They fed off each other’s passion but could only go so far fully clothed.
He must have thought the same because one hand rose to her waist, and he pulled on the material. Except there was no give to it and no access to what lie underneath. Because of the heat, she’d worn a lightweight, one-piece, tie-waist romper instead of her usual skirt and blouse. Thwarted, he gave up and searched lower. Finding the hem at mid-thigh, his fingers curled inside the wide leg. When he tugged, it clearly didn’t do what he wanted.
Pulling away, he looked down with a frustrated scowl. “What are you wearing?”
“A romper,” was her breathless reply.
“What the fuck is that?”
“It’s kind of like a jumpsuit but loose and summery. The bottom is halfway between shorts and a skirt.”
“No rompers or shorts,” he growled. “From now on, skirts and dresses, and no panties.”
Amused as much as shocked by his demands, she half gasped, half laughed as she exclaimed, “I can’t go without panties at work!”
“That’s right. You’re always up and down that damn ladder. Skimpy panties...” His open mouth?blazed a path?down the side of her neck.“Or a thong. I don’t care as long as they’re easy to get off.”
When his lips dipped into the V of her collar, and he licked between her breasts, Tessa found it hard to breathe. “What’s come over you?”
His head came up, blue eyes burning into hers. “You have.”
She let go of his shoulder to run her fingers along the blond scruff on his jaw. Would she ever get used to how handsome he was?
“I’m glad,” was her whispered reply.
His smile flashed. “Does that mean you’ve decided to trust me?”
“Yes, but that actress. She’s messed up. If she hasn’t let go after three years, you probably need to take legal action.”
“She’s all kinds of messed up. Why do you think I broke it off with her? She’s a pain in the ass but harmless.” His mouth hovered over hers. “No more talk about her. We’ve got better things to do.”
Just as their lips met, something started beeping.
“That’s not me. I left my phone by the register.”
“It’s mine.” He set her down and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “It’s an alert about a Zoom call I have in fifteen minutes.”
“Isn’t it something someone else can cover? Like Seth?”
“It isn’t gym related. It’s a charity thing, and I’m on the advisory board.”
Charity had to take precedence over a hot make-out session in a bookstore. But maybe they could delay it a bit. “I can wait until you’re done.”
“Unfortunately, that won’t work, either. These meetings tend to drag on, and I fly out again at eleven.”
“Wait. Are you saying you flew home to steal a kiss?”
He leveled an accusing glare at her. “I had more planned before getting romper blocked.”
She’d been dreaming of more, too, culminating with mimosas at sunrise.“Another night, then,” she replied, all kinds of disappointed.
“I’ll be back at six tomorrow evening. We’ll have dinner at my place where we can have privacy without nosy bodies knocking on the window or phone alarms and Zoom calls interrupting us.”
“That sounds great, but I have to close up, and I can’t leave Rufus.” So much for sunrise mimosas.
“Damn. I forgot about him.” His smooth brows gathered at their predicament. “I’m calling an audible.”
“A what?”