Out of Love

“Yes. A thick, juicy burger.”

I stare at him for a beat. “Huh. Well, they say pregnancy cravings can be a bitch.” I turn to head back to my desk.

“Funny.” Miller and Kane, of course, are snickering while Foster grits out, “I’m not knocked up.”

“Oh?” Moving the mouse to activate the screen on my computer, I question, “Just menstruating, then? That explains a lot.”

“I’m not—Wait. What do you mean, ‘that explains a lot’?”

Without looking at him, I click my mouse and type in my password to unlock one of the more secure features on the computer to access other files. “Moodiness. Cravings. Irritability.” With a pause, my eyes fall meaningfully on his stomach. “Weight gain.” Clearly, I’m screwing with him. Not in the way my inner slut would prefer, but still. He has no fat in sight.

“Ooooh. Burn!” Kane says in a loud whisper to Miller as their eyes volley back and forth between me and Foster.

Frowning, Foster pats his flat stomach. “I haven’t gained weight.” And, wow. Does he actually sound defensive?

“Go ahead, darlin’. Nothing to fear. Go have lunch with him.” Kane leans back in his chair, mimicking Miller’s pose. “He’s just one of those guys who has a really hard outer shell—”

Miller interrupts. “Really hard.”

Kane continues on without a hitch, “—but he has this super sweet, chewy center—”

Another interruption by Miller. “Super sweet? Meh. I’d go more with tangy, sweet.”

Kane pauses for a moment, as if to think it over before turning back to me. “Tangy, sweet center. And it’s a gold mine, darlin’.”

Miller turns to Kane. “You know what else is pretty sweet?” By his tone alone, I already know whatever he’s about to say is going to make me wish I had on boots. The shit was about to get deep in here. “The fact that he wants to take Noelle to lunch. Alone.” He raises his eyebrows suggestively at that last word.

“Oooh, you think they’ll have some ‘afternoon delight’?” Kane appears to consider this before shaking his head in faux sadness. “Damn. The boss gets all the perks.”

“That’s enough out of you yahoos.” Foster’s tone is dark, dangerous, and there’s definitely an or else silently tacked on at the end of it.

“Yes, ma—I mean, sir.” Miller’s pressing his lips together, barely restraining a grin, whereas Kane doesn’t bother to hide his. As usual. “Just remember not to get too out of hand with your eating, Fos. Because you know what they say.” He raises his eyebrows, his expression one of utter seriousness. “You are what you eat.”

“Really,” Foster remarks drily.

“Now, I don’t quite believe that.” Kane runs a hand down his broad chest. “Because I don’t recall eating a sexy beast.”

Muttering, “Oh, Jesus.” Foster turns his attention back to me. “Davis? You coming?”

My eyes dart over to Kane and Miller briefly before coming back to rest on him. “Um … sure.” I’m not about to turn down free food. Logging out of my computer, I retrieve my purse from my bottom desk drawer before standing, pushing in my chair.

Grabbing his cell phone, keys, and sunglasses off of his desk, Foster starts heading to the door. Opening it for me, allowing me to exit before him, feeling his eyes drift down over my ass as I step out of the office, I hear muttering.

“Pay up, Vaughn. He’s just eye-fucked her ass like there’s no tomorrow.”





Chapter Nineteen


Foster



“So.” Her eyes rest on mine, and I know what’s coming before she voices it. “What was that all about back there?”

I take a bite of my burger, internally calculating how long I’ll have to run to work off this greasy goodness. Today definitely classifies as a cheat day.

Shrugging, I’m grateful we’re sitting outside on the benches at the burger joint. Fat Bastard’s is the best burger place in Fernandina Beach and only opens from eleven in the morning until four in the afternoon each day. They use real meat; none of that crap most fast food places call “real beef.” And I have to admit, there’s something about watching a woman tuck into a burger the way Noelle does.

Yeah. I’m actually getting turned on by a woman eating a damn burger. I’ve officially hit rock bottom.

“Nothing at all. Just hungry.” I shrug, getting ready to take another bite. “Nothing wrong with having a cheat meal.”

“And you wanted me to tag along because?” I know what she’s getting at. It isn’t like I normally ask her to go to lunch with me.

Thankfully my dark sunglasses conceal my gaze, and I focus on my burger. “At the moment, you’re ten times easier to deal with than the other two yahoos currently in the office.”

With her elbows on the picnic table, she leans forward. “Are you trying to keep track of me?” There’s a pause, and I don’t look up because I’m wrestling with whether or not to give her an honest answer.

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