Part 20 (1/2)
”You need to stop looking at me like that, Hayden.”
I blinked, but every time I opened my eyes, they moved right back to that mouth. ”I apologize.” I tucked my head down to break the hold she had over me. But nothing could stop me from reaching for her chair, slipping my hand in between her legs and curling my fingers under the edge of the seat, sliding her and the chair closer to me.
”Because if you keep looking at me like that, option two is going to happen whether you want it to or not.”
I whipped my head up, held still for one moment, and then reached my hand out to touch her. After all this time, we'd never been close enough to touch.
We were far from knowing everything about each other, but what I knew, I adored. And wanted. I couldn't walk away without touching her, making sure she was real and not just something I'd made up in my mind.
My fingertips traced her jaw lightly, then moved to her lower lip. My c.o.c.k swelled the moment she unconsciously moved her tongue to where I'd just touched. Somehow we'd closed the gap between us, and if I moved my thumb out of the way, I could easily replace it with my lips.
When she scooted forward, I moved my hand from her chair to her leg. Her skin was warm, soft. She inhaled sharply as her thighs closed, her hand covering mine to...
Oh s.h.i.+t, she wasn't trying to stop me. She was directing me, guiding my touch.
”This is a really bad idea, Hayden.”
”Why?”
”I work for you. You're married. And I don't think I'll be able to turn this off if it starts.”
”Hasn't it already started?” Not the physical-that hadn't gone nearly far enough. But we couldn't claim this was just a working relations.h.i.+p anymore. Not after being in the same room, feeling the pull between us.
”We could still stop now and pretend nothing happened.”
”I don't want to pretend anymore.”
”Hayden, please. You know this isn't right.”
Actually, all I knew was that fighting this desire was useless, more proof of its danger.
My lips hovered over hers, shaking with antic.i.p.ation and fear, while I wondered how big of a mistake I was making. Because this was definitely a mistake. Things like this didn't happen to me, so something was obviously about to go horribly wrong. Therefore, it became simply the degree of which this was wrong that was important. And how much each of us was willing to trust. To risk.
”I shouldn't be doing this,” I whispered. ”Not tonight.” With each consonant, our lips met, lightly, gently. Our words bringing us together. Like always.
”I warned you.”
”I guess I wasn't listening.” d.a.m.n it. ”I should really go.”
She'd been drinking, and I was in no frame of mind to make a good decision. Plus, I'd promised her I had no intention of sleeping with her, which was now a total lie-I would happily rip off all her clothing and sink my tongue into her, taste her everywhere, take out years of s.e.xual frustration on her body. Why did I promise her I wouldn't?
”I wish-” she mumbled against my lips. ”Yeah, you should go.” Neither of us moved away, holding the line between denial and admission, honesty and risk, innocence and desire.
”I don't think I can.” I felt the air move as the corners of her mouth curled.
”You're obviously not trying hard enough.”
”Am I taking advantage of you?” I asked, not sure what I would do if she said yes.
”Yes.”
d.a.m.n it. ”Sorry about that.” But not enough to move away.
”No, you're not.”
”No I'm not,” I repeated. ”But I should be. So let's move that apology to me being sorry I'm not sorry about that.”
”You should've asked me if I minded. I don't. Plus, when you think about it, I could be taking advantage of you.”
”Then I'm begging you to continue.”
”Hayden,” she tapped my chest. ”I think one of us should move away now.”
Right. ”I'll do it.”
”Take one for the team.”
”You have no idea how much I wish I could,” I grumbled. ”Okay, I'm leaving now.” No. I couldn't. Not without tasting her, feeling her mouth. ”Right after I kiss you. With your permission.”
”Did you seriously just ask for my permission?” As she laughed, she straightened. It was only slight, but I had a sudden panic attack that she'd pull away completely. I wrapped my hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her back toward me. Not into me, just to me.
”I guess that proves that you don't do this all the time,” she finished, not laughing at all.
I blinked and released her. Did she really think that everything I'd said was just a line? Something I'd used before on other women? ”I told you I didn't.”
She grabbed me by the s.h.i.+rt. ”Did you? Maybe you misspelled it so badly I couldn't make it out.” She scooted even closer, her knees pa.s.sing mine. ”But let's get back to you leaving. And what you needed to do before you left. What was that again? Finish your water and...?”
”Kiss you.”
”Oh yeah. That. Just once?”
”Just once.” Tonight. ”But it will be a long one.”
”I'm going to refrain from commenting on the length of anything right now, and ask you a question instead.”
”Okay, but make it a quick one.”
”I'm going to refrain from commenting on that as well, because I really don't think what's in my mind right now would be quick.”
I groaned. ”Ask your d.a.m.n question.”
”Just for clarification: What we're discussing here is a long kiss and nothing else. Is that correct?”
Tonight. Nothing else tonight. ”Correct.”
”And then a) we forget it ever happened and b) you don't fire me and we go on working together, right?”