Over the Hedge Read online

  “Because, I think you need to grow a pair and step to him,” Crystal said with attitude. I could only imagine she had her hands on her hip and was rolling her neck when she said it.

  “I don’t know if I can do it. I mean, I’ve never asked a guy out before.”

  “Make this be your first time. Besides, after the scene you described to me the other day, I’m pretty sure he’s interested in you. No man licks a fork that’s been in a woman’s mouth, unless they want to lick other places on her body.”

  “I can’t, Crystal. What if he’s not really interested, and the whole fork licking incident was just a joke for him?”

  “The man held your hand while you walked to the café, Lashawnda.” She reminded me with annoyance.

  “Maybe he just felt bad because Jenny was holding onto his arm, and he didn’t want me to feel left out,” I said, trying to find some reason for Sean’s behavior that day. The rest of our conversation went in circles. I decided to make excuses for him, and Crystal just pointed them out as more evidence of his attraction. We ended the conversation with plans to catch a movie over the weekend.

  I hung up the phone and thought about all the things Crystal said. Could Sean really be interested? I shook off the thought and reached up to put the earbuds in my ears. It was then I had the feeling that someone was watching me. I turned to see Sean standing at the opening of the cubicle. He had a determined expression on his face; one that made my breath hitch and my mouth go dry.

  He stalked into my cubicle and turned my chair all the way around facing him. He slid his hand underneath my chin and raised my lips slightly before crushing them with his own. The kiss was brief, and I missed the feel of his mouth on mine the moment we parted.

  Sean’s voice was heavy with desire when he spoke. “I think you are an amazing woman. I would love to take you out on a few dates so we can get to know each other better. I hope you’re interested because I’m very much interested in you. I hope me kissing you is proof enough. Just in case it’s not, I’m telling you as plain as possible.”

  I was frozen in shock as I stared into Sean’s turbulent, green eyes.

  My brain was screaming yes, yes, yes, but I was unable to voice my own feelings. I took a page from him, deciding my actions would speak louder than any words I could manage. I reached up and pulled him down for my own soul-stirring kiss.

  Sean’s tongue traced the seam of my lips, and I parted them for him. This kiss was deep. It felt like we were both searching for answers that had been plaguing us since we initially met weeks ago. I opened up fully to Sean, permitting him to take me wherever he wanted. I moaned into his mouth as his tongue caressed mine. He angled my head and fisted the hair on the back of my head so that he could deepen the kiss. My center throbbed with need. His broad tongue was unbelievably dominant and possessive.

  God, I could kiss him for hours!

  We were so lost within one another that I didn’t realize we had an audience until the sound of a throat clearing grabbed our attention.

  Dr. Barnes stood at the entrance to the cubicle, looking at us make out like it was an everyday occurrence. In the time it took my brain to process that my boss had just laid witness to me making out with his new lab manager. It felt like the world stopped and then sped back up, quickly sending me into a tailspin.

  “Oh my gosh!” I shrieked. Without any forethought I got up from the chair, bumping Sean out of the way as I ran out of the cubicle. I didn’t see the look on either man’s face. I was just ready to get the heck out of there. If I had been thinking clearly to stick around, I would have seen Sean’s stunned expression and Dr. Barnes who looked bored and amused at the same time.

  When I got to the lobby, I took the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. As a rule of thumb, I never took the stairs. Not because I was lazy, rather for safety reasons. A flight of stairs plus me was like introducing a shark to a meat market. Something was bound to happen. Today, I pushed the thought of tripping, falling, and cracking my skull open to the back burner. I needed some fresh air stat.

  I kissed Sean?

  I kissed Sean Colcord!

  I kissed Sean, and Dr. Barnes witnessed it.

  But wait…Sean kissed me first.

  I brought my hands up to my mouth, still throbbing from Sean’s lips. His soft, warm, firm lips. The pressure of his lips against mine…the taste of his tongue. The way he gripped my head and dominated the kiss after I reached out for round two. It felt like he wanted to consume me. Dear God, I would’ve let him.

