Page 31 of Beat around the Bush
Those green eyes darted past me to my office before settling back on my face. “I’m ready to go if you are,” she said.
Glancing at the watch on my wrist, I noticed it was fifteen minutes past closing. Did I really lose track of time?
“Let me close up and then we can go. Did you lock the front?” The last thing I needed right now was some straggler customer coming in for a last minute purchase and making me have to stay later than necessary.
“Yeah.”
I waited for her to move, but she just kept standing there like she lost the ability to control her limbs.
“Are you going to let me by?” I grumbled. If I had to, I’d move her myself.
Thinking of my hands on her did things to my body that I did not want to feel. Not when it came to Oakley. I was eight years older than her, for crying out loud.
Her eyes stayed trained on the band of my hat across my forehead. “I thought we talked about that,” she whispered.
Again with the whispering.
My brows drew together. I thought the thing about the hat at the bar was a joke. I honestly hadn’t even realized it was backwards. I must’ve turned it around when I was frustrated as all get out at the rental guy.
“If you want it back, just say the words.” I’d gladly give it to her if that’s what she wanted. Any excuse to see her wearing it again was a good one.
“I’d much rather you keep it.”
I invaded her space just alittlemore, and to my surprise, she didn’t move away. “Keep it like this?” I asked, my voice low.
Her eyes met mine as she swallowed, our chests barely touching as we both breathed each other in.
In a flash, she jumped out of whatever stupor she was lost in and took one massive step backwards. Finally able to move, I disappeared into the break room, slid the schedule into the clear sleeve taped to the wall, and passed back by Oakley in the hall to get the till from the register.
When I came back, she was still standing there, but now she was leaning against the wall, her hands behind her back. I brought the drawer full of cash to my desk, counted it twice, and zipped away the extra in a bag for the bank drop. Leaving two hundred dollars in the drawer, I locked it away in the safe, then powered down my computer and stood.
Oakley was still stuck to the wall, staring at something on the floor. I checked around my feet to be sure she wasn’t struck speechless by a rat running around or something, and found nothing. Grabbing the keys off my desk, I closed my office doorbehind me, the only light in the building coming from the front of the store.
“You got your things?” I asked her.
She nodded and I narrowed my eyes at her. Against my better judgment, I approached her, setting one hand on the wall above her head. “Cat got your tongue, Oak?”
I knew what I was doing to her. Whatever was up with her wasn’t just about my damn hat, but I didn’t care. Oakley was awestruck right now, and the look on her face only made me want to keep it going.
She tilted her chin up to look at me, her eyes darting to the band of my hat resting on my forehead, then back to me.
“I could give you something to talk about, but I think that mouth has better things to do than talk.” I was playing a dangerous game, but with Oakley, danger seemed a little fun. I shouldnotbe crossing this line right now, but seeing her frazzled just did something to me.
Her lips parted and her cheeks instantly flushed. My eyes flicked to the deep shade of crimson, noting the freckles that dotted her nose, then I pushed away from her and the wall like nothing happened.
“Time to go, Oak,” I said.
She snapped her jaw shut and turned, heading for the front of the store.
Oakley was a blazing distraction to have around here, but fuck if I didn’t want to poke the fire.
14
Oakley
Snowflakes fell from the sky outside the windows of the feed store, coating the sidewalk in a fluffy layer of white snow. My denim jacket was layered over my long sleeve despite the heat inside the building. Just looking at the snow made me cold.
If I’d just wear Lennon’s coat, this wouldn’t be a problem.
