HAPPY-GO-LUCKY by L.H. COSWAY

EXCERPT from HAPPY-GO-LUCKY by L H COSWAY

I was almost done when someone said, “Oh, pardon me.”

Speak of the devil, Cameron stood in the doorway. When he just stayed there staring at me, I arched an eyebrow.

“I was looking for Rory. Have you seen him?” he asked.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Right.”

“Can I help you with anything else?”

Cameron kept glancing at my top then looking away, like he was trying not to stare. Confused, I looked down and saw the wet, see-through patch Jenny’s tears had made on my pale cream blouse. You could see right through to my lacey white bra. There were also a few dots of black mascara. I was going to have trouble getting those out.

“It’s rude to stare.”

He cleared his throat. “Yes, I apologise. It’s just—”

“Do you know how my top got like this?” I said, suddenly irritated. I couldn’t believe that yesterday I’d actually been contemplating how to navigate the beginnings of a relationship with him. That I’d entertained feelings for a person who could be so completely callous with others. How could he push a colleague to tears, then just go about his day like nothing happened? It really bloody bothered me.

I’d promised Jenny I wouldn’t tell anyone about her crying, but he needed to know that his actions had consequences for other people. “I just spent the last fifteen minutes consoling Jenny. I found her in tears because you insulted her in front of a client. Do you have any tact at all, or do you always just say exactly what’s in your head?”

Cameron’s expression darkened. “Jenny did a poor job of the work she was assigned. I had every right to let her know.”

“You called her a blithering idiot.”

“Yes, but—”

“In front of a client.”

“That’s neither here nor th—”

“And her cat just died.”

Now he looked incredulous. “You expect me to treat her differently because she lost a cat? It’s just an animal.”

“Animals are people, too.”

“I think you’ll find they aren’t.”

“I think you’ll find they are. Also, you’re a dickhead,” I blurted then immediately put my hand over my mouth. Had I actually just said that? It seemed after all these years of being nice to people, Cameron was the one to make me snap.

He took several strides toward me until I was backed up against the wall.

Oh, hell. Now I was in for it.

He stared me down. “What did you just call me?”

“Nothing.”

“That’s not what I heard.”

“Perhaps you need to see an ear doctor. I believe they give you a discount for the first visit.”

“Maisie.”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”

A second later, his lips crashed onto mine. I had an outer-body moment where I wondered if this was really happening. Then I gasped and sighed when his tongue slid into my mouth, coaxing mine to respond. His body was hard against me as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. However much he might frustrate me in real life, when Cameron kissed me, I forgot all about how aggravating he could be.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for days,” he rasped as he sucked on my earlobe. Then he ran his mouth over my neck to lick and nip at my jaw.

Um, what? WHAT?

My body turned to jelly as my head fell back against the wall. Luckily, the photocopier was in a small room at the back of the office, affording us some privacy. Still, anyone could happen by at any time.

I needed to stop this right now.

But then Cameron was kissing me again, and I couldn’t think straight. His hands were all over me, and I felt his hunger in the way he groaned when he massaged my breast over the top of my clothes. I sensed his desperation, like his lonely heart yearned for mine even if he’d never admit it.

Yes, Cameron Grant was just as lonely as I was. I could feel it. He longed for human connection, but he also denied it to himself for reasons I couldn’t quite discern.

His hands wandered down to grip my backside, and the next thing I knew he was lifting me up onto the photocopying machine. His mouth laid siege to mine, and I was lost in him until I heard footsteps approach.

Quick as a flash, I jumped down, fixed my clothing back into place and focused intently on the sheets of paper I’d just copied my report onto. They were still warm from the copier, so we couldn’t have been kissing for that long. It was just hard to tell time when Cameron’s mouth was on me. I hated myself for succumbing to his kiss when I was still angry at his behaviour with Jenny. But he’d kissed me so ferociously my lips were sore; he’d kissed me like he was starved for it.