  Things like this didn’t happen to me. Men don’t randomly make out with girls like me at work. Okay, not just at work but just about anywhere. Heck, most men didn’t even take a first look at me, much less a second look. Sean had looked. According to him, he liked what he saw and wanted more…a whole lot more.

  He said he wanted dates, as in multiple. Sexy, green-eyed Sean Colcord was planning on taking me out on a few dates to get to know me better? He called me amazing? I had never been called amazing by anyone. Sure, my parents, best friend, and sister told me I was amazing, but that was their job as my family. The man that had my nerves in total chaos since I looked into his eyes had just given me that compliment.

  Like an idiot, I did the dumbest thing and ran. I groaned, thinking about how childish it looked. The truth was, Sean had scared me shitless by his actions. Then he topped it all off by vocalizing everything he put in that kiss.

  Worse, Dr. Barnes was the one that caught us. Could the universe not find another way to humiliate me? How could I look Dr. Barnes in the eye after that? Knowing him, he would probably say something offhanded like, ‘Leave the groping at home, Price. If I wanted a show, I’d go to Vegas.’

  “Get it together, girl,” I said out loud. I put my hand on my chest and could feel my heart beating a mile a minute. I took a couple deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down. “Go home, fix yourself a nice big bowl of sugary cereal, and just deal with the blowback tomorrow.”

  I was about to cross the street when I heard my name. I turned in time to see Sean walking toward me. Shoot, I can’t face him like this. I picked up my pace, walking even faster. If I made it to the garage before he caught up with me then maybe I could leave and just face him another day.

  CHAPTER 10

  SEAN

  I know I was a total ass for eavesdropping on Lashawnda. I was walking by when I heard her say my name. Knowing the woman I was crushing on was talking about me was all the reason I needed to stop and listen. I hadn’t gotten this far in life without taking advantage of the blessings I was given.

  The moment I heard her say she knew I wasn’t interested in her caused me to immediately start walking around to her cubicle. Apparently, my subtle hints weren’t enough for Lashawnda Price. I hated to admit it, but Brent was right; women weren’t mind readers. I decided to stop talking and put my feelings into actions. As soon as she realized I was standing there, the urge to kiss her trumped all other thought processes. I hoped it cleared up any uncertainties Lashawnda had regarding my feelings for her. In case the kiss wasn’t enough, I said the words that were on the tip of my tongue for far too long.

  There was no giving up on what I wanted, now. Not after that little taste. Now, here I was looking at Dr. Barnes, unsure if I needed to say something to smooth things over for Lashawnda’s sake.

  “Hello, Nathan Barnes,” Dr. Barnes said, finally breaking the silence.

  “Sean Colcord,” I said, extending my hand to the older man.

  “You’re my new lab manager correct?” he acknowledged.

  “Yes, Sir, I’m sorry I haven’t had time to come by and formally introduce myself,” I replied nervously.

  “Well yes…I can see you’ve been quite busy,” he said, taking a jab at my expense.

  I was unsure how to reply to that comment, so I stuffed my hands in my pockets and looked over at the direction Lashawnda had run off.

  “Well, don’t stand here making idle conversation with me. If
you’re the reason she hasn’t threatened to maim me in the last month, then I suggest you continue doing whatever you’ve been doing. Just don’t do it in the office and if you lack self-control and can’t help yourself, absolutely don’t do it in the conference room. I hear they’ve got cameras in there, now.”

  I was unsure if he was making a joke and gave him a bewildered stare.

  “Young people. Don’t just stand there…go after the damn girl,” Dr. Barnes replied, throwing his hands in the air. Not waiting for another invitation, I took off after Lashawnda. I hadn’t a clue where she had run off to, but I headed outside first. I was in luck when I exited the building and saw her shapely silhouette crossing the street and heading for the parking garage.

  “Lashawnda!” I bellowed.

