Page 42 of The Flirt

"Can I go to the ladies’ room first?"

"Sure. Want me to come?"

"No, Dad. I'm a big girl now. I go all by myself at school."

He smirked. "Right, sorry. You do. You know where it is?"

"Dad, I'm not a baby. Of course I do."

Chad held up his hands in self-defense. It was utterly charming to see this powerful man so disarmed by his daughter. She walked quickly toward the employees’ bathroom.

"She's adorable," I said once she’d closed the door behind her.

"I agree."

"She looks like a small doll with those pigtails. You're..."

"What?" he asked.

"You're very cute with her." Be professional, Scarlett. How do you think calling your boss cute is professional? Then again, I’d shamelessly rubbed myself against his fingers Friday night, so maybe professional wasn't even attainable anymore.

"Scarlett, I appreciate your offer, but your shifts are long enough."

"Chad, it takes no time at all to bake a pie.”

“I'm sure someone from the family will be more than happy to show her. Hell, I can bake a pie with her. I'm no slouch in the kitchen."

"No, but sometimes kids prefer to do stuff with strangers. It's more exciting. Besides, you heard her. I’m a chef. You’re just a lowly CEO."

"Is that so?" Chad leaned forward slightly but then straightened back up quickly, as if he’d caught himself doing something he shouldn’t. "You know, word of this might reach the family. Some people might be jealous of you. Like my grandmothers."

"Oh, I can face them," I replied with sass.

Just then there was a distant sound. "What was that?” I asked.

"Forget it. This weekend," he said. "I couldn't stop thinking about Friday."

I sucked in a breath. "It's been on my mind constantly too. Especially a certain part."

The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. "Really? Which part?"

"Hm, maybe the guy telling us all about the employee ghosts in the hotel. Oh wait, no. I think the Sazerac. And then there was that hot guy giving me a very, very hot kiss. You know what? I think he wins. That was truly the most memorable part of the evening."

"Scarlett, fuck." Oh no. The things my imagination could do with those two words were insanely inappropriate. He swallowed hard. "I promised myself that I'd stay away from the kitchen."

"You did?"

"Yeah. How else do you think I can resist you? Look at me. We've been alone for what, two minutes, and I'm already thinking about—" He stopped midsentence, casting his gaze downward and taking a deep breath. I looked down at his hand. It was rolled into a fist on the counter, as if he were seconds away from touching me. I desperately wanted that, but it simply couldn't be.

So I stepped back.

"Right. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to pie baking so quickly."

"Mm-hmm," Chad said but didn't elaborate.

"Is anyone here?" a female voice asked. It was vaguely familiar.

“That’s Mom.” Chad stood ramrod straight. Clearing his throat, he continued in a louder tone, “Kitchen.”

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