“And just for the record—I’m not asking, I’m telling.” His breath fanned her face and goosebumps race over her body.
Scooting the chair away, she glanced at her daily planner. “In that case, I’ll mark it down. What time do you want to get together?”
“I’ll pick you up.”
“No—I’ll meet you, and this time, I’m the one who’s telling you.”
Smokey laughed and moved around the desk. Standing in front of her, he hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans and rocked back on his boot heels.
“I’ll let you think that,” he said, winking. “We’ll meet tomorrow night at six at the Buckhorn.”
Ashley nodded and scribbled the information into the planner.
“Don’t work too hard, ” he said and turned around.
She stared at his well-rounded butt as he walked toward the door. His jeans accentuated those firm cheeks perfectly. Damn.
Just then, as if he’d read her mind, Smokey turned and caught her looking. His gaze locked with hers. Ashley’s breath caught as tiny static charges jumped through her body.
He winked at her and said, “Just so you know, you can check out my ass any time.” One corner of his mouth hitched up, and he swaggered out of the room.
What an asshole! Ashley resisted the urge to pick up the stapler and fling it after him. He’s so damn irritating and arrogant—a total pain in the ass. She shoved some papers into one of the desk drawers and slammed it shut. He makes me so damn mad!
Ashley hated that he’d caught her ogling him in a sexual way. There was just something about him that annoyed the hell out of her yet, at the same time, pulled her in, and she didn’t like that one bit. I don’t want to go there. He’s probably screwed every woman in the office and is vying for his newest conquest—me. No way, Mr. Sexy. No. Fucking. Way.
Ashley pushed away from the desk and looked over at the window. She stood up and grabbed hold of a corner of the shade and peeked out. There was no one by the tree. The only thing she saw were a few people in the lot cleaning off their cars and a snowplow driving by, its yellow light blinking until it faded into the distance.
Pulling on the cord, she raised the shade and shook her head. “I’m losing it,” she said under her breath. There’s no way Jeffrey knows I’m here. I’m just imagining things. That person I saw was probably having a smoke or maybe had car trouble … or a whole bunch of plausible scenarios.
Ashley pulled out a thick file that Zach had given to her before she’d left. It was for a client in Aspen. She’d been so obsessed with learning about the construction business and coming up with a marketing plan for A+ Construction that she hadn’t even looked at the file.
Sighing, she leaned on the desk with one elbow, the palm of her hand supporting her chin. She opened the green folder and dove into the pile of papers.
4
Smokey popped his head into Ashley’s office and frowned when his gaze fell on the empty desk chair. He’d been looking forward to seeing her, expecting her to give him attitude and sass, and he somehow felt cheated. The fact that the sexy woman he’d met at Blue’s Belly had turned out to be the new marketing manager for the construction company blew him away. And the look of shock and then annoyance that had spread across her pretty face when she realized who he was amused the hell out of him.
The distant ringing of the landline in his office prodded Smokey down the hallway.
“Hello?” he said as he sat down in the desk chair.
“Hey, dude. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” Zach said.
“I was helping out at a site where the reception is shit.” Smokey leaned back in the chair.
“Did you have a chance to meet Ashley?”
“Yeah,” he replied while thinking about how hot she looked in her purple skirt and conservative blouse. Damn how I’d love to see what’s under her clothes. His dick twitched and he cleared his throat.
“So, all’s good?”
“I didn’t expect her to be so hot,” Smokey said.
There was a pause for a long second, and then Zach said, “Ashley’s not like the women you’re used to—she’s all business. I’m just giving you the heads up so you don’t make an ass out of yourself.”
Smokey pursed his lips. “You don’t have to watch out for me, dude—I