Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
She brought me a sandwich, this one ham and cheese on sourdough, and I devoured it. I drank the foamy coffee, still not ready to admit I liked it better than the black I’d always preferred. I wouldn’t want her to think she was getting the upper hand. After I finished the sandwich, I ate the rest of the muffin from the morning.
I studied her as I ate, not bothering to pretend to be working. I didn’t have to. She was busy enough for us both. Last night, she had been stunning. Sexy. A siren. Today, she was plain, simple. And I felt an even stronger draw to her than before. Her clothing covered her more than her usual skirts and blouses, yet she was effortlessly sexy.
And I had a feeling she didn’t even know it.
I returned to the document I was trying to work on, impatient when I couldn’t access some information on the server. Frustrated, I barked out her name. “Myers!”
She came over, shaking her head. “No need to bellow. I’m right here.”
“Why can’t I access some of the HR documentation on the server?”
She frowned and came around the desk, indicating for me to move my chair. I pushed back, and she stepped in front of me, bending slightly. Her fingers moved quickly over the keyboard, while my gaze was glued to her ass. Right there. In front of me. Round, perky. Beckoning. My fingers twitched to touch it. Cup and stroke it. The sudden desire to touch her everywhere hit me. I wanted to know if her skin was as soft as it looked. How her hair felt fisted in my hand. If she smelled as sweet as I thought she would at the base of her neck. If her skin would blossom for me if I bit down and left a mark.
My mark.
My cock roared to life, and I almost groaned as yearning swamped me. I wanted her. I wanted to hear her whisper my name again. Not Mr. Bane, not Bane.
Alex.
I wanted to hear her moan. Whimper. I needed her fingers clutching me. Touching me. I longed for her lips on mine. Her tongue in my mouth. I wanted to see that tattoo again. Trace its shape with my tongue. I pushed away, standing just as she straightened. She stumbled back, and without a thought, I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her back to my chest. For a moment, neither of us moved. I felt her against me. Soft to my hard. Cool to my heat. Trembling to my heavy breathing. My cock was trapped between us, evidence of my state of mind.
It took everything in me not to turn her in my arms and kiss her. Sweep everything off my desk and lift her there, settling between her legs and giving in to the overwhelming passion I was feeling. But my gaze drifted to the file folder she had accessed for me. HR.
Jesus, I was her boss, and I was planning on breaking every rule and fucking my assistant on my desk. That was an HR issue ready to explode.
I stepped back, dropping my arms. “Watch your footing, Myers.”
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“You can go now. We’ve worked enough.”
She hesitated.
“Go, Myers. Now,” I growled.
She nodded and edged her way past me. She hurried to my door, shutting it behind her. A moment later, I heard the outside door slam.
I dropped to my chair, cradling my head in my hands.
What had I almost done?
Did she know how she affected me?
How was I going to face her on Monday?
I rolled my shoulders. Nothing happened. Nothing would happen.
I would make sure of it.
Then I turned my attention back to the task at hand and forced her out of my mind.
Which would have been easier if I couldn’t smell her everywhere. Taste her fragrance in the air. If the project I had decided to undertake wasn’t mostly for her.
Fuck it, it was all for her.
Dammit.
MAGNOLIA
Monday, I was unsure what to expect. His unexpected praise on Friday—in public, no less—had left me reeling. I had no idea what had come over him, unless he was drunk. But his gait was steady, his eyes clear, and his voice firm when he spoke. He left before I had the chance to ask him. At the table, Rylee looked pleased with herself, while Verity and Rhonda were almost gnashing their teeth. I was certain if they could have gotten away with it, I would have been stabbed with their butter knives. They had to settle for dirty looks and some whispered words, no doubt cursing me. Then they left, two dark shadows in an otherwise pleasant night.
“What was that?” I breathed out, sitting back in my chair. “I think I need a drink.”
Rylee grinned. “That was your boss backing you up.”
Then another staff member joined us, and I never got a chance to speak to her alone again.