I dropped my flowers off at my house before I came here, but it was a quick stop. Then I went by Grace’s office to warn her about any dating rumors, but she wasn’t there.
Now I’m here, debating whether I should knock or just barge right in.
I go with no knocking.
Because it’s more fun.
“Hello,” I call out in a singsong as I open the door.
“Fuck!” Dutton shouts, the book in his hand flying across the room. He stands quickly as if he’s going to run after it but stops when he spots me grinning in the doorway.
“Hi,” I say a little more casually as I wiggle my fingers and try not to laugh at him. “Am I interrupting?”
Slowly, my gaze scans the man before me.
He’s wearing khaki slacks that seem to be like a uniform to him, a tan belt that matches his dress shoes, and his white button-down shirt is hanging open, revealing a firm, smooth chest and abs that my fingers itch to reach out and touch.
Instantly, I start to sweat.
I shrug my jacket off.
“I thought Gavin got the AC fixed?”
“He did, but then the heater decided to act up.”
“That’s so random.”
“Yeah, just about as random as you showing up out of the blue right now.”
I grin. “Well, I wanted to thank you for the lovely bouquet of flowers I received just a bit ago.”
His entire demeanor softens.
“You got them. Good.”
I nod. “I did, and that means you now have only four more people to impress.” I clap my hands and squeal. “And you didn’t even need me there. I don’t think I did anything to help.”
Dutton moves around his desk and grabs the book he tossed off the floor.
“You helped by associating yourself with me. Trust me when I say that you’ve done the heavy lifting and don’t even know it.”
I roll my eyes and point to the book. “I’m still shocked I got you to read another book.”
He taps my nose with his finger.
“And I'm shocked that the sweet, small-town girl Brooke Sloan reads books with explicit sex scenes.”
I push him back teasingly and then make myself comfortable in one of the chairs across from him. Had I stood in front of him any longer, these hands of mine would have been petting him like a dog.
Okay, what?
I clasp my hands together to feel more in control.
“Yes, well, as we have figured out, there is a lot we still don’t know about each other.”
He nods.
“True. Are you hinting that you want to ask me something?”
