Page 11 of Under Control
“Nope. So don’t take it personally if I don’t respond right away.”
“I won’t if you don’t.” She took her time securing the elastic band around her notebook, and then she pressed her lips together for a few seconds before meeting his gaze again. “I try to be strict about not working after seven o’clock, so if you want to call and chat about something, any time after that’s a good time.”
His pulse jumped, but he tried to keep his expectations in check. He wasn’t sure if that was an invitation or if she was simply being practical. “I don’t want to interrupt your relaxing time with Village Hearts work.”
“I think I’m going to enjoy working with you all enough that it won’t be like work at all. You can call me anytime, Derek.” She paused, and then gave him a smile that lit him up almost as much as it lit up her face. “You’ll just have a better chance of talking to me after seven.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” As if he could forget it. He was on the verge of asking her if she’d like to go somewhere and get a drink, but in the time he took second-guessing whether that would be too pushy at this point, a couple of other people walked out of the lobby and Olivia started moving away from him.
“I’ll talk to you soon?” she asked, lifting her hand.
“Definitely,” he said, and she gave him a smile before turning to walk away.
Derek allowed himself a few seconds of watching the sway of her hips and listening to the click of her heels on the sidewalk before he headed for his own car. That was when he realized he hadn’t given herhiscontact information, which meant he’d have to make the first move.
But he had her number and a good reason to reach out to her. It was enough for now.
Chapter Four
After a restless night, Olivia wasn’t her usual focused and driven self in the morning. She was even wishing she hadn’t given up caffeine her third year of college. Right now she could go for a coffee. Or a soda. Anything that would help wake her up and get her going.
She’d gone to bed at her normal time, but then she’d tossed and turned as she did her bestnotto think about Derek. Now that she’d not only seen him again, but would be seeing him on a fairly regular basis, her sexy firefighter wasn’t exactly a safe fantasy anymore.
It was a point driven home hard when they’d gotten in the elevator together after the Village Hearts meeting. Every dirty thing she’d imagined him doing to her in that first elevator ran through her mind like an X-rated highlight reel and all she could do was stand against the wall and clutch her notebook like it was a physical barrier between her and doing something stupid. Shehadto stop imagining them naked together if they were going to see each other often.
And she was a little cranky about that.
Maybe that’s why, when Kelsey let herself into the apartment and said good-morning to her, as she always did, Olivia pointed a half-joking but accusatory finger at her. “Did you know?”
Kelsey’s eyes widened at her unusual tone. “Did I know what?”
“Did you know Derek Gilman would be at the Village Hearts meeting last night?”
There was a long pause. “Remind me who Derek Gilman is?”
“The firefighter. From the elevator.”
The look on Kelsey’s face told her two things. One, she hadn’t known. And two, now that she did, Olivia was never going to hear the end of it. “Oh em gee,yourfirefighter is involved with Village Hearts?”
“He’s notmyfirefighter.” At least not when her eyes were open and she was fully dressed.
“He could be. Especially since you’ll beseeing him again.A lot.”
Olivia winced. “Don’t remind me.”
“Did he remember you?” When she nodded, Kelsey grinned. “So he’s probably been thinking about you and kicking himself for not getting the business card you should have given him.”
“I don’t think so. And so what if he remembered me? It’s only been like a week and a half since he saw me.”
“But think about how many people he sees in his line of work. I doubt he remembers every person he rescues. Did you talk to him?”
“Yeah.” She didn’t mention they’d ridden the elevator down together again because she didn’t want to give Kelsey any more ideas than she already had.
“And did you give him your business card this time?”
“I did. We’ll be working on a few things together, so it only made sense to give him a way to contact me.”
“Maybe I’ll get to meet him,” Kelsey said. “Since I’ll be helping with the promotional stuff.”
