Page 4 of His Own Heaven

Toby smacked Charlie up the backside of his head. “No, you twat. A woman’s beauty isn’t seen, it’s discovered.”

“So that’s a no on the cute. Got it.”

Glancing sideways, he caught sight of his brother’s broad grin. Charlie never could resist teasing him, and Toby took the bait every time.

“You’re an arse,” he said, chuckling quietly.

“You love it,” Charlie replied, then leaned closer and whispered, “I guess this means sharing is off the table.”

Lips twitching into a lazy smile, Toby said, “We’ll see.”

Chapter Two

Don’t freak out.

Don’t freak out.

Do not. Freak. Out.

Lucy repeated the words over and over in her head as she tried—and failed—to ignore the enormous man standing at the rear of the local Friday night meat market.

Her new boss.

Her new so-fucking-fuckable-it-should-be-illegal boss.

Oh how she wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole, becausemortifieddidn’t even begin to describe how she was feeling at that particular moment in time.

Dressed in her tightest jeans, her favourite blouse, and the sluttiest shoes she owned, she’d gone out with only one purpose in mind.

Get laid.

It’d been ages since she’d been to a speed dating night, and the only reason she was even there was because ofhim. He of the ridiculously tall and insanely hot.

Tobias Bennett.

She hadn’t stopped fantasising about the man since she’d walked out of his office Monday afternoon, and masturbating just wasn’t getting the job done.

She needed dick.

Preferably one attached to a man who knew how to use it, was willing to overlook her own physical shortcomings, and whom she’d never have to see again after a night of wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.

That had been the goal.

And that goal was quickly circling the drain.

She couldn’t possibly go ahead with it now Tobias had seen her. What would happen if they ended up at the same table together? On a “date”. Hell, it would be just her luck he’d turn out to be some kind of antiquated prude who thought only “loose women” turned up at these events, and while it was perfectly fine for him, a man, to be there, good little girls like her should be at home, tucked up in bed with a book or knitting or something.

She almost laughed out loud.A good little girl. Firstly, she was forty years old, so hardly a girl. And secondly, no one had ever accused her of being either good or little. Nope. When it came to describing Lucy Barton, those terms were right up there with subtle, meek and whatever the fuck the opposite of sarcastic was.

She’d been told more than once her mouth would get her in trouble one day. And when one day had come, it had seen her out of a job. Okay, so it wasn’t the only thing, but it hadn’t helped. Then again, you’d think a decade spent working for the one company, weathering all sorts of changes in that time from operating systems to managing directors, would earn her a modicum of loyalty. But no. Because when it came down to gaining a new client worth a squillion dollars or retaining an employee worth considerably less than that, her mouth had tipped the scales in the client’s favour.

Even if he’d been the one in the wrong.

She clenched her jaw and shoved the thoughts away. Now was not the time to dwell on the past.

Pretending to casually glance around the pub, Lucy tried simultaneously judging the distance to the nearest exit, calculating the fastest escape route to said exit, and getting in one more peek at the deliciousness that was Tobias Bennett. If she timed it right, she could slip out through the crowd before the speed dating actually began and avoid any further embarrassment in front of her new boss.

“Should have worn my cherry Docs,” she muttered, staring down at her hot rod–red patent leather stilettos. Ironically, the most impractical of all her shoes for making a fast getaway.

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