Page 104 of Under Daddy's Spell

Today was the exception.

“Two conference calls, the monthly meeting with my accountants, and—”

“Accountants?” she cut in. “As in, you have more than one?”

“I retain a firm to do the job. How many they assign to my account to get the job done is up to them.”

“And this is a standing meeting?”

He pulled into a space, shifted into park without turning it off—how many of their before-work chats and mini make-out sessions started—then asked, “It isn’t set in stone. What’s up?”

“I was hoping to go downtown today. I want that spell book out of sight, out of mind, out of my life.” She glanced around the interior of his F-150. It seemed like a lot to handle, and there was a lot of parallel street parking where she was going, but she didn’t want to wait. “Could I borrow your truck this afternoon for about an hour?”

“I’ll do you one better. I go with you.”

“But you said you had calls and meetings all day.”

“Something better suddenly came up.” With the strength and quickness of the athlete he was, he plucked her out of her seat and deposited her in his lap. And he dipped his face into the bend of her neck, his lips hot on her skin. “She’s sweet and cute and funny with a head full of glossy red curls and an ass that doesn’t quit.”

She smiled as she tilted her head, giving him plenty of room.

He stopped his exploration, dropping his head onto her shoulder with a sigh when a phone binged, and, a few seconds later, did it again.

“That has to be for you,” he muttered, his voice muffled by her hair. “No one in my world is texting before fucking six o’clock in the morning.”

He sounded so disgruntled she couldn’t keep from laughing. When his head came up and he frowned at her, she distracted him with the temptation of caffeine. “Come in with me for coffee?”

His answer was to kiss her hard on the mouth then deposit her back in her seat.

“Since we’ll be downtown,” he said as turned off the truck and released his seat belt, “let’s have lunch at Tableau. Because at this rate, we’re never going to make it for dinner.”

“Can we make it a late lunch, say one thirty? I hate to keep leaving my staff at the busiest times.”

“Business is good for you lately.”

“Unless it’s ninety-five degrees in the shop, business is always good.”

“Have you thought about expanding?”

She immediately shook her head. “I can barely handle what I have.”

“You could with a manager. Except for new gym openings, I leave the day-to-day operations to a competent manager. I have twenty of them now who answer directly to Seth.”

“What a nightmare for him.” Poor guy; she couldn’t imagine.

“The key word is competent, baby girl. Surround yourself with good people, and you minimize headaches. What about Angie? She’s been with you for years, and she knows both sides of the store, books and coffee.”

She stopped digging through her purse for her phone and looked over at him. “How do you know so much about Angie?”

“We’ve talked when I’ve been in for coffee.”

“She likes you. She was Team Jordan all the way.”

“Don’t you mean Jord-i-licious?”

She laughed. “She called you that without knowing the Saints Nation dubbed you that long ago.”

“It’s your business, and your decision, but I think she’s ready for more responsibility.”

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