Page 42 of Tempted

As I sit at the table, she brings me my breakfast. “Thanks for last night. I know I can be a stubborn coot at times.”

“At least you were smart and stayed.” I tell her, sipping the coffee.

“Not like I had a choice.” She says, but her mouth is twitching up into a smile. “But I think it’s safe for me to go home now.”

It’s weird. I feel like with her still being a little sick, I’m afraid that she’s not going to have anyone to take care of her. “Why don’t you stay another day or two? Until you’re completely better. This way all the traffic and debris and shit is cleared, too.”

“Malcolm, you’re forgetting that I don’t have any clothes here. Besides, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself, but thanks for offering.” The way that she says it is humble and genuine, not bitchy and ungrateful.

“Fine. But I want my ugly jogging suit back.” I joke, with a playful smirk on my face.

She leans in and pats my cheek with her hand. “Why don’t you leave it with someone who appreciates it more.”

“In that case, I’ve got a couple dozen pairs of boxers for you, too.”

After a wink, she eats her breakfast, and I do, too. I check the local news, intentionally looking for more ways to make her stay, but it looks like North Carolina was affected badly only in certain parts, and none close to me or to either of our places of business. So, I have to let her go. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for the day and rest? I’m sure that you don’t feel a hundred percent yet, lass. That was a pretty nasty fever you had.” I lean forward and touch her forehead. “You still feel a little warm.”

“That’s because I’m baking in this ugly jogging suit.” She barks, smiling, bringing on a cough, but she regains control fast.

“See? You’re still not well, lass. Why don’t you stay? I can wash up your clothes and the jogging suit, and you can wear something else out of my closet. I’m sure I have something inthere that can hold you off.” I’ve finally become that needy, simping wuss that I’ve always hated. And I don’t know why, because I suck at having house guests. Just ask any of my kin. I’m not saying that it stops them from visiting, whether welcome or not, but still.

“Alright, fine. But I’m not helping you clean this breakfast mess up. I made it.” She points a thumb at herself.

“Deal.” I finish my breakfast and trot to my room. When I come back to the kitchen, where Steph is calling in to her team, I have my bathrobe for her to use. Her clothes that were hanging on the drying rack are now dry, but looking like they need to be washed. She sees me and mutes the call. “What’s up?” She asks.

“Oh, no big deal, I'll just throw your clothes in the washing machine. You can throw on this robe in the meantime.” I explain, setting the robe on the chair for her to put on.

I hear what sounds like a conference call going on, and she listens on speakerphone, half paying attention to me. Surprising me, she pulls the shirt over her head, completely exposing herself to me, and then she proceeds to remove the bottoms, until she’s completely naked. Standing there stunned; I find myself frozen in place. Her eyes are on mine but almost staring through me, not at me, like she’s undressing in front of me by rote. Like I’ve already seen her naked, so what’s the big deal? And I suppose that it should be that way, but as I stand here, completely shocked, yet trying to act like I’m not, she drapes the robe over her shoulders and unmutes the call, responding to something someone says about a measurement.

Of course, what just happened was not sexual, but the image of her body is now stuck in my mind, as I walk to the washing machine with her clothes in hand. I can hear her conversing with her staff, who are working from home, and listening to her articulate her ideas is really stimulating. Me, I’m used to numbers and projections, but Steph is discussing engineeringconcepts. Never thought that would be turn-on, but it is. Unless my dick is just recalling the naked breasts I saw moments ago. After I turn the washing machine on, I try to think about the clean-up that I need to do outside.

...but I’m not outside for long...

Chapter 14

Steph

When I’m on a conference call with my key production team, I’m hyper-focused, and especially after just hearing that all my staff are unscathed from the storm, I find myself feeling renewed, and my thoughts are clearer than they have been since all this drama unfolded. The fever is gone, and all that is left of the virus that arrived as quickly as it departed, thankfully, is a minor sniffle. I’ve multitasked all my life, especially as I started this business, and doing more than one or two things at a time is nothing to me.

So, when Malcolm was looking for me to hand over my clothes, while I was on the phone, I never gave it a second thought. He’s seen me naked before, right? And modesty is not really part of who I am. Hell, Moira and I had a working vacation once, and I changed out of my bathing suit as we walked out of our cabana, because I was on a call. My earbuds were completely unscathed. Moira did scold me for it, though, because the men were following me around like lost puppies after that. But I believe half of that was because I was stealing all the attention from her. In the end, I was the one that got laid on that getaway, not her. Not that I’m bragging, more just proving my point.

Moira is always telling me how I should be more aware of my surroundings, but as stated earlier, when it’s about work, I’m only focused on that. In retrospect, when Malcolm came back inside after doing a circle check of his grounds after the hurricane, he wouldn’t look me straight in the eye. It’s like he was looking in my direction, but he couldn’t look directly at me. “Are my clothes dry yet?” I ask him, feeling like I’m ready to shower and dress, and get home, so that I can check my place for damage, and cross a few things off my to-do list that have been put on hold temporarily.

“Err...let me go check.”

“Have you got a spare toothbrush? My tongue feels like it’s growing fur. I’ve never gone without brushing before and that cough syrup was laced with sugar.”

“Honey, actually. Aye, there’s a spare in the bag from my dentist under the counter.”

“Your dentist still gives you a new toothbrush at each visit?”

He smiles. “She’s got a wee crush on me, I think.”

“Well, why shouldn’t she?” I play along.

His shy grin makes my heart flutter. “I’ll go get your things.”

“I’m just going to go shower.”

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