Page 51 of Taming the Boss

“Oh, really?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “So, you’re suggesting you have some secret store of cookware and such?”

I strode forward, compelled to her as if she had some forcefield that drew me inexplicably. And I was helpless to resist her fire.

“You’ve only been in my kitchen a few minutes. How could you possibly know the entirety of what I have or do not?”

She held her ground, lifting her chin to meet my gaze. “Oh, sure. You must have a super secret trove of goods you were waiting to reveal. Or, wait, are you, as usual, using your doublespeak to try to imply something else?”

“Something else like what?”

“You tell me, tease.”

I reached up to brush a loose curl off her shoulder. “I don’t tease.”

“Right. So you just slipped your hand into my shorts to, what, prove that I’m attracted to you? As if it wasn’t fucking obvious.” She started to spin away and I locked my hands around her waist, holding her still while I spoke against her hair.

“Nothing is fucking obvious with you. Earlier, you were flirting with the air pump machine boy. Last week, it was flirty smiles for the sneaker clerk. Now you’re attracted to me?”

She let out a giggle that I cut off by drawing her back against me, hard. Just sparring with her had made my erection return full force. The feeling of it against her ass cut off her girlish laughter at once. “Does that feel like a tease, little girl?”

“All talk, all suggestion, no action.”

“You think so, hmm? So what would you do if I pulled your shorts down right here and finished what I started with my mouth?”

“I’d pull your fucking hair to make sure you didn’t stop until I got what I need. No running off this time, Keller.”

I was already breathing hard and so was she, emphasizing the tight top barely holding in her small, perfect handful breasts. Or so I assumed, because I hadn’t seen them yet. Or touched them.

But I wanted to.

I reached up to tug at the tie between them, not even sure what my point was. It wasn’t as if I could undress her with my son just down the hall, wanting lunch. But I wasn’t just some overeager young man who suggested things I couldn’t fulfill.

Alas, the tie was clearly ornamentation, because nothing spilled free. She just let out a breath as if it had given her more room to breathe. So I gave into my urge to inhale more of her strawberry scent and dipped my face into the curve between her neck and shoulder. “What is this smell? This goddamn strawberry makes me crazy.”

“L-lotion.” The little stutter made my cock jerk, and she clearly felt it because she looked back at me under the heavy fringe of her lashes. She didn’t even have on mascara as best as I could tell, yet they were so thick, hiding the blue. “I put it all over me. All over,” she emphasized, lingering on the words as if I hadn’t gotten her meaning.

Believe me, I had.

“You need to agree first. Need to understand what I want and agree.”

A tiny whimper left her as my fingers dug into her skin on either side of her waist. I didn’t want to bruise her, but if I had, she didn’t seem to mind. “You need to spell it out. I can’t read your mind.”

“If you say yes, you’re mine. No taking it back. No running. Understand me?”

“Say yes to what, exactly? The nanny job or sleeping with you?”

“Either.” I couldn’t slow my breathing. Couldn’t be sure I was even making myself clear. “Both.”

The sound of little pattering feet had me rearing back. Then came a loud, broken cry.

“I’ll get him.” Maddie reached up to retie her top without even glancing my way.

“Owen, honey.” She followed the sound of his tears down the hall in the direction she’d come from, scooping him up. “Did you fall?”

“Tripped.”

Right away, his tears slowed as he linked his arms around her neck and tipped his head against hers. His eyes so like my own met mine, and I swore, he seemed to be taunting me.

I come first.

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