“Ooh, Colby!” Didi turned with a smile. “What a good boy you are. I’ll make sure I get you a set. I was at a scrapbooking party and decided it would be a fun way to help everyone remember the rules. I even found the cutest little sticker to go with ‘no recording devices’.”
Dean groaned. “Is that why I have cut-out flowers and sparkles all over the damn thing?”
“Language, Mr. Colter. How many times do I have to remind you?”
“With Dean? At least a million more,” Parker offered. “Spill the details, or let’s get on with it. We’ve got work to do.”
“I don’t know what you’re all making such a fuss about. The mark went into a massage center. I followed her. End of story.”
“Nearly end,” Gillian teased. “For some reason Dean decided he needed to actually get a full-body massage, which meant when the fire alarm went off and the building was evacuated, he ended up outside wearing nothing but a towel.” Her dark eyes twinkled at Jack before she went back to complete seriousness. “It wasn’t his fault that woman tripped and ended up pulling his towel off.”
“And on today’s agenda…?” Dean lifted his head from where he’d rested it in his hands while Gillian spoke. “Parker, do you mind?”
Jack’s best friend had grown soft, his recent love life mellowing him—Parker took pity on Dean and changed the topic.
“Three major projects we’re working on.” Parker nodded in his direction. “Jack, Charlene is supposed to be in the office this afternoon with more information about the end-of-summer gala. Pepper, if you can take some time from your other assignments to sit in with them that would be great. Charlene has more ideas for that slideshow, and I’d love to get your opinion of how we can best execute them.”
“Okeydokey with me.” Pepper held up a file folder in the air. “I’m working on the brochures and flyers you requested. I need to know, does anybody need new business cards?”
Gillian and Colby held up their hands, as well as Didi.
Pepper turned to Jack. “You already have something?”
“The three of us got cards made up the first year. I’m good.”
“What about for Big—?”
Shit.
“No problems with the gala birthday,” Jack interrupted, the feigned look of innocence on Pepper’s face all too clearly showing what she had planned on asking. Minx.
While the rest of the meeting was fairly standard, Jack was very cognizant of two things. One, he was glad Colby and Gillian had joined the crew as the workload before him dwindled to manageable amounts. Especially considering the second thing—he had nowhere near gotten Pepper out of his system. He swore he could smell her skin even though she sat down the table from him. Every time the woman spoke it was like she was running her fingers up the back of his neck. Or over his cock.
In fact, walking down the hallway after the meeting into his office, his mind was full of pretty much nothing except ways to get her to join him for a quickie. Desk sex sounded damn good right about then.
He hadn’t had nearly enough time to work up a good plan when Parker stuck his head around the doorframe. Jack shoved all the dirty fantasies aside and focused on conveying a “do not let it show on my face that I’m thinking about rocking your sister’s world” look to his best friend. “Can I help you?”
“If you have some time before you meet with Charlene, could you help me do something about the smell outside the back door?”
“Smell?” Jack strode to the door and joined Parker as they headed to the back. “Are you talking about in the parking area? I parked out front today.”
“I think we all did. I only noticed when I went to grab some stuff for Pepper from the storage shed.”
“Don’t blame me.” Pepper looked up with interest from where she’d set up her computers in the staff area near the back door. She rose to her feet and followed them. “I didn’t do it.”
Her brother sighed. “I didn’t accuse you of anything.”
“But you looked at me funny.”
“For fuck’s sake, don’t start that again, Pepper.”
Pepper grinned. “I’m telling Mom you swore.”
Even though it was lighthearted, Jack still felt an edge of unease along his spine as the two siblings bantered. It was like walking into a time machine, the good and the horrific. He ignored the worst memories and tried to focus on the childishness of what he was hearing. “If one of you tries the ‘he started it’ spiel, I’m telling your mom myself.”
Parker pushed open the back door, and a dose of fragrance hit Jack like a two-by-four. He must have grunted, or made some kind of noise, because Parker pulled him forward rapidly, Pepper joining them. She shoved the door shut and they didn’t stop moving until they were standing in the middle of the parking lot behind the building.
“It’s rather overwhelming, isn’t it?” Parker asked.
Jack’s eyes were watering. “What is it?”