  She turned at the sound of her name but took off at a faster trot upon recognizing me. I shook my head.

  You’re not getting away from me that easily. I took off in a sprint after her. Despite Lashawnda’s lead, I was able to catch up with her in no time.

  I found her punching the elevator button with irritation. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her face had a slight sheen of perspiration. The weather was more than a little warm today, and even I felt its effects. Her dark hair was sticking to her cheeks. She looked as if the hounds from hell were after her. If she knew how bad I wanted her, she would run all the same. I couldn’t figure out what the pull was to this woman yet, but my need to have her was beyond unnerving.

  When the elevator door opened, I walked in after her and stood silently. I was amused by Lashawnda’s shocked expression. She waited too long to make a move, and the elevator door closed leaving her with nowhere to run. I knew where she parked and pushed the button for the sixth floor. Her brows pulled even tighter together when the elevator began moving.

  The ascent was silent.

  As soon as the door opened, Lashawnda hurried out, with me following right behind her. She walked up to her car door and reached for her purse. It was then she finally realized she hadn’t grabbed it. I could have pointed that out when she first made her mad dash from the office, but I wasn’t dumb enough to aid in her means of escape.

  “Oh, come on!” she yelled, stomping her feet and throwing her hands in the air. She looked over at me, and I couldn’t hide my grin quick enough. “You think this is funny?” she asked.

  I immediately sobered up. I’d never seen her pissed in the few weeks since we met. I hated it was because of me. “No please, I’m not laughing at you.” I approached her with my hands in the air cautiously. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  She eyed me with apprehension as if she was waiting for me to make a wrong move. I sighed and stuffed my hands in my pocket. The heat rose in my face, and my collar suddenly became constricting.

  “I was hoping you would let me ask you out; properly this time,” I admitted.

  Lashawnda turned away from me and leaned her forehead against the side of her car. “Is this some type of game?” she asked, with her back still turned to me.

  “What? No, of course, this isn’t a game. Why would you think such a thing?” I stepped closer to her so I could read her expression.

  “I’ve been down this road before, Sean. The last time I found myself remotely interested in a guy I got my emotions stomped on and handed to me.” Lashawnda turned around to face me. “I’ve never had much luck with men. A few years ago, my sister, my best friend and I went on a mini-vacation in Miami. We met a group of guys who took us out a few times. One of them showed me a lot of attention. I was so happy that someone was interested in me. One night he pulled me away from our group and said he needed to ask me something. I assumed he was going to ask me if he could see where things went after the trip was over. Instead, he asked me if my sister was single.”

  Lashawnda leaned back against the car. I could see her visibly reliving one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. “I told him she was married. You know what happened next?” She looked at me with trepidation in her eyes. “He asked me if my best friend was single. I asked him why he flirted with me if he knew he was interested in someone else.”

  She deepened her voice and recited his response. “I had to get close to you so you could tell your sister what a good catch I was. Why else would I be flirting with you?”

  She walked up to me and folded her hands over her chest. It pained me to see how hurt and vulnerable she looked. “If you want me to play matchmaker for you, then just be honest with me. I wouldn’t mind. If you’re just trying to get in good with me to impress Dr. Barnes, that’s not necessary. If there’s some other crazy reason for you giving me all of this attention just be upfront about it okay? I can handle it.”

  “Look…I know I already messed up back there by attacking you. I got impulsive when I overheard you saying I may not be interested. As you can see, I am. I showed you.” I rubbed my hand across my face. “It was a stupid thing to do, but you left me with no other option. As sad as it may seem, I’ve never taken a woman out before. You’re the first one I thought was worth asking.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t be more interested in someone like Jenny or the hordes of women that are falling over themselves to get your attention in the office?” Lashawnda asked.

  “Hmm. See there you go assuming you’re not exactly what I’ve been looking for,” I retorted pulling my hands through my hair in frustration. “If I wanted to get with Jenny, or anyone else, I would. Trust me when I tell you, I’ve had my fill of girls like that. But, I’m not at the office, nor am I across that street. I’m here standing in front of the woman I want to be with; putting myself out there in hopes she would give me a chance.”

