“Come in.”
He pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped inside, glancing around. Jocelyn was stretched out on a sofa, flat on her stomach, in a comfortable position. And she was…coloring. He blinked, certain he was seeing things, but he wasn’t. She had a thick coloring book and a huge box of crayons in front of her and was diligently at work. Instead of a twenty-seven-year-old woman, she reminded him of a ten-year-old.
All it took was a look at those serious curves outlined beneath her jeans and blouse to know she was definitely no kid; however, there was something about her gliding that crayon across the page that gave her an air of innocence. At that moment some unknown force crept into him and he was touched by a degree of tenderness he experienced only on very good days and then solely for certain people. Unable to help himself, he crossed the room and stared down at her for a moment. “What are you doing?”
She glanced up as if annoyed at the interruption. “What does it look like? I’m coloring.” She then turned her attention back to her paper.
“Okay,” he said, as if the reason made perfect sense. He decided to press further by asking, “Why?”
She didn’t bother to look up when she responded. “Why what?”
Now he was getting annoyed. “Why are you coloring in a book at midnight? In fact, why are you coloring at all?”
She pushed the coloring book aside and pulled herself up to a sitting position. “I’m coloring because it’s something I like doing. Always have. It relaxes me.”
She studied him for a moment then asked, “Isn’t there something you used to do as a kid that you’ve carried into your adult life?”
Bas thought long and hard then answered. “Yes, now that I think about it, there is something.”
“What?”
“Basketball. My brothers and I grew up playing basketball together, and we still do every Saturday morning, although now we do it for a different reason. It’s no longer just for fun.”
Jocelyn lifted a brow. “What is it for now?”
He smiled. “To leave our egos on the court.” At the confused expression that crossed her features, he decided to explain.
“I have three brothers and all of us work at the Steele Corporation. We’re different in personality and temperament, and it’s not easy for us to work together because of our strong differences of opinions. Playing a game of basketball every Saturday morning helps get rid of any competitive frustrations we might have before the start of a new week. I’m really going to miss not being there to do that,” he said, chuckling. “It will give Morgan a chance to elbow someone else in the ribs for a while.”
“Um, sorry you’ll be missing the game each week, but if you’re nice I’ll let you borrow my crayons,” she said teasingly.
“Thanks but I’ll pass.”
“Hey, coloring is fun, so don’t knock it,” she said, placing a playful pout on her lips.
Looking at her mouth Bas couldn’t help but think about the kiss they had shared earlier. Now that had been fun. Kissing her had been such a delicious, intimate contact and had proven him right. She did have kissable lips. The moment he had coaxed her tongue into his mouth and latched on to it for all it was worth, he’d thought he’d actually felt the ground shake. The softness of her tongue had made him want to continue kissing her, the taste of her had tempted him to do more. Self-control eventually made him end the kiss. And that same self-control was keeping him from leaning in close and reclaiming her mouth now.
“And you probably don’t watch cartoons either, do you?”
Her question intruded into his thoughts and he figured that was a good thing, since what he’d been thinking was liable to get him in trouble. “No, I don’t do cartoons, either.”
“Not even Finding Nemo?”
“Didn’t know he was lost, so no, not even Finding Nemo.”
He watched her shudder as if the very thought of anyone not having seen that particular movie was incredible. Pretty much the same way he felt about anyone not eating Kentucky Fried Chicken.
“So tell me, Sebastian Steele, just what do you do for fun?” she asked, regaining his attention.