Page 17 of The Boss's Triplet Surprise

“I’m glad we had this evening together.”

“As am I.”

Leah wanted to add that it would make their deal easier going forward, now that they knew something more about each other. But for some reason she didn’t want to mention that they were only hanging out because they were contractually obligated to. She just wanted to enjoy this evening.

And perhaps that was why she said what she said next, even though she knew it was a bad idea.

“Would you like to come in for a nightcap?”

As soon as the words were out, Leah knew it was unprofessional. She’d attended numerous conferences with supervisors and managers before and would never have invited any of them into her room, much less for a drink. Yet this was a different situation.

“I’d love to.”

Leah’s heart skipped a beat. She avoided Dan’s gaze as she opened the door and stepped aside to let him in. Once they were inside, he turned to her.

“Leah… I just wanted to say that you were radiant during the presentation today. I was so impressed.”

“Thank you. I was impressed by you, too.” She bit her lip and finally raised her gaze to meet his. For a split second, it was as though the world stopped turning. Dan’s eyes looked darker than usual in this light, almost steely, but his expression was soft. There was something about him, something magnetic and powerful in the way he held himself and the way he looked at her. It was so strong that Leah didn’t even notice stepping closer to him until she’d already moved.

“And thank for you sharing about your family.”

“Thank you for sharing about your family, too. I feel like I understand you better now.”

The conversation was innocent enough, but the feeling of Dan standing so close and looking at her so intensely had Leah feeling very warm. Attraction stirred in her, more powerful than before. She wanted nothing more than to have his lips on hers and his hands on her waist. And it would be so easy. They were only a step, a whisper, a breath away from each other.

But Leah had enough self-control to hold herself back. Even in the depths of attraction, even though her knees felt weak and her heart was fluttering, even though Dan had as much gravity as the sun, Leah wouldn’t go any closer.

Apparently, Dan felt differently. He gave a soft, almost imperceptible sigh.

“Leah…”

The sound of her name on his lips was like an incantation.

“Dan?” Leah’s voice came out slightly higher than she’d expected. It would have been embarrassing if she hadn’t seen Dan’s eyes widen slightly. It seemed she affected him just as much as he affected her, as impossible as that sounded. Dan opened his mouth, then closed it. Then, very slowly, he closed the distance between them. One of his hands went to her waist, very lightly, like an invitation. The other raised to her face and cupped her cheek, his thumb grazing her cheekbone. Leah was very aware of his touch.

“Is this all right?” Dan asked. His voice was low.

It was more than all right, of course, but Leah could only bring herself to nod. She was worried her words would fail her.

In the back of her mind some small, rational voice shouted that this was a bad idea. They were professionals. If they kissed now, it could make everything weird between them. It could endanger their deal. And especially a kiss like this, charged with so much meaning?—

But then Dan lowered his lips to hers and that voice fell silent.

That first kiss was just a gentle brush of his lips against hers. It awoke all Leah’s senses, but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. So, she brought her lips to his again in a longer, deeper kiss. Dan responded immediately, his grip on her waist tightening as he pulled her against him, the hand that had been on her cheek sliding into her hair. Leah was flush against Dan’s firm chest and completely encircled in his arms.

She had kissed men before, of course, but it had been nothing like this. This kiss felt all-consuming, like nothing else mattered as much as Dan’s touch.

After a few minutes, he pulled back slightly and his eyes met hers again. Although he didn’t speak, Leah saw a question there. He was silently asking if this was okay. If she shook her head, if she looked away, if she gave any indication that this wasn’t what she wanted, she had no doubt that he would leave right away. But she didn’t. Instead, she nodded slightly.

And then they were on the bed. Leah wasn’t sure how they’d gotten there, only that Dan must have lifted her and set her down. He was braced above her now as he brought his lips to hers in another intense, passionate kiss.

As one, they gave in to that inescapable gravity that had been pulling them together.

Leah woke the next morning with a smile on her face. She was in Dan’s arms, with her head resting on his chest and his arm curled around her back. Last night had been magical. Perfect. Indescribable. Leah felt heat creep into her cheeks as an image of Dan flashed through her mind. It had been everything she’d never let herself dream of while she’d tried to deny her crush on him.

And this, waking up in his arms with a ray of sunlight streaming through the window, was equally perfect. Leah liked her independence, but there was something magical about waking up with someone, too.

Yet even as she basked in her memories, that little voice that had been silenced by Dan’s tenderness and strength piped up. It reminded her that this was a terrible idea. She and Dan had an agreement. An agreement that ended with a baby for her and a company for Dan. If they were in a real relationship, there was every chance that it could end badly and that Leah would miss out on her best chance of becoming a mother.

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