Kelsey will kill me if I dont return with these. And, if I have to come back, you have to pay a delivery fee the second time. You sign the papers, she takes care of things and makes your life easier. Seems to me, buster, you need to stop crying and pick up a pen.
Other people are nice to me. He read through the papers, signing where he was supposed to.
Meh. Stop pretending youre not business savvy. I know you and your game. As for other people? She rolled her eyes. Other people want things from you. I just want your tea.
I have better things to offer besides tea, you know. He waggled his brows and she laughed, though she couldnt fight the flush building through her belly.
Yeah? You offering any of that up?
He signed the last sheet, tucked all the papers back into the envelope and turned to face her. Im not sure you have enough time for all I have to offer.
She stepped close enough to touch the envelopes, which put her just an inch or two away from his body. Try me.
The moment stretched taut between them, heating slowly, deliciously. Until he stepped back with a raised brow and a harrumph. Go on then, Wren. Bring me something more fun next time.
She took the envelope, tucking it into her bag. I already bring myself. Nothing is more fun than that.
One corner of his mouth rose. I bet.
She turned, heading out, but paused at the door. One of these days, you should see for yourself.
Chapter Two
It wasnt until shed gone that he realized hed forgotten to give her the tickets for his show. Or even let her know he had a show coming up.
He stalked back to his workroom, pausing for a cigarette after he was sure all his welding supplies were shut off.
French. One of his small indulgences. He slid one from the pack and the scent of the Turkish tobacco rose. Distinctive. Connected to his work.
He loved the act of tapping the edge against his lighter. The ritual of putting it between his lips, the flick of the lighter and that first rush of nicotine into his system.
Yes. He knew they were bad for him. His dentist told him so every six months. His doctor told him so. Hed cut back to two or three a day. Almost always while he worked.
The light was good, he thought as he smoked, looking at the flames of metal. The color was also just right. Nearly bronze in places.
He smiled as he thought of how Wren had understood nearly immediately that hed been creating flames. Intuitive, that one.
He really didnt need to have tea. Hed known exactly what needed to be done next. But more and more often as their friendship had grown, he found himself delaying her departure to spend time with her.
Gregori picked up one of his hammers and moved to his worktable where several sheets of metal hed cut earlier that day sat. He worked, still thinking of her, of the way shed teased him and of how hed teased her back.
It wasnt that he never flirted. He was rather shameless about flirting, as it happened. He loved women. Came by that love honestly as he got it from his father. He flirted as easily as he breathed.
But with her it was different. She wasnt world-weary. Wasnt a social climber. She flirted back but it wasnot pure, no, he was quite sure Wren Davis knew what she was doing. It lacked artifice. Which made her dangerous.
The artist, named after a bird, who delivered packages and envelopes to pay for art school. He stubbed the cigarette out, exhaling the last of the smoke from his body as he thought of her.
Long and tall. She moved as if she knew exactly where she was going and what she planned to do once she arrived. She often had her hair braided, held back from her face, exposing that beauty so easily.
Freckles danced over the bridge of her nose. Her eyes, bold and bright blue, took in the world all around her. Gregori always got the feeling she weighed, accepted, approved or rejected things as she went.
She wore jeans a lot, though in the summer shed worn shorts. She had lovely legs. Powerful, probably from bicycling up and down the hills in downtown. He liked the warm days because she wore T-shirts and tank tops, exposing the outline of some seriously gorgeous breasts.
Glasses often perched on her nose. He wondered why she hadnt gotten the surgery to fix her eyesight. Glasses worked for her in any case, though he wondered how they affected her when she worked on her animation for long hours at a time.
Art school. He scoffed as he began to pound the metal, shaping it, giving it texture. Hed gotten a few peeks at her work. She had a lot of talent. She didnt need art school.
Wren was vibrant and clever and certainly one of the best parts of his day when she stopped in. A constant in a world he knew was filled with mostly temporary people and experiences.
He blew out a breath and fell back into his work. Hed deal with the tickets the next day.
