Free Aussie Rules by Jill Shalvis

“And in these staff meetings you always discuss the size of your ex-boyfriends’ d—”
    â€œWe were just warming up with some watercooler talk,” Mel said quickly. “Harmless tradition. Anyway, no one but staff allowed, so you should probably…” She waggled her fingers to suggest he scoot along. “You don’t mind, do you?”
    His eyes said that he did, very much, and in them was also a promised retribution, making her wonder at the stupidity of baiting him.
    â€œHow about this,” he said calmly. “You give me a minute of your time, or we talk in public, right here at your staff meeting.”
    Damn it. He’d do it, too. “I suppose I can give you a minute.” She purposely looked at her watch, sighed, then headed through the lobby toward her office.
    Bo followed, of course. She could feel his gaze watching her every move. It wasn’t often that she thought about being feminine, and it sure as hell wasn’t often she wondered if she passed muster, so the normally unconscious movement of walking across the room suddenly became awkward. She felt exceedingly aware that her hair was wild, that she’d thrown on coveralls with little to no concern that they made her look like a short box, that her radio and cell clanked together loudly…
    Completely unaware of—or ignoring—her discomfort, Bo leaned in ahead of her and pushed open her office door.
    The unexpected gesture of chivalry caught her by surprise, and she tripped over her own two feet as she looked up into his enigmatic gaze.
    â€œIn,” he said, lending his hands to the cause, pushing her into her office, not exactly gently, negating the chivalrous gesture he’d just made. He shut the door, then turned to face her as he rolled up his sleeves. “Now,” he said, and locked the door, the sound of it clicking into place, making her pulse skip.
    â€œUh, there’s really no need to lock it,” she said.
    â€œRight. So your band of merry men can barge in here to save you when you start screaming. No, thank you.”
    She reached behind her to grip the desk as she leaned back in a false show of calm and relaxation. Her fingers touched her metal envelope opener and, in reflex, closed over it. “Why would I scream?”
    â€œI don’t know, why would you stand around the watercooler discussing the size of your ex’s dick?”
    â€œYou’re not my ex.”
    â€œAh, but you let them think I was. Which means they all think that we’ve had wild, screaming sex.”
    â€œBut we haven’t.”
    â€œNo.” He smiled, and it wasn’t a nice one. “But we’re going to.”
    Her knees wobbled, and it wasn’t exactly in fear. In spite of herself, she craned her neck and eyed the neat desk behind her, picturing him shoving her phone and blotter to the floor, pushing her onto the flat surface, then stepping between her legs to take her fast and hard and well. She cleared her throat. “I am not having sex with you just to make my story of you being my ex real.”
    â€œHow about to prove I don’t have a teeny, tiny—”
    â€œYeah, about that.” She grimaced. “I’m sorry, it just popped out of my mouth.”
    â€œYou’re not sorry.”
    â€œOkay, not so much, no.”
    He looked exasperated. “Why didn’t you tell them why I’m really here? Waiting to talk to Sally?”
    Wasn’t that just the question of the day? “Because…” Because it would hurt them to know she’d let them believe they were secure when they weren’t. Because she’d have to watch them wonder whether Sally had really done the things Bo said she’d done. “Because…”
    â€œBecause you’re a liar,” he said softly, and took a step toward her. “Because you’ve been lying to them for a long time, haven’t you?”
    Another step, and