Boss I Love to Hate: An Office Romance(39)

She pulled back, her eyes searching, and with the smallest voice possible, so tiny that I strained to hear her, she said, “Okay.”

And then I kissed the corner of her mouth, close enough to taste those lips but with just enough restraint not to go there.

The shock of the contact went straight to my dick.

I heard her sharp intake of breath before she blinked up at me.

It was the tiniest of pecks, but I felt it everywhere. I was right. She smelled of apples. It must be her lotion or her shampoo.

She stiffened when I didn’t release her right away, and I meant to, but I couldn’t. The oddest realization came over me, one I’d never entertained. I wanted more of that kiss … but a real kiss. With her.

Damn.

What is happening to me?

Her hands moved up my chest, and slowly, she pushed and backed away. Her eyes were wide and questioning, and when I peered up behind her, I realized I’d accomplished the very thing I had wanted to. The women were shocked, and the woman who had waved at me earlier sported a noticeable frown.

My focus went to Sonia when she touched the corner of her mouth, staring at me as though she didn’t know what to say.

She blinked a few times and adjusted her glasses. “Well, that was weird.”

“I thought that was rather nice.” I captured her chin with my forefinger, swiping her bottom lip with my thumb, again having the undeniable urge to taste her fully.

My breathing slowed, and my eyes flickered to her lightly glossed pink lips.

Can’t go there. She’s my secretary. My brothers will feed my balls to some stray dogs.

I coughed, and after a few seconds too long, I slowly inched away from my tempting, sarcastic, and sweet secretary. “Sorry about that. I thought that was necessary, given what you’re trying to accomplish.” What is she trying to accomplish? Make her boyfriend jealous, win him back, or am I truly eye candy to save her pride?

“It’s fine.” She shook her head. “I mean, we’ll have to up the game tomorrow for the wedding, right?” Her voice was shaky, sexy, soft.

She took a step back, a step too far, and her fingers flew to her lips again. She blinked, doe-eyed and dazed, and was so damn beautiful that, with all the warning signs that told me not to, I did it anyway. I kissed her again, in the same spot. I meant for her lips, a direct connection, but I missed.

“Brad!” Her eyes searched the room. When I smirked, she leaned into me. “I think you’re enjoying this way too much. I might have to tattletale and tell Charles.”

I pinched her side. “You wouldn’t.”

“Don’t test me. I totally will.” The apple of her cheeks flushed pink.

I was tempted to do it again, but I held steady. Because I thought of all that was at stake—my relationship with my brothers, my work relationship with her, our friendship.

I swallowed.

I needed self-control.





An hour later, we were parked in front of my house. The car ride was silent, and thoughts of kissing her again played over and over in my head. Kissing her today, just a peck at the corner of her mouth, had been like sticking a fork in the most tempting chocolate cake, taking a lick of the frosting, and stopping, knowing there was a whole cake to gorge on, a sweetness, a rich, decadent, delicious devil’s food cake to devour.

Shit, this was going too far.

As I watched her fast asleep beside me—her mouth slightly ajar, the moonlight highlighting the delicate planes of her face, her glasses slipping off her nose—the need to take a deeper taste of her was overwhelming.

After a few minutes of watching her like a stalker, I softly nudged her. “Sonia.” I brushed the strands of hair from her face. “Sonia, we’re here.”

She stirred and slowly blinked awake. Lifting up her arms over her head in a satisfying stretch, she moaned loudly. “I really, really have to pee.”

God, was she cute. “Your car needs a tune-up.”

I stepped out of the car, and when I opened her door, she flew out of the car.

She jumped up and down in what I would describe as Mary’s pee dance. “I know. I know. Hey, can you move a little faster and get the door open?”

When I opened the door, Sonia sprinted to the bathroom and was gone.

I was greeted by boisterous laughter.

Mary was in her favorite outfit—Princess Elsa from Frozen, wig, dress, shoes, and all. “Uncle Brad!”

She propelled forward, and I caught her in my arms. There was no way I’d ever get tired of this type of greeting.

“Where’s Sonia? Where did she go?” Mary adjusted her long white wig on top of her head.

“Wait, let me get this straight.” I narrowed my eyes. “I come into this house, you jump in my arms, and the first thing you say is, ‘Where’s Sonia?’ Well, where’s Sarah?”

Mary bounced in my arms and pointed to the family room. “She and Leilah are trying to find a movie to watch. I think Beauty and the Beast is the winner.”

I peered down at the overhead clock in the kitchen. “Leilah has to go home. Her parents will be waiting for her.”

Leilah was the seventeen-year-old neighbor that we hired on and off to babysit the girls. A much better alternative to the fired Annie.

“Well then, you have to stay up and watch the movie with us. We already popped some popcorn.”