here imagining it, she’d make herself nuts. Never mind that’s where her mind had been all morning, and now it was one o’clock and she still couldn’t stop thinking about him. She had Crimson Lady code up on her computer, staring at it blankly, unable to wrap her mind around the events of last night.
Evan Rocco was a serious mistake.
A soft knock announced a visitor, and before she could speak, her office door opened and Neil’s smiling face came around the doorframe.
“Hey there, Paige. Have you eaten?” He held up bags of take-out, and her stomach rumbled in appreciation.
Grateful for the distraction from the distraction that was keeping her from working, she beamed at him. “Not yet. What did you bring?”
“Burritos. That okay?”
“Of course!” She cleared her desk of papers and her laptop to make room for the enormous packages Neil was unwrapping.
They sat and ate, Paige wondering why she couldn’t like Neil as more than friends. Really, he was the only friend she had outside of work. It was just so hard to have a social life when she was working so hard. And The Crimson Lady had taken priority these last few months. Neil had sort of forced his friendship on her, and she welcomed it. At the moment, it was a reprieve from Evan.
She studied him, watching his fastidious neatness—the way he licked the tips of his fingers daintily before wiping them and his mouth on the napkin between each bite he took. He was a nice looking guy, if a little faux. His blond hair was too evenly colored to be natural, and it didn’t quite match his skin tone. She could tell he worked out, but his trim figure was always clad in long sleeves, as if he were hiding something. She wondered if he was scarred or something. She’d never asked.
“You want to go biking in the morning? I just discovered some trails at Barton Springs that look like they’d be fun.”
They’d been biking together before, another time when he’d worn long sleeves. She shrugged. “I’ve been really sporadic with my biking lately.” Pointing to her laptop, she continued, “Busy with work stuff. I’ve got to get this Lady off my system.”
“She’s really got you, hasn’t she?” A gleam came to Neil’s eyes, and she wasn’t sure where it came from, but when he stood and walked around behind her, she realized it was the opportunity to touch her that got him so excited.
He started rubbing her shoulders, slow and hard, just like she liked it, and she moaned her encouragement. Honestly, Neil was a nice guy, attentive, and reminded her a lot of Dale in some ways. Why wasn’t she attracted to him? Maybe it was because he reminded her of her old friend, and she’d definitely discovered she had never really been attracted to Dale.
“You’re tied up in knots…” he muttered, but she couldn’t see his face, as her eyes were closed in total rapture. His fingers kneaded the muscles of her shoulders like a pro.
“That feels good.” She tried to relax as he massaged her muscles, but her laptop was staring at her from the corner of her desk as if it was accusing her of not focusing on the task at hand. She had to stop thinking about boys and get busy.
With a sigh, she sat up straighter, using nonverbal cues to get Neil to stop rubbing her. He did, but left his hands in place, not moving.
“I’ve got to get back to work. Thanks for lunch. I’ll repay you as soon as all this is over. When I have time, I’ll take you to Flemings to make up for all the lunches you’ve brought me in the last few weeks. Deal?” She tried to flash him a smile, but he hadn’t moved from behind her. He was still clutching her shoulders.
“Deal. I’m going to hold you to that, Paige,” he whispered in her ear. He finally released her after a brief squeeze and walked around to the other side of the desk.
Paige watched him leave, wondering, yet again, why she didn’t feel that spark with Neil. It was obvious he wanted more than friendship from her,
Evan Rocco was a serious mistake.
A soft knock announced a visitor, and before she could speak, her office door opened and Neil’s smiling face came around the doorframe.
“Hey there, Paige. Have you eaten?” He held up bags of take-out, and her stomach rumbled in appreciation.
Grateful for the distraction from the distraction that was keeping her from working, she beamed at him. “Not yet. What did you bring?”
“Burritos. That okay?”
“Of course!” She cleared her desk of papers and her laptop to make room for the enormous packages Neil was unwrapping.
They sat and ate, Paige wondering why she couldn’t like Neil as more than friends. Really, he was the only friend she had outside of work. It was just so hard to have a social life when she was working so hard. And The Crimson Lady had taken priority these last few months. Neil had sort of forced his friendship on her, and she welcomed it. At the moment, it was a reprieve from Evan.
She studied him, watching his fastidious neatness—the way he licked the tips of his fingers daintily before wiping them and his mouth on the napkin between each bite he took. He was a nice looking guy, if a little faux. His blond hair was too evenly colored to be natural, and it didn’t quite match his skin tone. She could tell he worked out, but his trim figure was always clad in long sleeves, as if he were hiding something. She wondered if he was scarred or something. She’d never asked.
“You want to go biking in the morning? I just discovered some trails at Barton Springs that look like they’d be fun.”
They’d been biking together before, another time when he’d worn long sleeves. She shrugged. “I’ve been really sporadic with my biking lately.” Pointing to her laptop, she continued, “Busy with work stuff. I’ve got to get this Lady off my system.”
“She’s really got you, hasn’t she?” A gleam came to Neil’s eyes, and she wasn’t sure where it came from, but when he stood and walked around behind her, she realized it was the opportunity to touch her that got him so excited.
He started rubbing her shoulders, slow and hard, just like she liked it, and she moaned her encouragement. Honestly, Neil was a nice guy, attentive, and reminded her a lot of Dale in some ways. Why wasn’t she attracted to him? Maybe it was because he reminded her of her old friend, and she’d definitely discovered she had never really been attracted to Dale.
“You’re tied up in knots…” he muttered, but she couldn’t see his face, as her eyes were closed in total rapture. His fingers kneaded the muscles of her shoulders like a pro.
“That feels good.” She tried to relax as he massaged her muscles, but her laptop was staring at her from the corner of her desk as if it was accusing her of not focusing on the task at hand. She had to stop thinking about boys and get busy.
With a sigh, she sat up straighter, using nonverbal cues to get Neil to stop rubbing her. He did, but left his hands in place, not moving.
“I’ve got to get back to work. Thanks for lunch. I’ll repay you as soon as all this is over. When I have time, I’ll take you to Flemings to make up for all the lunches you’ve brought me in the last few weeks. Deal?” She tried to flash him a smile, but he hadn’t moved from behind her. He was still clutching her shoulders.
“Deal. I’m going to hold you to that, Paige,” he whispered in her ear. He finally released her after a brief squeeze and walked around to the other side of the desk.
Paige watched him leave, wondering, yet again, why she didn’t feel that spark with Neil. It was obvious he wanted more than friendship from her,
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