Not waiting for her to object, he leaned in and pulled it out. Did she mumble something aboutover-processed muscles? He wasn’t winning her over like he’d planned.
“Where would you like me to put it?”
“My office is through there.” Lauren pointed to a navy blue door.
Slamming the boot lid shut, she turned toward the office. The sound of a loud rip had them both looking back at the car. The flowing pink shirt she wore had gotten caught in the boot. A huge tear split the seam of her top and it gapped open, giving him a peek of her slender body and a flash of a lacy, pale pink bra.
“Dammit!” She scrambled to hold the sides of the ruined shirt together, her face turning as pink as her top. “This is all your fault.” She pointed a finger at Jack with her free hand.
“My fault?”
“Yes. If you’d let me pull out the box myself, I wouldn’t have ruined one of my favorite tops. Butno, you had to turn up with your big, bulging muscles and take over.”
He shook his head. “I was just trying to help. Sorry that my ‘big, bulging muscles’ ruined your shirt.” He bit the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing.
When she propped her hands on her hips it caused the jagged edges of the shirt to fall open, giving Jack a nice view of her sexy underwear and the curve of a sweet breast. At the sight, he got an instant hard-on.
Noticing where his attention had gone, she squealed and pulled the fabric back together.
“I hope you got a good look.” Sarcasm dripped like melted ice from her lips.
“A gentleman never tells.”
She scoffed. “I don’t see a gentleman here, only a big pervert.”
This time he did laugh, then he put the box down at her feet and headed back to his car.
“Where are you going? You’re not going to leave me here like this, are you?” she called after him and shot a nervous glance around the empty carpark.
Oh, now she wants help.He chuckled to himself as he opened the back passenger door, unzipped his gym bag, and pulled out a Flaming Stars t-shirt. Walking back, he held it out to Lauren.
She narrowed her eyes. “Is it clean?”
“I ran for an hour in it and then pumped some weights. It stinks a bit, but what other options do you have?” When she screwed up her nose he said, “Of course it’s clean.”
She snatched it from his outstretched hand, turned her back to him, and slid it over the damaged top. The baggy t-shirt fell below her butt. Images of her wearing nothing but it while he ran his hands up her smooth, creamy legs had his stomach tied in knots. His hands itched to touch her, and it needed to be soon.
“Thanks for the shirt. After I get this box inside I’ll go home and change. I can drop it off at your office if you like.” Turning back toward him, the anger she had thrown at him a moment ago had dissipated. She ducked her head and averted her gaze.
“Keep it. I have dozens of them.”
A tentative smile tugged at her lips. “So, do you think your big, bulging muscles can bring the box into my office?”
Jack linked his fingers together and stretched his arms in front of him before picking up the box. “I’ll give it a go.”
This time she laughed, and the husky, sexy sound sent a surge of heat to his throbbing crotch. It was a good thing he held the box in front of him.
Jack followed Lauren into a small office—a room leading off the shop—and placed the box on the floor next to the desk then took a moment to glance around the tidy room. She’d decorated the space with dainty knick-knacks and soft furnishings. Photos of Lauren smiling and laughing with the two women he’d met at Jovi’s lined the walls. Her office was too feminine for his taste, but it had been decorated with style and sophistication.
“Why are you here, Jack?”
Why was he there? He wanted her naked and in his bed. But he didn’t think she’d want to hear what was really on his mind, so instead he said, “I’d like to take you out to dinner.”
Her eyes widened, then she slowly shook her head. “Sorry, I’m busy.”
“I haven’t told you when.”
“When were you thinking?”
