Page 127 of Sassy Love
“So, spill it.” He thumps my shoulder with his enormous mitt before flopping on the sofa. I swear the thing groans.
“What’s to tell, bud?”
“You and devil woman?”
“Her name’s Carlie, Miles.”
He huffs a laugh and smiles. “That’s all I need to know.” He sips his drink and points the remote at the television. A ball game flicks onto the screen.
“Oh, our station received an invitation to a Christmas gala for Serenity. Nice work. Our crew is off that night, we’ll all be there. Your family coming?”
My mouth gapes.
Carlie.
Carlie and Rubes.
But most likely Carlie, since?—
“Hold up. Are you only going to hit on Rubes?”
“So, shewillbe there.”
“Don’t, bud.”
“Would never. But the second she’s done with that little brother of yours...”
“Ain’t going to happen. Now who needs to get laid?”
“I talk a good game, but I’m no home-wrecker, Laws. I’m happy for her. I am.”
You would think those two grew up together, the way he talks about her. But he’s known her as long as I have, less a few months, I suppose. Her first visit back here after she and Reed became a thing, they met.
They hit it off instantly. Been friends ever since.
Miles is a good friend to have, so I won’t begrudge Rubes that.
I sip my water, and he chuckles, returning to the game.
Shithead.
Sunday comes and goes, and Monday is here before I am ready to acknowledge its existence. The only perk of a workday is spending hours with Carlie. She’s been busy with Mills coming home, and I didn’t want to take away from their time together.
She loves that little old lady like her own grandma.
In truth, she’s growing on me. A bundle of baked goods and some Miami trinkets arrived at my door Sunday night. And when Carlie texted me a few minutes after the delivery, I couldn’t stop smiling.
Millie feels like family.
Carlie feels like?—
“Mornin’, Cowboy.” She wanders in, her bag hanging off one arm. Her coat is over the other, her heels wet from the first snowfall. I’m guessing she didn’t drive today.
“Morning, Princess.”
She glances at the open door to our office and turns back to shut it. Now I wish we weren’t walled in with glass. Because the way her black skirt suit hugs her curves, the sway of her damn hips...
I’m closing the distance between us before the blood supply can resurface to my brain. Halting just before I end up backing her into the wall and covering her body with mine, I divert, leaning over and gripping the edge of her desk as she sinks into her office chair.
