Page 57 of Loving You

Obviously, she’d done her homework on the general badassery that went on around here, and I couldn’t wait to show her how right she was to already think so highly of us.

“Um, phone sex at work?”

I jumped at the sound of May’s voice, my eyes popping open along with my mouth. I swatted her on the arm. “No, you freak. That was Amanda Parker fromBridal Look Magazine, fuck you very much.”

My sister cackled, then shook her head. “Well, excuse me. I take it the call went well then?”

“It did. Apparently, she can already tell what an amazing venue we have and can’t wait to share her experience with the world.”

“Go us,” she replied with a dip of her chin. Then she wrinkled her nose. “I mean, not really us. You guys are killing it for sure.”

I frowned. “You say that like you’re not one of the badass Carrigan women responsible for all this.”

“I mean… I’m not really, am I?”

I opened my mouth to reply—to tell her she was a valuable part of this team even though our mother had this weird way of making her feel disposable—but the front door opened before I could.

May and I instantly stood straighter and fixed warm, welcoming smiles on our faces to greet whatever guest was on their way in. But when it was Eric Walker’s sexy ass that sauntered through our stained-glass doors, I felt my smile turn almost feral.

Man, ever since our first night together two weeks ago—well, shit, who am I kidding? Ever since I saw him in nothing but those boxer briefs on his patio—all this guy had to do was walk into a room, and I was ready to melt into a puddle at his feet.

I felt May lean in closer so I’d hear her whisper. “Not phone sex, but now you’re gonna go have lunch-break sex, aren’t you?”

“Shut up,” I hissed, giving her a jab with my elbow as Eric made it to the other side of the reception desk where we stood. I jerked my chin at the brown bag in his hand with the Walker’s Brewery logo on the side. “Whatcha got there, handsome?”

“Lunch.”

May snickered, and I was fairly certain she could see the look in Eric’s eyes that suggested he was hungry for more than whatever was in the bag.

I elbowed her again for good measure.

“For one or for two?” I asked, ignoring whatever my sister mumbled then tried to hide with a coughing fit.

“For two, if you have time to join me.”

“What? Eric Walker is venturing out for a lunch date instead of eating at his desk like a work-obsessed robot?” I teased, unable to help myself.

“Yes, well, what can I say? All those times you’ve told me there was more to life than work must be finally paying off.”

“Oh, I love it when I’m right, and I’d love to have lunch—”

“She’s super busy,” May cut in, earning her a look that promised death from me and a low chuckle from Eric.

“I amnot,” I said through my teeth.

“If you are, it’s no big deal. I’ll leave your food and take mine back to my office. I just knew it was your first day back after working from…home, so I wanted to make sure you took some time to eat.”

Oh, this sweet, sweet man.

I’d only worked from “home” for as long as I had because he’dcarefully suggested—making sure I knew it wasn’t a command, but a legitimate idea worth considering—that it might be a good idea so he and his brothers can keep an eye out for Cliff. If that dickwad came sniffing around the B&B looking for me, it’d be better if I weren’t there.

In fact, in true team-spirit fashion, he’d enlisted the help of my sisters on that front. Once no one had seen him after fourteen full days, we finally decided I could safely return to work.

And thank god, too, because I’d been bored out of my gourd hanging at his place by myself for so long.

Though, cozying up next to his beautiful brick fireplace to read when I was finished with my work was a nice perk. As was cuddling up to his beautiful body when he came home for lunch to check in on meslashhave a quickie.

And as I’d shamelessly bragged to May just to piss her off, that body was the same kinda hard as the brick fireplace, and just as hot.

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