Misadventures with the Boss (Misadventures #12)(8)

That I’m in way over my head…

That you’re out of my league…

“That…” I weighed a few more answers but couldn’t escape the truth. “That I have no idea what I’m doing with someone like you.”

“Do you want to know a secret?” he asked, momentarily catching me off guard.

“Sure.”

“I’m just like every other man you’ve ever met. When I look at you, I see a beautiful woman who I’d very much like to take back to my place and undress, one piece of clothing at a time.”

“That wouldn’t be very hard since I’m only wearing a dress.” I let out a nervous laugh and ignored the urge to slap my forehead and curse my own stupidity.

“Don’t think that hasn’t occurred to me.” His voice was low and husky, and followed by a predator’s grin.

I swallowed hard. “I’m betting you’re not the kind of guy who wants to chat over breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“You’d be a winner if you made that bet. I think you like that about me.” He snubbed a hand over his jaw and then moved closer, tucking an errant strand of hair behind my ear as he leaned in closer.

“I can tell you what I want from you down to the very last detail, but it can’t be here,” he whispered, his warm breath sending an involuntary shudder through me.

“Why not?” I breathed, captivated.

My heart thrummed in my chest, in my ears, in my lips, and I closed my eyes, savoring the sweet smell of his aftershave as he inched still closer to me—so close that I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

“Because when I tell you what I need from you, we’re going to be in private. And I’m guessing you’ll give me everything I ask for.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a demand. There would be no courtship here. No shy undressing and awkward first time. No giggling as he fumbled with the hook of my bra and pressed chaste kisses along the column of my throat.

Whatever happened between us, it was going to be rough and needy and passionate. But more than that, it was going to be exactly the way he wanted it.

And my curiosity about what that entailed was getting the better of me.

“So where do you suggest we go, then?” I asked.

He smiled wide, flashing a dimple I hadn’t yet seen. “I have just the place.”

I took one last sip of my drink, knowing I’d need a little liquid courage, and offered him my hand.

Jackson set some money on the bar and whisked me out onto the street.





Chapter Four





Jackson





The property was just around the corner, so we didn’t have far to walk. It was also on the edge of the industrial part of the city, and it looked every bit the remnant of a time long past. The walls were a dusty gray, and the steel framework surrounding the factory-like architecture was less than inviting.

For a moment, her sure grip slackened in my hand, and I squeezed her palm, reassuring her.

“We’re here,” I said.

“Which is where?” she asked hesitantly.

“It was a lightbulb factory,” I said as I motioned to the dark exterior. “Can’t really tell that now.”

“And you brought me here because…?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Because I have something I want to show you. You’ve just got to trust me.” I pulled out my phone and entered the code for the Bluetooth lock, opening the creaky, rusted gate, and then motioned for her to join me.

“Look, as much as I love following strangers from the internet into abandoned warehouses, I’m going to have to take a hard pass here.”

I grinned, not for the first time tonight, and handed her my phone. Sexy and funny. It was a heady combination and one I hadn’t seen in a very long time.

“Here. You can hold on to this if it makes you feel better. You can even get 9-1-1 cued up and ready to go. And, by the way, there’s a GPS tracker for blind dates on the dating app we used to meet, you know.”

Some of the apprehension cleared from her pretty face, and her expressive sapphire eyes filled with relief. “Clever.”

She held on to the phone, though, as she followed me into the massive hallway, our footsteps echoing off the walls as we made our way to the elevator.

“How do you know about this place?” she asked.

“My company owns it. We just bought it, actually. I was here a few days ago, but nobody in town will see us. They all think the place is haunted.”

“I can’t see why,” she said with an eye roll.

She followed me into the lift and waited as it groaned to life. After a long pause, we began our slow ascent. I looked at her from the corner of my eye.

She really was gorgeous. In fact, she was likely the hottest woman I’d been out with in ages but totally different at the same time. She didn’t have the same cool, almost chilly exterior I was used to, and despite her even features, wide eyes, full lips, and ridiculous curves, she seemed wholly unaware of the package she created. She was comfortable in her skin, I could tell that much, but she wasn’t cocky about her looks either. I was guessing she wasn’t at all interested in Botoxing and manicuring herself to the last degree. Somehow I liked that.

The elevator stalled and then yawned open, the grated doors sliding apart. Above us, the warm spring day was cooling into night and the clear, blue sky was fading into violet and maroon.