“He’s not an ex-boyfriend, he just fancied me,” Steph replied defensively assuming Jon was referring to her encounter in the lift with Ade.
“Well, that’s okay, then. I’ll keep my key.” He grinned with an arched brow as he glanced over his shoulder at her.
“So what’s this proposition you have for me?” she asked impatiently while reaching for the key to Jon’s home.
“Later.”
“Or now.” She snaked her arms around him and under his t-shirt making him laugh.
“But I will tell you later, now go and get changed,” he ordered.
With a pout, she raised her hand as if to surrender. “I don’t suppose you want to help me do you?”
“That will be later too.”
“I think I may need to trade you in, Mr Brooker. You appear to be losing your stamina,” she teased as she began to discard her blouse in front of him before slowly sauntering towards the bedroom.
“You will regret that comment, Miss Pryor, when I have you moaning all night and begging me to let you sleep,” although he did wonder whether he would make it to later while she was in such a frisky mood.
“We’ll see.” She laughed.
“Yes we will,” he agreed.
It was half-past-fourthe following morning as they lay wrapped around each other that Steph finally said, “I assume this wasn’t your proposition.”
He laughed quietly as he ran a finger up and down the length of her spine sending wonderful tingles all over and through her body.
“No this wasn’t my proposition, although you seemed more than happy to defer all conversation.”
“I could deny that suggestion, Mr Brooker, but I would be lying. So what is your proposition?” she asked as her interest was gained.
“Right, don’t interrupt me. Or there will be consequences,” he said, looking down at her.
“You have to know that you really have just tempted me to interrupt now.” She grinned up at him with a flush staining her cheeks.
“I do hope so because I kind of like consequences.” The returning grin was wolfish. “Now stop trying to distract me from my proposition.” He gently cupped her behind, making her move even closer to him.
“You have made it perfectly clear that you don’t want to come and work for me full time, but I want you to, especially after the Manchester deal.”
“But I didn’t do anything.” She squealed as she felt a light tap across her bottom.
“Consequences, darling, no interrupting. You did plenty. You saved me a mint, unlike the person paid to. I actually did a very basic internet search with that company name after what you said about them. The first entry was the liquidation of the company, so there are no excuses Dave can offer me that vindicate his inadequate performance. I shouldn’t have to check and verify his work, and he knows that,” said Jon sounding annoyed about it still.
“Whereas my performance is never inadequate.” She laughed at her own comment.
“No, darling. Never, but that was another interruption.” His chastisement was accompanied by a smile.
“Sorry, go on.” Steph rolled onto her front, propping herself up on her elbows to face him.
“I want you on my team, but you won’t allow me to employ you, so go freelance in a consultancy role and let me be your first client,” he said seriously as she stared at him wondering where this was going. “That way you can build a client base and I will just be one of them. Not your boss. What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I suppose I have thought about my own client base in the past but may have got side tracked by moving into new business accounts with Baker. I would never want to just do end of year tax returns and keep books straight though,” she admitted.
“You know I would ensure your position would be varied,” he said seriously, but she grinned at the double entendre of his comment making him laugh. “You are very rude, Miss Pryor, butI will also make sure that your position is varied, whatever the context. So what do you think?” he asked again.
“I don’t know. I could probably finance going freelance, but I would need a certain amount of work guaranteed to make it financially viable and to maintain my current lifestyle,” she told him.
“I love it when you talk like an accountant.” He laughed at his own words but meant every word of it.
