Page 96 of More Than Pen Pals

Fun is definitely not the word for what I’m feeling. I press my lips together, anticipating what she might do next.

With her other hand, she encircles my wrist and tugs at my arm, and I let her pull my hand out of my pocket. She lifts it to her mouth and drops feathery kisses all over my palm before wrapping my arm around her back. Finally, she raises her hand to my shoulder. Then she cocks her head to the side, challenging me to make the next move.

When she bites her lip, my resistance crumbles. Much like she did in the elevator earlier, I press her back against the door and kiss her like I’ve just come home from a year in Antarctica.

Minutes later, my hands are braced on the door above her head, and we’re both gasping for air.

“Go inside,” I whisper and push myself off the door. I caress Leslie’s cheek, press one more kiss to her forehead, and force myself to walk away from her.

* * *

Focusing on work is nearly impossible this morning. At ten o’clock my phone beeps and Annette announces I have a call from Leslie.

“Hi,” my girlfriend says in a professional tone when I answer. “This is a work call.”

“Got it.” I can’t decide if I’m thankful she set that boundary.

“I talked to Diego and said we have a proposal for him. I didn’t give many details, but he seemed intrigued. He and Bobby can meet with us on the team’s off day next Wednesday.”

I’m surprised they have time to meet with us so soon. “Sounds great.”

“Are you … no, never mind.”

“What?”

“No, we need to stay professional at work.”

“Okay. Want to talk about it after work? Or at lunch?” I ask hopefully.

“We have an office lunch scheduled today. But I’d love to see you after work.”

“I’ll swing by your office and get you a little after five. That okay with you?”

“Why don’t we plan to meet in my building’s lobby at 5:15?”

Does she not want anyone at Carter-Jenkins to see us together? I’m not sure how I feel about that, but I say, “I’ll see you then.”

I’m thinking about my teasing outside her apartment and wondering if she thought I was pressuring her when my brother saunters in—without knocking, of course. I can’t believe he waited this long to talk to me.

“You’re not getting anything done today, are you?” he asks.

I shake my head.

“How’d the date go?”

“Good.”

“You reverting to silent Ash on me?”

It’s tempting to go back to my comfort zone, but I begrudgingly admit to myself that talking to him about Leslie has been helpful. “No.”

“Doesn’t sound like it.”

I sigh. “What do you want to know?”

“Did everybody’s pants stay on?” He’s not smirking at me, so I know he’s serious.

My face heats. “Yes.”

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