Page 29 of The Hook Up
Love. No.
That wasn’t in the cards for him. Not even close. He damn well knew better than to start wanting something like that for himself. He was Johnny Hendrix’s son. He was a guy whose lone parental figure once took him to the mall and forgot him there, only remembering hours after stores closed that he’d left his six-year-old alone.
That’s what you know. How you were raised. And it’s why you have to steer clear—so you don’t fuck things up for this sweet mother and her kid.
Ty raked a hand down his face and took a step back. At least he tried to. He only managed to knock his stapler on the ground. It landed atop the tape dispenser, making a loud clatter.
Ellie raised one eyebrow at him.“You need to get that?”
“Yeah,” he said. He stepped away from her and picked up the office supplies, then moved to the other side of the desk to put some more space between them. He tried to put his focus back on work, reaching out to jiggle the mouse and wake up his computer.
Bad idea.
The fruit and cock ring image blared back at him like a tortuous sexual taunt.
“Well.” Miriam cleared her throat. “I just stopped by to see if Ellie’s free for lunch, but I should probably let you two get back to work.”
“Work,” Ty repeated, giving a vigorous nod. “Yes. That’s what we should do. Ready to work, Ellie?”
He glanced up to see Ellie standing there, confused.
But he needed to keep some distance between them. A desk between them, at least.
“Yes,” she said, finding her voice at last. “Yes to a ladies’ lunch, and yes to working. Yes to all of it.”
She held his gaze for a moment, communicating a message Ty heard loud and clear.
I want you, jerk. And this isn’t over yet.
Ty stared back, wishing there were some way for her to read his mind.
Trust me, babe. I’m the last thing you want.
* * *
Ellie forkedup a bite of kale salad and stole a covert glance at her sister-in-law, wondering if Miriam planned to bring up the lip-lock with Ty.
She didn’t have to wonder long.
“So apparently Plan Seduce-the-Videographer is off to a good start,” Miriam said, grinning as she reached across the table to spear a cucumber in Ellie’s salad. Ellie didn’t mind, since she’d been stealing Miriam’s croutons. “Sorry about walking in on you like that,” Miriam added.“It looked like things were just getting good.”
“It’s fine,” Ellie assured her, even though it kinda wasn’t. After Miriam left, Ty had behaved like the consummate professional. He’d been respectful, composed, and dignified. She might have been grateful if it weren’t for the fact that she wanted to hump his leg like a feral poodle.
Shaking her head to rid her brain of the dog image, she met her sister-in-law’s eyes with an uncertain shrug. “I can’t tell if he’s interested in me,” she admitted.
Miriam quirked an eyebrow at her. “His hand on your boob and his tongue in your mouth weren’t an indication?”
“I kissedhim,” Ellie pointed out. “Maybe he was just being polite.”
“Honey, the man was ten seconds from boosting you onto his desk and devouring you like a cream puff. I don’t think he was being polite.”
“Then why did he back off the way he did?”
Miriam set her fork down, a flicker of sympathy in her eyes. “Uh, maybe because having his business partner watch isn’t his idea of a turn-on?”
“No, I mean afterward,” Ellie said. “He could have kissed me again. Instead, he got right down to business. Started pulling up spreadsheets and everything.” She gave a desperate little laugh as she stabbed a tomato harder than necessary. “For crying out loud, he shook my hand when I left.”
“Hmm.” Miriam seemed to consider that as she picked up her fork again and swirled a hunk of romaine in a puddle of dressing. “I’m trying to remember the conversation. We started talking about babies, right?”
