Page 36 of Crush

“What do you mean?”

“Ifyoudon’t make a move, someone else will.”

“So, your advice is togo for it?” The thought of doing just that sent a tingle of anticipation through me. WTF?

“Why the hell not? There’s chemistry there. Why not take her out? Meet up on neutral ground?”

I said the opposite of what I felt, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Stopfuckingaround and try something new. You know, arealrelationship. You could do worse. She’s quite nice when you get to know her.”

“Niceand Amber don’t orbit the same space mate. And anyway, when didyoubecome a relationship guru?”

“I’m just saying.”

“Well, you can save it. Are we done?”

“You don’t have to be a moody twat about it,” Wes stated with a grimace. Why did I promote him again?

“I’m not, I’mpissedoff. It’s more masculine.”

Wes pushed to his feet and held his hands up in surrender. “I’ve said my piece. And if you aren’t going to do anything about whatever the fuck is going on with you and her, could I suggest you set up a few more fights. It would help to release all that pent-up frustration. The men have been complaining about your moods for weeks.”

“What moods?” I was annoyed now.

“This new you. Brooding and aggressive.”

“I wasalwaysbrooding and aggressive.”

“Not to the degree you have been over the last month. But then we both know what changed it.”

“What?”

“You’ve been like a bear with a sore head,eversince Amber joined the team.”

Releasing a huff of air, I shot him a scornful look. “Piss off. Go and do some work and don’t forget your high-vis. If I see you in the yard without it, I’ll dock you a day’s pay.”

“As I said, brooding and aggressive,” he chuckled back.

“Out!” I shouted, pushing to my feet, and pointing at the door. The need to smash someone’s face in,poweredthrough me.

As Wes made his way out of my office, I replayed his words in my head. He was right, there was chemistry between Amber and me. The way she had reacted when I’d kissed her had been electric, no doubt about it and yes, I wanted to sleep with her but considering an actual relationship was insanity encapsulated. The womanhatedmy guts for a start, we were like night and day. Opposites.

Although her reaction to mewasrefreshing, I couldn’t remember the last time a woman challenged me. Fuck, why was I suddenly so interested in the prissy little rich girl.

When I’d kissed her, she had responded with a wild primitive need and I knew she enjoyed it. When she’d given me her tongue, I’d wanted to pin her against that door. All the dark and dirty things I could do to her twisted around my head like a fucking tsunami.

The thought of sex with Amber now roared through me like a war cry. Why not have a brief shag? Yes, she was working for me and I had thatbloodypolicy in place. But rules were meant to be broken and Iwasthe boss at the end of the day. From the sounds of things, staff already thought we were screwing so why not make that fiction a fact?

Shaking my head, I logged back into my computer and checked my emails. Lady Swift had yet to receive a reply to her report. The woman had hidden depths and wasn’t the spoiled rich princess I’d assumed her to be.

Before she’d started working on-site, I’d googled the fuck out of her and although the media had left her arse alone for the past two years, the old pictures they had of her partying and shopping no longer fit with her current image.

I thought long and hard about what feedback to give her on her report. I could be nice with the possibility of getting on her good side (if she had one). And sleeping with her would get her out of my system and give me my sanity back?

The thrill of the challenge warmed my blood. She’d make me work for it too. Amber’s sharp tongue, which I’d originally hated, now turned me on.

Thoughts of all the different ways of punishing her kept swimming into my mind and anticipation punched me in the gut. Holy shit, Wes, had awakened a tiger, one that felt an overwhelming urge to hunt.

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