Irresistible (Cloverleigh Farms #1)(51)

When the kiss threatened to get out of control and I found myself groping her over her work clothes, I pushed back. “We better stop.”

“Right,” she said, breathing hard, bending to gather the papers she’d dropped.

I went around my desk again, adjusted my pants to accommodate my unhappy erection, and sat down. “What can I do for you?”

Her face lit up as she came forward and set the papers in front of me. “Mrs. Radley, the bride who said she was interested in helping me start a business, just dropped this off. She was in a hurry, but look.”

On top of the stack was a handwritten note. It read:

Dear Frannie,

Thank you again for rescuing me before the first dance. I haven’t forgotten you! After hearing our guests rave about your macarons at the reception, I was more convinced than ever that this is what you need to do! And then first thing this morning when I got back in the office, I got a message from someone looking to sell a little café right in downtown Traverse City. It’s a sign! I’ve enclosed the info here along with my business card and a few other options for spaces to rent or buy. Call me!

Maxima Radley

After thumbing through the other pages, which were all real estate listings for commercial spaces, I looked up at Frannie, whose eyes were bright. “This is awesome. You have to call her.”

“You think?” She twisted her hands together. “I want to—I’m just nervous. I haven’t gotten a chance to tell you this yet, but I told my parents what I want to do Sunday night at dinner.”

“Good for you. What did they say?”

She flipped her hands. “They gave me a bunch of shit about it, especially my mother. But I didn’t back down. I told them it’s what I want to do, and it’s time I start making decisions based on what I think I’m capable of, not them.”

I sat back in my chair and assessed her. “I’m impressed. How’d they take it?”

She squirmed a little. “Not awesome. I threatened to move out too, which I hadn’t planned on doing, but I was getting pretty fired up about wanting my independence. My dad suggested I start paying rent.”

I raised my eyebrows. “What did you say?”

“I said thanks but no thanks. Not that I wouldn’t pay rent, of course, and I will, but that that’s not what I meant. All my sisters got the chance to go to school, travel, accomplish their goals. They weren’t held back, and I don’t want to be held back either anymore. If I fail, I fail, but I’ve got to try.”

“As a father, you’re scaring the piss out of me right now. As someone who wants to see you kick ass out in the world, I’m happy as fuck and I want you to go call this woman.”

She grinned. “Thanks. I’m going to.”

I gathered up the papers for her and paper-clipped the woman’s card to her note. “Let me know how it goes.”

“I’m nervous,” she said, flattening her hands on her stomach. “What if she asks questions I have no answers to?”

“Hey. Listen to me.” Leaving the listings on my desk, I came around and took her by the shoulders. “You are smart, talented, and persistent. If you don’t know the answer to something, you’ll find it. And you’re not alone.”

“No?”

I shook my head. “You’ve got your sisters, you’ve got an ally in this Radley woman, and you have me. I’ll be here for you every step of the way.”

Her lips tipped up. “You will?”

“Yes.”

She slipped her arms around my waist and looked up at me with adorably huge eyes. “Tell me again that I have you.”

“You have me.”

Rising on tiptoe, she touched her lips to mine. “That’s all I want.”

The kiss was probably supposed to be short and sweet, but once she was that close, I couldn’t resist gathering her into my arms and opening my mouth over hers. Once again, the kiss grew reckless quickly, and suddenly I was pulling her work shirt from her pants and sliding my hands up her ribs as I walked her backward toward my desk. She moved a hand between my legs and rubbed her palm over my dick, whose hopes rose again like a helium balloon. I was about to lift her up when someone knocked on my office door.

Frannie and I sprang apart fast.

I cleared my throat. “Come in.”

Chloe entered the office, looking at something on her phone. “Hey, what do you think of this ad copy for—” Then she looked up and stopped. Her eyes roved from Frannie, who was trying to look casual, although her shirt was untucked and she was breathing kind of heavy, to me. Remembering the tent in my pants, I quickly moved around my desk and sat down. Smoothed my hair.

“Am I interrupting something?” Chloe asked, clearly amused.

“No,” we both said at once.

She laughed. “You guys are horrible liars.”

“I was just going,” Frannie said, her cheeks turning a gorgeous shade of pink. She scooped up the stack of papers on my desk and hurried for the door. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay,” Chloe and I both said at once. Then we looked at each other.

“Well,” she said.

“It’s not what it looks like,” I blurted. Then I shook my head. “Actually, it’s exactly what it looks like.”