“So? What’s he doing? Come on, come on. Stop holding out already.” The soft, feminine voice on the other end of the line whined like a child.

Alexandra rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. Why in the world had she decided to tell Nina about Mr. Buff? Nina had gotten Alexandra a temp job with the company. The woman who took care of the payroll and independent contractors was on maternity leave for several months. Since Alexandra specialized in accounting and HR, which payroll was a part of, Nina knew Alex would be a great fill-in

On Alex’s first day, she stumbled upon Mr. Buff and his daily habits. And now, every morning, like clockwork, she’d get a call from her coworker, best friend, and cousin, requesting updates.

Wound up and ready to pant, Alexandra looked into the office across the alley.

The large, sparkling glass windows on both buildings allowed her to view the man walking around. She drank in the sight of the large, buff body, hence the name Mr. Buff. The man definitely took his workouts to heart.

“Alex! What’s Mr. Buff doing now, chica? Tell me please, please, pretty pleeease?” Her fiery cousin, Nina, was a pain in the neck when she thought she was missing out on something good—especially information about one sexy, half-naked man, a man currently running long fingers through his impeccably cut hair.

Alex watched a few locks fall across his forehead. “Not much. He’s about to put his shirt on.”

“Crap. Listen, I have to go, but you have to record this stuff on your phone and e-mail it to me. Stop being so selfish and share. You know I don’t have a man right now. I can use all the visual stimulation I can get.”

She hung up on her cousin’s laughter and continued watching the top contestant to fulfill all her fantasies dress. Under an idyllic trance, she visualized the rest of him when he was in the shower. Excitement hurled through her at the thought of getting a peek at Mr. Buff in the wet room. A streak of unbidden desire whisked through her veins and raced down to her core.

Her brain, better than any digital calendar, had recorded his schedule down to the minute. Each morning, he walked into his office wearing his workout gear. In running shorts and tank top, his body glistened with perspiration. Every time she got a glimpse of all that sweat-covered brawn, her nipples pebbled.

In wide-eyed enthrallment, she watched him head into the bathroom attached to his office to shower. Every single day it was the same. He walked out in his suit pants but never the shirt. She wondered if he had some kind of conspiracy against her hormones. The display of contracting muscle made her breath hitch.

His powerful back and amazing, tight ass were sending out Morse code signals, beguiling and inciting her interest.

His white, tailored dress shirt cut the visual feast short. She had to bite back the urge to scream. Not that he would hear her, but her coworkers sure would.

Why not just go over there and ask the man out? Typically, she would have done that already. Found out his name, instead of just calling the poor, sexy, strapping creature Mr. Buff, at the very least. “Go after what you want” was her motto in every aspect of her life; she was a self-assured woman. Until recently, she didn’t lack self-confidence. Thanks to her ex, her confidence had taken a whipping.

Would she be able to find a man who would want her, deal with her for who she was and not try to change her? At thirty-three, she was tired of the dating scene. Was it so wrong that she wanted to meet someone and maybe settle down?

Alexandria refocused her mind, her vision still glued to Mr. Buff. Oh shit. He was watching her. Heat crawled across her skin and settled over her cheeks.

Embarrassed, she gave him the usual small smile and microsecond wave.

His wicked grin turned the man from handsome to outright gorgeous when he waved back. Balling and holding papers in a death grip, she dropped her gaze. All she needed was for the man to think she had some kind of sick fetish for watching him.

An unexpected meeting had run late. Appeased by the quiet, she was sure the floor was empty as she walked back to her office. The soft rustle of her skirt was the only noise she heard. She needed to send some emails and update files before she went home.

She was worn out but wanted to take care of these tasks while they were fresh in her head; tomorrow she had other things to do. Darkness enveloped Mr. Buff’s office, and a small tug of gloom pulled at her. Foolishly, not having seen him all afternoon, she missed the sexy giant.

Peaceful and silent, the starlit sky summoned her. She headed to the large glass window to stare out at the night for a few moments. Irritation flared at a bothersome tear in her pantyhose. Whoever created hose was surely into cruel and unusual punishment. Without a second’s hesitation, she lifted her pencil skirt, turned her back to the glass, and attempted to pull down the stretchy nylon.

Toeing off the high heels, she twisted a foot. Her nails caught on the material, and she tripped and lost her balance. The room spun, and she careened backward. Plastered all over the glass, her bikini-clad ass was on display.

She pulled and huffed in frustration. Angry, aggravated, and exhausted, she soon lost her composure. She pinched her own skin and growled when she tugged.

She finally was able to rip off the torn hose. Exasperated, she fixed her skirt and straightened. Stupid material—no way she was wearing a pair again. She was going back to thigh highs. Making a face that matched her disdain, she balled the hose and hurled them at the trash. She peered into the darkened office across the street and gave thanks no one had witnessed her embarrassing moment. Out of breath, she sat down to work and placed the annoying experience in the back of her mind.