Iris

Unlike the first half of the day, the second half rushed by. I leaned back in my chair, rolled my shoulders, and pressed my eyes together in long, slow blinks. The words on the computer screen sharpened slightly for my efforts, but it was clear I needed a break.

A chiming noise startled me and drew my attention to a box on the screen. The fifteen minute warning before my meeting with Garrett. The one that had been pushed back twice already and was now scheduled to run well past normal work hours. To be fair, I did tell him I didn't mind making up the time.

But I told him that before Shannon sent me a text and a rather pushy email asking for at least a sneak peek of the revisions to the spicy scenes in my book. I typed out that I would be happy to send her the revisions when they existed and promptly deleted it. She would not be amused. Of course, the lack of response wouldn't please her either.

Which is why I desperately needed to get home and spend some time on the manuscript. Swapping places with Ivy was supposed to be helping, not hindering. Too late now. Last time I heard from Ivy, she was sunning on a yacht in Greece.

"Never again," I muttered as I gathered the file I put together earlier. Printed versions of the research papers that had everyone's detailed notes. Ivy mentioned Garrett preferred hard copies of anything that required a lot of reading. She'd rolled her eyes when she told me that, but I was the same way when working on revisions. Reading off the computer screen just wasn't the same.

"Come in," he called out after I knocked on his door.

"I'm a little early, but I can set everything down and come back—"

"No, no, it's fine."

He dragged a pair of black-framed glasses off his face, and my heart detached and went straight to my lady bits. Good god, my inner nerd had a thing for men in glasses, and Garrett was no exception. I could just imagine him leaning over me, the glasses sliding down his nose while he—

"Ivy?"

"Yep," I squeaked, fanning myself with the clipboard while I made a mental note to work that fantasy into the novel. There was certainly nothing stiff about that. Well, nothing except his big, hard—

"Ivy, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Are the glasses new?" I dropped into the chair in front of his desk and pressed my knees together. Anyone looking at me now would see a woman doing her damndest to sit like a lady when the reality was there was nothing ladylike about the dampness between my legs.

He tossed them on the desk and gave me a lopsided grin. "I only use them when I'm on the computer. Blue light glasses. Not sure they actually work."

"Oh," I declared, picking them up and holding them in front of my face. "I might need to try them. How do they look?"

I opened the camera on my phone and studied my reflection. The frames were a bit big for my face, but the overall effect was kind of cute. Not that looks mattered if they would help with the eye strain from staring at a computer screen all day. That was the worst part about being a writer.

My phone clicked as I closed out the camera, and I looked up to find Garrett staring at me, his mouth slightly parted, and his pupils dilated. He hooked a finger under his tie and pulled on it, the pink tip of his tongue wetting his bottom lip before he cleared his throat.

"They're fine. Fine."

"You'll have to send me the link to order some."

"Of course." His voice sounded strained. "Did you bring the files?"

"Right here," I replied, whatever spell we were under disappearing as we got down to work.

Two hours whizzed by before either of us bothered checking the time. What had started as a meeting to ensure Garrett could handle the proposal on his own turned into a long discussion on the project, his passion for the project evident in his animated mannerisms as he explained the benefits and plans for expansion.

Physically, the man was perfection. Both achingly beautiful and ruggedly handsome, his presence could overwhelm even the most confident person. But the longer we talked, the more I realized what lay beneath the delicious exterior was even better. He was the total package.

"Shit," he said, glancing at his watch. "It's seven. I'm so sorry, Ivy."

"It's fine," I insisted, shoving down the panic over not getting any writing done. Besides, time spent with Garrett wasn't a complete waste. If I could channel how he made me feel into words, I would have another best seller.

"I would've ordered food if I'd realized we would take this long. You must be starving."

"I'm fine." My stomach growled. Loudly.

Garrett burst into laughter. "Something disagrees."

Cheeks flaming, I cupped them and shook my head. "That's embarrassing."

"Nothing to be embarrassed about. I appreciate a woman with a good appetite."

He locked the door behind us and put his hand on my lower back. Heat spread between us, and I wished for fewer layers between our skin. For the first time, I understood why Ivy enjoyed sex so much. There was something thrilling about another's person's touch, and the more time I spent with this man, I realized how hungry I was for that.

"First floor, please," I told him when he pressed the elevator button for the parking garage. "I walk home."

A dark brow arched over a green eye. "Not a chance. I'm feeding you, and I won't take no for an answer."