Page 38 of His Off-Limits Christmas Gift

She smirked. “Did I or did I not walk in on you almostkissingRachel?”

I squinted. “Just how bad is your eyesight getting to be these days?” She didn’t have to ask me to clarify what she saw. She knew. So why ask? Julie wasn’t mean enough to tease me. “Do you need to update your prescription?”

She swatted away my hand as I reached for her glasses to mock checking them. “My glasses are fine.” She tipped her chin up, stubborn as ever. “I know what I saw.”

“What youthinkyou saw.”

She shot me a look.

“If you know what you saw, then why are you asking me to tell you?”

“Because I want to hear it from you. An admission of guilt.”

I smiled, rubbing my chin as I considered her take on this. Guilt? That hadn’t hit me yet. Ishouldhave felt guilty for wanting to kiss my assistant, my friend’s sister, but I didn’t. I felt disappointed, not guilty.

“Aha!” She pointed at me.

“What?” I held my hands up and feigned innocence. “Ahawhat?”

“That look!” she accused.

“What look?”

“The sly smile.”

I grinned, just to tease her. “I like to smile. This is the most wonderful time of the year, Julie. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“I thought I said to cut the crap, Mister.” She drew in a deep breath, likely hoping to inhale some patience for dealing with me.

“You wanted to kiss her.”

I shrugged, not committing to an actual answer. It wasn’t Julie’s business, but it seemed she’d already figured out that much.

“What does that mean? That shrug?”

“It means…” I shrugged again. “Maybe.”

“Maybeyou wanted to kiss her?” She scowled. “Nate, I’m warning you. You cannot hurt that sweet woman.”

“I have no intention of doing any such thing.”

“She’s a sweet girl beneath that snarky exterior,” she said as though I hadn’t spoken at all.

“I agree.”

“I’ve been silently campaigning on how to make her stay. She’s the most competent, actual adult assistant we’ve had in a long time, and I don’t want to lose her. That’s beside the fact that I like her.”

I nodded.Me too. I like her a lot.

“I know that. Rach is a good woman.”

“Why do I sense abutcoming?”

“Nobut.” I smiled. “I am agreeing with you. I like Rachel. She is a good woman and she’s proven herself to be a solid, dependable employee we’re lucky to have for however long she’ll grace us with her presence.”

I’d silenced her. It didn’t happen often as she claimed that she held “seniority” to always have the last word just because she was one of the oldest people in the office.

“Then what was that?” She gestured at the same spot where I’d wanted to push Rachel on to the edge of the desk so I could kiss her again. And again.

---