Sweet Surrender (Sweet #1)(16)
Author: Maya Banks

She wrinkled her nose. “Never could stand the stuff. Once I drove all night from Louisiana to Kansas. Kept drinking coffee to stay awake. By the time I got to where I was going, I puked my guts up. Just the smell of it now makes me queasy.”

“Yet you still make it for us,” he observed.

“I’m a regular saint,” she said with a saucy wink.

His gaze drifted lazily up and down her, and her cheeks warmed under his scrutiny. She positively loved the way he looked at her, like he wanted to undress her, touch her, explore every inch of her.

“I’d give an entire paycheck to know what you’re thinking right now,” he drawled.

She blinked out of her reverie to see him watching her, his blue eyes flickering with undisguised interest. She managed to control her blush—barely.

“A woman has to keep a few secrets,” she said.

He chuckled and took another gulp of his coffee.

Faith’s gaze averted to the door as Micah strolled in, followed closely by Connor.

Micah did a quick survey of the room. “Nathan not make it in yet?”

“Obviously not,” she said dryly.

Micah grinned. She recognized that gleeful gleam for what it was.

“I don’t even want to know what you two have been up to now,” she said with an exasperated sigh.

“Mornin’,” Connor said as he leaned against her desk, coffee mug in hand.

“Morning,” she intoned sweetly.

Connor took a long swallow of his coffee then closed his eyes and sighed. “I swear you make the best coffee, Faith.”

“That ain’t no lie,” Micah said. His back was to them as he poured himself a cup.

“It is damn good,” Gray agreed. “What kind is it? I’d like to get some for the apartment.”

Connor grinned, and Micah let out a hoot of laughter. Gray looked at them both in confusion.

“We’ve asked her to tell us for the last two years,” Connor explained. “She won’t. All we know is that she orders the shit from somewhere.”

Faith chuckled. “If I told you guys, you’d all buy your own coffee, and then you’d never come to my office to get any, which means I’d never see you.”

Micah snorted as he walked over to join the others. “Not see us? Hell, you run this place. Most of the time it’s you telling us when to jump and how high.”

She glared over at him. “You were supposed to say that you couldn’t possibly go a day without seeing me.”

Connor reached over to tousle her hair. “Well, that goes without saying, kiddo.”

A tiny spark of irritation ricocheted up her spine. It wasn’t the first time Connor had ever called her kiddo, but now, in front of Gray, she didn’t want to draw attention to the disparity in their ages. Not that it was huge or anything, but the last thing she wanted him to see her as was a kid. Or even worse, a kid sister.

She glared her annoyance at Connor.

A shuffle at the door directed their attention in that direction, and Faith’s eyebrows lifted as she watched Nathan walk in wearing an Astros baseball cap. Not that the cap was an oddity, he was a big fan after all, but there was no hair sticking out from under it. None!

She let out a gasp at the same time Micah snickered and Connor muttered, “What the hell?” She stood and hurried around her desk, not stopping until she stood directly in front of Nathan. She reached up on tiptoe and yanked the cap off.

She stood there stunned and let the hat fall from her fingertips. It landed with a soft thunk on the floor about the time her mouth did the same.

“What the hell have you done?” she demanded.

Nathan sighed then ran his hand over his head, his very bald head. Micah escalated from snickering to outright howls of laughter. He was soon joined by Connor and finally Gray.

Nathan bent down to retrieve his hat and slapped it back on his head. “Well, hell, Faith, you said I needed a haircut.”

Micah started howling all over again.

“I didn’t mean for you to shave it all off,” she squeaked.

Connor walked up behind Faith and slid a hand over her shoulder. “He’s dicking with you, Faith.”

“Yeah, tell her why you really shaved your head,” Micah said gleefully.

Faith yanked Nathan’s cap off again and took a step back to study him. Now that the initial shock had worn off, she had to admit he didn’t look bad at all. His goatee was freshly trimmed and neatly groomed. Without all the shaggy hair flopping over his ears, he looked damned sexy.

“Shut the hell up, Micah,” Nathan muttered.

Faith whirled around and eyed Micah. “If you know so much, then spill it.”

Micah grinned like a loon. “Oh no. I wouldn’t miss hearing this from Nathan himself for anything.”

She turned back to Nathan, who wore a resigned expression. Gray still sat slouched in his chair, an amused grin on his face.

“Yes, do tell,” Connor said.

“I lost a bet,” Nathan said tightly.

Faith’s mouth sagged opened. “A bet?” Then she rounded on Micah, her finger up and wagging. “Why on earth would you make him shave his head because of a lost bet?”

Micah’s eyes widened innocently. “What makes you think I had anything to do with it?”

She put her hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes. “Oh please. You can’t tell me this isn’t payback for the time he made you go out with the governor’s daughter.”

Connor and Nathan both dissolved into laughter. Connor had to put his cup down on Faith’s desk as he wheezed and his eyes watered. Micah scowled, and Gray’s eyebrows went up in question.

“Governor’s daughter?” Gray asked. “I didn’t know she could get a date. Last I heard, her daddy was pulling some serious strings to get her an escort.”

Nathan laughed harder. “She can’t. Well, except Micah there. He tripped all over himself to go out with her.”

Micah glowered at Nathan. “Shut the f**k up, bald boy.”

“Now this I gotta hear,” Gray said.

Faith cleared her throat. “Not that I don’t enjoy seeing Micah squirm, but we already know about the governor’s daughter.” She looked apologetically at Gray as she spoke. “I’m sure Nathan will be more than happy to fill you in later. What I want to know is why Nathan had to shave off all his hair.”

“Because he bet me the Astros wouldn’t lose yesterday afternoon,” Micah said smugly.

Connor regarded Nathan with an incredulous expression. “Dude, you bet they’d win with their best batter out with a torn rotator cuff?”