Wren found her friends already seated in a booth near the back windows of the tavern. They waved, calling her name as she made her way through the already burgeoning Friday night crowd.
The music was loud, but not so loud she couldnt hear Kelsey tell her theyd just ordered her a margarita.
Yay. She shimmied from her coat and ordered tacos when the server came back with her margarita. She sipped it happily, leaning forward to listen to Kelsey talk about her new boyfriendapparently now ex-boyfriendand the way hed sprung on her that he lived in his moms garage.
He tried to say it was all right because it has its own entrance. I wasnt impressed because she came in to do laundry when we were about two minutes away from pants being off.
Well, at least when you smell Tide the next time, youll have happy thoughts.
Kelsey took a drink. Not only does he live in his moms basement, but he tried to get me to see if Gregori could get us into Fixe.
Fixe was Seattles hottest nightclub. Gregori knew the owner so he hung out there from time to time.
Well, this is the guy who used a coupon to pay for dinner on your first date.
Wren had nothing against coupons. After all, they were all at the tavern just then because it was happy hour. Half-price drinks and four-buck appetizers were a great deal. But coupons for dinner were a long-term couple thing. Or a high school thing. And you didnt use your girlfriend to see if her boss could get you into nightclubs.
I know. Kelsey nodded. You told me he was bad news.
But he has a great ass. And good hair. Did you dump him?
Yes. When his mom opened the door to the house and yelled down at him to change the laundry over when the buzzer sounded, I made my escape. He had the nerve to call me today to ask about Fixe. You know, since were still friends and all.
Get out!
I wish. Anyway, I managed to find it in me to laugh as I hung up on him.
Zoe, Wrens roommate, raised her glass. Good riddance.
They all joined her in the toast.
So now that weve heard Kelseys news Zoe leaned closer whats todays hot Russian artist update?
Working shirtless when I went to his loft. Sweaty, but in the right way if you know what I mean. Man. Wren fanned her face. He gets so intense when hes working. All that focus on what hes doing. Its so sexy. Makes me wonder like every twenty minutes if hes that intense in the sack.
That got a laugh, but plenty of quiet moments afterward as they all totally went there.
He made me tea. Flirted as usual. But he didnt pull the trigger. He flirts with everyone, though. I dont read anything into it. Though Id like to.
He does flirt with everyone. But he talks about you differently than the scores of chicks hes got on his speed dial. Kelsey shrugged. Hes got you in the employee camp. So youre safe to flirt with because he tells himself nothing is going to happen.
Im not his employee. Though shed be lying if she denied the image of some naughty boss fantasies hadnt just run through her head.
Nope. Just keep at it. Hell see it eventually. I mean, maybe. Heswell, you know. Hes not a permanent type of guy. Hes one of those live-in-the-moment people.
Sure, sure, Wren knew that. Knew hed tried marriage once, years before and that it had ended up a smoldering pile of rubble. Knew that ex of his had meant his distrust of people had grown.
But she wasnt his ex. She wasnt his employee. She liked him. Wanted to know him better and it wasnt the worst thing in the world to imagine that he wanted to know her, too.
Id tell you not to go getting hurt, but youre not a dummy. Still, hes sort ofmagical. Alluring with all those pheromones of his rushing around when youre near him. Kelsey shrugged. Hes a total handful. I like him. He gives great holiday presents and he pays me well. But I would not want to manage a man like him.
Gregori is not a man to be managed. Hes the one who likes to be in charge. Wren waggled her brows as they all laughed. Thats okay, I dont mind a man in charge. Well, in bed I mean. I can pay my own bills and order my own dinner. Anyway, hes an interesting, titillating part of my week. Hes in a totally different world with models and hipster girls and jet-set travel. He was fun and sexy, but she knew reality from fantasy. Flirting was great, but Kelsey was right and Wren had no intention of getting serious about a dude who was a fun crush.
The conversation shifted to Zoes new job at a design firm in town. Wren and Zoe shared a two-bedroom apartment just a few blocks away from the school where, up until a few months ago, both of them had attended.