“I’ll be right back,” he cut in, his throat so tight he was surprised he managed to say a single word.
Before she could respond, he spun around and marched into his office, closing the door behind him. He sagged against it, taking a long, bewildered breath. What the fuck? He was harder than a damn two-by-four—all because Maddie had shown up to work in something other than jeans and a baggy T-shirt.
As his cock twitched relentlessly, he dragged both hands through his hair and drew in another breath. He was only reacting this way because he hadn’t had sex in a while. That had to be it, right? A pair of nice tits and long shapely legs would do that to a guy who’d been celibate for a few months. It had nothing to do with Maddie, or how startlingly hot she looked today. Because really, it was Maddie. His assistant. His closest friend. Of course he wasn’t attracted to her. He’d be an idiot if he was.
You’d be an idiot to lust over a hot chick?
He faltered, clenching his teeth. “It’s Maddie,” he hissed to himself.
Not that there was anything wrong with her. She was one of the most intelligent people he knew, she was funny, kind, patient. She listened to his complaints, made him clutch his side in uncontrollable laughter, watched football with him on the occasional Sunday. She wasn’t one of the women he played around with, and her friendship meant a lot to him.
Which was why he was determined to rein in this weird rush of desire. He wasn’t allowed to feel shit like that for Maddie Wilson.
Inhaling deeply, he raked his hands through his hair a few more times, just to release the frustration, and then he willed away his erection and left the office. Maddie was sitting behind the desk when he came out, her fingers moving across the computer keyboard while her brown-eyed gaze focused on the monitor.
Putting on a pleasant smile, Owen gave an overly casual tilt of the head and said, “What were you saying about the Hastings job?”
Un-freaking-believable.
Maddie could barely control the anger seething inside her as she slid out of the passenger seat of Owen’s truck and followed him toward the company’s latest job. Despite her not-quite-business attire, she’d worn a pair of comfortable black flats with the knowledge that they would be visiting the site. As they walked up the sawdust-covered path toward the log house up ahead, she resisted the urge to slip one shoe off and hurl it at the back of Owen Bishop’s head.
He hadn’t so much as looked at her since they’d left the office. It had been such a promising start—she’d had to fight back laughter when Owen had stared at her with wide gray eyes, as if he didn’t even recognize her. In that moment, she’d even glimpsed a flash of desire in those eyes. He’d liked what he’d seen, she was sure of it. But then he’d stormed into his office, and when he came out, he’d turned into an expressionless robot, treating her like a stranger, like a random employee he’d only hired a day ago.
And to think of all the trouble she’d gone to for that jerk. She’d spent three hours at the salon in Denver while Charlotte and Lexie teased her as they watched everyone poke and prod at her like a medical guinea pig. She’d gotten a haircut, endured a leg wax, bikini wax, eyebrow wax—God, so much damn wax—followed by a makeup-applying lesson, a mani-pedi, and then a two-hour shopping spree in which the two women had convinced her to purchase enough clothing to supply a Goodwill store.
The day in Denver had been tedious, but this morning she’d stood in front of the mirror for an hour, marveling over her reflection. She couldn’t believe what a good haircut, some makeup and revealing clothing could do for one’s appearance. She’d always thought herself to be kind of plain, but now she realized just how pretty she could be if she put some effort into it. The makeover had definitely done wonders for her self-esteem.
And the result?
Not Wow, Maddie, you look incredible.
Instead, she got Why are you all dressed up? And Did you do something to you hair?
She was still fuming as they approached the site, but the heat in her cheeks morphed to the kind caused by embarrassment as she received several loud wolf whistles when the guys on Owen’s crew caught sight of her. Cooper was the first one to comment, of course. Hopping off the ladder he’d been hanging from, he jumped on the grass and headed her way, his eyes glimmering with appreciation.
“Jesus, you look amazing,” he drawled.
From the corner of her eye she noticed Owen frown.
“Thanks,” she said lightly. “I’m a bridesmaid at Nate and Charlotte’s wedding, so I figured I need to look the part.”