Page 31 of Becoming the Owners
Before I could answer…or even think about an answer, he frowned. “We’ll figure that out, but offices are more important, so my vote is intimate up there.”
I couldn’t decide if asking would get me in trouble or not, so I stepped closer and dropped my voice to nearly a whisper. “Offices? Your vote?”
There was a twinkle in his eyes as he winked. “I need a space to work too, Brass Man. I’m more than a pretty face.”
“He’s looking at your ass, not your face, CB.” The deep voice that carried across the empty warehouse had me trying not to snort with laughter.
Yep, clearly hadn’t whispered low enough or been careful enough.
Conner wasn’t offended, though. He just threw up his middle finger at the other guy and gave me a grin. “Let’s talk about your plans, Brass Man.”
So was I not supposed to ask what he’d told his coworker about me?
****
“You’ve been very well-behaved, Brass Man.” Conner’s cheeky grin as his coworker, whose name had turned out to be Manny, drove off had me trying to decide if I could be unprofessional now or if I still had to wait.
“I’m always on my best behavior for business meetings.” Unlike some people. “I think the apartment idea is interesting as long as it doesn’t jump the budget too much.”
The brat winked. “I’m sure we can work something out.”
Taking that to mean we’d stopped the professional part of the afternoon, I frowned and stepped closer. “My pretty bird has a few things he didn’t mention.”
Conner couldn’t seem to decide if he was going to keep laughing or if he should smooth things over. “In my defense, you never asked what I did for a living.”
I scoffed. “That’s not the issue. I didn’t know what I was supposed to say or not around your employee and how much he knew about the club, pretty bird.”
Conner’s eyes widened. “Oh.”
Raising one eyebrow, I folded my arms as I got within arm’s length of the cutie. “I didn’t know if I was going to out you or if he knew what I’m asking you to work on.”
Licking his lips, he looked a bit sheepish. “I was more worried about if you were going to be pissed at me for not telling you that I was one of the contractors I was telling you to call.”
“I was not worried about that.” It’d been surprising, even though it shouldn’t have been if I’d been thinking straight. “I was worried aboutyou. I thought you just knew locals or was in construction somehow.”
I’d appreciated the help, but making his life harder was not my goal.
“Can I buy you dinner as an apology and we talk everything out?” He seemed nervous, and I wasn’t sure if he thought I’d say no or if he was just feeling bad for the position I’d ended up in.
“One question first.” Stepping back, I scanned my eyes down his body, taking in the shirt and the jeans and the boots and everything in between. “Are you going to keep the flannel on?”
He barked out a laugh as he shook his head. “You’re ridiculous.”
Possibly, but I wasn’t going to back down from a chance to tease my pretty bird. “I’m intrigued…and I’m also trying to decide if I need to search contractor porn when I get home.”
My answer had his gaze heating up and he pushed off his truck to step closer, pressing his body against mine. “How about dinner with the outfit and when you take me back to your place, I’ll make sure you don’t need to google anything?”
Hmm…that was promising.
“Is it a work meeting or a second date?” Because I was still waiting for my kiss. “And either way, you’re going to have to convince me that you don’t need a spanking for leaving me so clueless.”
I held up a finger as he started to protest. “Not for the job, pretty bird. For the stranger and for making me wonder if I was going to accidentally out you.”
My pretty bird huffed. “I’m not admitting anything…but I’ll think about it.”
That was not a safeword.
“Then we have deal…Conner.” His pout had me wondering what his lips would taste like, and it took all my effort not to smile as that lower lip poked out.
