Conflict of Interest - By Allyson Lindt Page 0,25

post. “Mr. McAllister, I didn’t realize you’d be in today. What can I do for you?”

Scott returned the smile. “Hey, Evan. I didn’t either.” Scott nodded at Kenzie. “This young lady isn’t as fond of my T-shirt as I am. Grab whatever she asks for?”

“Is there anywhere in this valley you aren’t on a first name basis with the staff?” Kenzie’s voice was a low rasp, only meant for his ears.

He glanced at her, relieved that her cheeks were still flushed with amusement. “There’s a Village Inn on State and one-oh-sixth that I don’t think I’ve been in since I was a teenager.”

Her lips twitched as she struggled to hold back a smile, and her gaze travelled over him.

His blood pressure increased, and he shoved his hands into his pockets to give himself something else to focus on. Between that appraising glance and her full lips, he was wishing they were anywhere but a public place.

“You’re what, a 34/34?” she asked.

She was good. He bit back the offer to let her measure his inseam herself if she wanted to find out. “That’s right.”

She turned back to Evan. “We need some slacks, a couple of Izods and Oxfords, though oddly enough I think we’re okay on the sport jacket front.”

Evan blinked, friendly smile frozen in place. “For him?”

Scott swallowed his laugh at the disbelief. Evan was forever giving him a hard time about being too good to buy his clothes off the rack like a pleeb. Childhood had left some impressions he couldn’t shake—like formal and business attire should be tailored. Fortunately, since he’d rather spend his money on other things, he didn’t have to make those purchases often. “For me.”

Evan gave him one last glance and then shook his head. “Of course. I’ll be right back.”

“What was that about?” Kenzie asked as soon as Evan was gone.

Scott shrugged. “Maybe I should have mentioned we’ve got a corporate account. We send our people here when they need to look good for trade shows, meetings, whatever. I’m just not usually one of them.”

Kenzie shook her head, and her expression was a bizarre combination of disbelief and what he would have called fascination on anyone else. Maybe he should tell her that was almost—but not quite—as attractive as the lip biting, or the blushing. With every shift in her expression, his pulse raced a little faster, drawing his attention from the task at hand and tempting him with what they could get up to if they took another afternoon off.

She stepped away, wandering around the department, occasionally paying attention to a display tie, or running a finger down a headless torso—he assumed checking the fabric of the shirt. What he wouldn’t give to be that mannequin right then, lower body or not. At least the plastic dummy didn’t have to worry about how impossible it currently was to sate the pulse below his waist, or deal with the lightheadedness that came from all his blood rushing to his cock.

Scott tried to be discreet about adjusting his jeans. They needed to buy this stuff and get out of here.

Kenzie glanced back at him and nodded at the shirt/tie combination next to her, elongating the stretch of her neck. “What about this?” Her cheeks and lips were flushed with the genuine fun she seemed to be having.

What he actually thought was that the two blues were different hues and clashed. But the creeping lust disagreed, thinking whatever she wanted him to if he could run his mouth over the hollow at the base of her throat. “I trust your judgment.”

“I have a dressing room set up.” Evan returned, interrupting the moment. “This way.”

Of course she was going to want him to try the stuff on. Now he was going to have to play dress-up doll. What would she do if he told her the slacks might not fit quite right just now? “Can’t you just tell him sizes and colors, and we can buy them and leave?” He followed them toward a room in back.

“No.” Kenzie gave him a look that said there was no way she’d consider that. “We have to know how they hang, fit, work together.”

“We have a couple of ties that aren’t out yet that would look great with those shirts,” Evan said. “I’ll go grab them if you’re interested.”

“You’ve got a good eye for these things.” Scott kept his voice low enough for only Kenzie to hear. “I’m sure they all look great together.”

She didn’t yield. “Please do.” Kenzie smiled