Page 34 of The Best You've Ever Had

“I hate this song so much,” she groans.

“Me too.” Rising from my barstool, I keep hold of her hand, gently pulling her up with me. She resists, her body going limp like a noodle, but there’s a spark of amusement and curiosity in her eyes. To her, I’m unpredictable, and I think she likes it.

I kiss the top of her hand. “Dance with me?”

Her tall heels click on the wooden floor as she steps closer, and together we make our way to the edge of the dance floor.

With a gentle grasp on her waist, I draw her closer until our bodies meld together, her hips aligning snugly against mine. Even with the extra inches her heels give her, she feels so small in my arms. She reaches up to loop her arms around my neck, struggling slightly with our mismatched heights. “You’re too tall.”

“And you’re too short,” I reply, towering over into her space. My fingers drag up the column of her spine as a shiver rushes over her.

We exchange a smile, relaxing into each other as we sway side-to-side at a much too slow tempo for the upbeat song. I was worried we’d feel awkward, but nothing with her is awkward. She’s familiar like a favorite book—you know it front to back, yet each time you read it, you discover something new. Something you love that you had never taken the time to notice before.

Her fingers comb through the ends of my hair at the nape of my neck, and I have to resist the urge to let my eyes roll back in my head. As she absent-mindedly touches me, she glances around at my coworkers, who are eyeing us from across the room. “You know, we’re really convincing as a fake couple. I think they totally believe it.”

Of course they do. This feeling is not so fake for me anymore. Every action has been fueled by the very real want and need to feel close to her.

“And how’s that make you feel?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know.”

“You know. Indifference doesn’t exist in you.”

Her mouth tips up, amused, like she’s been caught red-handed. She forgets that I know her better than anyone. “It’s strange, but good strange.”

A wave of relief washes over me. She isn’t completely off-put by the idea of being with me. My eyes dip to her lips, and I want nothing more than to kiss her, to feel her mouth on mine and the live wire of electricity that arcs between us, connecting us on a deeper level than anything I’ve ever known. I take a deep breath and duck my head toward hers, ready to take a huge risk and go for it right here in front of everyone.

Right then, my dick of a boss slaps me on the back, with the most unfortunate timing. “Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to come over and say hello.”

Layla and I take a step apart, his greeting snapping us out of our trance like a splash of cold water. As I make introductions and small talk with Chief Laurence, I slide my hand into hers to let her know this isn’t over. To signal that I want to stay wrapped up in our little bubble a while longer.

While we talk, his eyes keep drifting over to Layla. I want to smack him upside the head and tell him to keep his gaze on her face, not her breasts. He’s a horny old man, stocky and red-faced from years of heavy drinking, with the attitude of a former college jock who refuses to accept that his glory days are long gone.

After he makes the necessary polite inquiries about my grandpa’s health, he finally gets to the main reason he’s over here—Layla. “So, this is your girlfriend, huh?”

I nod, snaking an arm around her waist to make it crystal clear.

My boss huffs out a disbelieving laugh. “She’s a little out of your league, wouldn’t you say? You sure you can keep someone like her satisfied?”

It’s an undercut that he laughs off like a joke, but it’s all part of his usual act—making moronic statements and pretending they’re in jest, even though he’s dead serious.

Beside me, Layla’s eyes blaze, his comment sparking a fire in her. She’s locked and loaded, ready to take him on. “Sir, with all due respect, you know I’m right here and can hear everything you’re saying, right? And not that it’s any of your business, but he keeps meplentysatisfied.”

Chief Laurence licks his lips as if he’s eyeing a steak dinner. “Whatever you say, sweetheart. You let me know when you need arealman though, yeah?”

I take a step forward, ready to punch the bastard. Enough is enough. Being head of the department doesn’t give him the right to treat people with blatant disrespect.

But Layla follows me, stopping me from hitting my boss by leaning into my body. Her hand caresses my chest as she molds herself to my side.

“Ben is more man than you’d ever wish to be. In fact, he’s hands down the best I’ve ever had. And I’d appreciate it if you stopped staring at my tits and also showed your employees some fucking respect.”

With that, she grabs my hand and drags me away as we make a run out the side exit door. We leave Chief Laurence standing there, stunned that someone finally had the guts to stand up to him—especially a petite redhead in a skin-tight dress.

As soon as we step into the chill cold night, we start busting up laughing about the apparent midlife crisis my boss is in the middle of.

With a hand swiping down my face, I look over at her. “You’re amazing.”

She stands, hugging her arms and shivering. The yellow-tinted streetlight bathes her in an ethereal glow, making her look almost angelic.

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