Page 37 of Snowed In with the Bosses

“Already working on it.” I moved past him. “I’m going to take a shower. I’ll talk to Clara later, once we’re finished for the day.” I’d spent enough time with her to understand that she would not break down with all of us watching. She was strong and capable, and she had shouldered her own burdens too long to let go on a whim. I’d give her time to adjust to this new situation and ease into asking about her problems.

It took a full twenty-four hours for Clara to relax. We worked, ate, worked more. When we talked, it was about the project and nothing else. Anytime any of us attempted to direct theconversation to something personal, she shut us down with a polite version of fuck off and leave me alone.

It pissed me off a bit. Alexander and Ethan turned their focus to the project and left me to wheedle my way into Clara’s psyche. I stopped her midafternoon on the second day as we walked out of Alexander’s office. “I’ve danced around this long enough. What’s wrong?”

She inhaled sharply, like she couldn’t believe I would dare to ask.

“I’m worried. We all are.” I slid my palm down the inner part of her arm. “Something changed between our time at the office and here.” I hated the next words, but they were necessary. “Have you decided you’re done with us?”

“No.” The word launched out of her with enough force that she rocked on her heels. Her eyes flew wide open, the darkening shadows ringing them purple in the harsh lighting. “It’s not that. I…I really enjoyed everything.”

“But you don’t want to do it again?” I braced for rejection.

Clara swept her arms around my waist and gave me a fierce hug. “I do. I still want all of you.” I swore I heard the threat of tears, but when she spoke again, they were gone. “I’m worried about my mom. That’s all.”

Shit. “I’m a selfish bastard, Clara. I’m sorry.” I returned her hug. “Of course you’re worried. And here I am pressuring you about sex. Damn it.” I released her and threaded a hand through my hair. “Forget I said anything. Have you called your mom? Can you do a video chat with her? I’ll have Alexander talk to Harvey. Maybe he can fly you to her house.”

“Liam, stop.” Clara grabbed my hands. “Harvey can’t fly me to Mom’s. There’s nowhere to land. And I talked to her a few hours ago. She sounds fine. It’s me. I’ve never gone this long without seeing her face-to-face. I’ll be fine. I thought work would distract me.”

This was why I’d hesitated to push too hard.

“Ethan and I are going out.” Alexander stepped out of the office, his face inscrutable. He spotted Clara and a softness entered his eyes. He raised his brows, silently questioning me.

Clara turned toward Alexander, giving me the chance to shake my head. I believed that she worried about her mom, but my gut instinct told me there was something else.

“I’ll fix us something to eat.” I welcomed the chance to cook, hoping it would take my mind off my misstep with Clara.

“What are you making?” Clara’s attention swung back to me. A smile bloomed on her beautiful face. “I’m a terrible cook. Maybe you could show me how you do it.” There was a challenge in her eyes, a daring to tell her no.

I’d rather spend eternity with my ass on fire than disappoint this woman. “Tell me what you want, and I’ll show you.” I threw the challenge back at her.

Alexander and Ethan slipped away. Alexander gave me one last look over his shoulder, but I ignored it in favor of Clara’s vivid playfulness.

She tapped one finger against her chin and sashayed her way to the kitchen. What caused the sudden shift in demeanor? She’d gone from standoffish to coy in a few heartbeats. Maybe talking had helped clear her head. “Let’s make eclairs.”

My heart skipped a beat at the sexy sway in her hips. Hips I hadn’t held in far too long. Maybe I was way off base, but she seemed to be making an offer. Was it wrong of me to willingly put aside my earlier worries and take her at her word?

“I hope you’re ready to work some dough, because it’s not going to be a simple recipe.” I caught up in a few strides and hooked an arm around her waist.

She rested a hand flat on my chest and peered up at me. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m tired of letting work consume me. It’s time for a little sexual deviance.”

“I thought you wanted all three of us.” I waited for her answer, my breath seized in my lungs as I cursed myself three ways to Sunday. The emptiness of Alexander’s house echoed around us. I had her all to myself and I might’ve screwed it up.

Her shoulders rose in a shrug. “I do. But right now, I want you.” She hooked a finger in my shirt collar and pulled me along to the kitchen.

I’d never been more grateful for the T-shirt and jeans I kept at Alexander’s. He’d had clothes brought for Clara, and she’d gone through the entire wardrobe with a look of dismay before choosing the soft cotton pants and T-shirt, claiming that work-at-home attire should be comfortable and functional. Alexander had perked up at the mention of home but remained quiet when it progressed no further.

We were all losing our minds over Clara, and I was more than happy to agree to her request. I loved seeing her happy. The last day with her moping around and not knowing what was wrong tore me apart. I’d give anything to make her happy. “One serving of sexual deviance coming right up.” I whipped up an eclair dough and passed it to her. “Get your hands in that while I work on the filling.” I walked her through each step and managed to sneak in a kiss or two as I showed her how to stretch and knead the dough. “You taste like cotton candy,” I whispered in her ear, my arms around her waist as we worked to pipe out the eclairs on a baking sheet.

“Oh?” She licked her lower lip. “I thought it needed more sugar.”

“There’s no need for more sugar when you’re around.” I kissed the side of her neck, nipping lightly when she angled her head to the side to give me better access. Her pulse thrummed beneath my lips, the unsteady beat mimicking my own. “I could lick you from head to toe.” I tipped her head toward mine and brushed my thumb over her bottom lip. Sugar crystals tumbledto the counter and cascaded onto the floor when she dropped the bag.

“We should clean that up.” She arched her back and ground her ass into my erection.

I turned her around and settled between her legs. “Or you could lay in it.” I nipped her earlobe. “There’s a can of whipped cream in the refrigerator.”

“Hmm.” She framed my face in her hands and pulled me down for a kiss that threatened to drown me in her scent. “You mentioned whipped cream once. Got a thing for food, huh?”

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