Was it at all possible he had thought of her this past weekend, just as she’d thought of him?She’d obviously entered his mind this morning as he grabbed his coffee.
Don’t be dumb.A man like Nick had to have a woman in his life, if not several.He was just being nice.
“So,” he said, grinning, taking a quick sip from his cup.“Have you christened it yet?”
“Pardon?”
“The dresser.Did you put anything in it?”
“Oh, right.Yeah, actually.My socks are now sitting comfortably in the third drawer.”
“Very good.Important question, though.Are the coffee lady socks in there yet?”
Claire smiled.Why did it feel so easy to smile around him?“Once they get out of the dryer, they will take their rightful place as well.”
“Nice.Frankly, I’m just happy the dresser’s still standing.”
“That thing was assembled by one of the famousHandymen.It wouldn’t dare fall down.”Claire used the backs of her fingers to lightly slap his biceps.
Whoa.His arm was solid.So solid she wanted to run her fingers over the bulge there.Would his muscle contract with tension upon feeling her touch?
The back of her throat became dry, her tongue sandpapery.She sipped her coffee, but the strange sensation remained.
What the heck?It wasn’t as if she hadn’t met cute men since Arthur had passed.Her head had been turned a couple of times.
Why did this one make her react this way?
Claire made a mental note to put new batteries in her vibrator.Something told her she would need it most nights.
“Is it too hot in here?”asked Nick.“Your, um, cheeks are pink.I could have a look at the thermostat, if you’d like.”
“No, I’m fine, thanks.”She set her coffee down on her desk.“Did you want to start tackling something?”
His amber eyes brightened and he chuckled quietly to himself.“Maybe we should wait for Lacey and the camera crew.”
“Of course.”An idea occurred to Claire, one that would hopefully stop all the little sparks between them from shooting.“Hey.Want to help me feed the cats?We can say hi to your friend, Mortimer.”
“Ah.The Manager.Why do I get the sense that guy’s getting ready to issue me a letter of warning?”
“It’ll be okay.I’ll protect you.”Meaning only to encourage Nick, Claire patted his forearm.
He tensed, just as she’d imagined.As she pulled her hand away, she dragged her fingertips over his skin.Although not a bodybuilder, Nick had a dreamy physique.Even his forearms had strong muscles.
She really needed to stop touching him.
He glanced at her hand, then at her, a question in his gaze.
“I’m sorry,” she said.“I’ve always been a bit touchy-feely.It runs in my family, I’m afraid, but that’s no excuse.I shouldn’t have assumed I could touch you.I’m just trying to be friendly.”Right, friendly.Okay, sister.
“Claire, it’s okay.You touching me is, well, it’s not a problem.Like, at all.”
This time, he was the one with the pink cheeks, and they were incredibly charming.The amber in his eyes darkened, warming to golden brown.His gaze settled on her mouth, unsettling her completely.
“Uh…Mortimer?”
“Okay.”He let out a puff of air, as if trying to erase any hint of sensuality on his face.Of course, it didn’t work.With those cheekbones and those eyes, he couldn’t look anything less than sensual.“Time to make friends with Mortimer.”
* * * *
