Page 9 of More Than A Boss

“A work in progress. Are you ready for your turn at true confessions?” she asked jokingly.

A sudden cloud seemed to darken his expression. He glanced at his Rolex watch, turned abruptly away from Allie, and suggested they take off. Already striding toward the front door, he called over his shoulder, “If we don’t get going, by the time we make the five-hour drive and stop for lunch, it will be late afternoon. We also need to stop by a grocery store when we get close to the lake to stock up on some food for the weekend. I apologize that I didn’t have time to do that in advance.”

“No problem,” she called to his retreating back. To herself, she delivered an admonishment for her indiscretion. She was sorry she had bumped into his sensitive spot and vowed that wouldn’t happen again. “I’m good to go.” Bending down for one last scratch behind Kit’s ears, she murmured, “Goodbye, Sweet Pea. I will be back on Sunday!” Grabbing her work bag and suitcase, she followed Zane out the door and locked it behind her.

—

After the initial awkwardness, they settled into a comfortable silence, and Allie was content sitting back and admiring the stunning landscape. Occasionally, Zane would point out something of interest as they passed by. She was attracted to his apparent confidence in everything he did. He maneuvered the SUV with a competency that allowed her inner backseat driver to go on autopilot. His strong hands loosely gripped the wheel, and there was a relaxed but focused air about him as he drove. Dang, even his hands are sexy, she thought. Tanned and large, flawlessly manicured, yet they didn’t come off as fussy. They retained their masculine appearance. She would describe him as effortless perfection.

For a moment, she let her mind wander into forbidden territory, wondering what it would be like to feel those same hands caressing her body. Leaning back with her head relaxed against the seat, she became aware that he had noticed her studying him. Blushing, she tried to cover up her embarrassment by commenting on the weather.

“The weather report said this weekend was going to be about as perfect as fall weather can be,” she said a little too brightly. “I just love this time of year, don’t you?”

His look told her that he was aware of her perusal but chose to go along and ignore Allie’s study of him. He glanced over at Allie, his eyes lingering a little too long on her lips as he responded.

“Yes, Allie, I think if all goes as planned, we will have time to get some work done on the case and still get to take the boat out on the open water.”

There was a sudden awareness of their proximity that wasn’t present a moment ago. A feeling of intimacy that felt like a physical presence in the car.

“Let’s start looking for a place to pull off and have lunch. OK with you?”

Grateful for the save, she replied overenthusiastically and with a little comic relief, “Yes, I am starving. Are we there yet?”

Did she imagine it or did his returning smile seem like it held affection? Oh God, she thought, this is going to be a long weekend! Fortunately, several miles down the road they pulled off the four-lane and found a small mom-and-pop restaurant that appeared to cater to the locals. The place was packed. Always a good sign, she thought. After being seated, Allie excused herself to use the restroom but mostly to get a grip on her fluctuating emotions.

“GET A GRIP, ALLIE!” she scolded her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes warm, sultry pools. “What’s wrong with you?”She continued, “You’re acting like a schoolgirl instead of a thirty-eight-year-old divorcee!” She washed her hands, took several deep breaths, pulled back her shoulders, and returned to their booth.

“What looks good?” she asked.

“I’m thinking about a burger and fries. The waitress said that’s their claim to fame.”

Just then, the waitress returned, flirtatiously joking with Zane, “Well, Darlin’, have you decided to take my advice?” She pulled her order pad from the back pocket of her tight jeans, pencil poised. The buxom redhead carried herself with an enviable self-assurance. Allie bit her lip on a smile. We’re all susceptible to this man’s charm. Dang it!

“Yes, I’ll have the cheeseburger with lettuce, mayo, and onion. Fries on the side and a chocolate milkshake to cap it off.” He smiled appealingly.

“I’ll have a chef salad with lite Italian dressing on the side,” Allie requested.

“You skinny ones are all alike. You’ve got to live a little! How about a milkshake to go along with your salad?” she joked warmly. “I’m just jealous,” she said, to take any unintentional sting out of her comment.

Allie laughed and said, “Make it vanilla!”

“You got it.” The waitressed went to place their order with the short cook behind the high counter.

Looking into Zane’s eyes, she thought she caught a brief glimmer of regret, which he quickly veiled if it was ever there at all. Spontaneously, Allie reached across the table to lightly touch his hand. He looked down at their hands for a moment then back up at her and said, “I hope this weekend was not a bad idea.”

Feeling slightly hurt, even though contrarily she had been wondering the same thing, she responded, “Only if we let it be.”

“I must admit that I am incredibly attracted to you, Allie. I guess I didn’t really realize to what extent until now, or I never would have suggested this trip. I hope you don’t think less of me. I would never want to take advantage of my position of power,” he said sincerely.

Allie was touched and impressed with his confession. Wow, an actual feminist. Who would have thought? Of course, this just added to his appeal by about a thousand percent.

“Thank you for saying that Zane, but I’m a big girl and capable of taking care of myself and certainly responsible for my own actions and feelings. I appreciate and value your respect, and I don’t want you to think that I had any ideas about this weekend other than work, with maybe a little play thrown in. I also know that your intentions for this trip had everything to do with working on this case and not about any romantic notions. Can we just acknowledge that there is a mutual attraction that we aren’t going to act on and move from there?” Allie suggested.

“So, it’s mutual huh?” he smiled wickedly, completely ignoring the rest of her statement.

“Be good, Zane,” Allie retorted, smiling as the waitress arrived with their lunches. Just in the nick of time, Allie thought, as she hungrily dug into her salad. Having it said and out in the open was a relief.

“Pass me the ketchup, would you please?” He reached for the proffered bottle and proceeded to smother his fries under a thick, red sea of tomato sauce. “Would you like some fries?” he offered.

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