Page 70 of As a Last Resort
“Yes, sir, Captain.”I gave him a salute, one that immediately made my head spin.
“And no quick movements,” he added.
I gave him a thumbs-up as I turned over and buried my face inthe pillow.The covers were wrapped around my legs and the heat was stifling.I slowly kicked at them, sighing at the feeling of cool air rushing to my legs.I opened my eyes to Austin’s flushed face, his gaze fixed on my lower half.My fire engine–red lace thong practically screamed a bright and cheerygood morningagainst his white sheets.
“I’m going to go flip the bacon,” he muttered, his ears turning crimson as he bolted from the door.
The clothes on the chair weren’t his, unless he was into dressing like a woman three sizes smaller than him.Vanessa flashed through my mind.Would he give me clothes his ex-fiancée wore?And even weirder, would he seriously keep them this whole time?
No, thank you.
I pulled a pair of way-too-big gym shorts out of his dresser and used the bathroom.After splashing my face with cold water a few times I felt more awake, but still seemed a little green around the gills.
I walked into the kitchen and he looked me up and down.
“They didn’t fit.”I had a little more attitude than necessary.He smirked as he handed me a mug of steaming coffee.
I slowly gazed around his house.It was clean and tidy but simple, with a dark gray couch in the middle of the living room and a small entryway table.“What’s that?”I asked, peering over to the table where a little plate held his keys.
“It’s a key dish.”
“A keywhat?”I asked, chuckling.
“A key dish.You put your keys on it.”
“Why don’t you just put your keys on the tableunderneaththe key dish?”
“But then what would I do with my key dish?”I couldn’t tell if he was trying to be funny or if he was serious.
I inhaled the coffee.It may have been the best smelling coffee I’d ever had in my hands.
“So,” he continued, as I perched on a barstool, “what was up with last night?”
“What part of last night?”I asked, trying to play it cool as I busied my mouth blowing on my coffee.
“The mission to get wasted and forget your day.”He put four pieces of toast into the toaster.
I could still hear Ivy’s words rattling around in my head, even though it was all a little foggy.“Do you remember that guy I was telling you about?My work nemesis who sounds like a certain breed of canine when he laughs?”
“Your Pugentine?”He gave me the side-eye.
“Nope, still not my boyfriend.But my assistant, Ivy, called yesterday and told me he was put on the highest profile project our firm has ever had—the one that I was managing before I came down here.I would have been put in charge of it,shouldhave been put in charge of it, but wasn’t.Because I’m here.”
He grabbed a plate down from the cabinet.
“We’re both gunning for this big promotion.The fact my boss gave this other project to Robby is pretty much a flare gun with the news that Robby’s getting it over me.”
“Have they announced he got it yet?”He caught a slice directly from the toaster as it popped up.
Well, that was surprisingly hot.
“Not yet.”I watched as he spread butter over the entire piece.“You’re being very intentional with your buttering skills.Most people just put a blob in the middle and call it a day.”
“I’m not most people.”He poured himself more coffee and leaned against the counter.“I’m sorry.”
“You’re not going to try and convince me I’m crazy for readinginto it?”He shook his head.“It gets better… He’ll be here at five o’clock.”
“Here, like in Florida?”
