Page 51 of Caught A Vibe

Dash holds up a hand to protest his innocence, and I realize my words came out harsher than I’d intended.

“She called me when she couldn’t get ahold of you.” Dash leans back against the cushions, wary.

“Why does she have your number?”

“Because I put it in my phone after I sent it to you at the conference. I figured a good press number was worth keeping,” Nicola chided. “And now that I know he’s living with you, I tried him when you didn’t answer.”

Mollified, I move closer to Dash on the couch and run my hand down the back of his neck in apology. “Sorry. My system jumped to eleven when I woke up late, and I overreacted.”

“Understood. I was just chatting with Nicola about the supply chain issues you’ve got going.”

“Mmhmm. Do I smell…pancakes?”

“You do indeed. Here, sit and have your meeting while I reheat your breakfast. Bye, Nic. It was nice chatting with you again.”

Dash hands me his phone and heads for the kitchen. I sit down, blushing, and Nicola smirks.

“So morning sexandbreakfast? You bitch! If you tell me his cock is better than MiO, I’m going to have to hate him on principle,” Nicola teases.

My cheeks flame even hotter. “No comment.”

“Holy hell! No wonder you were knocked out.”

“Can we have the conversation we were supposed to be having? Please?”

“Sure. New product development idea. Do you think he’d let us cast a mold of it?”

“Nicola!” I hiss, glancing at the kitchen to see if Dash heard that, but his back is to me.

“Oh come on. You can’t just say he’s amazing and expect me to drop it.”

“I didn’t say anything, and I absolutely can expect you to drop it.”

“Nope, this is way more fun than supply chain hiccups. Does he have any annoying habits?”

I shake my head at her persistence. “I’m not answering that.”

“Not even in the name of science?” Nic pleads.

“How could that possibly be in the name of science?”

“Okay, fine, then in the name of marketing. ‘MiO: all the pleasure, none of the socks on the floor.’”

“Oh my God.” I cover my face with my hand and groan.Work with your friends, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.

Nic pauses for a sip of coffee. “Seriously though, you good?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

I think about just how good he made me feel last night…What does his schedule look like today?Nic slaps down her coffee mug, and I jump.

“Ugh! Enough with the moony grins from both of you!”

“He had a moony grin?” I ask.

“I did indeed.” Dash appears at my shoulder, a plate of warm pancakes with syrup and strawberries in his hand. He leans down to set it on the table in front of me and presses a kiss to my bedhead hair.

I didn’t think it was possible to blush harder than I already am, but my circulatory system is determined to prove me wrong. I can feel my pulse from my temples to my collarbone. Is that from embarrassment or attraction? Or some weird blend of both? “You heard that, huh?”

---