemed to be working in synch. It was like his brain and body were separate entities. While his brain put out rational impulses to stop this thing from
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