Boss I Love to Hate: An Office Romance(89)

During the workday, it had taken every ounce of energy not to reach her, touch her, kiss her. And, fuck, did I want to kiss her. Long and hard until she was breathless, panting, flushed.

“I’m nervous.” She fumbled with her hair and pushed up her glasses, fidgeting again. Her eyes focused on the forming traffic in front of us.

That was one of Sonia’s best qualities—honesty. If she didn’t voice it, her face would tell all. I knew this because I’d been the target of many of her annoyed looks.

“Don’t be. We’ll have fun.”

Thirty minutes later, we pulled into a park district where lights had been strewn from tree to tree. Cars were jam-packed into the parking lot, but when her eyes took in the countless people in robes and wands and hats, she flipped my way.

“Brad …” Her smile widened, and it did things to me—not in the horny way that it had all day, but in a deeper, more momentous way, where I couldn’t fucking breathe. “Where are we going?” Her eyes scoured the area in front of us again, and she squeed. She knew but only wanted me to verbally confirm it.

“I heard someone likes Harry Potter.” I shrugged, seeming unaffected, but I knew I had scored big, and this was the perfect date for Sonia. I’d have to take Sarah shopping later for the idea.

“No shit! Omigod.” And, just like a little kid, she pushed herself out the door, and I followed. Her eyes lit up like Mary’s on Christmas morning—bright, wide, and adorably cute. “I have nothing to wear.” She glanced down at her outfit again. Then, she jumped up and down and clapped her hands.

“There is a Harry Potter themed restaurant this week.” I grabbed her Hermione robe from the back of my car, the one Sarah had picked out and I’d bought online, and walked around to meet her.

“Brad … what’s this?” The joy bubbled in her laugh as I handed over the robe.

“Courtesy of Amazon.”

“And this event … it’s been sold out for months.” She beamed, shoving her hands into the robe and zipping it up. “I can’t believe this.”

I wasn’t telling her I’d paid ten times the price from some fans who were more than reluctant to let the tickets go.

“Unreal.” She motioned toward me. “Where’s your outfit?”

Reaching into my shirt pocket, I grabbed the thin, round Harry Potter eyeglasses and slipped them on. “Ta-da!”

She framed her hands on my face. “So cute. You’re so cute!”

Now, I was beaming. Like a fucking idiot. I’d wear these damn glasses to work if I could get a reaction like this from her every day.

“This will have to be written down as my best first date ever!” She squealed and flung out her arms wide, taking in the scene.

A Hogwarts Express train passed us, taking people from the parking lot to the restaurant.

“The night hasn’t even begun.” I tried to play it off, cool and collected, but inside, I was on an ultimate high, high on her joy, high on being on our official first date together.

In my mind, I had planned to change out of my shirt in the car, but Sarah had said I had to make this date memorable.

“Let’s get this night started.” Just like Clark Kent saving the day as Superman, I ripped open my Brioni shirt, revealing my Gryffindor shirt with the lion crest underneath. Buttons flew everywhere, scattering onto the concrete.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

The fact that I had shredded a five-hundred-dollar shirt didn’t matter because the elation on her face was priceless.





Sonia

Brad’s fingers were intertwined with mine as I skipped—yes, skipped—back to the car. I’d never laughed so much with anyone, let alone Brad. It was hilarious, explaining every single Harry Potter drink and character who had passed us by. The makeup artist who had gone around even drew a little scar on Brad’s forehead. He twirled me and pressed me against the car, acting boyish and free, unlike his normal, serious demeanor I was used to.

“I can’t believe you have never watched the movies. If you can’t read the books, at least watch the movies,” I insisted.

His eyes twinkled under the moonlight, and he brushed strands of hair from my face. There was a zoo of butterflies in my belly, which came alive every time he touched me. And the way he looked at me, it made me feel … beautiful. He hadn’t noticed our waitress, who was blatantly flirting, or the other Hermiones who were busting out of their robes. His sole focus throughout the evening was me.

“Ask me about princesses. I know them all and their little sidekicks. A few times, I pretended to be Flynn Rider because Mary was stuck in a Rapunzel phase. Or Eric when she was in her Ariel phase. I even dressed up as Eric for her fourth birthday. But Harry Potter? I know nothing.”

The fact that he played dress-up for his nieces increased his sexiness tenfold.

He dropped both hands to the edge of the car, caging me in. “I want to take you to Universal Studios in Florida.”

I laughed. “Actually, I haven’t made it out there yet.” That would be my ultimate vacation of a lifetime. Forget Europe or Bali or Tahiti. Take me to Florida, and my life would be good as set.

“Let’s go tomorrow. I’ll charter a jet.”

He angled closer, and I tiptoed and wrapped my arm around his neck, feeling things I hadn’t in a very long time. I was hyperaware of him whenever he was near, and having him this close, flushed against me, made my heart hammer in my chest.