"I needed to make sure you wouldn't do anything rash, like move everyone into Remy's bunker," Archer said. "Also I think I've chosen a site for my new hotel and conference center."
"Oh yeah?" I asked, taking a muffin. It had little bits of meat in it and a gooey, cheesy center.
"It's cheesesteak flavored," Archer said. "Chloe invented them just for me."
"It's surprisingly good," I admitted, taking another bite.
Archer sighed happily. "She said she froze the Cheez Whiz and put it in the center before baking in order to make it explode cheese like that. I'm trying to convince her to put a franchise here and cater for the conference center."
"What site did you choose?" I asked, snagging another muffin.
"The old Mast Brothers' Chocolate factory," he said, pointing out the window to the hulking complex on the north side of town.
"I hope you change the name," I said. "Mast—it sounds a little dirty."
"Only to filthy minds," Archer said. "You want to dip your mast in chocolate? You better not hear Josie hear you talk like that."
"She loves candy," I said, smirking. "She would really go for it."
"Who are you, and did someone replace you with me?" Archer asked, snapping his fingers in front of my face.
"Hardly," I said as my phone beeped in my pocket.
"Is that her?" Archer demanded. "I can tell it is. Your face looks all melty. I should stick a bar of chocolate on your head and call it fondue."
I ignored him and read her message.
Josie:Sorry you're feeling stressed. If Payslee tries to take Henry I'll pack him up in my tiny house and head to Mexico. We'll live like hippies on the beach. Also did you know they invented chocolate? Sweet fact of the day! Here's another treat for you. I was saving it as a reward but I think you've earned it.
There was an attachment, and I watched as it loaded.
"Holy smokes," I said and quickly shoved the phone back into my pocket.
"She sent you a naughty picture, didn't she?" Archer asked in mock outrage. "No, don't show me. I need to retain the image of you as pure, virginal snow. I'll leave you alone with your lustful thoughts." He snatched up the box of muffins and waltzed out, humming that song from the Willy Wonka movie about pure imagination.
I took the phone out of my pocket and stared at the picture. There was Josie. I knew it was her even though she had cropped off her face. I recognized her tits, the curve of her stomach, and the pink flesh between her legs that she spread with her fingers. Her other hand held a large purple lollipop down very close to that glistening pink flesh.
You know where I want your blow pop, the caption stated in loopy cursive text. Funny and sexy, it was pure Josie.
43
Josie
"Did you receive my message?" I asked Mace when I walked into the office after lunch. The naughty picture had been a spur-of-the-moment decision with me, as most things were. I hoped it didn't explode in my face, though I supposed I wouldn't mind if Mace exploded in my face.
"I did," he said. His grin was downright predatory as he followed me into my adjoining office. I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop.
"I was going to work up here for a few hours," I told him. "That conference room is getting claustrophobic, and I just need to concentrate and knock this out."
"Uh-huh."
"So you should probably go back to whatever you were doing," I prompted. He came up next to me as I opened up the vector illustrator program on my computer.
"You can't send me a picture like that and not expect that it would completely derail my afternoon," Mace said, bending down. His cheek was next to mine but not touching, and I could feel the slight warmth radiating off of him.
"I didn't know you found me that distracting," I teased.
"Oh I think you know that I find you very distracting," he breathed in my ear. I shivered.
