Page 35 of His Off-Limits Christmas Gift

But now, at the office and potentially near him again, I felt awkward and impatient to clear the air between us.

One hot, spontaneous make-out session, and then… what?

He knew I was clueless. I wanted him to set the terms here.

All day, I thought about that kiss. That man. My boss. The friend of my brother. The longer I let my thoughts and worries get jumbled up in my mind, the more antsy I felt. I was jumpy, and others noticed.

“Too much coffee?” TDH asked in the break room.

“Huh?” I looked at him, distracted from following a list of something another manager had handed off to me.

“I asked if you had too much coffee,” he repeated.

“Oh.” I didn’t bother looking back up again, wondering what this manager was looking for in the list of supplies expected for the holiday party prep team. They hired out for the setup, didn’t they?

Realizing TDH—no, TDAH, no,Eric—was still standing in my periphery, I looked up once. “I’m sorry. What did you need?”

He chuckled, then glanced aside. “Uh, nothing. Sorry.”

I shook my head, dismissing him. I didn’t have time for this. For him. With this list, I needed to make another trip down to the tenth floor and find what inventory list from which secretary again?

“Rach?”

I was torn from the list again, snagged by Nate’s familiar voice.Hecould sure stop me in my tracks.

“Hey,” I replied. Then I cleared my throat and wondered if I looked too excited to see him. The fact that he’d approached me had cheered me up. A silly old list could wait for this man, after all.

“Do you have a minute?”

I had no idea what he wanted from me, but I was all for finding out. My thoughts turned naughty, but that wasn’t so difficult when I was already envisioning him slamming me to the wall and kissing me senseless again.

I damned the start of a blush that warmed my cheeks.I’ve got lots of minutes for you, Nate.“Sure.”

He beckoned me to follow him into another room. Once we were both inside, I realized it was an empty office, yet to be filled with a new employee. All that stood in here were a desk and a chair, no personal effects to break up the lack of color.

I didn’t say anything while he reached around me to close the door. The list slipped out of my hands as I made room for him to turn again.

He stooped to catch the paper that fluttered to the floor. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”Do I really sound that breathy?I cleared my throat and smiled quickly.

“Rach?” He dipped his chin, almost coming more to my eye level.

“Hmm?” I set the paper on the desk. Or I tried to. It didn’t make it. I knew without looking down that it rested on the edge and fell to the floor. This time, he didn’t pause to pick it up.

“I saw you with Eric.”

I blinked, surprised by how damning his observation sounded. “TDAH? Um… I… I haven’t even talked to him today, not really.”

He nodded, seeming pensive, yet amused. “I know.”

I raised my brows, totally lost.Huh?If he was aware of how little attention I was giving Eric, why was he bringing it up?

“I saw him trying to get your attention in the café downstairs this morning.”

“Oh.” I nodded. “I thought I heard someone trying to get my attention. I was waiting in line and looking at the things Julie texted me.”

“Then in the hallway, I heard him calling out to you, and you walked right past him.”

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