Page 28 of My Forbidden Boss
“How outstanding of you. I suppose that everyone needs to start somewhere. Although I must say, I would have hoped that someone in your position should not have waited this long to discover such dignity… both for others and for yourself.”
He grinned but said nothing more.
Hollis’s look made me stir, making me feel like a bug under a microscope. “Uh… and Tisha is fine. Just as long as you don’t ask me to call you, ‘sir.’ In that case, you can just refer to me as ‘unemployed.’
I was waiting to see fear, apprehension, or, at the very least, hesitation, but Hollis’s smile only grew. He laughed heartily, spurring the hair at the base of my scalp to stand up.
He glanced down and snagged a sheet of paper from the table, loosely furling it and offering it out to me as his laughter comfortably rolled to a close.
“Here are the details for your trip. I really do appreciate you doing this for me. You’ll leave sometime on Monday… there’s always at least one flight out of town for connections in Bismarck. We’ll get you the exact time by the end of the day today. Actually, I guess it will be easiest for everyone if we just email you the link to the digital tickets.”
I nodded, immediately losing the need to feel ferocious as the subject turned to the job. I approached and took the paper from his grasp, tugging slightly as, at first, he smirked and refused to let go. I glared but let Hollis continue talking without interruption.
“We’ll see what the flights are like when Tony and I book the tickets, but I’m thinking… three days? Do you think that will be enough time for you to share your procedure, show them how to implement it, and see if they have any immediate issues that you could help them iron out?”
I gently rolled the paper in half and held it against my chest, pressing the curled fold down with my chin as I thought.
My head dropped in a sharp nod, crumpling the paper. I withdrew it from my chest, feeling warmth rush to my cheeks as Hollis grinned. I vainly moved a strand of hair from my forehead and answered, pretending that there was nothing to notice.
“Yeah, uh… three working days? That should be fine, I would think. I mean, I can’t promise anything without knowing the branch or its people, but… No, three full workdays should be plenty. Any issues after that can always be worked out over email or a conference call.”
Hollis nodded. “So, unless the flight on Monday gets you there early enough to warrant going in and getting started, we’ll tentatively say, get there Monday. Then you can take your time, relax, and check in to your hotel, and the offices will be yours for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Either we’ll get you back late Thursday or sometime on Friday. Whichever way, we won’t expect you back here for work until Monday at the earliest. And, honestly, I could absolutely arrange for you to take more than a few days for yourself since you are doing me a favor here anyway.”
I shook my head, having trouble meeting Hollis’s stare but refusing to not stand my ground. “That won’t be necessary. Otherwise, that all sounds like a reasonable plan.”
A pause ensued between us. Hollis just sat on the edge of the conference table, comfortably smiling and continuing to stare right at me.
My voice shook as I realized how close I was to him. “Uh, well, I guess that’s everything. I’ll, uh… I’ll look for that email with the tickets.”
I was rolling and wrinkling the paper he’d handed me between my fists. Quickly twirling away to retreat toward the door, I gasped. Hollis’s hand, soft but strong, flew to my arm and caught me.
I turned back, finding his massive chest nearly at my cheek. With eyes wide, I looked up at him, standing over me. His collared shirt was loosely buttoned at the throat, but not carelessly, just barely hinting at the thick muscles running down Hollis’ neck, over his shoulders, and over his torso. I tensed and breathed in through my nose, catching his smell and instantly finding myself overwhelmed, swimming in a sweet aroma I hadn’t expected.
His eyes met mine. His slight grip on my forearm slid softly higher, stroking lightly up my skin from elbow to shoulder until I could feel the weight of his hand resting over the corner of my shirtsleeve.
My heart throbbed, and the growing heat shook me, fueling a fear that quickly reacted, wedging somehow in the tight space between our bodies.
“What… What are you doing?!”
My feeling was stern, but my words were breathless.
Hollis smiled warmly, his eyes never once straying from mine. “I was just wondering if you had reconsidered my offer.”
I found my voice. “Reconsider? What offer?!”
His smile fell like a mallet. Hollis’ palm retreated from my arm, dropping to his side, while his other hand rose between us to begin rubbing nervously along his jawline.
With a sparkle behind his eyes, he seemed to straighten his back and force the confident grin back in place. “My offer… for you, uh… for us, I mean. For us to, you know, grab lunch… or…”
He trailed off, looking helpless.
I smiled but refused to acknowledge any sympathy for him. I stayed close, liking the way it felt, but, in the sweetest whisper I could muster without laughing, I stared up at him and opened fire.
“Oh, so, you thought that I might have come to my senses… that you had let me wait and wallow long enough and it was time to put me out of my misery? Because ever since I saw you, I haven’t been able to think about anything else? How could I have been so stupid? Missing out on my one chance to get with my big, important, handsome… boss… that I’ve barely even talked to one time?”
I placed a hand on his chest as I spoke, gently grazing the fabric of his shirt with the lightest touch as I reached higher, lightly holding his strong chin before patting him aggressively on the cheek at the reminder of his position as my superior.
It wasn’t a slap, but it was startling enough for the effect I was looking for. Hollis’ eyes went from glazed and luring to shocked and confused in a matter of milliseconds.