May was pretty sure she was wearing the same shit-eating grin he had been earlier.
He flopped onto his back, spent and glowing and grinning just as hard as she was. “So that’s how you Americans do it.”
“I just thought of it now. The shape of it. Like penguins.”
He rubbed his forehead, and then let his hand flop to the bed. “Penguins?”
“I can’t explain.”
“Try. For me.”
“It went from penguins, to yin-yang, to kissing, to no condoms, to sixty-nine.” She pivoted so they were face to face. His eyes were still a little glazed, his mouth a soft smile.
“Makes perfect sense to me.”
“Could I paint you?” Those eyes would be tough, but the body, all line.
“No.” He softened the blow with a kiss. “Could I paint you?”
“Do you paint?”
“No. But my software could make you into a penguin.”
“I’d rather you made me breakfast.”
“Done. Then I have to check in with work. Then we go buy condoms.”
“Sounds good to me.” It sounded great, actually, but something was nagging her. “Oh, we have to go to the foundation at noon.”
“Foundation at noon. Then condoms.” He nuzzled her neck, biting it gently yet pleasurably possessively. “Lots of condoms.”
The idea made her warm all over.
****
It took only a few minutes for May to show Beau the foundation’s office. A simple, open floor plan for the plebes, with an open stair in the center to a gallery where the bigwigs had their offices and held the board meetings.
Beau frowned when he saw her cubicle. “Underneath the stair?”
“I didn’t want the one by the window. Because of the glare. And I’m here only two days a week, anyway.” She tried not to feel defensive as she draped the strap of her purse over the back of her chair.
“Two days? So they don’t have to pay your insurance.”
“No. I’m full-time, but I do some work from home. As you know.”
“On that relic from the last century I saw in your apartment. I was afraid to turn it on.”
She counted to five, then ten. What bug was up his ass? “Just because it can’t play the latest Cranky Penguins doesn’t make my machine worthless. Apple’s stopped making those workstations, anyway.”
He scanned the room. “Everyone looks sick, undernourished. Don’t any of you go outside?”
“Okay, I think it’s time for your meeting.”
His attention snapped back to her. “My meeting? What about you?”
“I’m not the special-big funder, remember?”
“No, you’re the babysitter.”
That was too much, especially since it wasn’t two hours ago she had her hands all over him. “Wait.” She put a hand on his elbow and led him toward the coffee room. Bad idea, as it was nearly lunchtime, and two of her, yes, cadaverous co-workers were there already. She steered him on into the copy room. “We only need one copier now, since we’ve gone to an all-green management system.”
She pushed him into the cubby-sized room. “What is the bug up your ass?”
“I don’t like the way they treat the people here.”
“You don’t know how they treat the people here. You know all this from just looking at us?”
“All I have to look at is you. Every step we got closer to this place, you slowed down, your face got more closed, and you stopped talking.”
“Okay, that’s me. That’s no reflection on the foundation. We do good work.”
“So I hear. But look.” He turned back to the doorway. “Five heads, ten? No smiles.”
May bit her lip. “I’m not going to argue this with you. But don’t judge anyone before you’ve met him.”
“Edmondsson is transparently good?”
“No one is transparently good. Or bad,” she reminded herself.
Sadie was gesturing frantically from the balcony. They must be closing in on late.
May spoke louder. “That’s it. Let’s head on up to the board room, and we can get started.”
“Righty-ho, Miss Reed.”
She let him lead so she could roll her eyes at his back. Thank the stars she wouldn’t have to be in the meeting with him.
“Mr. Kurck. It’s nice to meet you again.” Sadie’s stoic friendliness seemed to weather Beau’s freezing glare. “Markus is in his office.”
“I’m not meeting the board?”
Sadie’s serenity slipped a shade. “We thought you wanted to keep a low profile.”
“Interesting how you assume how I would best like to do that.”
“I apologize. That’s completely my fault. But I know Markus is very excited to meet you.”