Page 58 of Forgot to Tell You Something

Damn him for knowing me so well.

“Look who decided to show up,” Ken Jessop exclaims with a wink.

“Who turns down free alcohol?” I counter, avoiding any glances in Owen’s direction. “Will you order me a whiskey? I’m running to the ladies’ room.”

Not two minutes after arriving, I dash into the bathroom.I must look like a maniac. On a positive note, Nicole is nowhere to be found. On a negative note, I’m so nervous, I can’t breathe.

I will my heart rate down, taking deep breaths, and examining my reflection for clues. Why can’t they install wine coolers in bar bathrooms? There’s a need for that sort of thing.

After realizing I will eventually have to face the crowd of my co-workers, I push open the bathroom door, my heart leaping in my chest. Owen leans against the corridor wall, arms crossed over his chest, those thundering gray eyes daring me to avoid him again.

“Hi.” Aren’t I the eloquent one this evening?

“I like the hat.”

It hurts to look at him. Every cell in my body screams out for this man, but I remain rooted to the spot. “Thanks.”

Owen caves first, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Can we take down the damn wall, Tally? I hate this distance.”

I drop my gaze from those stormy eyes to the floor. “I hate it, too.”

“Can we stop?”

I still don’t know if Owen is dating/sleeping/screwing the lights out of Nicole. But in the grand scheme of things—and excluding the status of my heart—it doesn’t matter. Work colleagues need to get along. Our jobs are hard enough.

I offer him a small smile and nod. “Sure.” I take a step toward the main restaurant, but Owen isn’t moving. Wonderful. Don’t tell me he’s about to drop a Nicole Hedges bombshell. There isn’t enough booze in the entire bar to soothe that level of pain. “Anything else I can do for you, Dr. Stevens?”

He rolls his eyes. “Tally, if you call me Dr. Stevens one more time.”

“You’ll what?” At least my sarcasm is on-point.

He crosses the small space, caging me between the wall and his body. “Either spank your sweet ass or kiss every inch of you. Likely both. Actually, please call me Dr. Stevens again.”

So much for presenting a strong front. His words, coupled with the heat radiating between us, light me up like a fireworks display, and the man isn’t even touching me. Time to segue to safer topics, before I rip his clothes off in the middle of the pub. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want me to come. It is your welcome party.”

Owen slides his fingers through my hair, setting off a shower of sparks. “Tally, you’d better believe I want you to come. Several times to make up for all the nights I’ve been without you.”

Is it legal to have sex in a bar? Asking for a friend.

“I got your notes.” I’m determined to stay on neutral topics, no matter how much this hot hunk of a doctor is trying to lure me into a night of sin.

Owen chuckles. “I wondered how many terrible jokes I’d have to tell before you broke.”

“Ten. You were halfway there.”

“You caved?”

“I told you. My pussy has no control around you.” So much for a platonic conversation. In my defense, Owen started it. Now, I just pray he makes good on his promise.

“It won’t later. I’m tying your sweet ass up and taking back what’s mine.”

Stefani rounds the corner, her face lighting up when she spots us. “I knew I’d find you two together. You know, they make bedrooms for this sort of thing.”

I flip my friend the bird as my face flames. Owen, for his part, hasn’t moved an inch. He’s still pinning me to the wall in a very unprofessional and hot as hell manner.

“I’m giving you fair warning that Jessop has made it his personal mission to eat all the artichoke dip. The man is shoveling it into his gullet. But it seems like you two are otherwise engaged. Hey, there’s an idea.” With a wink, Stefani squeezes past us into the bathroom.

My facewasflaming. After my best friend’s observation, it’s at volcanic temperatures. “We’d better get back,” I mumble, adjusting my glasses.

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