Sweet Sensations

Chapter Ten

Dominick

I was deep into answering a string of emails at my office when Patricia tapped on my glass wall, pulling me away from the screen. She raised a sharply plucked eyebrow and pursed her lips my way until I made the gesture to come in.

"No one working a desk for you?" she asked. "I would have thought you'd be impossible to catch alone."

"Normally," I answered, standing slightly and gesturing for her to take a seat at the black leather couch across from me, then dropping back down into my chair. "You caught me at a vulnerable moment. What can I do for you?"

"Just thought I'd stop in and say hello," she said, taking the seat. "My communications firm had another meeting in your building this afternoon." She crossed her leg, then kicked her heel in the air a little. "Although I suppose you knew that."

I smiled, crossing my arms over my chest. "How do you mean?"

She smoothed down the front of her blouse, gliding her hands across the fabric slowly. "With your reputation, I was expecting someone much more ruthless. But you just seem..." She waved her hand in the air, looking for the word. "You just seem good, I suppose. The woman who held your job before was incompetent. I'm sure you've heard."

I chuckled, struck by how straightforward she was. "I hadn't heard anyone put it that succinctly, but I got the impression. For what I've been able to get the city to tell me, she bumbled the budget and then seemed to just stop doing her job altogether."

Patricia gestured to the bottle of bourbon near the window. I didn't really drink at work, but I stood and grabbed a glass for her anyway. "You want ice?"

"Just a splash is fine," she answered. "And yes, that's the long and short of the story, although I'm sure there's a much more salacious version around here, too."

"I'm sure," I agreed, handing the glass to her. "And thank you for the compliment. I'm glad to have earned your confidence in the project."

Patricia smiled. "You have," she agreed. "And it seems your moment in the gala spotlight made quite the impression, too." She winked. "There's more than one person around here talking about how handsome you are."

I chuckled and redirected the subject, knowing better than to go down that road. "That's kind," I said. "And how was your meeting? Is the new communications initiative going well?"

"Everything on track," she said, taking a sip from the bourbon and then setting the glass on my desk with a clink.

"Great," I replied, noticing another email come through on my screen. "I'll have my people reach out to that community group I mentioned to you soon. I'm sure they'll be glad there's been some movement." I resisted being rude and turning back to my computer, but my mind kept racing over my to-do list.

Patricia stood up, her mouth turning in a tight smile. I tried to read the look in her eyes, but her face quickly shifted, and she shot me a surprisingly seductive glance instead. "You are all business," she said. "But I guess I can't blame you. I saw that pretty piece of arm candy you brought to the gala."

I chuckled at her inadvertent joke. Arm candy. "Is that right?"

She shrugged, then lifted the glass, finishing off her drink. "I'm just saying, you've got a lot of months left in your stay. If you decide to lighten up and have a little fun while you're in town, give me a call." She returned the glass to my desk and let her fingers linger on its rim, her manicure tapping the glass. "And I can keep a secret if you can," she said and drew her tongue in a slow lick across her lips.

Patricia turned and left the office so quickly, I didn't have a chance to say a word. I just let out a long puff of air, processed her scene, and then started laughing to myself.