I poked his beefy shoulder and realized he was telling the truth. He hadn’t been flexing. He was just that defined. “Oh.”
He waggled his brows. “Impressed?”
“Only by your ego.”
A small,evilsmile spread over his face. “The way your jaw fell when I took off my shirt makes me think otherwise.”
Shit. He’d noticed.
I lifted my eyes to his, and our gazes caught,held.
Something passed between us, something I didn’t want to name. He seemed to feel it, too, his pupils widening, lips parting. Slowly, he tipped toward me. I sat frozen in place, fighting my body’s urge to meet him halfway. His gaze dropped to my mouth, and arousal unfurled within me like a poisoned flower, infecting my limbs and turning every part of me hypersensitive.
Oh, no. Had we beenflirtingthis whole time? Was that what this was? That antagonistic, I-don’t-like-you-but-it-doesn’t-mean-I-won’t-fuck-you kind of foreplay?
Back away,I begged myself.
No, betch, we need this,my slutty alter ego responded.
Against my will, my eyelids began to flutter shut.
Theo leaned in.
Derrick cleared his throat from my doorway.
Theo and I jerked apart like we’d gotten caught doing something far more compromising.
One of Derrick’s bushy eyebrows rose as he looked between us. “I’m almost done for the night. Want me to stick around?”
I glanced back at Theo. He might have been a douche, but he didn’t set off my creep alarm. “Are you going to be a problem?”
He winked. “I’m always a problem.”
I poked his shoulder again, harder this time.
He lifted his other hand in a three-fingered salute and turned toward Derrick. “I’ll behave. Scout’s honor.”
Derrick scowled. “You better. If I find out you touched a hair on her head, I’ll cut your dick off and shove it up your ass so you can find out what it feels like to go fuck yourself.”
Theo swiveled my way, looking like he was having the time of his life. “This shop has excellent customer service. I think I’ll bump my review up to two stars.”
It was the exact wrong thing to say in front of Derrick. I couldn’t believe I’d almost let this idiot kiss me.
The ex-biker took a step into the booth.
I held up a hand. “I’ll be fine.”
Derrick eyed me for a second before shaking his head and stomping out, grumbling something under his breath about horny teenagers.
My cheeks heated with delayed-onset embarrassment. He wasn’t wrong. I’d definitely been acting like one. Almost making out with a client? That wasn’t like me. At least notcurrentme.
I blamed Mom. Her mentioning Maddie brought up too much ugliness. Made me remember who I used to be, how much easier it was when I lived my life like there were no consequences to my actions, and I did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.
Well, I wasn’t that person anymore. Didn’t want tobethat person. From here on out, I would go back to being the consummate professional. I wouldn’t sink to Theo’s level no matter how much he baited me, and Idefinitelywasn’t going to kiss the bastard.
He turned my way when Derrick disappeared, the look on his face telling me he was about to push my resolve to the breaking point.
5
