Free Lean on Me by Helenkay Dimon

expected, even though he really didn’t have any say in what she did. “Happy you agree.”
    “Don’t think you’re off the hook.” He signaled to Darla and pointed to his empty mug. “I’ll come find you.”
    “Are you trying to scare me?”
    “Just making it clear that you can’t hide.”
    Clearly he underestimated her.

Chapter Seven
    After a temple-pounding breakfast where he fought the battle between wanting to drag Cassidy across the table for another mind-blowing kiss and shake her, Mitch went to work despite the temptation to skip and keep an eye on her. He’d gotten in early because of the stupid breakfast meeting hour Allan had picked and then ignored. The extra hour should have provided some breathing room for Mitch’s bad mood but the entire staff picked today to arrive early. Just his luck.
    Every single employee on the nursery floor, or so it seemed, wanted what promised to be only a minute of his time. Each minute turned into ten or more. He held his temper in check while everyone stopped him to ask the billion questions he didn’t care about. He’d almost lost it a few times but thought he’d cleared all the human and nonhuman obstacles until he opened his office door and found Spence sitting in his chair with his feet balanced on the desk.
    Mitch figured that would teach him to keep his head down to avoid eye contact. Walking normally he would have seen through the window, spied Spence and made a U-turn.
    So much for the belief he could come in, slam a few things around and silently complain about Cassidy’s attitude while he conducted a full Internet search of her life. Something made her guarded and secretive. Mitch wanted to know what before he faced her again. That way he’s have a fighting chance to uncover any lies as she told them. The only way to get around the wall she’d erected was to figure out why she built it in the first place.
    “Did we have a meeting?” he asked, knowing he’d never missed a meeting in his life.
    Rather than get up, Spence leaned back in the soft leather with his arms crossed behind his head. “In case you were wondering, your fun time in the parking lot last night has officially been dubbed The Kiss by the town. Cleo stopped me while I was getting coffee this morning to tell me all about it. She heard it from Mary Walters at the dry cleaner, who heard it from the paperboy who was sitting by the window when the make-out session went down.”
    “That’s just fucking fantastic.” Mitch dropped his keys on the blotter then fell into the chair usually reserved for guests.
    “Thanks for the heads-up, by the way. I do have a phone.”
    Mitch glanced at the wall clock. Not even eight and his day had gone to hell. “Next time I’ll send photos.”
    “That would be good since I heard you rolled all over the hood of your truck with The Chosen One. Not that I want to see you naked and panting, but she’s not a hardship on the eyes.”
    Almost everything about Spence’s comments bugged Mitch. He went with the highlights, or as he viewed them, lowlights. “We did not roll around anywhere. It was one kiss.”
    A great kiss, but there was no way he was filling in that blank for Spence.
    “Sorry to hear that.”
    “And don’t call her by that nickname.” The gossipy crap annoyed Mitch and he’d only been hearing it for two days. He couldn’t imagine living with it as a nonstop soundtrack. No wonder Cassidy never came home.
    Spence’s smile flattened around the edges. This time his feet hit the floor and his shoulders lifted off the chair. “You’re pretty protective of her.”
    “Someone has to be.”
    His eyes narrowed to match his mouth. “What does that mean exactly?”
    This was the part that could backfire. Spence would read things into any comments, no matter how carefully Mitch chose the words. The lectures and warnings would start. The reality was, yes, he felt something for Cassidy. A strong kick of attraction he kept writing off in his