Seth could feel his face color at Margie’s comments. The fact that she was right about all of it made it even worse. He was helpless to hide his defensive tone when he said, “Can we stop making this into a big deal? Ashley and I are just having dinner. As for Mia, it’s just casual. Stop trying to see something that isn’t there.”
He almost preferred the anger in her eyes to the sympathy that filled them now. “You’re going to screw this up, and short of locking you up in the trunk of my car, there is nothing I can do about it. Mia is a nice girl, Seth. Give yourself a chance to have someone like that in your life.” With that parting line, she quietly closed the door behind her. Shit, he would have preferred if she slammed it.
When Mia walked in an hour later, he had once again moved his schedule around to have lunch with her. He knew he was a distracted companion at best with Margie’s words still echoing through his conscience. Was he grabbing onto Ashley’s visit like a lifeline to get some distance from Mia? Whether he admitted it to Margie or not, he knew where his evening would go lead with his friend. Making a date with her wasn’t only agreeing to dinner. He felt guilt eat at him as Mia sat across from him giving him her usual easy, genuine smile. She was so f**king beautiful his heart stuttered just looking at her. Could there be more between them than sex? Was he even interested in finding out?
“I’m not wearing any panties.” His body jolted as Mia’s words caught his attention. She gave him a devious smile as she watched him struggling to recover his composure.
“Honey, now might not be the best time to tell me that.”
She gave a soft chuckle before admitting, “It’s not true, but I had to say something to get your attention. I’d already asked you a question three times, but you were staring off into space.” Her amusement turned into a look of concern as she asked, “Is everything okay?”
He allowed himself a small show of public affection as he rested his hand over hers briefly. “Yeah, it’s fine. Things have just been hectic this morning. Speaking of, I heard about the latest delay with the cameras. Are you still looking at finishing on Friday?”
“That’s the plan. I know you’re ready to have your office back,” she joked.
“I’m also ready to have you under me again. Is that also part of your plan?”
Mia took a sharp breath, looking completely floored by his comment. He had been a bit surprised when he said it out loud as well, but it was the truth. It had been far too long since they had been together and he could barely think of anything other than sliding into her hot body again. “Yes, that is a big part of my plan. I would love nothing better than to go back to your office and fulfill your fantasy of bending me over the desk.”
Seth felt his c**k harden at her provocative comment. She even had the gall to lick her lips in a slow, tortuous display. Fuck! It looked like the gloves were coming off. The next forty-eight hours were going to be a strain on his self-control, especially if Mia wanted to tease him. He had started a verbal wordplay with her that might just end up burning him. He discreetly adjusted himself under the table before telling her, “Be a good girl or Margie might see more than she bargained for this afternoon.”
Mia grimaced, saying, “Something tells me it wouldn’t offend her.”
“That’s an even more disturbing thought,” Seth groaned. “How about we try to keep it together until Friday night and then all bets are off?”
She ran her hand over his thigh for a brief moment before whispering, “Oh, you are so totally on.”
Chapter Ten
“You know that’s gonna cost you another lunch, right?”
Mia smiled at Kyle, as he walked toward her from his UPS delivery truck. They had long ago formed a relationship based on bribery and threats. She bribed him with food and he threatened to leave her shipment until last if she didn’t. She loved him and his wife, Sandy, to death. Since he made daily deliveries to Danvers, she saw him more than she saw her own family. Despite their kidding around, she knew that when she was under a time crunch, he would make her his first stop of the day. Truly, he was the one man who had never let her down. “Wow, I was going to spring for dinner, but if you are going to let me off with just lunch, hey, I’m not arguing.”