for a second, he felt like confessing.
“Hey, Connor.” She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, a kiss so brief he wondered if he imagined the contact of her lips against his skin.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” he said, pulling out the bar stool next to his. “Please, take a seat that isn’t mine.”
Emerson laughed. “I thought we agreed that technically the seat was ours.”
“Well, you are more than welcome to come sit on my lap and share this one,” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows.
“I think I’d have to know you a lot better before I try that. I don’t just sit on anyone’s lap.” Emerson threw her denim jacket over the back of the stool and climbed up.
Connor tried to be a gentleman, but his eyes still travelled the length of her legs as her dress hitched up her thighs. He fought the urge to follow its path with his fingers to see if her skin was as soft as it looked.
“I’ve been looking forward to this since you suggested it. Have you eaten here before?” she asked, looking around the restaurant.
“I have, and I can highly recommend the All-In Burger, or the tuna if you like it rare. What can I get you to drink?” The bartender walked toward them. “Gin?”
Emerson looked along the modest gin selection before scrunching her nose slightly. “I’d love a cosmopolitan, and would you mind switching the triple sec for Cointreau and keep the lime juice to a little shy of half an ounce please?”
Gins he represented were on the shelf, and it bothered him a little that she hadn’t seemed to find any of them appealing. Not that he was mad at her, more that for the first time in his life, he was aware of just where his products stood in the quality pecking order.
He ordered a beer for himself. “You know your way around your cocktails,” he said in admiration. “What’s the secret with the Cointreau?”
“Triple sec can be…sharp. And since bars tend to use a lot of cheaper, really sharp limes, it can be too much. But switch it out for Cointreau and it’s smoother. More nuanced. There’s a hint of delicious orange that comes through.”
Connor couldn’t help but watch her mouth as she spoke. She was wearing a deceptively nude gloss, and he wondered what it would taste like, what she would taste like without it. He turned his stool to face her properly.
“How was your week?” he asked.
“A masterclass in how to keep your head just above water. I graduated as an expert.”
Connor leaned forward and took the hand that was in her lap, relieved when she clasped her fingers around his. “Some weeks are like that, I guess.”
Emerson shrugged. “I suppose. I’ve only been doing this for two months, but it’s a steep learning curve.”
Her fingers were warm and soft. “Give it time. Is there anyone in your organization you can rely on to help out?”
“Not really. Everyone else is tapped out, too. I think it’s the double-edged sword of working in a smaller company, especially a family-owned one. It’s a tightly controlled structure, but it struggles when someone is absent.”
“Ours is still a family business, but it’s a multi-hundred-million-dollar business, so we have a bigger structure. More people who think they need to be involved in every decision.” Thoughts of his uncle flitted into his mind, and he quickly dismissed them.
Emerson grimaced. “Right now, I feel like I’d benefit from a few more people. My dad—”
“Here are your drinks, folks.” The bartender placed their drinks on coasters in front of them. Connor squeezed her hand one last time before letting go.
“Thank you,” Emerson said, reaching for her drink. “Anyway. Cheers. And thank you for asking me to dinner. I’m so glad you did.”
Connor tapped his glass to hers. “Cheers. And I’m happy you’re here.”
They sipped their drinks for a moment, and Emerson moaned. The sound reverberated through his chest. “Oh my. That’s so good.” Emerson offered the glass to him. “Try it.”
His eyes were locked on her as her tongue ran its way slowly across her lower lip. Lucky fucking tongue.
He took the glass she offered and took a sip. “Better than I expected,” he answered honestly. “I tend to stick to whiskey for a spirit. You were about to say something about your dad before the drinks arrived.”
“If you remember, I mentioned in my speech how my dad passed away recently.”
Connor nodded. That flutter of guilt that he already knew so