Page 47 of Smooth Sailing

“You’re annoying,” I complained as I forged his way.

He turned and went out the door before me, humming, “Mm.”

That low, rough hum did a number on my nipples, and in an effort to ignore it, I huffed.

Hugger led me to a shiny bike parked in the visitors’ section.

Crap.

6

HE GOT COOKIES

Diana

It was lunchtime, and I was introducing Hugger to Sack’s sandwiches.

Hugger had ordered the Overture (prime beef, sweet onion, horseradish sauce and fixin’s).

I went for the Symphony (turkey, bacon, avocado, sprouts, cream cheese and fixin’s).

He paid.

I didn’t fight him on it because fighting about paying was one of my pet peeves.

Someone offered or elbowed their way in to do it, why argue?

This, of course, made me hone my skills at elbowing my way in to do it, but this time, Hugger got there before me.

He was able to accomplish that because I had a lot on my mind.

It started with the fact that I’d learned that Hugger’s presence at work wasn’t going to be him stealthily hanging around outside the workshop, keeping an eye on things.

No, he came right in and sat in my studio with me.

This made me happy my boss had a day of appointments away from work because I wasn’t really sure how I was going to explain why I needed a man hanging with me at work.

Fortunately, it was a Friday, and I didn’t have to come up with an explanation until Monday.

Further fortunately, my boss was a little ditzy.

Okay, a lot ditzy.

Annie might not even notice he was there.

Also on my mind was, at first, it felt awkward, having Hugger there while I did my thing.

But most of the time, he did stuff on his phone, and for about a half an hour, his head was tipped back, his arms crossed on his chest, and his booted feet were up on the windowsill, and I could swear he was taking a catnap (I just knew that couch wouldn’t be comfortable for him).

In the end, it didn’t seem awkward at all.

The last thing that was on my mind was, riding on the back of Hugger’s bike, with Hugger, was the new meaning of my life.

There was something freeing about it. The sun on your skin. The wind in your hair (and I’d been wrong again, and Hugger right, there wasn’t too much of that, my hair had needed some taming—both at work and after we hit Sack’s—but not as much as I thought, probably because we couldn’t go superfast on city streets).

But mostly, it was about giving over to Hugger. Trusting him. Smelling him. Hooking my thumbs in the belt loops at his sides. Feeling the heat come off his body. Sensing his strength. Watching the alert concentration on his sunglassed face as he navigated the roads, keeping us both safe together on the back of his bike.

It was amazing.

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