“What did you call him? Jerk-Ryan?” Her dad gestured with the pizza in his hand, almost losing a pepperoni.
“Yeah.” Though the other guy had turned out to be Beige-Flag-Ryan and—oh, she’d left him on read for too long. Oh no. She and Jules had gotten a little sloppy, and though she’d planned on having her friend talk her through letting the dude down gently, the idea had exited her head as quickly as his presence had exited her life.
“If he’s a jerk, why are you bringing him up?” her mom asked.
“Well, he works for a company Karina and I are preparing taxes for, and he might be less of a jerk than I assumed.” A small smiled forced itself onto her lips.
“So, you might see him again?” Her mom brightened, hoping Elissa might be interested in a guy for the first time in a year.
“I’ll have to. He has the files I need.”
She wouldn’t mention it to her family, but she was looking forward to picking up the files tomorrow afternoon. The hottie behind the desk had become a bit of an obsession for her. At least three times a day since Monday, she had pulled out her phone and typed out a text. Then deleted it.
“Well, that’s nice,” her dad said.
Nice had nothing to do with it. The erotic dreams featuring him right after their “date” had faded, and she’d thought she was in the clear, until she had arrived at DeMarco Property Management. Now, they were back even more frequently than before, and she’d had to recharge her vibrator’s batteries twice this past week. She didn’t need the chaos Ryan would bring into her life. Did she?
twenty
the black sheep
Half of Ryan looked forward to going to work. That half wanted to see Elissa so bad it would be embarrassing if he admitted it to anyone. That half was downright panting at the idea of collecting even more spank bank material for his imagination.
The other half of Ryan was as nervous as the first time he ever asked out a girl in eighth grade. Sweaty palms, racing heart, and a cock that wouldn’t behave no matter how many times he jerked off in the shower.
Maybe she had merely missed the phone number he’d dropped into her bag when she wasn’t looking. Or she had chosen not to call. Which would be worse?
The morning flew by as he fielded questions, answered the phones, and went over Val’s checklist. It wasn’t a difficult job, but it demanded attention to detail and prompt replies, two things he’d struggled with all his life. His ADHD brain could focus when it wanted. Unfortunately, property management details did not give enough happy brain chemicals to make it easy in this case. Ryan was more than ready for lunch when it rolled around. He’d brought a sandwich today, unwilling to take any chance of missing Elissa’s visit, and ate it on the bench in front of the office. The sun warmed his face and his soul.
February was one of his favorite months. Between the generally excellent weather for riding and the Tucson Rodeo, it flew by. But this year, who knew?
Sandwich long gone, he lounged on the bench, waiting for his afternoon visitor. A familiar sedan pulled in and parked in a visitor spot. His heart raced in anticipation, only to be rewarded when the door opened and Elissa’s petite figure stepped out of the vehicle. Today, she wore a black skirt with a gauzy overlay. Although the gauzy part came to mid-calf, the opaque skirt was a few inches above her knees, giving him the impression that the half-hidden skin was something scandalous, something he wasn’t supposed to see. Scattered across the fabric, blue polka-dots perfectly matched her royal blue, sleeveless V-neck shirt, which hinted at the swell of her breasts.
Ryan suppressed the urge to whistle in appreciation. Instead, he refocused his attention on her car. Anything to quell the hunger her presence sparked. He glanced around—no one else was nearby—and adjusted his hardening cock.
Focus on the car, asshole, not the woman.
In the dark parking lot of Nopalitos, he’d paid little attention to anything other than the battery. The BMW with faded dark blue paint had to be at least fifteen years old. Accountants made decent money, but she may have had to take out loans, making an old, mostly reliable vehicle a better fit. It seemed to be in good shape otherwise, and he heard no concerning squeals as it drove past. In his examination of her car, his gaze inadvertently landed on the trunk as she bent over to retrieve something from it. Her round ass had him hard again, goddammit.
He adjusted himself again, but the movement drew her attention to him. A smile twitched up the corners of her lips, and she shifted so the swell of her breasts became full-on cleavage. He got a clear view of her black lace bra and suppressed a groan as he rose off the bench.
Think boring thoughts. Math, basketball stats, inventory lists.
Finally certain he wouldn’t embarrass himself, he approached her and waved. Her sparkling eyes were even more blue today, mirroring the color of her shirt.
“Need any help?” he asked as she pulled out a folding cart.
“No, I’m fine.”
Ryan fought the desire to offer his hand in greeting, afraid what his reaction to even this simple, everyday touch would be.
“Okay. I’ll show you to the file room.”
He turned around and led her to the building, holding the door open for her and her little cart. Elissa paused in the reception area while he passed her.
“Ms. Wright is here for the files. I’ll be back as soon as I help her,” he told his cousin, who manned the phones during his lunch break.
She looked over at Elissa and a knowing grin spread over her face. This would not be good for him.
