Page 59 of Enticing the Fixer

I shake my head. “But sadly, you’re too much of a woman for me. Forward women make me uncomfortable and unable to perform. If you know what I mean.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widen as she hops off the edge of my desk, landing on her spiked heels. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” She grabs my forearm and studies me with pity. “That must be so hard to deal with. I know men pride themselves on their stamina and performance.”

“Thank you. It is difficult working with perfection.” The ultimate play on it’s not you, it’s me. Only with a medical ailment thrown in the mix. I tug backward, letting her hand drop to her side. “I appreciate your understanding.” She won’t be flirting with me again.

“I’m so sorry you have to deal with this.” She shakes her head.

“Carla.” I clasp her upper arm. “Thank you so much for caring. I’ve tried everything for these situations, and nothing works.”

Her eyes swipe over me as if she’s letting go of a fantasy that includes the two of us in various positions. “That’s so sad.”

“Well….” I drop my hand to my side. “I’d better get back to work.”

She spins on her heel, opens the door, shuts it behind her with force, and scurries across the office to hers.

I chuckle and return to my desk. Pretending erectile dysfunction trumps having to beat her off me multiple times a day. Because Carla doesn’t seem to be the type of woman that takes no for an answer.

My phone buzzes. I smile. Hopefully, it’s Kinsley. She’s going to get a laugh out of this story. If anyone knows I don’t have performance issues, it’s her.

I swipe the screen.Maverick.“Hey, Buddy, what’s up?”

“I met your girl today.”

I inhale and glance around the room like someone’s going to pop out of the woodwork. “My girl?” I speak in a lowered voice to keep anyone else from overhearing the conversation.

Carla has returned to her office, but the space at the top of the ceiling allows voices to carry.

“Yes. Kinsley.”

“How do you know I have a girl?”

“August talks.”

“I see. Where did you see her?” August. How could I forget? He saw the showdown at Callahan’s. We might want to keep from being office gossip, but it won’t last long. I rotate my shoulders and neck to ease the tension.

“She came by the shop with her friend. Ann, I think was her name.”

I lower into my seat and reboot the computer. “Yeah, Ann.” I nod even though he can’t see me. “What were they doing?”

“Ann was getting her nipples pierced to surprise her husband.”

“That sounds like something she’d do.” I click on the mouse and flip from screen to screen.

“Kinsley’s a nice woman. She’s nothing like Rebecca.”

“No.” A flood of warmth settles in my gut. “No, she’s not. She’s a smart businesswoman who doesn’t play games.”

Which is why I should tell her who I am. There’s going to come a point when this little newsflash will bite me in the ass.

“She mentioned your piercing and then backpedaled and apologized for oversharing your personal business.” I lean back into my seat. It squeaks under my shifting weight. Rebecca used me to get ahead, but Kinsley is nothing like her. “She wouldn’t divulge anything else about you even though I clearly know your body about as well as she does.”

“It’s not the same.”

He laughs. “You’re right about that. I wanted to tell you that she’s discreet. In case you were worried after the social media episode.”

“I’m not. But thank you. I appreciate it. I made a bad decision by dating Rebecca. It was a combination of wanting something easy that I didn’t have to work at and tired of the ever-swirling stream of women throwing themselves at me.”

“I know. That life is best left in the past. I was worried you’d let her sour your future relationships.”

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