thing. She wasn't even sure George had made her come. God only knew he'd never made her pant the way Eric did, just by glancing at her.
"I bet he was no Eric Lord.” Sheila's eyes grew dreamy, as she made the comparison already in Maia's head. “Such hair. Such height. Such a sculpted chest."
Maia felt herself grow warm at Sheila's enthusiastic description. “We haven't seen his chest. We don't know if it's sculpted."
"Sometimes you just know,” Sheila replied wistfully. “Besides, Maia, he kissed you!"
"He's our boss!"
"He obviously doesn't care!"
"Anyway,” Dino said. “You can't deny the way he looks at you. All steamy, like he's wondering what your daisy looks like."
Maia scowled. “Don't be silly. He's barely said three civil words to me since the pub. If he were interested, don't you think he would have sought me out by now?"
She felt her chest constrict even as she said the words. For two whole days, she'd done little else but mull over Eric's scorching kiss. And as much as she was scared of where it would take them, she'd gone to work the next day dying to see him again. But when he did talk to her, his displeasure just radiated from him. If he liked her, wouldn't he have shown it? Wouldn't he ask her out again? Or did he expect her to show up on the executive floor, offering him her body on a very hefty platter?
As disturbingly tempting as the thought was, she would never have done it.
He probably regretted their kiss as much as she couldn't get it out of her head. And now he clearly loathed seeing her. She reminded him of his temporary mental lapse.
"Anyway,” she continued quietly. “I don't even know if I like him. He took my statue."
"Sweetie,” Dino said, coming over to put his arm around her shoulder. He tipped her head up and looked into her eyes with great empathy. “You can't fuck a statue. At least not at that angle. You'd at least have to tip it onto its back first, and as a conservator, I can't recommend it."
"Argh,” Maia growled as Sheila exploded into laughter. She pushed Dino's arm away. “Let me finish my work. And would you both please stop talking about Eric Lord and the stupid kiss which never should have happened!"
"Maia?"
They all turned and saw Eric leaning against the door to the conservation office. Grinning at her, eyes hooded.
Like one frantic body, Dino and Sheila got up and ran from the office, muttering something about break time. Maia gulped, feeling very small and very hot. She stared at her desk, wishing she could shrink Alice in Wonderland-style and escape into one of its tiny drawers.
"I, uh, hope I'm not disturbing your work,” he said, his voice low and sensual.
She retreated even further into herself. He was so going to fire her.
Eric stared at her, conscious of her great discomfort. And feeling it himself. After two days of trying to clear his head, he'd hoped the sight of her wouldn't unsettle him, but it did. And he didn't even know why. She was a mess.
A gorgeous mess.
She had her dark hair down today, but she had pencils stuck behind both ears, ready to tuck into her hair in case she threw it up into a disheveled bun. Her slim T-shirt was taut against her full breasts, but bore the picture of another silly character. The intellectual Velma from Scooby-Doo .
Surprise, surprise.
She was also wearing beige capri pants which showed off her shapely legs, and an intriguing mole on her right ankle. But the pants were covered in dirt from her work. And she had on yet another pair of plastic crocs. These ones bright orange. He could see her purple toenails through the peepholes in the shoes. To top off the whole crazy ensemble, she was wearing a strand of violet love beads around her neck.
Love beads!
He drew near. Despite himself, he fingered the beads, letting his fingers graze her collar bone. “Do you even own anything from this era?"
He backed away when he realized he'd practically barked the question at her. Gods, he was shaking! And he
"I bet he was no Eric Lord.” Sheila's eyes grew dreamy, as she made the comparison already in Maia's head. “Such hair. Such height. Such a sculpted chest."
Maia felt herself grow warm at Sheila's enthusiastic description. “We haven't seen his chest. We don't know if it's sculpted."
"Sometimes you just know,” Sheila replied wistfully. “Besides, Maia, he kissed you!"
"He's our boss!"
"He obviously doesn't care!"
"Anyway,” Dino said. “You can't deny the way he looks at you. All steamy, like he's wondering what your daisy looks like."
Maia scowled. “Don't be silly. He's barely said three civil words to me since the pub. If he were interested, don't you think he would have sought me out by now?"
She felt her chest constrict even as she said the words. For two whole days, she'd done little else but mull over Eric's scorching kiss. And as much as she was scared of where it would take them, she'd gone to work the next day dying to see him again. But when he did talk to her, his displeasure just radiated from him. If he liked her, wouldn't he have shown it? Wouldn't he ask her out again? Or did he expect her to show up on the executive floor, offering him her body on a very hefty platter?
As disturbingly tempting as the thought was, she would never have done it.
He probably regretted their kiss as much as she couldn't get it out of her head. And now he clearly loathed seeing her. She reminded him of his temporary mental lapse.
"Anyway,” she continued quietly. “I don't even know if I like him. He took my statue."
"Sweetie,” Dino said, coming over to put his arm around her shoulder. He tipped her head up and looked into her eyes with great empathy. “You can't fuck a statue. At least not at that angle. You'd at least have to tip it onto its back first, and as a conservator, I can't recommend it."
"Argh,” Maia growled as Sheila exploded into laughter. She pushed Dino's arm away. “Let me finish my work. And would you both please stop talking about Eric Lord and the stupid kiss which never should have happened!"
"Maia?"
They all turned and saw Eric leaning against the door to the conservation office. Grinning at her, eyes hooded.
Like one frantic body, Dino and Sheila got up and ran from the office, muttering something about break time. Maia gulped, feeling very small and very hot. She stared at her desk, wishing she could shrink Alice in Wonderland-style and escape into one of its tiny drawers.
"I, uh, hope I'm not disturbing your work,” he said, his voice low and sensual.
She retreated even further into herself. He was so going to fire her.
Eric stared at her, conscious of her great discomfort. And feeling it himself. After two days of trying to clear his head, he'd hoped the sight of her wouldn't unsettle him, but it did. And he didn't even know why. She was a mess.
A gorgeous mess.
She had her dark hair down today, but she had pencils stuck behind both ears, ready to tuck into her hair in case she threw it up into a disheveled bun. Her slim T-shirt was taut against her full breasts, but bore the picture of another silly character. The intellectual Velma from Scooby-Doo .
Surprise, surprise.
She was also wearing beige capri pants which showed off her shapely legs, and an intriguing mole on her right ankle. But the pants were covered in dirt from her work. And she had on yet another pair of plastic crocs. These ones bright orange. He could see her purple toenails through the peepholes in the shoes. To top off the whole crazy ensemble, she was wearing a strand of violet love beads around her neck.
Love beads!
He drew near. Despite himself, he fingered the beads, letting his fingers graze her collar bone. “Do you even own anything from this era?"
He backed away when he realized he'd practically barked the question at her. Gods, he was shaking! And he
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