continue to wipe. It’s a mess. A complete—
“Miss Shaw!” He grips my wrists. “You can stop. The shirt is ruined.” He lets me go.
“Oh, heck! It is, isn’t it?” It’s sticking to his chest. His amazing, muscled, godlike chest. I look up into the storm clouds that used to be his eyes. “I’ll buy you a new one. And a new tie.” I wince. “It’s ruined as well.” There are smears of brown, green and pink on that too.
“You don’t earn enough to replace these,” he grumbles.
The crazy thing is that I believe him. “I’ll pay it off. That is, if I still have a job.”
He rolls his eyes. He somehow looks handsome doing it. How, I don’t know. “Forget the shirt and the tie. You warned me that you were clumsy…I guess I didn’t think you’d be this bad.” He throws me a half-smile. “The restroom is through there. Clean up and then meet me in my office. Bring a notepad and a pen. You’ll find those in the second drawer on the right. My final piece of advice is not to come anywhere near me when you have food or drink in your hands.”
“Noted,” I say to his retreating back.
“Double-time, Miss Shaw,” he adds as he walks into his office.
I run to the restroom. I wash my hands in ten seconds flat and forgo drying them. I flap them wildly as I make my way to the desk, hoping no one sees me because I think I must look like a lunatic. I grab the notepad and pen and race to his office. I almost swallow my tongue when I get inside.
I’m met with the sight of skin because he has no shirt on. None. His torso is bare. Make that, his muscular…oh my lord help me…torso is bare. His belt is undone too. I promptly drop the notepad and the pen. “Frack!” I push out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you…” I mumble while I pick up the pad and pen. I’m so busy ogling him that I have to feel my way around the floor to find them. “I didn’t realize you were in a state of undress. That—”
“We don’t have much time, Miss Shaw.” He turns around. Oh, heaven help me! His chest. It’s a thing of sheer beauty. Muscles galore, and…yes…I was right…a tattoo. It’s a lightning bolt…Bolt…is there a reference there? Must be.
I’ve just managed to pick up the notepad, and I drop it again. “Drat it!” I say. “I wasn’t expecting you to…” I stop talking.
“You weren’t expecting me to change after you ruined my shirt and tie?”
I shake my head. I force my eyes off him and pick up the notepad. Then I force my eyes onto the paper before he fires me. I would fire me. Why am I still here?
I hear him chuckle. It’s deep and throaty. So soft, I can only just hear him. It’s sexy as hell. Of course, it is.
“Are you alright, Miss Shaw?”
“I’m fine! All good. Great, actually.” I clear my throat. “How are you, Mr. Bolt?” I look up, and it’s a mistake. I sigh.
His mouth twitches. “I’ll live, and I told you, it’s Bolt. You can drop the ‘mister’ bullshit.”
I nod.
“Next time you want to smear me with frosting…make sure my shirt is off first.”
I almost drop my notepad again. I know, I’m pathetic. I can’t believe he just said that. What do I say back? I’m at a loss!
“I’m joking, Miss Shaw.”
“Oh.” I laugh. It sounds a little hysterical. “Of course, you are. I knew that.”
Then he shrugs into a crisp, new shirt, and I can breathe again…sort of. “You ready?” he asks.
“For what?”
I get a mouth twitch. “To take notes. I need you to type up a meeting agenda when we’re in the air.” He must see my face because he adds. “It’s a two-and-a-half-hour flight. The agenda is concise. I think you’ll be fine.”
“I’m slow, but I can type. I’m ready.” My pen is poised. I only hope I don’t die of a heart attack before take-off.
10
Bolt
I watch as her hands curl around the armrests, holding tightly. Her eyes widen, and she sucks in a breath as the jet picks up speed. The buttons on her jacket strain. I’m almost hoping they pop off just so she’ll have to change out of that godawful suit. Yes, I’m a snob. I like the finer things in life. I have a feeling Miss Shaw doesn’t know much about many of those things.