Undeniably Asher (The Colloway Brothers Book 2)(53)

After ten minutes of hunting, I decide I must have accidentally thrown it away. Picking up the phone, I ring Amanda’s extension first. For one, she’s a little lower level and I don’t want to bother Aaron if I don’t need to for something so inconsequential. For another, I want to limit my time with Aaron. I’ve seen him a couple of times these past two weeks. Both times he’s asked me out for drinks, regardless of the fact that I told him I’m seeing someone.

Of course, I haven’t told him it’s his boss’s boss’s boss, because, well, that’s just not good for either Asher or me. I need to at least give the appearance that I’m being professional, although Asher makes that as difficult as possible at every turn. Yesterday he found me in the copy room and shoved me against the wall, kissing me passionately for a full minute. Thank God there aren’t that many people on this floor, although I’m quite sure his assistant knows something is up by now. He may not care, but I certainly do.

Unfortunately, Amanda doesn’t answer and this is the next thing on my list. Because I like to obsessively follow my lists, I’m kind of at a standstill. So reluctantly, I dial the extension Aaron gave me. Lucky me, he answers.

“Aaron, sorry to bother you. It’s Alyse Kingsley.”

“Alyse, well it’s no bother at all.” He’s smooth. I’ll give him that. And handsome. On the hot-o-meter, Aaron is about an eight. He meets my tall, dark, and handsome requirements, but he just doesn’t make any of my bells ring. I think Asher’s permanently silenced those for any other man.

“I apologize, but I seem to have misplaced the legend you gave me for the accounting system. Could you email me another copy?”

“I’ll just run it up to you.”

“No need to trouble yourself. Email is fine.”

“Nonsense. I need to get out of my office for a bit anyway. See you in a few minutes.”

“Sure,” I mumble before hanging up.

A couple minutes later a light knock comes at my door before it opens. Aaron peaks his head in. “Knock, knock. Okay to come in?”

Why wouldn’t it be? “Yes,” I reply as I stand.

“Hi. Wow, you look great today, Alyse.”

I’m wearing a simple white silk blouse tucked into my black pencil skirt. A clear-and-black silver-beaded necklace complements my very simple outfit. I wouldn’t say I look great, but I don’t look too shabby either.

His eyes slowly rake down my body and when they finally reach mine again, they are full of appreciation. He gives me a panty-dropping smile. I have to admit it’s charming. I find myself smiling back.

“Thank you. Sorry to trouble you.”

He walks all the way in, leaving the door open, for which I’m grateful. “No trouble at all. I’m happy to be of help however you need.”

I don’t miss the underlying innuendo of his thinly veiled attempt at being professional. Smirking, I hold out my hand for the paper he’s now holding hostage in his. “Ah, sorry.”

“No problem,” I say, taking the document and setting it by my computer screen. “Well, that’s really all I need so I won’t waste any more of your time.”

“Actually, I was wondering if Amanda showed you some of the shortcuts in SAP to make your job a little easier. Faster.”

I spent an hour with Amanda earlier in the week, but she just went over some of the basics. I’m fairly familiar with SAP, but CFC has put their own homegrown spin on it, so it’s a little different than what I’m used to. “No, she didn’t.”

“Well if you have a few minutes, I have some time now to show you.”

“Sure,” I reply.

“It may be easier if I come over there and sit with you, if that’s okay?”

I inwardly groan, wondering if this is some ploy for him to get closer to me, but anything that can shave time off my research will be helpful, so I can’t turn him down either. Damn that Amanda.

“Yes, fine.”

For the next forty minutes he walks me through some of the nuances of their accounting system. He even shows me how to run a few simple reports that I can download into Excel for easy filtering and sorting, so I don’t have to wait for someone else to do it. I find Aaron is very intelligent and funny. If I wasn’t head over heels for Asher, I might actually entertain the idea of a date.

“Thanks, Aaron. This was very helpful.” I smile, turning toward him.

“My pleasure.” He reaches up and brushes his thumb against the fullest part of my bottom lip, startling me. I try to pull back, but he curls his fingers around my neck, holding me in place. “You have a crumb here that’s been driving me mad,” he tells me in a low voice.