Romancing the Grump (Appies, #4)

by Jenny Proctor

“Hey.” I startle when a deep voice sounds just in front of my desk, and I toss my pen in the air, letting out an audible yelp. Nathan stands in front of me, freshly showered and smelling divine. His hair is still damp, and tiny droplets of water dot the shoulders of his t-shirt. I have no idea how he managed to sneak into my office without me hearing him, or even smelling him, but the how of his appearance feels completely inconsequential next to the what standing in front of me. I open my mouth to speak, but sound completely escapes me, leaving me gaping like a very uncomfortable fish. I clear my throat. “Hi,” I finally manage to say. “You scared me.” “Sorry. I got a message you had something for me to sign?” I blink at him, willing my memory to recall whatever it is he’s talking about. Did I send Nathan a message? Pretty sure I would remember having an actual reason to invite him to my office. I also would have put on some lip gloss before he arrived. “Um, I don’t have⁠—” “Summer?” Grant calls through the open door directly connecting our adjacent offices. By the end of my second day, I quickly learned that Grant’s favorite way to communicate with me is to just…yell across the distance and wait for me to respond. “Yes, Grant?” “Is that Nathan? Send him in here. I’ve got a thing he needs to sign.” I lift a hand and motion toward Grant’s door. I debate whether it would be worth reapplying lip gloss now, but I can’t be sure Nathan won’t just leave Grant’s office through the...