"Could I have a grape?" Ryan requested, his eyes locked on the screen as he typed furiously. Penny pulled another from the bunch and lifted it to his lips. He reached out and took it with his mouth, along with her finger, which he slowly sucked from base to tip before letting go.
An unexpected bolt of pleasure shot through her, and she gave a barely-there moan.
"That's just a taste of what's to come later," he promised with one of his devilish grins. "If we can get back to work."
On that note, they dove back into the project in earnest and finished reviewing the screens he had created since yesterday. There were a lot, more than she could have imagined a single person designing in less than a day. "I can't believe how fast this is going," she mentioned offhandedly. "I thought it would take weeks to get to this point."
"Usually it might, but I guess I'm a pretty fast worker when I'm into what I'm doing." She found his boyish modesty appealing. "Of course, it'll be a while before all this is fully testable. What I'm showing you now is just to see if we're on the same page before I get it all tied together and functional. And besides, the lengthy part will be the menu and cashier systems."
But Penny barely heard the last part, because she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was that Grace in the distance? Grace had a Scottish terrier just like the one on the woman's leash, and the woman had the same hair color and build as Martin's assistant.
Before Penny could utter a word, the woman in question turned her head, and sure enough, it was Grace.
"Uh-oh."
"Uh-oh what?" Ryan asked, still focused on the screen.
"Grace is here. Up on the sidewalk by the street."
The announcement got his full attention; he stopped typing to sneak a glance over his shoulder, then dropped his dread-filled gaze to Penny. "What on earth is she doing here?"
"Walking her dog."
"No, I mean why isn't she at work?"
Penny checked her watch. "It's almost six."
He shook his head with a sigh. "Damn it, woman, you make me lose track of time."
Penny would have enjoyed the remark more, but unfortunately, Grace's dog had just frolicked off the walkway into the grass, coming closer. Penny pulled in her breath and spoke lowly. "Don't look now, but Snowball is hunting for the perfect place to relieve himself, and he's heading our way."
* * *
8
Ryan couldn't believe his rotten luck. He didn't know much about the inner workings of Schuster Systems yet, but he'd already figured out that Grace was Martin's right hand around the office. "What are the chances?" he murmured, incredulous. "Of all the parks in the city, she has to choose this one?"
Penny ducked her head behind him slightly, then peeked around his shoulder. "Grace lives in Walnut Hills, just a few blocks from here."
He sighed, then muttered, "Great."
"I've never actually seen her here, though," she said, lifting a wary gaze. "I didn't even think about her living so close. Sorry."
Ryan nodded, trying to relax. "It's not your fault."
"Don't look so worried. After all, we're not actually doing anything wrong. We're working. You have a computer and you're keying stuff into it as we speak."
He scowled, keeping his voice low. "Penny, I don't think most system designers lie on blankets in parks with their clients while they work. With fruit and wine and flowers, no less."
Just then, a smile stretched across Penny's face when he least expected it. He didn't want to take the chance of turning his head to see why, so he said, "What is it? What's happening?"
"She's leaving."
"She is?"
"Snowball didn't find the right spot, I guess," Penny said, her tone less furtive now. "He's back on the sidewalk and they're moving past us, headed for home."
Ryan let out the huge breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding.
"I don't think she saw us," Penny added, reaching out one hand to touch his knee.
He finally looked over his shoulder to see for himself, and sure enough, he caught a last glimpse of Grace and her little white dog just before they disappeared from view behind a stand of small trees. Real relief finally washed over him, but he still wished he didn't feel as if they were hiding from a woman they both liked, a woman he knew considered Penny a friend.
"Would you be disappointed," he asked, "if I suggested we call it a day and get the hell out of here before the dog changes his mind and brings her back?"
"Not at all." Penny's tone sounded sincere, and he hoped it was, because he didn't want her to feel as if they were doing something wrong. It would be great if he could just ditch this job for her, but it wasn't that easy, as much as he hated the idea of sneaking around. Powering down his laptop, he decided to change the subject and lighten things up.
"I have to admit," he teased her, "I'm gonna miss the great view you've been giving me down your top all afternoon."
Her gaze dropped to the cleavage that had been visible ever since she'd rolled onto her stomach. Looking back up, her blue eyes widened as she smacked his thigh.
"Oh, into the rough stuff, huh? First handcuffs, now whips and chains?"
"Hey!" She rose to her knees in a show of mock outrage. "You'd better watch it."
"Or what? You'll use them on me?"
A playful chase ensued then, Ryan hopping to his feet and dashing behind an old maple tree as Penny followed. When he let her catch him, they both toppled softly to the grass, his arms falling around her waist. Her pretty eyes, her pretty mouth, lay so close that he couldn't keep from kissing her-a kiss that was short and sweet, but burned through him like fire. Afterward, their eyes met and time seemed to slow. It was as if they were speaking, whispering passionate things, even though they stayed quiet. Ryan's heart pounded and he wondered how the mood had turned so serious again that quickly.
"Uh, what happened to getting out of here?" he said, wishing his voice didn't sound so husky.
"I don't know." Hers sounded just as breathy, just as sexy.
"We should do that," he managed, gently urging her up off of him, then getting to his feet, as well.
"Right," she murmured, although she still looked equally as taken with him as he was with her.
He smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Race ya." With that, he headed back to their blanket, and soon ran toward his car lugging his briefcase, laptop and a carton of wine coolers. Penny hurried after him, toting the flowers and fruit, and dragging the old quilt she'd brought behind her.
Throwing their things into the back seat, they both got into the car breathless, although Ryan had beaten her by a mile. "You're gonna have to be a little faster," he said with a wink, "if you intend to catch me with those lovecuffs of yours."
Unfortunately, her sudden blush told Ryan that he'd just taken the joke a little too far.
"I'm only teasing, honey," he said, lifting her chin with one bent finger.
When she looked at him, he slid his arm around her and gazed into those innocent eyes. She was as shy as she was wild. It happened to be a combination that twisted his heart in a way he never could've foreseen a week ago, although he chose not to think about why.
"Come here." He leaned over the gearshift to kiss her, a kiss he wished would show her it didn't matter to him what she was-pure as the driven snow or wild as the night-but that he just liked being with her.
She returned it with a warmth that tightened his chest.
"Mmm," he said when it ended, "I wasn't teasing about that kiss, though. I say we grab some dinner, then go back to your place." He flashed a grin designed to tempt.
"On one condition."
"Anything."
"No more mention of the red-velvet you-know-whats."
He dropped a quick kiss on her forehead before easing back in his seat. "You got it."
It was only as Ryan maneuvered the car along the meandering drive that led back to the main road that he realized Penny hadn't thrown everything she'd been carrying into the back. The daisies he'd given her remained cradled in her arms.
Maybe the action meant nothing; maybe it just meant she liked flowers. Yet another glance made him think she was holding on to them as if they were something special, something … cherished. But hell, he'd determined before that she took sex pretty seriously, which had to mean she was taking them-himand her-seriously, too. Didn't it?