Page 92 of One Bossy Date
“Forwhat?” I finished my food, pushed the plate aside, and sat back with a contented sigh.
“For being such a gracious hostess.”
“Ohhh.” My cheeks instantly heated. “It was fun to be of help to everyone. Hell, it was fun to pretend this is my place too.” Scanning the penthouse, I looked around fondly.
“But itisyour place too.”
I directed my gaze back to him. “Yeah, yeah. But still. It’s notreallymine. I’m just saying, I felt like I belonged.”
“So did I.”
“What?” My brows lifted, wondering what he was implying.
“I felt like you belong too.” He had also finished his plate and pushed his chair back, his muscular arms on full display. “Right here.”
His striking eyes connected with mine, and I had no idea what he meant.
That gaze of his sent heat straight to my clit and stopped my ability to breathe in its tracks. It sounded as though he wanted me around, and I couldn’t let that get to my head. I was already in so much trouble around him. I forced myself to swallow the desire that was already overwhelming me and shrugged it off.
“Um, yeah…well.” I chuckled nervously, breaking the stare, and looking at the table. “Let me clear this up.”
I rose from my seat, picked up both our plates, turned, and headed toward the kitchen. I thought I noticed Anders stiffen for a moment, but I must’ve imagined it. He got up and cleared the rest of the table and stood at the island counter while I rinsed the dishes.
“How about ice cream for dessert?” I asked. “Ice cream with hot raspberries. You like ice cream, don’t you?”
“I do, but how about a Christmas movie instead?”
“What? A Christmas movie on Christmas Eve on that huge TV screen? Yes, please!”
The corner of his mouth lifted into a lopsided smile. “I’ll get it set up.”
When I’d finished clearing up the worst of the dishes, I joined Anders in the living room. He’d thrown cushions across the floor and set out blankets for us. He was already seated on the floor, his back against the couch, with Hades on one side and Ares on the other. They were clearly comfortable, watching me from where they lay, already tucked under Anders’s blanket.
“This looks super cozy,” I gushed and plonked onto a pillow beside Ares, pulling another blanket around my body. “What are we watching?”
“You have choices,” Anders said, loosely pointing at the screen. I looked up to see a few Christmas flicks displayed. “It’s up to you.”
“Ummm.” I narrowed my eyes. All the choices were good. I love Christmas movies. “Oh, what aboutThe Grinch? I love his little dog, Max. It never gets old.”
“All right.” Anders played the movie and we settled in, snuggled up with the boys at our sides.
During the movie, I couldn’t concentrate. Not at all. My mind was zeroing in on what Anders had said at the table: that he thought I belonged right here. What did that even mean? Was he just being polite? Was he planning to stay? The look in his eyes when he’d said that had been anything but polite—it was more of a direct, intentional look my way. As if he was holding back what he’d really meant to say.
The truth was, I really wanted it to be more than polite.
I wanted him to want me here.
Not just as a live-in dog nanny and convenient fake fiancée, but as his woman—in his bed, in his arms, preferably with his dick inside of me. Deep. Often. Regularly. All the time.
I glanced to the side, trying very hard to be inconspicuous.
Sitting with his arm resting on the couch seat behind him, his body angled to face me, his hand was absentmindedly playing with Ares’s ear. I noticed his muscle jump when he clenched his delicious jaw, the way he always did.God! Fucking irresistible.
I couldn’t pretend to myself that I had no feelings. After we’d slept together, I’d warned myself that it would be easy to fall for a perfect man like him, and that it would be a stupid thing to do.
Well, here I was, falling.
Being stupid.