He caught her before she slipped away from him and hauled her into his arms, then kissed her with the pent up frustration he was about to explode with.
Luc pulled back, panting for his next breath, and mindful of the need throbbing in his body. “Darlin’, next time you want to crawl around on the floor, call me. I’ll be more than happy to oblige you.”
Elise smoothed a lock back from his forehead. “You were busy. Besides it didn’t take but a minute.”
His eyes drilled into hers. “It took more than a minute, Elise. Half of the building was gawking at you on the floor. Including your precious Calhoun.”
She blushed and leaned back in his arms. “Why, Lucien, are you jealous?”
He opened his mouth to deny her accusation, but was interrupted by the door opening after a brief knock.
“All right. None of that,” Ben said brusquely. “Some of us don’t have wives to play with in the office.”
Elise smiled at Luc’s oldest and most trustworthy friend. “Good afternoon, Ben. How are you on this fine day?”
Ben lounged against the door frame. “Hungry.” He smiled in return and Luc took back what he thought about Ben being trustworthy. He looked like a hungry wolf, eyeing Elise like she was lunch. “May I say that you are looking quite lovely today, Mrs. Masters?”
“You may and I thank you,” Elise replied airily. “You are looking quite the thing yourself, Benajah. I simply adore that tie.”
Ben smoothed a hand down his navy blue, white polka dotted tie. “You are too kind, madam. This tie is a part of my disguise.”
“Oh? And what disguise would that be?”
Luc tightened his hold on her. “Wolf in sheep’s clothing.” He pinned his friend with a hard, warning glare. “He only gets dressed up when he’s found an unsuspecting lamb to lead to slaughter.”
Ben’s smiled deepened. “You know me so well, Luc.”
Elise braced her palms against Luc’s chest, gently urging him to release her. “Who is the lamb?”
Luc reluctantly released her and stepped back.
“Not who your husband thinks.” Ben pushed off from the wall. “If you would do me the honor of joining me for lunch, I shall be only too happy to explain.”
“Aren’t you having lunch with Bingley,” Luc asked, frowning.
“We are.” Ben’s golden eyes gleamed with excitement. “I finished my perusal of the schematics. You and I have something to discuss. We can do it on the way to the restaurant.”
Luc arched an eyebrow. “Are you bringing your checkbook?”
Ben pulled a blank check out of his breast pocket. “I’m not filling it out until you and I talk.”
Luc hadn’t seen Ben act this cocksure since he had found and bought his first company. “I’ll go get my jacket.”
“We’ll meet you out front.” Ben held out his arm to Elise who had her things and waited patiently beside Luc. “Shall we? You can tell me what your thoughts are on organizing this place.”
Elise latched onto Ben’s arm after sending a dazzling smile to her locked jaw husband. “Hurry along, Lucien. We missed breakfast this morning and you know how grumpy you get when you’re hungry.”
Ben chuckled and escorted Elise out of the room. “I am so glad you decided to join Luc down here. He told me how you helped with the Andersen mess. I was wondering if you could…,” his voice trailed off as they walked down the hall. Ben’s smooth talking self was trying to steal Elise away from her husband. He would have a word or two with his friend. Right after lunch. Or before lunch.
Luc swore and went to find his jacket, then walked out the front doors. It was raining, hard. Great and him without an umbrella. At least the short walk to the curb had an awning.
Elise turned around as he came out. “Ben went to get the car.” She went to him as he shrugged into his jacket and smoothed down the lapels. “Are you thinking about going in with him and buying Intrinsic Incorporated?”
“It depends on what he says to convince me. Why? Do you think it would be a bad idea?”
“No,” she said carefully. “But this place requires a lot of work.” Elise looked up at him with bottomless blue eyes. Her perfume, mixed with the cool rain, surrounded him and he was lost. “The files are in chaos. The computers are outdated. And… I couldn’t help but notice that it took the Vice President’s assistant thirty minutes to type up a two paragraph memo.”
“Bingley Junior didn’t hire her for her typing skills, darlin’,” he said softly, remembering the platinum blonde filing her nails outside Dan Bingley, Jr.’s office. She’s been snapping her gum and humming, off-key, to a country music station playing in the background.