Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 17082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
“Vaughn it is,” she says, smiling.
She just radiates perfection. From head to tippy toe, there isn’t a thing about her that doesn’t make my body tingle with desire.
Fuck, I shouldn’t have stood up to greet my guests. If I’m not careful, they might have the shock of their lives, seeing my discomfort come out in unexpected ways.
“You’re looking a little flustered, brother,” Vance says, giving me the perfect reason to look away. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”
Not yet, but a pussy will be silencing me sooner than he might think.
“It’s not every day three beautiful women walk into my office.” Smooth. Good. No one’s going to think I’m being a creep if everyone gets a compliment.
“Yeah, sure.” Vance chuckles and tosses the plastic putter at me. I catch it mid-air and rest it on my table as he starts to walk. “I better get going then.”
“To more meetings,” Mom teases him.
“Yes-sirree,” Vance says, slipping through the door. Before he leaves completely, he sticks his head back through and winks at me, nodding feverishly.
Is it that obvious? Sure, I know I’m not holding it together well, but if he can see my intrigue in Claire this quickly, what chance do I have to hide it from the parents?
Calm down, Vaughn. Don’t need to add blushing embarrassment to the list of things they can see straight through.
“So, you two are going to work closely together?” Henrietta asks, making her way over to the black leather sofa on the far side of my office.
“Close enough,” I admit, turning my attention back to Claire to see if she’s happy with the news. “Claire will be reporting to the company’s controller, but I like a hands-on approach with my team. Staying in the loop keeps troubles at bay.”
Total bullshit. I interact with whoever needs me when they need me and stay far away the rest of the time. For Claire, I’ll make an exception. I’ll make a thousand if it means getting closer to her.
Holy shit, what is this woman doing to me? These can’t be the thoughts of a sane man.
“I’m sure it’s going to be great getting to know you,” Claire says, and my legs start to wobble. I fall back into my chair, doing everything in my power—from breathing exercises to mental gymnastics—to get a grip on myself. “I mean working with you.”
Okay, so I’m not the only one too stunned to think straight. Fucking fantastic. We can dive into this pit of awkwardness together.
Mom chuckles at Claire’s slip of the tongue. “I’m sure you two are going to get along swimmingly.”
“I know we will.” I catch myself right before adding, Just look at her. She’s fucking exquisite. I’m sure that wouldn’t go down very well.
At least not with her mom. Mine, on the other hand, seems awfully playful when it comes to Claire and me stumbling over our words at one another.
“Speaking of getting along.” I get up from my seat and walk to Mom’s side. I give her a hug, both for hello and goodbye, and add, “I think it’s time for me to say goodbye. I’ve got something important I need to do.”
“You mean calling Vance back in here and finishing your round of eighteen?” She scoffs, gesturing with an eyebrow toward the tiny flag sticking out of a hole inside a plastic housing.
“Not in the slightest.” He thrashed me anyway. No way I’m challenging him to a rematch yet. “It’s way more personal than that.”
I won’t elaborate, half hoping she understands that it has something to do with the conversation we had a while back. But it doesn’t matter, really. I just can’t handle another line of questions about my work relationship with Claire when all I want to do is drink in her body and undress her with my eyes.
It’s definitely not the kind of environment I want to foster for our dear old parents.
“Why are you here, by the way?” My brows furrow in confusion.
Both mothers are here on Claire’s first morning, wandering through the office and introducing her to the Valentine boys face-to-face. Something smells fishy, and it’s not the day-old tuna can stinking up the kitchen.
“You, my little prince,” Mom starts, and Claire giggles at her nickname for me, “will just have to wait and see.”
Then it hits me. Like a ton of bricks landing square on my crown.
Holy shit.
I’ve been trying my hardest not to seem like a complete buffoon ever since Claire walked into my office, while Mom’s been getting a kick out of seeing me stumble. She isn’t introducing Claire to us one by one to show her around the office. No, she did it knowing my office was their last stop. Maybe with a little hope involved to make that dream we spoke about a few weeks ago a reality.