I strode toward her. “I’m taking my girlfriend to lunch.” I bent, the pull of her lips so strong, but I forced myself to brush my mouth against her temple instead. But I didn’t miss the shiver that ran through her at the contact.
Eddie’s mouth opened, closed, then opened again. “You’re dating the suit?”
I scowled at him. “Don’t give me that shit. You know I can hang with the best of you.”
Noel scoffed. “I didn’t think you could get that Armani wrinkled.”
Grae sent them both looks of warning as she took the blooms from me.
“Gonna be able to open a florist shop around here before too long,” Jordan muttered.
I arched a brow at that.
Grae frowned. “Rance brought some the other day.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I grumbled.
“These are beautiful,” she said, pushing to her feet and crossing to the kitchen on the opposite side of the space.
Noel’s gaze roamed over me. “How long are you in town?”
His words had no warmth, but that wasn’t anything new. I swore he’d been prickly since kindergarten.
“Not sure yet.”
“Think it’s wise to take up with G when you don’t even know if you’re sticking around?” he challenged.
“Noel,” Grae warned from the kitchen as she put the flowers in a mason jar. “I’m fully capable of making this one’s death a slow and painful one if he messes up.”
Noel’s lips twitched. “Just lookin’ out, G.”
Eddie kicked his feet up onto the table. “Just remember, she goes for the balls if you mess with her.”
I choked on a laugh. “I’m well aware of Gigi’s proficiency in ass-kicking.”
She’d taken down a guy more than twice her size in high school and left him crying for mercy.
Grae placed the flowers on her desk and glanced at Jordan. “It okay if I take lunch?”
Jordan hesitated for a long moment, and I thought he might say no. But then he nodded. “Sure, just make it quick. We’ve got that kayaking group coming in at two, and it’s bigger than originally planned, so I’ll need Eddie and you.”
“You got it. I’ll go quick and then grab my swim stuff from home.” She glanced at me, suddenly looking a little nervous. “Ready.”
I couldn’t stand the unease I saw in Grae, and I moved before I’d even consciously made the decision. I curled my hand around her smaller one, threading my fingers through hers. “See you guys.”
They all grunted a series of farewells, but none of them were especially warm. “Not sure your coworkers are all that fond of you dating,” I said once we were outside.
Grae scowled. “Sometimes, they’re as bad as my brothers. Not about my work but definitely about boys.”
“Boys?”
She grinned, and that flash of pure amusement hit me somewhere in the chest.
“Pretty sure you’re all boys until you hit seventy. I think that’s when the troublemaker phase ends.”
I chuckled. “You might be right there.”
Grae glanced down at our joined hands. I should’ve released her. That would’ve been the safe thing to do. But I argued with myself that this was all part of the game we were playing.
