Page 18 of Crave Me

I tilt my chin, wondering if he’s fishing for compliments. But then I realize he doesn’t get it and it’s up to me to show him into the hot, yet humble, light. “That Ashleigh wants to have her way with you in some desolate yet eerily erotic jungle.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Has anyone ever mentioned you have a tendency to exaggerate?”

“Never,” I say emphasizing the word and leaning forward. “I’m picturing parrots, lots and lots of parrots, circling you while she eases you down into a thick bed of palm leaves in her Tarzan and Jane fantasy. You don’t mind leather loincloths do you, Evan? You strike me as the leather loincloth type.” He throws back his head, laughing. “Or maybe something in fur, leopard, minx, zebra—okay, maybe not zebra. They’re a little too kinky if you ask me. Anyway, the toucans—”

“What happened to the parrots?”

“Oh, they’re still there, too. But you can’t have an erotic jungle without some toucans. You hear what I’m saying?”

“Of course.”

“Good, ‘cause I’m picturing some kind of aerial show with the parrots, toucans, and maybe a flamingo tossed in for a little pizzazz.”

“Pizzazz?” he asks, his humor casting a shimmer along his green eyes.

“I’m just watching out for you,” I point out.

“By warning me about Ashleigh and what she has planned for me in this make-believe jungle?”

“No, by giving you nice birds to sing to you when she pounces on you in this erotic jungle. Aren’t you paying attention? This fantasy is taking some work on my part.”

His widening grin warms my insides. Kind of like hot chocolate. Sexy hot chocolate. Sexy and very naked hot chocolate.

“Are you suggesting I thank you for this rather descriptive vision of Ashleigh’s supposed fantasy?” he asks.

I smirk. “I am, and you’re welcome.”

His gaze melts into mine. “Perhaps now is a good time to remind you that I’m not attracted to Ashleigh, nor have I ever been.”

“Never?” I ask. So Much for not going there.

“No,” he says. “But I can’t say the same about you.”

And cue the dimples.

I bend my arm against the back of the couch and lower my head to my palm. “She has it bad for you,” I remind him, trying to keep the talk on her and not on us.

Because there is no us.

And there shouldn’t be.

Right?

“I don’t agree,” he says, looking at me like I shouldn’t want him to look at me. But he does, maybe because I’m doing the same. We fall into what should be a tension filled, angsty silence. Except there’s no tension or angst. It’s just Evan and this ‘way too easy feel’ I get around him.

Ashleigh said he was busy and didn’t have time to see me. But he doesn’t appear rushed, taking me in like he’s not the CEO of this super-tech company and giving me one more reason to like him.

“So you own the company?” I ask, when he doesn’t say more.

“I do. My father gave it to me when I was twelve.”

“Twelve?” I ask.

He nods. “You can imagine I wasn’t ready to run it. I took my time, learned everything I could about nanotechnology and business, and then learned even more when I took over our London branch. Initially, we had an outstanding leadership team here. But they were older. Each retirement brought in more of the wrong people until this branch suffered an exorbitant amount of loss, dwindling the profit I’d secured us in Europe.”

He leans back and rubs his jaw. “Our advisors thought it best to shut down this branch and continue to build upon our success in Europe. But in doing so, thousands would lose their jobs, and everything my father developed here would be obliterated. I couldn’t do that to him.”

“I can’t blame you,” I tell him, looking around as if Alfred is going to magically teleport his father into the room. “Where’s your dad now? He must be really proud of you for stepping up.”

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