Page 9 of My Bossy Valentine

Cradling her hand with mine, I can’t help but notice the way her body shivers as I press our bodies together.

“If we stay like this, I’m going to crush your toes,” she warns breathlessly.

“If I lead us correctly, I think my feet are safe.” My smile grows even more as she gasps when I tug her to the side. Following the beat of the music, we sway and make our rounds across the floor. She only stumbles once and I catch her weight with my own.

Hoping Willow can find the excuse to cling onto my shoulder, we don’t pull apart when the current song ends and another flows right into it.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you…” Cradling her hand, I allow my eyes to linger for just a moment. “You look wonderful in that dress. Enough to make me wonder if I should look into changing the dress code.”

She sputters a laugh, throwing her head back as her nerves leave her body. “Dresses are allowed, I just don’t own many to wear, that’s all.” She flushes my favorite color when I match her laugh with a chuckle of my own. “Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.” Biting her lip, she hesitates. “I’m sure there are plenty of women here who notice as well. At work, too. You really know how to pull off a suit and a tie.”

“Your eyes are the only ones I care about, Willow. I don’t notice anyone else.” Really, Ican’t. Willow draws my attention like a magnet whenever she enters the same room I’m in. It’s a mystery how she has such power over me.

“Chris…” Whispering my name, she purses her lips together as she thinks of what to say next.

Now would be a pretty good time to tell her the truth. With the romantic music playing in the background, the matching setting, I’m sure a confession could roll nicely off my tongue.

Would she accept me as I am? She’d have to resign as my assistant to avoid any issues at work. Sure, I wouldn’t want to deal with the hassle of training her replacement, but the cost is very much worth it.

“Let’s just enjoy ourselves today, alright?” My arm tightens around her and I sigh. “Ironic as it sounds coming from me, I think you should relax.”

No more worrying about sibling rivalry or seeing faces she left behind before turning my life upside down.

All I want her to do is put all of her focus on me. As if I’m asking her for something impossible, she takes a moment before she’s giving me what I want.

Leaning against my chest for support, she allows my motions as we both move. The way our eyes lock in place, it does nothing but block out our surroundings.

It’s just us two on this dance floor. Just like her, I block everyone out. I take in those dazzling eyes of hers, get a little lost in them while I’m at it.

Everything is so perfect. Nothing can ruin it. Rather, I won’t allow it to.

She runs her tongue along her bottom lip, and just like that, I’m distracted. Moving from her eyes to her mouth, it’s all I can focus on. We’re drifting closer, and soon, I can no longer hear the music. All I can focus on is our shared breaths.

I move without thinking. After staring at her lips for so long, I hit my target with ease as I swoop down and capture her lips with my own.

Just like that, our movement stops. The song fades into the background, and all I can focus on is the woman in front of me.

I don’t deepen the kiss like I’d like. Instead, all I do is simply brush our lips together. Even a graze is enough to sizzle up my thoughts. The contact lasts all of two seconds, and as we separate, I lick my lips without thinking about it. A mere hint of her lingers, and I’ll bet she’s the sweetest thing ever to have crossed my path.

Her breath catches as she pulls back, looking at me with wide eyes. For a moment, I see the confusion and the fear. Fear that this is part of the act. As her eyes search mine, her lips move to say something, but no sound comes out.

Grazing her chin, I tilt her head back. Leaning in, my breath brushes her cheeks. “May I?” I test my patience, waiting for her answer. Waiting for her to shove me away. Waiting foranything, really.

She lets out a shaky breath before squeezing my shoulder tight. “This isn’t the place, Chris.”

Right, she’s right. Of course she is. What am I thinking?

“But maybe… Maybe we can find somewhere without as much of an audience.”

As soon as the words leave her lips, I’m all but dragging her off the dance floor to find exactly what will meet her criteria.

7

Willow

I’m a bad daughter. A terrible assistant. A greedy woman. Yet, I can’t stop.

A supply closet.What in the world are we thinking?

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