“Are you jealous? Because you sure sound jealous.” Eyes moving back and forth on the screen, she was reading something on the computer.
“No, I’m not jealous, just curious.” Not true, but Erik wasn’t about to confess. He had no right, although it still stung.
“Then what does it matter?” From the way she glared at him, she was becoming impatient. “It’s never going to go anywhere.”
“You’re having drinks with him.” Why he refused to let this go was beyond him. He was being a dick and he deserved whatever shit she was getting ready to throw down.
“To discuss work. I’m here to work. Not to flirt with an attractive man. Now about the new sponsors. There’s a natural food company in Seattle that wants you to endorse a new sports drink line they’re developing. It’s blueberry based, your favorite flavor.”
Erik accepted the change of topic gladly. “Yum, blueberries. I saw some in the fridge. Full of anti-oxidants. Not to mention they taste good.” He hopped to his feet and strode into the kitchen once more. Downtime wasn’t really his thing. He liked to keep busy, especially when he was stressed. He opened the refrigerator and retrieved the blueberries and almond milk. Might as well make a smoothie. “Do you want a protein shake?”
“Yes, that sounds good. I missed breakfast this morning.” She had her head down, her fingers moving over the keyboard of the laptop. The fact she found him several new sponsors was pretty impressive given the timeline he’d provided.
“The refrigerator is stocked full of food. Why don’t I skip the smoothie and make us some lunch?” He started to pull out ingredients for a salad. He hadn’t eaten much that morning either. Nerves. He’d never admit that to her or anyone else. In a couple of days, he’d be meeting eight women and be in the spotlight for nine weeks. And that was just the start. Once the show was through, the spotlight would become even brighter until the inevitable breakup. By then, football season would be over.
“Sure, if you’re offering. I guess I should ask if you’re a good cook first,” she said with a teasing grin, still typing.
“I’m making a salad. I don’t think I can mess that up too bad.” Placing the veggies on the counter, he opened the nearest cabinet and eyed the contents. “Are you allergic to nuts?”
“No, allergies.”
A knife block with a cutting board next to it was tucked into the corner and he pulled out a knife. The cutting board was expensive. Knife in hand, he chopped the lettuce. “No likes or dislikes?”
“I have a lot of likes and dislikes. Can you be more specific?”
“Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons, sunflower seeds, walnuts, avocado,” he rattled off the ingredients he planned on putting in the salad. From his position in the kitchen, he could see her.
Shoes off, she tapped her toe in the air, one leg crossed over the other. Sleek legs under the fitted blue skirt riding high up on her thigh. “I like all of those.”
“Darius?”
She glanced up, frowning. “Wow, you’re not going to let that go.”
“Not until you give me an honest answer.” Why he kept harping on this was beyond him. He’d tried to reconcile the fact that nothing would ever happen between them. Hell, he didn’t really know her. By the time the nine weeks were up, his opinion of her could change one-hundred and eighty degrees. The lettuce chopped, he put it into a large bowl.
“I don’t know him enough to say one way or the other.”
“That’s fixable. Unless you already have a boyfriend.” He thought about the photograph.
Her square jaw tightened; lips pressed together. “No, no boyfriend. It’s just me and my brother. He’s living with me.”
“Is that the guy in the picture you keep on your desk?” Cucumbers peeled, he diced them, the motion soothing. He’d enjoyed time in the kitchen, it calmed his nerves and gave him something to do with his hands.
“Yes, his name is J.J. He’s just turned eighteen and he’s spending his first year of college in an exchange program in Spain.”
Erik had no idea how old she was. She looked about his age, in her mid-twenties. Light brown skin, and large sultry eyes that were almost too big for her face, she was pretty. Her brother had the same bright smile. He was curious about her family. His own family was complex and he’d cut himself off from one branch of the family. The destructive one.
She lifted a hand to her forehead and rubbed at her temple. “Headache?” he asked, sliding the cucumbers into the bowl and moving to the tomatoes.
“More like vanity. I should be wearing my glasses.” She removed her suit jacket and stretched, the dress pulling at her bodice. Toned arms moved behind the chair and she leaned her head back. Her neck was exposed, the long column a temptation unto itself. He knew from previous observations that she had a mole right beneath her ear.
“Is your brother a big sports fan?” he asked. If they were going to be in close proximity, he’d take the opportunity to find out more about her.
“J.J. loves basketball. He’s six-foot-one but he has no aspirations to be a professional athlete. He’s into robotics.”
“Does he compete in robotic combat?” Erik had a knack with machinery and had been the family mechanic on the farm. Machinery was expensive and he’d learned the skill to help his grandparent’s out. “It looks fun as shit.”
She ran her fingers into the thick mass of her hair, the level of heat in his body rising at the sight. Damn, she was sexy and she had no clue how much.
