Swerve by Amarinda Jones Page B

life. The thought that he might scare her away, made Simon want to be careful how he handled his romance with this woman. “What did he want?”
    “You and he have a lot of attitude,” Mary responded, hands on her hips, her tone less than respectful when it came to her employer.
    “Mary scared him away,” Duane interjected. “If we’ve lost a shed sale because of her—”
    “Oh, shut up, Duane.”
    “You can’t talk to me like that.”
    Simon almost smiled. He loved spirit in a woman. Mary had it to burn. “Yes, she can.” Employee relations and team building were not on his agenda. Mary was.
    “I need to talk to you.”
    She arched her eyebrow. “A ‘talk’ like last night?”
    Yes. “No—maybe. Would you want to do that again?” It wasn’t a subject he should have brought up. Too many people were watching them. Simon didn’t care what they thought of him, however Mary’s reputation was different.
    “Did you need me to call you a taxi?”
    Simon had no intention of being ushered out of her life. “Do you have a car?”
    He smiled when he saw the surprise in her eyes.
    “Yes, but—”
    Simon went around to her side of the desk and took her hand. He liked the way it instantly curled into his like it belonged. “Let’s go for a drive. I want to show you something.”
    “But I have to work—”
    “I’m the boss, Mary. I make the rules.” Simon waited for her to pick up her car keys and he walked her out of the office. As they shut the door, Mary heard what her colleagues said.
    “I knew she was sleeping with him.”
    “She’s such a stuck up tart.”
    “My mother does need me.”
    Mary looked at Simon. “Please tell me you’re going to sack them.”
    “Oh yeah, they’re gone.” He had already made that decision long before he met Mary. It was one of the main reasons he had come to Cairns.
    “Because they said mean things about me?”
    “No, because they’re useless.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Simon felt the shiver that ran through her body. “What small people say about us is not important because they’re not important. Besides I know you can hold your own against them.”
    “Who are you?”
    “Why do you keep asking that?”
    “You’re real, but you’re not.”
    Simon placed the palm of her hand on his chest. “Feel that. I’m real. I’m yours.” The sweet surprise in her eyes warmed his heart. He knew he had confused her when he had first come into the office. But then, he wanted to create a distance as he was there to confront Vernon. Now? He was hers completely and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Mary. “I want to show you something that will help you understand who I am.”
    Simon’s dick was buried deep inside Mary. Her legs were wrapped around his waist holding him close and tight as if she never wanted him to leave her body. This was who he was. He was Mary’s man. He wanted her to know it and believe it.
    After they had left the office, he had been going to show her the half door at the post office and explain what he really did in life and the stuff that meant more to him than amassing wealth. But he changed his mind. Simon wanted Mary to take in what extravagance and luxury could be bought with the money he had. He needed to see her reaction to it. While her eyes had widened as he had stopped at, then ushered her into the most ridiculously opulent penthouse his Sydney office had hired for his stay in Cairns, after she took it all in, Mary just stood and looked at him.
    “Wow.”
    “Impressed?”
    She looked thoughtful as she glanced around one more time. “Not really.”
    Simon chuckled. In his heart he knew that was exactly what she would say
    “Why not?”
    “It’s just a building and people are more than just what they own.”
    He reached out and took her hand. “So you’re not overawed by my money or what it could buy you?”
    “No, I mean I like money, but in the end it’s not everything.” She curled her