  I walked up to her again, taking hold of her wrist, “Please, Lashawnda Price would you do me the greatest honor of going out on one date with me. I swear if you hate it, or have a miserable time, I promise never to bother you again.” I bit the inside of my cheek in hopes I wouldn’t spew anymore lies. If she didn’t love this date, I would do anything to get her to give me another chance or a million more chances until I got it right. But, we hadn’t reached that road yet, and I hoped we never had to cross it.

  My heart beat furiously waiting for her to reply. I didn’t think it would be this difficult to get one date. But, Lashawnda was worth the effort. She bent her head and looked at the ground. It felt like an eternity before she spoke again.

  “Okay. I’ll go out with you,” she said shyly raising her head to look at me.

  “Yes? You said yes?” I let go of Lashawnda’s hand and pumped my fist in the air.

  Fuck yeah! This had to be the best day of my adult life.

  Lashawnda leaned against her car and watched me make a fool of myself. I didn’t care how ridiculous I looked. I hadn’t been this excited about anything in a long time, and it was all because of her.

  I turned and walked up to her; placing my hands on either side of her head on the roof of the car. I looked into her expressive, brown eyes and saw two things; uncertainty and excitement. I had to do everything possible to remove the first. Moving my arms farther back, I placed my elbows on the car; bringing me flush against her.

  “I promise you won’t regret this. So, when would you like to go out? How about tonight?”

  Lashawnda chuckled, pushing her dark hair out of her face. “As much as I would love to, I can’t tonight. I’ve already made plans for the weekend. Plus, I’ll be gone for a week to DC with Dr. Barnes, and I have a lot to do to get ready. He’s going to another conference, and I have to be there to keep him out of trouble. But, I’ll be back on Friday.”

  I had to admit, I was a little disappointed I had to wait a few days before taking her out, but at least she said yes. “Okay, how about Saturday when you get back?”

  “Saturday sounds good.” Lashawnda ducked her head and nodded.

  Being this close to her was heavenly. I inhaled her light perfume. I locked her enticing scent away in my memory bank; I never wanted to forget it. But, I also d
idn’t want to send her running again. I pulled my hips back so she wouldn’t feel how excited I was she agreed to go out with me.

  “I know I came on a little strong earlier, but I couldn’t help it.” I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from becoming impulsive again. “This time, I’ll ask. May I, please kiss you?”

  Lashawnda smiled up at me. “Only if I get to kiss you back.”

  I angled my head and captured her lips in an open mouth kiss. Intimately caressing the warm cavern. I poured all the promise of things yet to come into that kiss. It would be a whole week without seeing her, and I wanted to ensure she didn’t forget what was waiting for her when she got back.

  ☙☙MV❧❧

  “She said yes!” I yelled into the phone when Brent answered. He was supposed to be at home, but I knew this time of night he was probably in his office reviewing patient charts.

  “Dude, calm the fuck down. Who said yes and what did she say yes to?”

  I was so high strung ever since leaving work that I was unable to stand still. At that moment, I was pacing in my living room with the phone to my ear. I needed to calm down, but that was easier said than done. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly I spoke into the phone. “Lashawnda, the woman I was telling you about. She said yes to going out on a date with me.”

  “Alright, my man…and you were acting like a little bitch the last time we spoke. So, tell me, how did you do it? Did you walk up to her and give her a smooth line about how going out with you would be in her best interest? Or, did you play it safe and just ask her out as friends with the intentions of making it more than friendly?”

  The line went quiet for a minute while I thought of the best way to tell this story.

  “Sean, you still there?” Brent asked.

  I stopped pacing and threw my large frame into the recliner. Rubbing a hand over my face, I spoke nervously. “Umm…see I tried that. You know, coming on strong and confident like you said. But, every time I got close enough to ask her out I panicked.”