I raised an eyebrow. “No.”
“All kidding aside, just take a seat for a minute,” he said. “Please.”
I sighed and sat back down, waiting for him to speak.
“Will you admit there’s a mutual attraction here? Something outside of a professional connection?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know you, so I can’t say that there’s a mutual attraction here, outside of our professional connection of course.”
“You like me,” he said.
“I don’t know you.”
“Yeah, but you like me,” he retorted. “You might even like me more than I like you.”
“You’re a crazy son of gun, aren’t you?” I sassed, refusing to answer his question.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t make me wrong.”
“I really think I can help you. I just don’t want to muddy the waters.”
“Then we’ll keep it as professional as we can while getting to know each other. Can we do that?”
“I really wish you were an ugly troll,” I breathed out. “And it would help if you were an asshole.”
Gio laughed. “Jesus, you’re funny.”
I sighed. “I know. It’s a curse.”
He grinned, sliding his cell phone out of his pocket. “Give me your cell.”
“Are we there?”
“Hell, yeah, we’re there. I want you to call me if you have another panic attack,” he said. “I want you to call me if you’re scared, or happy, or what the fuck ever. Or you can text me or sext me or whatever.”
“There will be no sexting,” I avowed, putting my phone number in his phone. “Ever.”
“Fair.” He chuckled. “I’m an in-person kinda guy too.”
I shivered. “Okay, stop.”
“Am I making you uncomfortable?”
“No, you’re making me... never mind.”
“Making you what, Waverly?”
I let out a frustration groan. “Gio, just drop it.”
“I will when you tell me.”
“You’re making me,” I added, “horny” in a whisper as I scowled, shocked that I’d just admitted any of that out loud. “And I’m atwork.”
He gave me a crooked grin. “My job here is done.”
“Evil, evil man.”
“Make sure you charge me for today. And yesterday.”
