lovely, long legs made his mouth water. Swallowing hard, he crossed the room until he was standing in front of her.
“I see Seth found something for you to wear?” Nick’s question sounded inane even to his own ears and he winced.
He tried not to notice the delicate lines of Tru’s collarbone revealed by the too-large neck of the shirt, or the fact the fabric clung like a second skin to her small breasts. He jerked his gaze away from her and looked over her head toward Callen, who had the nerve to grin at him.
She shifted in her seat and the hem of his shirt rode up higher on her thigh. His blood pressure rose and his face felt frozen into a permanent scowl.
“Yes, thank you for the loan. There were trousers, but I couldn’t keep them up and they were too long to walk in,” she answered with a charming smile.
Callen choked on a laugh and Nick was ready to commit murder. Tru leaned around the chair and looked at Callen. She seemed surprised to hear him laugh.
‘Damn it,” Nick grumbled. “This isn’t going to work.”
He grabbed her hand, hauled her out of the chair and pulled her unresisting out of the room. She had trouble keeping up with his long stride and tried to jerk out of his grip. He didn’t pause or slow down, just held her hand with bone-crushing force, leaving her to figure out how to keep up.
“Hey, boss...” Seth’s words trailed after them but Nick didn’t give him a chance to finish. He slammed the door to his office, cutting off the sound of Callen’s amused chuckle and the bewildered look on Seth’s face. He’d deal with the two of them later.
Nick dropped her hand as soon as they were alone and went behind the desk, motioning for her to remain where she was. He punched a series of buttons with more force than was necessary and a callscreen rose from its hidden place in the desk.
“Briella’s,” he barked to the automated inquiry, and then drummed his fingers on the desk while waiting for the connection to be made.
“Briella’s, how may I help you?” The voice belonged to a striking young woman, elegantly dressed and smiling with just a hint of hauteur.
“I need clothing for my...er...client,” he said. “I need it delivered immediately.”
“I see. Is there any particular style you want?” The woman’s smile was arch, implying Briella’s catered to every type of need without unnecessary embarrassment to either of them.
Nick glared, and her smile slid away to be replaced by cool professionalism.
“She will need things suited for space travel, nothing frilly–utilitarian,” he snapped, eyeing Tru. “Everything from the skin out. Dark colors.”
He needed the clothing to be dull and sufficient to cool his growing sexual attraction to her. He gestured for Tru to join him behind the desk, positioning her so she could be seen by the salesperson on the callscreen.
“I don’t like dark colors,” Tru declared and raised her chin.
The sales woman looked from Tru to Nick and back again before she focused on Tru. Her smile warmed and she quirked an eyebrow. “Permission to scan?”
“Granted,” Tru replied and then urged Nick to step out of the way. A small rainbow hued beam fanned out and scanned Tru from head to foot. Measurements, skin tone and other pertinent information was gathered and transmitted to the store.
“I will see appropriate garments are delivered right away. I’m sure you will be completely satisfied with the collection.” She smiled serenely at Nick who inserted a data slip into a slot by the callscreen and authorized funds to be transferred. “It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Rayven.” Her image blinked out and the screen slid into the desk.
Satisfied one immediate problem would soon be taken care of, Nick escorted Tru to a nearby seat. Too restless to stay in one spot, he paced the room.
“There was no need for you to order clothes for me, you know? I could have taken care of it myself.”
“Really? How? If
“I see Seth found something for you to wear?” Nick’s question sounded inane even to his own ears and he winced.
He tried not to notice the delicate lines of Tru’s collarbone revealed by the too-large neck of the shirt, or the fact the fabric clung like a second skin to her small breasts. He jerked his gaze away from her and looked over her head toward Callen, who had the nerve to grin at him.
She shifted in her seat and the hem of his shirt rode up higher on her thigh. His blood pressure rose and his face felt frozen into a permanent scowl.
“Yes, thank you for the loan. There were trousers, but I couldn’t keep them up and they were too long to walk in,” she answered with a charming smile.
Callen choked on a laugh and Nick was ready to commit murder. Tru leaned around the chair and looked at Callen. She seemed surprised to hear him laugh.
‘Damn it,” Nick grumbled. “This isn’t going to work.”
He grabbed her hand, hauled her out of the chair and pulled her unresisting out of the room. She had trouble keeping up with his long stride and tried to jerk out of his grip. He didn’t pause or slow down, just held her hand with bone-crushing force, leaving her to figure out how to keep up.
“Hey, boss...” Seth’s words trailed after them but Nick didn’t give him a chance to finish. He slammed the door to his office, cutting off the sound of Callen’s amused chuckle and the bewildered look on Seth’s face. He’d deal with the two of them later.
Nick dropped her hand as soon as they were alone and went behind the desk, motioning for her to remain where she was. He punched a series of buttons with more force than was necessary and a callscreen rose from its hidden place in the desk.
“Briella’s,” he barked to the automated inquiry, and then drummed his fingers on the desk while waiting for the connection to be made.
“Briella’s, how may I help you?” The voice belonged to a striking young woman, elegantly dressed and smiling with just a hint of hauteur.
“I need clothing for my...er...client,” he said. “I need it delivered immediately.”
“I see. Is there any particular style you want?” The woman’s smile was arch, implying Briella’s catered to every type of need without unnecessary embarrassment to either of them.
Nick glared, and her smile slid away to be replaced by cool professionalism.
“She will need things suited for space travel, nothing frilly–utilitarian,” he snapped, eyeing Tru. “Everything from the skin out. Dark colors.”
He needed the clothing to be dull and sufficient to cool his growing sexual attraction to her. He gestured for Tru to join him behind the desk, positioning her so she could be seen by the salesperson on the callscreen.
“I don’t like dark colors,” Tru declared and raised her chin.
The sales woman looked from Tru to Nick and back again before she focused on Tru. Her smile warmed and she quirked an eyebrow. “Permission to scan?”
“Granted,” Tru replied and then urged Nick to step out of the way. A small rainbow hued beam fanned out and scanned Tru from head to foot. Measurements, skin tone and other pertinent information was gathered and transmitted to the store.
“I will see appropriate garments are delivered right away. I’m sure you will be completely satisfied with the collection.” She smiled serenely at Nick who inserted a data slip into a slot by the callscreen and authorized funds to be transferred. “It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Rayven.” Her image blinked out and the screen slid into the desk.
Satisfied one immediate problem would soon be taken care of, Nick escorted Tru to a nearby seat. Too restless to stay in one spot, he paced the room.
“There was no need for you to order clothes for me, you know? I could have taken care of it myself.”
“Really? How? If
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