Page 69 of Beat around the Bush
“You see him often?” I questioned. I knew she didn’t.
She narrowed her eyes again. “No.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about.”
“Maybe we should keep this,” she waved a hand between our chests, “in the bedroom.”
I leaned in close, my face mere inches from hers. “I haven’t even had you in the bedroom yet. But regardless, this,” I waved my hands between us, mimicking her movements, “is not a secret.Weare not a secret.”
“We work together,” she pointed out.
I grabbed her chin with my thumb and forefinger, tilting her chin up further to be sure she saw me when I said, “And I’m the boss. I’ll fuck my employee whenever and wherever I please.”
Her cheeks flushed, but whatever she was about to say was cut off by my phone ringing in my back pocket.
Dropping her chin and taking a step back, I pulled my phone out, seeing it was Callan.
“What’s up?” I said into the phone after answering.
“Got a few hours to spare?” Cal asked.
“Why?”
Oakley watched me as I stood a few feet in front of her.
“Got some cows out on the road, and it just so happens that everyone besides me and Dad are busy.” He sounded irritated, like they’d been working on the issue for a while and finally decided to bring in backup.
I checked my watch, seeing that it was two and a half hours from closing.
“I can be there in a half hour. I just have to call someone in to cover until closing.”
Oakley held up a finger. “I can close.”
I shook my head, angling the phone away from my mouth while keeping it pressed to my ear. “No fucking way.”
“You don’t trust me?” she asked, a bit of disappointment ringing in her tone.
“I do, baby. But you’re not closing alone. I’ll call Leo,” I said to her.
“Baby?” Callan repeated in my ear.
“I’ll text you when I’m leaving,” I muttered to Callan before hanging up the phone and dialing Leo.
He answered on the third ring. “Let me guess, you need me to come back in.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need you.”
Oakley went back behind the register, fiddling with little items like pens and sticky notes as she waited for me to get off the phone.
“I can be there in ten minutes,” Leo said.
“Thanks, Leo. I owe you.” I ended the call, sliding my phone back in my pocket.
“Everything okay?” Oakley asked, looking up at me.
I nodded. “Just some cows out on the road. Hopefully won’t take too long to get it sorted out.”
“Be safe,” she said softly.
