Page 15 of More Than A Boss

Pulling her bag inside, she set it beside the door and called out for Kit Kat in a singsong voice.

“Kit, Mama’s home!” No response. Worried, she began to look around. “This is so unlike her. Normally she is waiting by the door to greet me!”

Zane had followed her inside, and he, too, began to call out for her. “Here, kitty-kitty.” Nothing.

As Allie got further into the house, she felt a breeze coming from the kitchen, and when she entered, discovered that her French door was ajar, letting in the cool air.

“Oh no!” she exclaimed. “I hope Kit Kat didn’t get outside!” That was her first thought, quickly followed by her second: Why was her door ajar?

Just then, Zane called from the living room, “Here she is!” Carrying her in his arms, he stopped short of the open door. “She was hiding under the chair,” he said.

“This door was open, and I know I didn’t leave it that way. I triple-checked everything before I left the house.” she said.

“Maybe your nieces forgot to close it when they fed Kit?” he wondered aloud.

“I’m sure that’s it,” she agreed. “They are only ten years old, after all. Usually my sister-in-law follows behind them, but maybe she stayed in the car this time.”

“If you don’t mind, let me take a look around the rest of the house to make sure it is secure,” he requested.

“I would really appreciate that,” she said gratefully. “It is just so strange for Kit to be hiding under a chair. She is such an outgoing cat.”

“I’ll be right back.” He left to search for anything else that might be out of place or unusual. He checked upstairs, looking in the first of three bedrooms finding nothing unusual. Her feminine touch was everywhere. As with the downstairs, she had put a lot of effort in creating a beautiful space, with each room having its own unique flare.

Finding nothing out of sorts in the first or second rooms, he entered the larger master suite and did a walkthrough. Curious to know more about Allie, he took his time studying her dresser top and bookshelves for clues into her inner world. Fancy perfume bottles, antique jewel boxes, a loaded earring stand draped with sparkling earrings and necklaces, all created an alluring picture of femininity. There was a framed photograph of her sitting on a horse, another posing with two young girls, and another of her with two other women with an ocean in the background, one of whom he suspected was her mother, since the resemblance was obvious.

He found that the bathroom equally embodied the feminine. Makeup mirror, lotions, fancy towels on the rack, and a woman’s scent lingered, even though she had been away for two days. Finding nothing amiss, he returned downstairs to Allie, who was fiddling with the French door latch as he came up beside her.

“I think I discovered the problem. This latch is a little wonky. They probably just didn’t secure it when they left.” She smiled with relief. “Everything clear upstairs?” she inquired.

“Yes, it appears to be in order.” He stooped to take a closer look at the door latch, agreeing with her assessment.

“Well, Allie, it has been an interesting weekend to say the least.” He looked deep into her eyes.

“Yes.” Was all she said in reply. “Thanks for checking out the house. Thanks for everything.” She followed him to the front door, using every ounce of her willpower not to reach out and ask him to stay.

He stood awkwardly, like he wanted to say more but then decided against it. “Take care, Allie. I will see you at the office.” And, like that, he was gone.

Allie hugged herself, trying to ignore the empty feeling inside. “Kit Kat, let’s think about dinner.” Her appetite was nonexistent, but she knew she had to go through the motions. With Kit Kat seemingly back to her old self, wrapping around Allie’s legs, she grabbed a can of cat food off the shelf, scooped a large portion into Kit Kat’s dish, wrapped foil around the remainder, and placed it in the fridge for her morning meal.

For herself, she threw some seasoning and extra cheese on a frozen pizza then placed it in the oven. Remembering she still had some bagged lettuce mix, she decided to add a tossed salad to the menu. Feeling despondent, Allie decided to light a fire in the fireplace later and snuggle down with a good book after dinner. Maybe that would help pick up her spirits, she thought. Nothing like a good book, a cat on your lap, and a warm comforting fire to cure what ails you. Later, she would phone her mom to let her know she was home. Tomorrow she would call Casey to get a much-needed pep talk with the best listening ear she knew.

—

Zane drummed his fingers as he waited impatiently for the garage door to open. He slipped into the first stall of his four-car garage; parking next to the Alfa Romeo Spider convertible. He turned off the engine but did not immediately get out of the vehicle.

He was frustrated, to say the least. And angry with himself for letting temptation steer him in such a dangerous direction with Allie. He never mixed business with pleasure. He liked to keep the lines clear between his personal life and his professional one. He had messed up royally this time. He had no excuse, but if he were to allow one, it would be that his work with her over the last few months had allowed him to get to know and respect her without the complications of romantic pressures.

He had observed her at the office and knew her to be well liked by all the staff. She was warm and friendly with everyone. She was always upbeat and, like himself, seemed to keep her personal life where it belonged, out of the office. She was also an asset to the law firm. She had caught on to the job very quickly. She was smart, had great critical thinking ability, and an excellent work ethic. The last thing he wanted was to blow it and lose the best paralegal he had ever hired over his sexual desire for her.

Deep down, he admitted it was more than just a casual attraction. He also knew he would have to contain this for both himself and Allie, for the sake of the office and their careers. Sighing with grim determination, he got out of the car and unloaded the luggage and leftover groceries. Spying the wine poking out of the bag brought back images of the previous night in vivid detail. Remembering her swollen lips, the feel of her soft, full breasts pressed against him, her complete abandon, all he wanted was to jump back into the car and race over to Allie’s house to finish what they had started. Sheer force of will made him put one foot in front of the other and continue into the house.

—

The following day, Allie decided to call in sick. She just needed to give herself a day to recuperate. She certainly had plenty to catch up on after her weekend away. They would just have to do without her, she said firmly to herself. She felt a pang of guilt but quickly squashed it down. She had earned it since she had put in some time on the case over the weekend. If she was avoiding the inevitable for a day, she could forgive herself. She would make up for it on Tuesday. After calling the office and leaving a voicemail, she felt much better. Tomorrow would be soon enough to come face-to-face with Zane. Give me strength, she thought.

Shortly after nine her phone rang, and it was her colleague Annika on the other end.

“OMG!” she began “What the heck happened over the weekend? Our esteemed boss is walking around the office like a bear with a thorn in his paw!” she continued. “He can be intense at the best of times, but we are all tiptoeing around the office, hoping not to draw any attention to ourselves. His mood seemed to move from bad to worse after he heard that you had called in sick.”

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