Sweet Surrender

Then she smiled as his eyes sparked and his pupils dilated. She settled back on her heels and sashayed toward the door. When she reached it, she turned around and stared at him.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

CHAPTER 9

Faith shoved the coffeepot under the spout just as the first drops of hot liquid seeped through the filter.

Once a week, Pop held a morning meeting to discuss jobs and divide up duties. Mondays would have been logical, but then Pop tended to be rather illogical about the little things. Meetings such as this were called at random and usually precipitated by a 5:30 A.M. phone call from Pop asking everyone to come into the office before seven.

Faith always rushed in ahead of the guys so she could pick up donuts on her way in and make a fresh pot of coffee.

Not surprisingly, Gray was the first to arrive. He glanced appreciatively at the donut box when he walked into her office and took a seat on the other side of her desk.

“Mornin’,” she said cheerfully. “Feeling any better today?”

He grunted in return but reached eagerly for a donut when she shoved the box across the desk at him.

“There’s fresh coffee made,” she said.

“You’re a goddess,” he said as he rose and made for the pot.

He tugged one of the mugs from the neat row she’d arranged them in and poured a steaming cup of the potent brew.

“Want some?” he asked after he’d taken a sip.

She shook her heard. “I don’t drink it.”

He sauntered back over and slouched in the chair. “Not drink it? I’m pretty sure that’s listed as a cardinal sin somewhere in the Bible.”

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 Co

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

“Obviously not,” she said dryly.

Micah gri

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

“Mornin’,” Co

“Morning,” she intoned sweetly.

Co

“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.”

Co

“We’ve asked her to tell us for the last two years,” Co

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.”

Co

A tiny spark of irritation ricocheted up her spine. It wasn’t the first time Co

She glared her a

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 Co

She stood there stu

“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 Co

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.

Co

“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 gri

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,” Co

“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 i

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.”

Co

“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 fuck 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.