*~ TEASER TUESDAY ~*

Teaser from FEVERISH, coming November 2013

Clay asked, “So…did you think about what I said to you?”

Emily grabbed the bottle of soy sauce on the counter and removed the plastic seal. She looked confused. “What? When?”

Another devilish look. “When we were in California.”

He could tell she was processing it. “Uh…are you talking about…?” She couldn’t even finish the sentence. Did he make her that nervous?

So he was neglecting the pepper. Big damn deal. He wasn’t that hungry anyway. “Yeah. I think you know what I’m talking about—the Jet offer.”

She started giggling, but then she found the measuring cup. She refused to look at him. “Clay, I think you’re a really good guy, but there are two problems with that.”

He wasn’t giving up that easily. “And what would those be?”

As she measured out the soy sauce, she said, “First is that I’m engaged to Bryce, which means I’m committed to making it work.” He had plenty of arguments for that, but he knew that now wasn’t the time. He’d have to wait for a moment of weakness to change her mind there. “And second is that you’re my boss.” She finally looked him in the eyes. “That’s a line we shouldn’t cross.”

“Tell me why.”

She let out a sigh. Clay could tell he was exasperating her. Good. She’d been doing the same thing to him whether she knew it or not. “I shouldn’t have to. It’s just—inappropriate.”

He smiled. “You still haven’t told me why.”

She poured the soy sauce into a bowl and then looked in his eyes. “I shouldn’t have to tell you why. If you want me to be a good employee who works hard and has your best interests at heart, then we shouldn’t go there.”

He smirked. “So you’re telling me that if we were involved with each other, you wouldn’t have my best interests at heart?”

She shook her head but her face was still sober. “I’d have mine.”

“Fair enough.” After a few moments of silence, he moved the conversation to safer ground. She wasn’t ready. And if she really loved the douchebag she was engaged to, he didn’t want to drive a wedge there. She just didn’t seem like she was in love. She seemed like she was in commitment only, and that was something else entirely.

So he talked about new music he’d been hearing and how it was influencing a song he was working on. Her mood was light while she buzzed around the stove. Before he knew it, it was time to sit down to dinner. He’d considered finding those stupid tapered candles, but he had no idea where Mary kept them and he was pretty sure they’d p*ss Emily off. He also strongly considered digging out a bottle of wine or something else, but again he figured she wouldn’t appreciate it. Truthfully, if she cuddled up in his arms, he didn’t want it influenced by alcohol anyway. He wanted sober Emily rocking his world. He’d had enough inebriated p*ssy over the last two years to last a lifetime, and even though those women genuinely wanted Jet, guitarist of Last Five Seconds, he had his doubts as to if they wanted Clay, the real guy inside.