Page 26 of Unhurried Hearts

“You can’t be back here!” I hiss.

His eyes crinkle with amusement. “So weird. Because I literallyamback here.”

“You know what I mean,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Annie, are you gonna report me to the owner?”

Chris leans over me, bracing himself on the arms of my office chair. The plastic creaks under his weight and I’m surrounded by his muscular upper body, his heat, his smell. He brushes the corner of my lips with his and I barely suppress a squeak. I’ve missed him more than I’ve cared to admit. I appreciate that he gave me some space when I asked for it, but his skin against mine is exactly what I need.

“You want to go out with me later?” He presses another simple, soft kiss to my lips.

Later? Let’s worry about the here and now, I think.

“What, uh…what did you have in mind?” I ask, having a hard time looking away from his mouth.

I’m already mentally scanning my closet and thinking of the handful of oceanside restaurants where we could eat. Nestling into a booth, watching the sun set over the harbour. I’ll need a shower after work and, oh, I can wear those new drop earrings with the imperfect pearls.

“Hiking.”

The sound of romantic dinner music scratches to a stop. My eyes snap off his mouth and up to his amused gaze.

“Hiking?”

Historically, my experience with hiking ends with carrying a cooler and umbrella down to the beach. After Chris’s dad brought it up, I shouldn’t be surprised.

“Yeah. Nothing too strenuous. What time are you off today?”

Today? Can’t he give me a couple weeks so I can do a 1980’s action movie-inspired montage of training for the big fight? I have an oceanside to run along in slow-mo. There’s no doubt in my mind that Chris and I have a very different idea of what strenuous means.

Something about the puppy dog eyes he’s giving makes me overestimate my abilities.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m in need of some new rocks, so…”

His smirk of a smile makes me melt.

“Four. I’m done at four—”

He cuts me off with a kiss that makes the last one look like something fit for the bingo hall. It’s like he knows I have a client coming in at any moment and that there’s no time for preamble. Parting my lips for him, he slides his tongue against mine and I melt a little deeper into my chair. His strong hand slips around the back of my head to support me, to keep me close. Sounds of chatter and whirring hot tools fade as my heart hammers in my ears. When I remember I have hands, I skate them up his chest,relishing the firm muscle beneath his shirt and cupping his cheeks in my palms. The slight stubble makes me want to nuzzle up against him, to feel it scrape along my throat and, I moan, my inner thighs squeezing. Chris breaks the kiss but I still have my hands on either side of his jaw, so he doesn’t go far. The air of my office feels cold against my damp lips.

“I’ll see you at four, okay?”

I nod up at him and he covers my hands with his, squeezing them gently before guiding them off, bringing them together, and kissing the back of each one. I have no muscles at the moment so it will be very interesting to see how hiking works.

“Bye,” I rasp, allowing myself to be completely disarmed by this man before I have to go back into boss babe mode.

He winks, ‘cause of course he does, then disappears behind the curtain. It’s really too bad because all I want is an encore.

Chapter twelve

Chris

It’s shortly after four when I head back to Anna’s building to pick her up.

“Hey, it’s me,” I announce to the condo intercom.

“Hi! I’ll let you in.” She sounds a bit out of breath.

The door buzzes and I take the stairs two at a time up to her suite.

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