Lost and Found (Growing Pains #1)(20)

So why the hell was that open door beckoning her closer, the pull of the charismatic salesman moving her feet as if she was in a lovesick daze. It was so freaking unfair.

With a big sigh, face a stern mask of determination, she stepped out from behind the bushy plant, then apologized profusely to the passing woman who jumped and screeched at the Research girl materializing out of thin air.

Back on track, Krista marched down the hallway, eyes trained on the battlefield, ready to keep her wits about her, hands to herself, and not grab any crotches in an act of sexual starvation. As she stepped up to the gaping door, hand in the act of knocking, she heard a female voice float out into the hallway. Then laughter.

Her gut pinched in worry. She really, really didn’t want to walk in on some sort of office sexual fantasy being acted out by Sean and his squeeze of the day.

She poked her head in slowly, eyes squinting just in case they had to close quickly, and saw a woman leaning heavily over the desk, half her large chest spilling out of her top and onto the wood. Sean’s green eyes seemed to glow in the bright, fluorescent light as they glanced at the cle**age show, a slick, predator-like expression dominating his face.

Her stomach seized up. Instead of the hurt she feared, her determination hardened. This clown wasn’t worth her emotional rollercoaster, and she was tired of him getting his way. Really, did these women not have any self-respect?

Rolling her eyes, Krista continued her knock, sighing when Sean’s head snapped up and his hungry expression turned into a mask of guilt.

“Sorry to disturb you,” Krista said coolly, irritation firing on all cylinders. “I just wanted to look at the art mock-ups. Should I come back later?” She glanced at the busty girl who was surprisingly not cute.

It was official. This guy would literally screw anything. No offense Miss Boob-N-Plenty.

“Not at all, Krista. Please, come in,” Sean answered cordially.

The girl, a member of Marketing, gave Krista a look that said she should watch her back or her desk might catch fire with her tied to it. “Okay, Sean, well I’ll chat with you tonight.” Mt. Bust slowly crossed to the door, then made a show of waiting for Krista to get out of her way.

“Ole,” Krista said without thinking. She looked up at Sean with a “Don’t you dare comment” look. Wisely, he caught it and erased his smile.

After Krista finally stepped into the room, Sean said, “Sorry about that. She was just visiting.”

He looked like he needed Krista to understand something. Male urges? Helplessness in the face of ni**les? Unwilling participant in a love affair but unable to say no for fear of life? Whatever it was, she wasn’t buying.

“No problem. Could I just see the mock-ups?”

“Of course.” Sean smoothly exited his chair, raising a hand to beckon her over.

Krista stayed right where she was. She knew what happened to raw meat when it wandered into the lion’s den.

“They are on discs,” Sean explained patiently, “so you have to view them from my computer.” His face was perfectly blank.

Have you ever heard of a flash drive?

Defeated but still rigid, Krista crossed the space, taking the path on the far side of the desk to get to the chair. It meant she had to awkwardly climb over a garbage can and recycling bin, half leaning on the desk so as not to crawl through a plant, but she did not have to pass within inches of an incredibly attractive, though exceedingly sleazy, salesman.

As she sank into the overstuffed leather chair it went cush. “Oh holy hell, this is a nice chair. Sorry about the language.”

A smile flickering up his face, Sean said, “Can’t complain.”

He took two slow steps to her side, leaned over her, his solid bicep inches from her face, and worked the mouse, bringing up the presentation. A buzzing filled Krista’s head as she tried to ignore the heat radiating off that exquisite body. She took a deep breath, not hearing whatever was drumming out of his muscular chest next to her ear. His special elixir dizzied her, made her want to lean in, connecting her skin with his.

“There you go.” That smooth masculine tone tickled her ears and groin at the same time, making her break out in a sweat and shiver.

“Hmmmm?”

Sean’s face angled down to hers, wondering if she understood.

Oh, she understood alright. She was about to go down the wrong road if he kept standing there, that’s what she understood. She didn’t need to add sexual harassment to her list of accolades.

“Yup, all good here. No problem. Please step away.”

With a confused chuckle, Sean did exactly that, eating her alive with his intense gaze.

Shaking her head, reaching for control, she reached for the mouse as she cleared her throat. “Do you have a pen and notepaper? I’d like to take some notes. Me memory no so good.”

Sean chuckled. “Sure.”

“Jeez, you get all the nice office stuff,” Krista noticed through a foggy head. “I get crappy plastic pens with no grip, a crappy mouse, a used, dirty keyboard—well, until it was replaced…”

“Replaced?”

“Oh, yeah. I guess the main-cheese in IT thought he’d do me a favor. Not that I’m complaining.”

“Jacob?”

“The one and only. I think Research freaks him out, though. He hasn’t come back, thank God. I only need so much leering in my lifetime.”