“Hey,” he said, walking toward her, and again, that half grin flirted with his lips—lips that she’d never really noticed but that now she couldn’t help wondering how they’d feel…

Sierra shook the thought away. “Hi, Cole.” She tried extra-hard to put some business-as-usual into her tone.

“You look stunning,” he said, and business-as-usual took a hard falter.

“Thank you. You look good yourself. Are you ready to go?”

“You’re the boss.” He paused, blew out a short, amused breath. “In more ways than one.”

That was something she definitely needed to keep in mind, but then, as they turned toward the door, he pressed his hand to her lower back, trailed it lightly to the outside of her waist, and she was hyperconscious of the feel of him through the thin material of her dress.

Her body reacted deep within, her hormones clicking into the yes, please position, and then, as they walked, he was so close that she caught his scent—clean, masculine, with a hint of spice to it.

Cole was turning her inside out without even trying, and that was a big, fat problem.

“You made it through the ceremony,” she said, and she was pretty sure it was the lamest thing she could’ve come up with.

“Nothing to it. Pretty short and sweet.”

He opened the heavy outer door and held it for her, his hand still on her waist, and they went out into the cool fall evening.

“My truck’s over there.” He pointed to a coveted spot along the curb, halfway down the block, unnecessary since she knew his bright blue Ram extended-cab pickup well.

Sierra gathered her long dress in one hand so she didn’t trip—she didn’t often wear heels and was much happier in her sturdy work boots—and as they made their way down the front steps, she held on to his arm with her other hand. She couldn’t miss the strength of his corded forearm, even through the material of his suit and shirt, and she silently scolded herself for noticing.

Cole was off-limits. She did not fraternize with the men on her crew. Black-and-white issue. It was hard enough to be taken seriously as a woman in the construction field without opening herself up to any kind of romantic ties with someone who worked for her.

Her grandpa, who’d mentored her from the time she hit double digits and was allowed on jobsites, had drilled that into her head even before she’d had the slightest interest in the opposite sex. Not once had she veered from the advice, either back when she worked for his company or after his death, when he’d left the business in her hands.