“Speaking of dogs, you still haven’t explained why Oscar’s here. Not that I don’t like him, but you don’t normally bring him to the office,” Lucas said.
“He’s here because Cassie likes him,” Derek admitted.
“And you need to butter her up. Got it,” Lucas said, laughing.
Derek turned to Kade, who remained silent on the subject of Cassie. “Did you say Kendall is walking dogs? Because if so, I need her phone number. Oscar’s walker quit.”
“She’d love to do it. I’ll shoot you her info on your cell later.”
“Thank you. And now, if you don’t mind…”
“You want to be alone when Cassie gets here. Got it,” Lucas said. “We’d laugh at you except we can’t. We’ve been where you are.”
“What? No. I’m not that—”
“Involved?” Kade asked, glancing down at the dog who had never been to the office before.
“Out!” Derek pointed to the door, and his friends left, laughing.
A few minutes later, Becky announced Cassie’s arrival. Derek rose as the door opened, and she walked in, looking every inch the professional interviewer. From the way her hair was pulled up to the dark pencil skirt and heels and through to the white blouse, she was prim and proper—except for the hint of cleavage revealed by the open buttons. An enticing hint that had him licking his lips, the memory of her taste strong.
“Good morning,” he said, walking around and meeting her by the door.
“Good morning.” She smiled warily. He didn’t blame her. Their last parting hadn’t been a great one.
No sooner had she spoken than Oscar heard her voice, jumped up, and greeted her with his bounding enthusiasm before flopping to the floor.
“Hey, pal!” She knelt by his side to give him a belly rub.
While she gave the dog attention, Derek shut the office door and locked them inside.
“What’s Oscar doing here?” she asked, rising to her feet.
He opted for the truth. “I thought he’d help me break the ice.”
“Look, I know what I said to you the other day, but the truth is, it’s not for me to dictate how you behave or what you say. It is for me to decide what I want to put up with. And—”
“I’m sorry,” he said before she could tell him she didn’t want to see him outside of this extended interview.
She blinked, long lashes fluttering over her big brown eyes. “You are?”
“You’re not the only one who can admit when they were wrong.” He managed a smile. It wasn’t easy to swallow his pride. He wasn’t a man used to humbling himself for someone else.
But she’d taught him the value of apologizing. Of what it meant to the person on the receiving end. He grasped her shoulders, wanting her to face him, to know he’d given this consideration.
That he cared what she thought of him. “I’ve been sending you mixed signals, and that hasn’t been fair. It’s also not what I want for us. I don’t want the past between us. Hell, I don’t want anything between us.”
Her mouth parted in a little O. “That’s … sweet,” she finally said.
“You’re sweet.” He pulled her toward him and covered her lips with his.
She gasped into his mouth, her hands coming up to grasp his forearms, and he braced himself for a hard shove away. Instead she curled her fingers, her nails digging into the fabric of his sweater. Her body softened, and she parted her lips, letting him in.
His tongue swirled with hers, the taste of her filling him, not just his taste buds but his heart. Which he had to admit frightened him. But he held on to the here and now, the feel of her in his arms, her fragrant scent arousing him beyond belief. His dick hardened in his jeans, being hard as a rock a feeling he was getting used to around her.
Her arms slid around his waist, and she tipped her head back, giving him deeper access to the depths of her mouth. She rose up on her toes, her kisses as ravenous for him as was his appetite for her.
Woof.
Growl.
Woof.
What started as an annoying sound ended with his big, hairy dog jumping on his hind legs, begging for attention from either adult.
She stepped back, laughing as she knelt to pet him.
“Fucking dog cock-blocked me,” he muttered.
“Once again, he’s doing me a favor. I really am here to conduct an interview,” she said, cheeks flushed and whisker burn on her chin.
He opted not to mention it.
“That’s the second part of my apology. You have free access to Lucas and Kade, along with Becky, my assistant. I know I was hesitant about this whole process, and I want to make it easy for you.”
“Wow. You gave everything a lot of thought, didn’t you?” she asked, sounding pleased.
“I gave everything about you thought.” He grasped her hand, running a thumb over her soft skin. His emotions had shifted, and he had no choice but to accept it.
He had feelings for her that went beyond the sexual. In the short time he’d gotten to know her again, she’d taught him about forgiveness, caring, and moving forward.
“I appreciate that you listened.” She leaned forward and kissed him full on the lips. “Now I need to get to work.”
She walked out, hips swaying, and he watched, a big-ass grin on his face.
Chapter Six
Apparently Cassie couldn’t be around Derek without kissing him. Which, in turn, led to a stupid grin on her face, which would be unprofessional when dealing with his partners. She walked out of his office, relieved when his assistant wasn’t at her desk. Cassie took a minute to compose herself. She placed her hands on her flushed cheeks and forced in calming streams of air.