Reese sighed. “You know he’s not gonna accept that.”
“He’ll be fine,” she assured him, casting a sideways glance. “Distract him. Based on the way he gives you googly eyes half the time, I figure you’re pretty good at that.”
“Googly eyes?” Reese’s forehead creased with confusion. “What the hell are googly eyes?”
“Watch him when he’s watchin’ you sometime. You’ll see ’em.” JJ chuckled, batted her eyelashes. “But the answer’s still the same. I’m not goin’ out tonight. Me and Tesha are gonna hang right here.”
Another sigh. “Fine. I’m not gonna twist your arm. You wanna spend the last few hours of the year sittin’ at your desk, who am I to argue?”
JJ smiled. “I appreciate your generosity.”
She turned her attention back to her computer, but when Reese didn’t leave, she found she couldn’t focus. And when hestilldidn’t leave, she knew she was in trouble. There was only one reason Reese would linger.
Sure enough, the door opened below, then there were footsteps on the stairs. While she listened to each thud bringing him inevitably closer, JJ considered jumping out of the single window in her office. It wasn’tthatfar to the ground.
Brantley cleared his throat when he appeared at the top of the stairs.
Crap on a cracker.
Hold your ground, sista. You’ve got this.
Her best friend/boss looked just as strikingly handsome as his partner.
Six foot four and layered with a bit more muscle than Reese, Brantley Walker had it going on. And those eyes—a steely-blue that made any hetero woman’s blood heat instantly—swoon. She remembered being completely infatuated with the man when she was a teenager. Granted, he’d had no interest in her, rather dating her brother, but that hadn’t stopped JJ from having a few hormone-fueled fantasies.
She scanned them both from head to toe, held her chin, and tapped her finger on her lip. “Yep. I think it should be illegal for the two of you to go out like that.”
“Like what?” Brantley asked.
JJ nodded her head in their direction. “Like that. All cowboy’d up.”
They were both glowering at her.
“Let’s just say one of you is more than enough sexy.” She waved a hand in their direction. “That much hotness should not be multiplied.”
Brantley glanced at Reese, shook his head. “She just doesn’t quit, does she?”
“Nope.”
Their attention shifted back to her.
“Come on,” Brantley said in that commanding tone that left no room for argument.
“Not goin’,” she countered.
When he took a step toward her, JJ grabbed the arms of her chair and gripped them tightly, prepared to kick and scream if she had to.
“Brantley Walker, don’t you dare.”
“You’re not workin’ tonight,” he insisted. “You’re goin’ out with us.”
She shook her head, gripped the arms tighter. “I don’t want to.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Do, too.”
