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"What did he do?"
"Who? Benjamin or Mr. Burke?"
"Either one," Greg worked his fingers against her scalp as he styled her hair.
Jewell sighed and enjoyed the gentle pressure. Since she was a little girl, she'd always loved for her mother to comb and style her hair. It was a calming, soothing kind of contact. Now, when Jewell's mother wasn't around to do it, her friend Greg worked his magic.
"Well, needless to say, I saw the shock on Kevin Burke's face. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what he thought."
"What about Benjamin?"
Jewell shook her head and his hands flattened against her hair to silently tell her to sit still.
"He was so incredibly unaffected," Jewell declared as she lifted her hands off her lap. "After the fact, when I had a chance to think about it, I was annoyed. He just stood up, handed me the report, and acted as if nothing unusual at all was going on. He even told me to calm down!”
"With the other guy there?"
"Well, he signed it, kind of down by his leg where Mr. Burke couldn't see."
Greg shook his head and met her eyes in the dresser mirror. Jewell nervously tapped her polished fingertips against the bare hollow at the base of her throat. He had been there for half an hour, and Jewell hadn't stopped talking since he'd arrived. She was so thankful for a friend like Greg she could confide in. Greg listened, comforted, and sometimes lectured, but never judged.
He picked up her hairbrush and pulled it through the thick waves of her auburn hair. Jewell already wore a chocolate brown cocktail dress and some simple costume jewelry. Her makeup was done. All that was left was her hair. Greg twisted the thick mass and held it against her crown. His other hand pulled down stray curls. With a shake of his head, he let the coil drop.
"You want my honest opinion, hon?"
"Of course."
"Wear your hair down. I'll fix it so it will stay off your forehead. It's so thick and alive, it's a shame to hide it. Besides, it'll be sexy as hell."
Jewell diverted her eyes from the mirror. "I'm not trying to be sexy, Greg."
Greg's eyebrows rose with an amused smirk on his lips. "Oh? When you saw yourself in that knockout dress, you didn't think you were sexy?"
Jewell smiled. "Don't you think it would be inappropriate?"
Greg made a dismissive sound with his lips. "Absolutely not. I think it's time you show your boss a different side of you. I mean, you've been in his lap once already."
"Behave!"
He laughed and worked on a new approach to her hair. Half the time Jewell hated the thick, heavy mass of reddish-brown waves. Especially in the hot, humid Boston summer. It had a mind of its own and didn't like to be confined to the prim, businesslike styles she preferred for the office. But the other half of the time she was happy with the deep copper highlights and natural body. Maybe tonight was the kind of night it would be an advantage instead of a burden.
Jewell's mind drifted. Despite her embarrassment over the events of the afternoon, a warm sensation danced over her skin when she remembered it. Jewell recalled the hard definition of his thigh beneath her hand. The muscles of his biceps pressed against her side, creating pleasant ripples through her. He smelled so damn good! Like sandalwood, mountain air, and menthol shaving cream.
She sighed. Greg's laughter broke her reverie. Jewell glanced in the mirror and saw the red flush in her cheeks.
"Oh, leave me alone," she ordered.
"Is he attractive?"
Despite herself, a wide smile spread across her face. Greg tilted his head back and laughed loudly.
"I guess that's my answer," he roared.
"Is this horrible of me?" Jewell asked, and her hands rose in question. "I mean, isn't it completely unprofessional and stupid?"
Greg's mouth opened and he pointed at her in the mirror. But before he could respond, Jewell continued in a hurried voice. Her pulse beat at a furious pace in her throat, fueling her need to talk as quickly as possible and get it all out.
"It's not like I want this. I don't. But he just—I swear, Greg, from the moment I saw him…" She couldn't finish the sentence. It was too hard to describe how she felt the first time. "I am horrible."
