He darted around her, stepping right in front of her and forcing her to skid to a stop on her heels. And fuck, because she really didn’t want him to, but he smelled amazing.
“I’m fucking this up.”
“Ding. Ding. Ding.” She took a step to the side and he mimicked the movement. “For God’s sake, why won’t you leave me alone?”
Garret winced. “Because I’m not normally an asshole.”
“Well,” she grumbled. “Reiterating the fact you didn’t want to go on a date with me at all certainly isn’t the way to prove that.”
“I—” He sighed. “That’s not what I meant.”
Kay rolled her eyes. “I mean, I got that loud and clear simply by the fact that you didn’t show up.”
“I—”
“Then there’s the small factor of the bovine reference to my appearance and making fun of my career.”
“I—”
“So, yeah, you’re not batting that high of an average with the whole not asshole thing.”
“I read your book.”
Kay froze, pulse speeding up.
“I liked it. A lot.”
She bit her lip, felt his gaze lock onto the spot, and though she’d written about it in many of her books, imagined it in her author brain plenty of times, Kay had never actually experienced the sensation of a simple look creating such a tangible feeling.
It. Was. Incredible.
She could feel his eyes, could actually feel her blood shift, moving toward her lips, plumping them, making them tingle.
Her tongue darted out and his chocolate stare heated, going molten until she could almost sense that melted sweetness dripping down her spine.
He leaned down. Her breath caught.
“I really am sorry.”
Just like that, the spell was broken . . . or if not broken exactly, then at least she’d regained a few of her senses.
Kay stepped back and glared at him. Why was he pushing this? Because she didn’t believe for one second that he was truly sorry. Sorry he got caught, maybe. Sorry his asshole move might jeopardize—
“Don’t worry,” she said, clarity finally hitting her brain. “I know that Heather is your investor. I won’t do anything to change that.”
He waved a hand. “That’s not why I’m apologizing. Yes, I’m in business with Heather. Yes, it would be a blow to lose her investment, but this isn’t my first rodeo. I’d figure it out.”
“Great. Well, kudos to you.” She blew out an exasperated breath when she tried to step around him, only to be blocked by him again. “What?” she snapped and poked a finger into his chest. “What’s so special about me that you’re pushing this?”
He caught her hand, and Kay bit back a gasp at the spark of desire that shot through her at the simple contact. “I—” He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
And then he was close again. Too close.
Not close enough.
She swallowed hard, heart pounding in the back of her throat, breaths coming in rapid inhalations.
He was going to kiss her.