my eyes and hoped he couldn’t feel the trembles rushing from my pinky toes to temple.
“Sweet dreams, Linc.”
Bright sunlight woke me. Pillow shoved to the side, I looked for a clock. Ugh, adjusting to a new schedule stunk. My usual bedtime had been around midnight, but now it didn’t come until two thirty. On days I had to be at the Millers’ by seven, the less than five hours of sleep left me feeling hung over, and I didn’t even drink anything. Thank goodness I’d reserved Tuesdays and Thursdays for bookkeeping, giving me a chance to sleep in. When daylight hit me though, my brain didn’t agree, it decided I had enough and wanted me to get up. Great, so much for that plan.
I threw on my dress and entered the cook’s dream kitchen. A note taped to the best appliance in the world caught my attention. Someone should encapsulate coffee makers in gold or platinum since they provided a treasure the majority of the population couldn’t live without.
Holy crap, a tan mug with a green “S” on it had me grabbing the counter and my chest at the same time, a shaking hand on each. Dang it, why did he do that? If I had experience, I’d know what it meant. In two days, I’d received a brand new wardrobe, a rent-free apartment, and an interior designer who had plans to paint and install new flooring and furniture. Now this. The small gesture meant more to me than all the rest. Often, the unplanned, spontaneous deeds were the type that brought immeasurable joy and in some instances, instilled hope.
Focus, Serena — you’re here for one reason. Falling for a man is not in the plan.
I needed to guard my inexperienced heart. Otherwise, I’d end up devastated when living here came to an end.
He’s my boss, being nice. That’s all. It’s no big deal, right?
I fisted my hand and used it to knock some sense into my brain. A busy day ahead of me, I walked back to my apartment with a full mug repeating, he’s a good guy, he’d do it for anybody, it doesn’t mean anything.
Oldies rock fueled my mad typing skills as I hammered away at the accounts. Several abrupt knocks stopped my bobbing head and progress. When I opened the door, my stomach took an immediate three-and-a-half inward somersault dive. A sweaty, flushed Linc stood there with his arms spread across the narrow doorway, splaying him like an eagle soaring through the sky. He grabbed me around the waist and hauled me forward, kissing me with such vigor, I had to hold on to his hot, wet neck for dear life so I wouldn’t fall as he tilted me backward.
“You aren’t in my bed. What the hell?”
I stared, lips parted, still bent backward with his gorgeous, sticky body melting mine. Caught in his all-consuming, mind-bending spell, I couldn’t figure out my name, the day, year, or even recite the alphabet. All my brain saw or could say— Linc, Linc, Linc .
My eyes did function though, and noticed two protruding nipples on his skintight T-shirt. If I took a nip right there, what would it taste like? By some miracle his question registered, and I responded after a lengthy pause. “Didn’t you see what I wrote on your note?”
“No. When you weren’t there, I came here.” He clasped his hand in mine and pulled me into the living room, setting me on his lap. Wrapped in his arms, his body heat warmed me up even though his damp shirt seeped through mine. I couldn’t care less.
“I had invoices to work on.”
He nodded and stared in my eyes. I could see the wheels spinning in his brain, formulating something. “Do you like accounting?”
“Yeah, it’s what I’d like to do full-time.”
His hold tightened on my ribs. “Why’d you quit school?”
I wasn’t expecting that, or the gigantic hole bursting wide open in my heart when he asked it. Avoidance became my best option, and the turquoise butterflies flitting across the computer screensaver looked fascinating enough, better than his expectant stare. When I didn’t answer, he grasped
“Sweet dreams, Linc.”
Bright sunlight woke me. Pillow shoved to the side, I looked for a clock. Ugh, adjusting to a new schedule stunk. My usual bedtime had been around midnight, but now it didn’t come until two thirty. On days I had to be at the Millers’ by seven, the less than five hours of sleep left me feeling hung over, and I didn’t even drink anything. Thank goodness I’d reserved Tuesdays and Thursdays for bookkeeping, giving me a chance to sleep in. When daylight hit me though, my brain didn’t agree, it decided I had enough and wanted me to get up. Great, so much for that plan.
I threw on my dress and entered the cook’s dream kitchen. A note taped to the best appliance in the world caught my attention. Someone should encapsulate coffee makers in gold or platinum since they provided a treasure the majority of the population couldn’t live without.
Holy crap, a tan mug with a green “S” on it had me grabbing the counter and my chest at the same time, a shaking hand on each. Dang it, why did he do that? If I had experience, I’d know what it meant. In two days, I’d received a brand new wardrobe, a rent-free apartment, and an interior designer who had plans to paint and install new flooring and furniture. Now this. The small gesture meant more to me than all the rest. Often, the unplanned, spontaneous deeds were the type that brought immeasurable joy and in some instances, instilled hope.
Focus, Serena — you’re here for one reason. Falling for a man is not in the plan.
I needed to guard my inexperienced heart. Otherwise, I’d end up devastated when living here came to an end.
He’s my boss, being nice. That’s all. It’s no big deal, right?
I fisted my hand and used it to knock some sense into my brain. A busy day ahead of me, I walked back to my apartment with a full mug repeating, he’s a good guy, he’d do it for anybody, it doesn’t mean anything.
Oldies rock fueled my mad typing skills as I hammered away at the accounts. Several abrupt knocks stopped my bobbing head and progress. When I opened the door, my stomach took an immediate three-and-a-half inward somersault dive. A sweaty, flushed Linc stood there with his arms spread across the narrow doorway, splaying him like an eagle soaring through the sky. He grabbed me around the waist and hauled me forward, kissing me with such vigor, I had to hold on to his hot, wet neck for dear life so I wouldn’t fall as he tilted me backward.
“You aren’t in my bed. What the hell?”
I stared, lips parted, still bent backward with his gorgeous, sticky body melting mine. Caught in his all-consuming, mind-bending spell, I couldn’t figure out my name, the day, year, or even recite the alphabet. All my brain saw or could say— Linc, Linc, Linc .
My eyes did function though, and noticed two protruding nipples on his skintight T-shirt. If I took a nip right there, what would it taste like? By some miracle his question registered, and I responded after a lengthy pause. “Didn’t you see what I wrote on your note?”
“No. When you weren’t there, I came here.” He clasped his hand in mine and pulled me into the living room, setting me on his lap. Wrapped in his arms, his body heat warmed me up even though his damp shirt seeped through mine. I couldn’t care less.
“I had invoices to work on.”
He nodded and stared in my eyes. I could see the wheels spinning in his brain, formulating something. “Do you like accounting?”
“Yeah, it’s what I’d like to do full-time.”
His hold tightened on my ribs. “Why’d you quit school?”
I wasn’t expecting that, or the gigantic hole bursting wide open in my heart when he asked it. Avoidance became my best option, and the turquoise butterflies flitting across the computer screensaver looked fascinating enough, better than his expectant stare. When I didn’t answer, he grasped
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