He tipped his head to one side and considered it while I put on my shoes.
“I don’t eat weird things. You know, like kangaroo or snails. But pretty much anything else. I’m not fussy. Unless…” He deliberately looked me up and down, his eyes once again fixing onto my breasts.
I was pretty sure he had a thing for them. And I knew exactly what he was referring to, as did my lady parts.
“Don’t, Joseph.” It was the same tone I used as a warning for Rose when she was about to do something that she knew was disastrous.
He smirked.
“You said you were hungry.” And my will power was weak. I didn’t feel that what we’d started in the meeting room was anywhere near finished and my lady parts certainly agreed. I needed Seph to leave my house as I doubted we’d be going anywhere.
It had been a very long time since I’d had sex and now there was the possibility of it, it was all parts of me could think about.
“I am hungry. Just not necessarily for food.” He licked his lips.
The practical mother in me screamed loud enough to suppress the whispered moans from my libido.
“Out now. We have a reservation. And I need sustenance.” Which was true, because if this evening ended like I thought it would do, I was going to need carbs. Energy. And a vat of coffee for the morning when my darling daughter got back and I was running on very little sleep.
Of course, it might not end that way.
Seph chuckled, that deep, dirty noise I’d heard him make a handful of times when he’d wanted me to know what he was thinking about, or so I thought.
“I’m going to do as I’m told when you usethatvoice.” His wiggled his eyebrows and my lady parts pulsed again. They weren’t happy about having food first.
I double checked I had everything I needed, glanced at my phone to see a text message from Addy’s mum saying that the girls were camped out in the living room, both dressed as Elsa from Frozen and chockful of sugar. At some point, I’d need to return the favour, but right now I was just eternally grateful that the centre of my universe was safe and happy and had a lovely friend.
The door shut closed behind me and I looked up to see Seph offering me his hand. “I take it where we’re going is in walking distance?” He glanced down to my heels. “I still don’t understand why you’d wear those.”
“We’re about ten minutes away and I started practicing wearing my mum’s heels when I was about five. I can even run in them.” I was wearing heels with a tight, short faux leather skirt, slightly snug sweater that made my boobs look amazing and my hair was down and curled. It made me feel good and I was pretty sure the two orgasms I had before had given me an extra glow.
He looked again at my heels, his eyes travelling upwards.
“Do you look at every woman like that?” I knew damn well he didn’t. At work, even with the new trainee who was giving him the eye continually, he was only professional, except in those moments when we were alone and not focused on work.
“Of course. I want to feast on every female I see.” There was a glare. “Idiot. Course I don’t. I don’t think I’ve noticed anyone else since you turned up on that first Monday.”
I wanted to believe him, but I wasn’t sure if I could. “Pretty words, Seph.”
“They’re more than just that. I’ve never even kissed someone in our offices before, let alone done what we did this afternoon.”
I paused walking, and he stopped about half a second later, my hand pulling him back.
“That’s good to know. I didn’t think you would. I know you’re…” I searched for the right words.
“Trying to shred my reputation as a player? Yeah. I am.” He was more serious than I’d ever seen him before. “The goal was to stay single, work hard and make my family forget how I’ve cocked up in the past.”
I bit my lip, not having a clue what to say.
“I don’t think you’re going to make me look like I’m cocking up again, Georgie.”
“Good. I don’t intend to let you cock up, Joseph.”
We carried on walking to the restaurant, Seph asking me about Rose this evening and I showed him a photo that came through of her dressed as Elsa. He asked about her, how much she weighed when she was born and how she compared to Claire’s daughters and Teddy, Jackson’s son; what her first word was, and found out other things just through listening to me talk about the most important thing in my life.
When we got to the restaurant I realised it had taken ten minutes to find out more about Rose than what her father knew.
“I love this place,” he said as we entered the building, the smell of garlic and food making me feel pleasantly hungry.
