Page 59 of Tease Me

“I’m not sure, at least three hours, but it could be as late as eleven o’clock. I’m at the hospital with Mom, and they need to run some tests.”

I sighed. “Sure, okay.”

“You’re a lifesaver. I owe you.”

Yes, you do. About a million times over.“Ring me if you’ll be later than that.”

“I will. I’m sorry.” He hung up, and I put the handset down and slumped into the chair.

Great.I checked the clock. It was 6:15 a.m. What was I going to do for the next five hours?I’d already shuffled things around in the stationery cupboard,andI’dcleaned the fridge out last week.Checkout wasn’t until midday on a Sunday, so I didn’t even have that little distraction to look forward to.

I tugged open the top drawer and pulled out the bundle of pens. Half an hour later, I’d tossed out the twentyor sopens that didn’t work and then color-coded the rest into groups that I secured with rubber bands. The job I’d once thought wasinterestinghad become boring as bat-shit.

I laughed, and the sound echoed about the marble expanse. That was the saying Henry had used the day I’d met him. Thinking of Henry reminded me that my job wasn’tboring—not all the time, anyway.It was imperative that I focusedon the positive, or I’d begin to hate my job.

Ateight-fifteen, two incredible positives strolled into the building. I sat up, touched my hair, and wished like hell I’d used some of the boring time at the desk to apply morelippy.I swallowed back my thumping heart as two firemen approached my counter.

“Hello, ma’am. Is John available?”

“Oh, um, no, he isn’t.He’s beendelayed.”There is a heaven, and I live in it!“I’m Jane Nichols, the night manager. Can I help you?”Remove your clothes or something similar?

The taller one ran his hand through his short, dark hair.“We’re here todo a routine check onyour sprinkler system water tank.”

“Oh. It’s on the roof, right? I can show you the way.” I put the ‘back in five minutes’ sign on the counter.

“You here alone, Jane?”

Was that a pick-up line?It sounded like a line. “Yes, always.”

“Roger, how about you stay here and watch the counter for Jane while we go up to the roof?”

“Yep, no probs.”

Roger put his hat on the counter, and the tall fireman turned to me. “Lead the way.”

My heels clicked across the marble tiles in time to my beating heart. I pressed the button and sucked on my bottom lip in an attempt not to drool.

He held his hand toward me. “I’m Nathan Carmichael, by the way.”

When our palms touched, the earth moved.Actually,it was more like a full-blown earthquake.

The doors opened, and we stepped in, turned, and stood side by side, facing the mirrors.Hewasn’t even touching me, yet just being in this tiny space withhimmade the heat ofhisbody feel like a blanket was smothering me with burning desire. The insatiable urge started deep within me and raced through every nerve in my body. Memphis was needy, and I was just about bursting from a lack of control.

Nathan was eight inches taller than me and built like I’d expect afiremanto be built, with broad shoulders and bulging pecs that featured beneath his high-visibility, tight-fitting shirt. His nipples were hard lumps pointing at me like a couple of lethal weapons. The thick red braces holding up his florescent yellow pants brushed right alongside his nipples, and it took all my willpower not to reach over and snap those braces against his chest.

“Have you had a good night?” His voice was deep, throaty. Manly.

Not until now.“It was okay.”

“Do you always work the night shift?”

“Uh-huh.”

His eyes were light brown, like molten honey, and I wondered if he’d like to dribble honey all over me. I smacked that naughty thought aside.Remember, you are Jane.Memphis was clawing to get out, and I was grateful when the doors opened on the ninth floor.

I led the way along the corridor to the emergency exit at the end and opened the door. The glowing exit sign lit up the stairwell, and the closed-in space amplified Nathan’s breathing. The emergency stairs went both up and down from this point, and as I climbed each stair to the rooftop, my heart accelerated. Though, not from exertion.

Using my master access card, I opened the door, and as I squinted against the glare, I stepped out onto the rooftop. I stood aside and watched Nathan stride toward the water tower. His awkward gait was probably the result of his heavy-looking boots. He bent over at the water tower, and I once again thanked the stars for making Needledick late.

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