Skylar
I’m such an idiot. What the hell was wrong with me? Anyone would have thought it was my first time eating at the restaurant. Like an idiot, I saw the fire, screamed and threw water on Eason. Now, we were on our way back to the office with him still soaked and I could see every ripple in his abdomen. My hands tingled from the memory of running my hands over those cloth covered abs.
“Everything ok, Skylar?”
“Huh? What?”
“You’re staring at me. Are you ok?”
I looked away. “Uhm…yeah. I still feel bad for dousing you with water.”
He gave my hand a squeeze. “It’s ok. We’ve all had those moments.”
I watched as he drew his thumb over my knuckles. Goose bumps traveled up my arm. Reluctantly, I pulled my hand back and placed it in my lap. I avoided his weighted gaze and stared out the window. My feelings were starting to get complicated. Eason was my boss. It needed to stay that way.
Eason cleared his throat. “When we get back can you have the breakdown of Kai and Wilder’s departments in my hands before the meeting? I need to be prepared for my brothers to bring up imaginary costs for me to approve.”
“They’d do that.”
He laughed. “They would definitely try to pull that crap on me. They haven’t done it yet but I know it’s coming.”
I nodded. “I will get that to you as soon as we get back.”
The car stopped in front of the building. Eason got out of the car and raced around to my door. Steve, the driver, smiled at me in the rearview mirror. My door swung open and Eason held out his hand. Reluctantly, I placed it in his allowing him to pull me from the car.
“Thank you.”
Eason gave my hand a squeeze then dropped it. “I have to check in with something in accounting. I will be up shortly.”
I nodded as we entered the building. The lobby had quieted since they’d left for lunch. My heels clicked on the floor as we approached the elevators. Our reflection in the stainless-steel doors allowed me to take one last look of Eason’s sculpted chest through his drenched shirt. When my eyes met Eason’s in the reflection a blush crept up my neck as a smile curled his lips. I’d been caught ogling my boss.
***
“Did you have a good lunch?” Edie asked as I approached the desk.
“It was very nice. I’ve never been at a job where the boss takes the new person out to a nice lunch. All my other jobs just ordered a pizza if that.”
“Hmm…” Edie smirked as she looked at the screen.
“What?”
I watched as Edie warred with herself whether or not she should say what was on her mind. Her eyes met mine. “That lunch wasn’t the norm.”
“What? I don’t-“
“Everything ok here?” Eason asked as he approached the desk.
“Just perfect, Mr. Hill. I’m going to need to leave a bit early today. I have a doctor’s appointment. I have every confidence you are in the capable hands of Ms. Albright.” Edie grinned as she retrieved her purse from the locked drawer.
“I believe you are right.” Eason winked at me.
Edie made a choking sound but covered it up with a cough. “May I ask what happened to your shirt?”
He looked down then over at me then back to Edie. “Uhm…uh…I had a little water problem at the restaurant. No big deal. I’ve got an extra shirt in the office.”
“No, you don’t.” Edie corrected.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Mr. Wilder Hill had an incident at lunch the other day with some…uh…whipped cream and he borrowed your shirt. He promised to have it dry cleaned and brought back but that has yet to happen.”
Eason grumbled some curse words. “Thank you for telling me, Edie. I guess that is something else I will need to discuss with my brothers today.” He turned toward me. “Please don’t forget about that report.”
“Yes sir.”
I dropped into the seat Edie had just vacated.
“Thank you, Ms. Albright.”
“Have a good afternoon, Skylar.” Edie gave her a knowing smile.
Without looking up from the screen, I nodded and began pulling together the report needed for the meeting in forty-five minutes. I lost myself in the work for about half an hour. It was a bit more of a complicated compilation than I had anticipated. When I was finished, I jumped up from my seat. I was only giving Eason fifteen minutes to prepare.
Grabbing the report from the printer, I walked briskly into Eason’s office without knocking. I froze at the sight in front of me. He was walking around without a shirt and talking on his personal cell.
He looked over his shoulder and nodded me over.
“Monaco, I told you I don’t have time for this. Please stop calling.” Eason waved his shirt around. Guilt washed over me. The whole reason his shirt was wet in the first place was because of me.
“No, Monaco. Any call from you is unwanted. Don’t make me block your number.”
I placed the report on his desk and an idea struck me. While he was still trying to get Monaco off the phone I went over and grabbed the shirt from him. He blanched but I turned and left before he could say anything. I may or may not have taken advantage of the fact he wasn’t about to yell at me about taking his shirt while on the phone with Monaco.
Eason only had ten minutes to his meeting with his brothers. I ran down the hall to the bathroom. As I burst through the doors, I noticed it was empty. I didn’t have a moment to relish that fact. Running over to the hand dryer, I smashed the button and shoved the shirt under the hot air. All of my focus was on drying the shirt the best I could. It definitely wasn’t on the cologne that made my knees weak wafting up from the shirt.
Five smashes of the button and I was pleased with the level of dryness I was able to achieve from a bathroom hand dryer. Bursting from the bathroom I ran back to Eason’s office. He was no longer on the phone but wasn’t pleased.
“Before you start yelling, I had a genius idea that would allow me to make up pouring water all over you.” I held the shirt out for him to slip his arms into.
“It’s dry. How?”
“Hand dryer in the bathroom.” He turned around shouldering the shirt over his shoulders. His smile made tingles shoot through my body. I busied myself by buttoning up the shirt.
“I wish I had thought about that idea.”
I shrugged. “That’s what you have me for. I’m your girl Friday. I write reports, come up with brilliant ideas, tackle anyone who tries to enter the office without me telling you and so much more.” I was babbling.
Eason stopped my hands over his buttons. I looked into the depths of his eyes. My breath caught at the desire I saw burning there.
“Thank you, Skylar.” His deep voice caressed my whole body. He moved closer and my eyes closed involuntarily.
A throat clearing broke the spell. “I hope we aren’t interrupting anything.” Wilder smirked.
Pulling away from Eason, I walked quickly past Wilder and Kai who had twin looks of enjoyment on their faces. Escaping to my desk allowed me to focus on the computer instead of worrying about what was inevitably being said after the door shut.