Boss I Love to Hate: An Office Romance(42)

Brad

I blinked. Whatever I was going to say got jammed in my throat.

From the curls to the light sheen of pink on her cheeks and lips and the dress that fit as though it had been made for her, Sonia was magnificent—a princess in real fucking life.

“You’re beautiful,” I whispered without a second thought.

She stared, quietly, and her piercing eyes locked with mine. Then, as though she snapped back to attention, she playfully slapped my shoulder. “You aren’t too bad yourself.”

Without her eyeglasses, her brown eyes shone brighter. She looked like a different woman—still Sonia, but enhanced—one who showed her beauty and didn’t hide it.

She turned around and headed to the elevators, and I stopped breathing. Her bare back was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. I wanted to run my finger from the base to the top of her slim, pale neck and then back down again but this time with my tongue.

I swallowed.

Shit, I was in trouble. Deep shit trouble because I doubted all the self-control in the world and all the big-brother threats would keep me away from this woman.

This was going to be an interesting night. That was for sure.

When we stepped off the elevator and into the lobby, a low, hoarse whistle had me turning to the side.

“Hot damn, Sonia.”

A taller male with light hair and dark gray eyes and a coffee mug in hand walked toward us. When he reached for Sonia, my whole body tensed.

“Kyle.” She lit up, moved toward him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him in greeting. “You’re back from South America.”

My jaw locked, and I stifled a growl in my throat. Where the hell did that come from?

When he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, my hands fisted at my sides.

“I am. Just got back yesterday.” He held her at arm’s length, and his eyes took her in from the curls on the top of her head to her sexy neckline.

When his hand skimmed the bare of her back, I gritted my teeth and forced my body to stay put even though every molecule in me wanted to pounce and pull her back against me.

He wanted her. There was no doubt. I could read it in the way he leaned into her, the look of longing in his eyes. I could also read that Sonia was utterly clueless about it.

They made small talk before I cleared my throat and introduced myself. I stepped between them and offered my hand. “Brad.”

“I’m sorry,” Sonia said. “Brad, Kyle. Kyle, Brad.” She motioned between us, and his smile slipped as though he’d just noticed I was in the room.

For shit’s sake, we’d walked down together.

“Hey, man.” Then, he eyed Sonia with curiosity. “Date?”

“Wedding,” she clarified as if tonight were nothing.

He blinked back up at me. “Brad Brisken?”

I smirked, wondering where he’d seen me. Crains Business Magazine perhaps. “The one and only.”

He let out an all-knowing laugh that grated on my nerves and then turned to Sonia. “When did this happen? I thought you hated this guy.”

All my muscles tensed. “Excuse me?” I stepped into him, but Sonia grabbed my arm, yanking me toward her.

“It’s fine.” An anxious, high-pitched laugh escaped her. “We’re fine. Everything is fine.” She was already making her way toward the door with me in tow when she yelled back, “Brad is doing me a favor. I’ll explain everything later, Kyle.”

I turned toward her and narrowed my eyes. “You really hate me that much?” Am I that much of an asshole to her at work?

“I’ll explain.”

I opened the door to my Porsche 918 Spyder, closed the door behind her, then hopped into the car.

“This feels like a toy car.” Her hand brushed against my dashboard, and she adjusted her seat to give her more leg room. “I like that it has that new-car smell.”

Talk about queen of diversion.

I turned to her. “Explain.”

She averted her gaze, looking down at her hands that wrung in her lap. “I … I complain about you sometimes.”

“Why?”

That forced her head up. “Why? Because you’re a jerk.”

She pulled back as though that wasn’t what was supposed to come out of her mouth, but I’d take it. I didn’t want our normal glossed-over relationship. I wanted honesty from her.

“I’m not,” I argued. “I treat you with the utmost respect.”

“Yes, when you’re in a good mood.” The sass was back in her tone, and I welcomed it. “But the problem is, you’re not in a good mood all the time, and you take it out on everyone around you. Plus, you make me do things that are not a secretary’s job.”

“That’s our relationship. I push at you. You give it right back.”

She thought I was an asshole. I’d never been a purposeful asshole. That was just our relationship. Fun and games, but work still got done.

My muscles turned rigid. “I want examples.”

She reeled back. “What?”

“Yes.” I tapped my fist against the steering wheel. “Real-life examples.”

“Oh, let me count the ways.” She lifted one hand and began to tick off instances. “How about when you were already home, and I had to come to the office to throw away the bra of your recent rendezvous because you didn’t want to get in trouble with Charles?”