Page 19 of The Bad Boy's Good Girl

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Bronx sat at his desk deep in thought of a certain blonde who, despite all his efforts, wouldn’t leave his thoughts. Looking out over a snow covered Serendipity did nothing to improve his mood either. He didn’t even know the reason for his bad mood, only that all week he’d been surly and short-tempered. His morose thoughts were interrupted by a visitor. Nola.

“You left this on my desk,” she told him and placed the long familiar blue box in front of him. Turning on her heels, she picked up her pace, eager to put distance between them.

“No, I didn’t,” he told her before she reached the door again. “It’s for you.”

Nola froze, giving him a long minute to stare at the curve of her ass, the dip of her waist in that sexy little grey dress that teased a man with what was hidden underneath. “No, thanks.”

Bronx hopped up and made his way to the door, effectively blocking her exit. “You don’t want a bracelet? From Tiffany’s?”

She shook her head, gaze fixed on his chest instead of his face. “No, Bronx, I don’t need some parting gift just to make you feel better. Save it for your next weekly.” She pushed at his chest but he was eight inches taller than her and at least one hundred pounds of muscle. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Too bad.” Bronx smiled at her, feeling more invigorated right now in this moment than he had since they’d left the bed they shared in D.C. “Make time.”

Stepping back to put a few feet of distance between them, Nola crossed her arms and drew his attention to her plump cleavage. “I don’t want to talk to you. And I have work to do.”

Damn stubborn, woman. “You don’t have five minutes for me?”

Nola tightened her arms around herself and tilted her head in defiance. “No. I don’t.”

He didn’t want to be an even bigger bastard than he’d already been to her. But he would. “Fine. As your boss, I’m ordering you to sit here and listen to me. For five minutes.”

“No way! You can’t order me to sit here and talk about things not related to business.”

“The hell, I can’t. This is my company, doll face, and I can do whatever the hell I want. Now sit your pretty little ass down so we can talk, or you’re fired.”

She contemplated her next move. Bronx could tell she was considering walking out and losing her job. But he knew Nola, and even if she decided to leave, she wouldn’t leave Brooks in a bind during the holidays. “Whatever.” She stomped to the chair and dropped down in a very unlady-like fashion and waited. With a scowl.

“Thank you,” he said with a smug grin and took the chair beside her, pulling it close.

“I’m fine where I am. Please keep your hands to yourself.”

Sexy Ms. Prim and Proper has made an appearance.He grinned to himself and pushed her chair back. “Fine. I’m sorry, Nola.”

“Fine. Apology accepted, are we done?”

What? He never apologized to anyone. Ever. She should be smiling. Hell, she should feel special. “No, we’re not done until I say we are.” She crossed her arms and waited. “I shouldn’t have acted like an ass on the jet.”

Her gaze landed on a spot just over his shoulder, arms still crossed and mouth still noticeably shut.

“You don’t have anything to say?”

She sighed. “I’ve already accepted your apology, Bronx, what else do you want me to say?”

And that was the damn problem, he had no idea what he expected her to say. Did he want her to throw her arms around him and kiss him? Ask him to reconsider? Or was this some game to keep him on the hook? She wouldn’t be the first. Ah, little Nola is punching above her weight class. “It won’t work, Nola.”

She blinked. Oh, she was good. “What won’t work?”

“You can play that sweet and innocent role all you want but it won’t work. I’m not coming back and you won’t get a repeat.”

The noise of outrage that came from her little body should have warned him. “You arrogant bastard! Newsflash, Bronx, you’re not the best thing in the world and you certainly aren’t so irresistible that I can’t go on without you! Fire me if you want to but I’m out of here.”

He reached out and grabbed her arm before she was too far away and pulled her back until that firm round ass fell into his lap. “I don’t think so, Nola.” He speared his fingers through her hair, angling her head and slanting his mouth over hers. Damn, she tasted so good, like vanilla and cinnamon. Fuck, she tasted like Christmas and sex. He couldn’t get enough of her, licking inside her mouth while she sat there frozen. His hand landed on her thigh, sliding up, deepening the kiss until she relaxed against him. Melted into him.

Her hand went to his chest, caressing up and down and then pushing to get away from him. “No. Don’t think you can treat me like some damn tramp because of what happened between us!” She jumped off his lap and ran to the door and like a desperate school boy he followed her, slamming his hand against the door to stop her exit. “Let me go.”

“No.” He wouldn’t let her get away. Not this time. Bronx pressed his hips against her, pulling a reluctant moan from her pretty little mouth.

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