I won抰 go down easy.
6
Pour Me S抦ore （Cole）
With Destiny turning in early for the night, I hunker down in my home office, checking emails and still hounded by thoughts of that insufferable woman.
Somehow, I抦 smiling when I notice I have a new lab report from Eliza waiting in my email.
No acid message this time, dripping with sarcasm. Just the summary.
I shouldn抰 care about these damnable emails anyway. She抯 just another employee梕ven if she抯 an enormously valuable one holding the key to the company抯 future.
Only, I do.
For some unholy reason, they抳e become the highlight of my overgrown jungle of an Inbox. Over the last three days she抯 worked for me, I抳e started anticipating them like a kid waiting for Christmas morning.
Her lack of any bullshit in the emails surprises me.
She抯 trying to be all business, buttoned down and boringly polite.
Good for her. For everyone抯 sake.
But fuck, I just can抰 be that gracious. Can抰 resist the urge to rib her a little more.
Consider it justified payback for our last encounter, which undoubtedly gave the lab personnel a month抯 worth of gossip.
How抯 my mocha coming along? I hit reply.
Miss Angelo抯 response comes a minute later. Peachy. I抦 just working out some kinks now.
I glance at the time. It抯 after ten o抍lock at night and she抯 still working?
I frown, remembering that the main security force changes over to a skeleton crew at ten. That means nothing but cameras in the attached parking garage.
A hundred unlikely scenarios flash through my head, each more terrible than the last. Does she stay this late because I made it personal?
Damn. Maybe I shouldn抰 have thrown down the gauntlet in front of half the development team. If only she weren抰 being such a fiery little smartass…
With a sigh, I pick up my phone and punch her contact.
揌ello??She sounds surprised she抯 getting a call this late.
揑t抯 fine if you want to postpone the next tasting until next week. You抮e a new employee. I don抰 seriously expect you to strike coffee gold multiple times in one week,?I tell her flatly.
揇oes that mean you抮e scared, Mr. Lancaster??she throws back, a fluttery laugh at the edge of her voice. 揥hat? Are you worried you抣l look bad because you told me no one could come up with a second scorched drink in three days??
The mouth on this girl.
I feel my lip curl with amusement and disgust.
揌ardly, but it抯 well past standard work hours and you must have pulled a sixteen-hour day. Are you still at the lab??
?it抯 either do it here or carry on with the basic setup I have at home, but we both prefer the high-end stuff. So, yeah.?
揋o home, Miss Angelo.?My hand slaps my desk.
揘ot yet. Busy.?
揙bviously, I have high expectations, but I don抰 expect you to sacrifice sleep. I抳e never seen anything good come out of my staff when they抮e worn raw. Get some rest. We抣l do the testing next week.?I clench my jaw, hoping like hell she listens just once.
揓eez, you say it like you抣l come and tuck me in personally.?
For a second, I stop breathing.
My brain descends into this terrible hell where I抦 hovering over Eliza Angelo like a vampire, stripped bare with nothing but a sheet over her.
Goddamn. Tucking her in would be my last choice in those circumstances.
揗iss Angelo, please棓 I start, but she cuts me off.
揧ou don抰 understand. I抦 having fun. Sometimes I do my best work when it抯 late and quiet and my mind isn抰 overloaded like it is during the day. I brewed like this at home, too.?
Frankly, I don抰 give a shit if she turns into a genius night owl. I don抰 want her walking through that garage alone.
揘ot the point. You shouldn抰 be at the office so late. It抯 unconventional for anyone who抯 not on the security team.?
揂ren抰 there cameras everywhere? You don抰 have to worry about me robbing you, Lancaster.?
I hold in a snort.
揥oman, you抮e a piece of work. That抯 the furthest thing from my mind and you know it.?
揧eah? So, what are you worried about then??She truly doesn抰 get it.
Fuck.
揑抦 concerned about you walking to your car in the dark. Security pares down to a handful of people after ten. You shouldn抰 be there by yourself, especially leaving the building alone.?I realize how ridiculous I must sound.
揧ou抮e in luck. I usually bike or take the bus,?she says.
揟hat抯 even worse,?I snarl, pressing my hand into a fist.
揌ow nice of you to grow a conscience. Unfortunately, my drill sergeant boss wants another scorched drink by the end of the week. Where will I develop it if I抦 not here? Oh, and by the way, can I just say that has to be like the worst working name ever? Remember the last time you went to a caf?and ordered burnt coffee? But, hey, you抮e the bossman. Who am I to argue with Commander Coffee??