Page 14 of Boss's Baby Surprise

Her eyes kept darting around us. Her eyes sparkled with joy. “This is so amazing. But I thought you said dinner would be official. The last thing I want to do right now is talk about building sketches and calculating external stresses on construction materials.”

I chuckled. I didn’t want to talk shop, either. “What’s more official than sitting in one of your favorite architectural elements in the city?”

“I guess you’re right. Architecture by proximity?” She smiled and laughed at her own joke.

“I could think of other things that we could do with this proximity. But for the sake of fulfilling my obligation as to this dinner being officially work related, what kind of columns are those?” I gestured up to the tops of the columns that held the small dome above us aloft.

“Are you serious? Corinthian.”

“Good. Now that that’s settled, we don’t have to talk about work at all,” I said.

“Then what are we going to talk about?” she asked.

The waiter returned with the wine and to take our order, interrupting my attempt to take this conversation somewhere more interesting. After he took the menus and left, Clarissa leaned forward and asked, “What were you saying?”

I narrowed my gaze as I drank her in. “I think I was going to say something very dangerous about your mouth.”

She giggled and licked her lips. “Like how smart it is? Or how I need to keep it shut?”

I hummed. “No. I enjoy listening to you. But you would look pretty with a ball gag.”

To my surprise, she didn’t blush, but her jaw dropped open. “I… I..” she stammered.

“Joking,” I said as I took a sip of wine. “I don’t do that kind of stuff. I think the term is ‘vanilla’ when it comes to my preferences. I like to say my preferences are classic, maybe even old-fashioned.”

She closed her mouth and blinked wide-eyed at me. I could see her gulp. “People shouldn’t underestimate a good-quality vanilla. It’s a strong base for other things.”

She spoke slowly and deliberately, carefully choosing her words. We were both very aware that neither of us was talking about a flavor.

The air was charged between us. A crash of lightning caused Clarissa to jump and then laugh, the tension temporarily shattered.

Our dinner was served, and the conversation became very mundane. Was my food good, was hers? Would we be forced to move inside if the storm grew any closer? But my thoughts stayed on her mouth and her plump lips that felt so good to kiss. The tension in my groin had not eased. It only grew more intense as I watched her eat. She slid her lips over her fork with each bite. I had never been so jealous of cutlery.

When the meal was finished and our time in the cupola was over, I stood and held my hand out to Clarissa. Helping her to her feet, I guided her to the edge of the mini temple. There were no guard rails between us and the city from where we stood. Wind whipped toward us, and I held Clarissa closer. Her hair took flight and became a tangled mess. I twisted my fingers in it.

“Sorry it’s a mess. The wind.” She tried to smooth it down.

“Leave it. I know what you’ll look like in the morning with your hair spread over my pillows.” I brushed a strand from her face before capturing her chin in my fingers and tilting her face up. “Come home with me,” I demanded before claiming her lips.

7

CLARISSA

It was as if my heart had wings and was soaring through the heavens. My nerves danced with ticklish electrical steps up and down my skin. I was surrounded by the dark night sky and twinkling lights. All I could see was Kyle.

He was all there was in my world, his broad, gleaming smile and his pool blue eyes.

I didn’t pay attention to our surroundings. I was barely aware that we left the hotel and that we climbed into the back of a car. We arrived at his apartment, but I couldn’t have said where we were because all I was aware of was his presence and the way his lips felt against mine.

I knew he was taking me to his home, to his bed. Everything inside his apartment was dark. I didn’t pay attention to any of the furnishings because all of my attention was on him, the way his hand wrapped around mine as he led me through rooms. The feel of his skin against mine.

He passed through a door and then stopped and pulled me against his chest. “You can say no if you don't want this,” he said.

My hands braced against his broad chest. “What makes you think I don’t want this?” I asked.

“I don’t want you to think that you’re under any obligation simply because of the internship.”

I nodded in understanding. “Why are you saying this? I didn’t think that at all. It’s not, is it?”

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