Page 45 of My Forbidden Boss
He blushed beautifully, and I giggled lightly, tickled that I had finally struck a nerve.
Feeling the slightest bit wicked, I pretty quickly backpedaled the accusation, too taken aback by the effort he’d gone through to let him stay abashed for too long.
“Coffee. Dark. Hot. With a hit of hazelnut liqueur if I’m feeling feisty. Even us professionals can learn to kick back every once in a while.”
I successfully fought the urge to wink but failed miserably at suppressing my smile. I turned my back and stepped away from the railing, happily imagining what thoughts might be sweeping through his mind.
I swayed, eyeing the perfect little bungalow. I kept talking, knowing full well that Hollis probably wouldn’t tune in for quite some time. Honestly, the longer it took, the more gratified I would feel.
“It’s just the perfect place. It has all the comforts of a modern condo but the quiet soul of a cabin in the middle of nowhere. And you said they close off this road at night? So there won’t be any traffic passing by until after dawn?”
There was no answer, so I turned.
“Hmm? Huh? Sorry, what was that? I, uh… I zoned out for a second. Jetlag, I guess.”
My eyebrows arched as I tilted my head, wondering if he would be able to read my expression. I guessed not, but Hollis still looked trapped. He recovered quicker than my twisted mind would have preferred.
“You, uh… said something about the road?”
I nodded, looking back to the house since the game was lost for the time being.
He walked up next to me, standing close and trying to pay attention to whatever had caught my eye.
“Well, yeah, I said earlier that they close it at night, but now that I think I remember correctly… I’m pretty sure that it is just during the winter. Maybe late fall to early spring or something. Anyway, it’s a dead-end down there, just a couple other cabins as far as I can remember. I can’t imagine anyone other than extreme retirees or something being down here this time of year, during the week when schools are still in session. I’m sure it will be quiet as a mouse. Or moose, as the case may be.”
I hummed neutrally, ignoring the weak attempt at humor.
“So, it’s kind of like a shared duplex, I guess?”
Hollis nodded, still looking kind of troubled. I folded my lips over my teeth to hide my smile, listening.
“Yeah. So, there’s the common area that we walked through, then there are two bedrooms, one on either side. I can show you one if you want… I should’ve asked… but we each have our own bathroom, then there’s a shared kitchen and kind of living area.”
I nodded, looking away indifferently to hide my eyes, lest they betray the rush of thoughts and emotions crashing beneath their surface more violently than the river’s rapids upstream.
The cozy closeness of the whole setup was alluring, inviting, provocative in the most unassuming way. Secretly, I loved it but still found myself in denial, unable to embrace the encounter blooming before my eyes without keeping the slightest of reservations.
Outwardly, I was resolved to remain aloof. Whether that was a ploy to convince myself that I was still in control, or whether it was all just a part of the game, I wouldn’t let him see how openly he was affecting me in all the ways I’d thought impossible.
Hollis’s voice in my ear brought a submissive sigh from my lips as my knees went weak and my insides tightened.
“Would you… be interested in maybe going to dinner?”
Again, my defense mechanisms kicked in. Instantly I regretted them.
“What, with you?”
It was much more venomous than I had intended, but the words were out of my mouth before I had the chance to stop them.
Hollis frowned. The deep sadness in his eyes cut me deeply.
I looked down, feeling like a villainess, but backed into a corner, nonetheless. I glanced up at him through the strands of my hair, thinking.
Either he read me perfectly, despite my own careless decision making, or he just jumped straight to his own conclusion.
“We both gotta eat, right? And, uh… I think we both deserve a decent meal in celebration after the way we knocked it out of the park earlier. Yeah?”
My whole body was tensed, ready to say no, and it looked like Hollis could see it. But I felt like there was no way that I could say no. Nor did I want to.