keyboard. She put her hand on his shoulder to keep him in the chair and he felt the jolt all the way to his toenails.
“Oh, no,” she said. “I wouldn’t be fulfilling my duty as a teacher if I did it for you. I’ll show you what to do. You drive the mouse.”
She must have noticed where her hand was because she removed it quickly when he sat down. “Yes, ma’am. What do I do?” He managed to keep his tone matter of fact despite the small zap jolting through his body when her hand had settled on him. He also noted her sudden nervousness.
Barrett stood above him, cleared her dry throat, and tried to remain blasé as she showed him how to manipulate the screen display. She was careful not to lean over him again and to keep her hands on the chair’s high back. As soon as he had a document without all the colors and strange symbols in front of him and she suggested he tell Murchison to clean up documents before sending them, she escaped to her own desk.
What happened when she got close enough to this man to touch or smell him? She didn’t have such a reaction when she sat next to him at the dinner table. Of course, there was more distance there. But this morning at breakfast when they’d made that silly bet? Her hand had tingled from his touch all the way into the office. She’d immediately booted the computer, plugged herself into her earbuds, and started typing so she could pretend she didn’t see him when he came through for his briefcase. But she was very aware of his presence then. And now.
Don’t be an idiot . Your reactions to him are way out of line. Be professional. She shook her head at her thoughts and turned back to the stack of papers. Although she managed to make a few more entries in the catalog table, it became quickly obvious her concentration was shot when she entered the same information twice.
Damn. She didn’t have time for this sort of confusion. She leaned back in her chair and stared at the computer screen. She needed to figure this out. Analyzing a problem had always worked to clear her mind in the past. What could she conclude now from the existing data?
One: She was attracted to him. He was a good-looking, intelligent man and had turned out to be a surprisingly interesting conversationalist--witty, observant, skilled. Her first impression of him has a hard, cold negotiator was not wrong--she could still see the underlying steel in him--but he was more. She was looking forward to discovering other facets of his personality. Furthermore, his deep drawl caused her insides to shiver, and his touch make her hand tingle. And he smelled good.
Two: Was he attracted to her? She had no evidence of reciprocation at all. He certainly wasn’t flirting. He was treating her with respect and seemed interested in her work and her family history. But he didn’t seem interested in her in any male-female sort of way. He definitely hadn’t made any “moves” of any kind. Lord knew, she could recognize those from a mile away.
Three: Therefore, if there were anything going on here, it was one-sided, all on her part, and she’d wear herself out if she let herself wallow in unrequited attraction. Besides, she was too old for a crush. Why set herself up to be hurt? Been there, done that. She felt her mouth twist as she remembered the T-shirt she’d left at home, the one her sisters-in-law had given her with the words, “A Man Is Temporary. History Is Forever.”
Four: She was here to do a job, not have some sort of fling. She didn’t have the time. She had to keep her mind on her work and her goals.
Five and Decision: She would continue to work on the papers and she would be courteous and friendly with Davis, period. After all, she was a guest in his house. She had obligations to both him and the memory of his grandfather.
Finally: She couldn’t help wishing again Edgar had not passed away. It would have been so much simpler studying the papers with him at the plantation.
She looked at her
“Oh, no,” she said. “I wouldn’t be fulfilling my duty as a teacher if I did it for you. I’ll show you what to do. You drive the mouse.”
She must have noticed where her hand was because she removed it quickly when he sat down. “Yes, ma’am. What do I do?” He managed to keep his tone matter of fact despite the small zap jolting through his body when her hand had settled on him. He also noted her sudden nervousness.
Barrett stood above him, cleared her dry throat, and tried to remain blasé as she showed him how to manipulate the screen display. She was careful not to lean over him again and to keep her hands on the chair’s high back. As soon as he had a document without all the colors and strange symbols in front of him and she suggested he tell Murchison to clean up documents before sending them, she escaped to her own desk.
What happened when she got close enough to this man to touch or smell him? She didn’t have such a reaction when she sat next to him at the dinner table. Of course, there was more distance there. But this morning at breakfast when they’d made that silly bet? Her hand had tingled from his touch all the way into the office. She’d immediately booted the computer, plugged herself into her earbuds, and started typing so she could pretend she didn’t see him when he came through for his briefcase. But she was very aware of his presence then. And now.
Don’t be an idiot . Your reactions to him are way out of line. Be professional. She shook her head at her thoughts and turned back to the stack of papers. Although she managed to make a few more entries in the catalog table, it became quickly obvious her concentration was shot when she entered the same information twice.
Damn. She didn’t have time for this sort of confusion. She leaned back in her chair and stared at the computer screen. She needed to figure this out. Analyzing a problem had always worked to clear her mind in the past. What could she conclude now from the existing data?
One: She was attracted to him. He was a good-looking, intelligent man and had turned out to be a surprisingly interesting conversationalist--witty, observant, skilled. Her first impression of him has a hard, cold negotiator was not wrong--she could still see the underlying steel in him--but he was more. She was looking forward to discovering other facets of his personality. Furthermore, his deep drawl caused her insides to shiver, and his touch make her hand tingle. And he smelled good.
Two: Was he attracted to her? She had no evidence of reciprocation at all. He certainly wasn’t flirting. He was treating her with respect and seemed interested in her work and her family history. But he didn’t seem interested in her in any male-female sort of way. He definitely hadn’t made any “moves” of any kind. Lord knew, she could recognize those from a mile away.
Three: Therefore, if there were anything going on here, it was one-sided, all on her part, and she’d wear herself out if she let herself wallow in unrequited attraction. Besides, she was too old for a crush. Why set herself up to be hurt? Been there, done that. She felt her mouth twist as she remembered the T-shirt she’d left at home, the one her sisters-in-law had given her with the words, “A Man Is Temporary. History Is Forever.”
Four: She was here to do a job, not have some sort of fling. She didn’t have the time. She had to keep her mind on her work and her goals.
Five and Decision: She would continue to work on the papers and she would be courteous and friendly with Davis, period. After all, she was a guest in his house. She had obligations to both him and the memory of his grandfather.
Finally: She couldn’t help wishing again Edgar had not passed away. It would have been so much simpler studying the papers with him at the plantation.
She looked at her
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