Page 20 of Bayside Heat
“Drake? Do you have a minute?”
“Sure.” He turned around with a cold expression that quickly warmed to tepid.
She swallowed hard, as hurt as she was angry. “I have all the design elements for the shop, but I want your final okay before I approve the orders.” She set the books on the desk, spread out the fabric swatches, and opened her laptop, glad to have something to focus on besides the questions zooming through her mind. Drake moved beside her, standing so close she felt his tension as her own.
“You sure you’re okay to do this right now?” she asked. “We can go over it later or tomorrow morning if you need some time to…process whatever happened with Rick and Dean.”
“I’m fine.” His lips tipped up just enough for her to know he wanted to be okay with their interactions, but clearly it would take as much effort for him as it was taking for her.
She leaned over the laptop, navigating to the site she wanted to show him. “I know we agreed on the sofa already, but I found this one and contacted the distributor. If you like it, they have one that was custom made for another shop, but that customer ended up going with something else. I like the rounded back, and it’s a little longer than the other, but it would really help define the sitting area. People like things that are unique, and I think the shape alone will encourage people to stay longer, pick up a music book or an instrument, and get comfortable. The more time spent in the store the better. We always say the key to returning customers is developing friendships, right?”
He leaned over her shoulder, his chest brushing against her back, sending her mind reeling to last night, when she’d been teasing him about showing him pictures and he’d tugged her against him. She’d laughed from the teases, but also as a cover from the awareness of his hard body and the strength of his arms, which had gripped her in unexpected ways. She’d wanted to turn in his arms, to confront him about why he’d pushed her away all those years ago.
“Yes, we do,” he said in a low voice that she swore oozed with seduction. “That’s a very cool couch.”
Ohmygod. I’m doing it again. She pushed those lustful thoughts away, telling herself it wasn’t seduction she heard but the sound of Drake restraining his anger over her quitting. Or maybe over last night’s miscommunication? Oh boy. Now she was dizzy.
He leaned forward a little more, pressing his body more firmly against hers. “What would we tie it to?”
Shit. She hadn’t imagined it. Her mind swam back to his comment about tying up women, and she breathed a little harder. It’s official. There are some things a person says that can never be forgotten.
He reached for the fabric swatches with one hand and placed his other hand on her hip, warming her through the thin material of her skirt. He touched her all the time. Why was she suddenly noticing it so much? And why did she have butterflies in her stomach? No, no, no. This could not be happening.
“One of these?” His warm breath sailed over her cheek.
“Yes, for the chairs.”
“Ah, makes perfect sense. I like this one.” He held the swatch of distressed burgundy leather and slowly rubbed his thumb over it.
She imagined his thumb sensually stroking her skin.
“How about you?” he asked just above a whisper. “Do you like leather?” He dropped the swatch and picked up the shinier fabric sample. “Or something softer?”
“I…um…” Her mind went straight to the gutter. “That one’s great,” she said quickly. “I thought about mocha, but everyone uses shades of brown. This adds a splash of color, and I found these great lighting elements that can be ordered in any color.” God, now she had verbal diarrhea. She fumbled with one of the lighting books, opening to a marked page to try to distract herself from her overactive hormones, which were on freaking fire.
“Lights,” she said too breathily, and flattened her hand on a page.
Drake put his hand beside hers, covering the tips of her fingers with his own. Sparks raced over her skin. She lifted her gaze to his, and the air between them thickened with desire as it had last night. Confusion and lust muddled her thoughts.
