Page 42 of When You Give a Lawyer a Kiss

When my eyes land on his mouth, there’s a sudden shift in the air. I catch myself licking my lips. This is dangerous territory, especially considering we’re in his office, but I’d give anything for a brief escape—from mounting bills, endless responsibilities, and the moral dilemma of my growing feelings for my boss.

It all fades when he leans forward, our faces mere inches apart, and the sound of our intermingled breathing fills the room.

It takes every scrap of willpower not to close the distance between us. We’re in uncharted waters, and it feels like we’re on the brink of something… Something that could change everything. If I surrender to my feelings, it could take us past the point of no return. Yet, as I look at Dawson, I can’t help but think that the right might be worth taking.

Like he can sense my indecision, he scoots closer, wraps an arm around my waist, and tugs me to his side. “No more running, angel,” he whispers, tipping my chin. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

His bold declaration ignites my desire, emboldening me to take the lead.

“Not if I kiss you first,” I murmur, bridging the last bit of space between us.

Taken aback by my daring gesture, he blinks momentarily before his fingers slide into my hair and he deepens our kiss. Lost in the magic of the moment, I place my hands on his shoulders.

“You taste so damn sweet, Red,” he groans into my mouth.

Our kiss is electric, igniting a fire inside me that has me craving more.

Dawson holds me like he never wants to let me go, and part of me hopes he never does. Which is why I’m caught off guard when he suddenly pulls away, leaving me dazed.

“What’s wrong?” I breathe.

“Nothing,” he insists, gliding his thumb along the curve of my lip like he’s having second thoughts. “But you’ve been avoiding me since the night at the club, and I don’t want to overstep any boundaries you’ve set since then,” he says. “You’re too important for me to risk doing anything to make you uncomfortable.”

A shiver runs through me at the sincerity in his voice.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but are you forgetting I’m the one who initiated the kiss?” I shift closer so our thighs are touching, eliminating the space he put between us when he broke the kiss. “When have I done anything I don’t want to do?” I ask, resting my hand on his.

Dawson gives me a pointed look. “For starters, you’re forced to work with me despite declining my offer, and you had to move floors because of me. If I remember correctly, that wasn’t something you wanted either.”

He’s not wrong.

At first, I didn’t want to work with Dawson to avoid speculation from our co-workers about the new girl getting preferential treatment. However, that only played a small part. The main reason I told him no was because I knew how visceral my reactions to him could be. Our first kiss laid bare the passion between us, which has only intensified with every heated glance, lingering touch, and playful exchange.

Dawson runs his thumb along the back of my hand, his eyes on mine. “You’re so damn beautiful, it’s almost painful.” He pauses briefly, exhaling slowly. “My office door is open, and anyone could have walked in on us.” A flush rises to my cheeks when I glance over to see that he’s right. “It’s difficult to think clearly when we’re together.” He admits.

I mentally scold myself for being so careless. It’s late, and everyone on our floor is gone for the night, but that’s beside the point. It would only take one person to see us for the fallout to be catastrophic. Irreparable, even.

I move my hands to my lap, running my hands across my skirt pleats, thinking about the consequences if we’d been caught tonight. I’m not naive enough to think Dawson would face as many repercussions if our secret got out. It always comes down to the one with the most to lose, which, in this case, is me.

Dawson isn’t the only one who’s not thinking rationally.

No matter how often I promise to maintain professional boundaries, we always end up caught in a perpetual loop of sexual tension and unresolved feelings.

“Where do we go from here?” I say, hoping he has a solution.

“I wish there was an easy answer,” he admits. “If I were a better man, I’d do the sensible thing and keep things strictly business moving forward.” A knot forms in my stomach, afraid he’s about to walk away from me. “But honestly, I’m not sure if I can do that. Can you?” I slowly shake my head. “We have to decide if this”—he motions between us—“is worth pursuing, consequences be damned. Because if we find ourselves in a situation like this again with no chance of being interrupted, I plan to do far more than just kiss you.”

I press my legs together as images from our encounter at the club flit through my mind. It was fueled by lust and forbidden desires. If we had let it go on any further, it could have left us both tangled in a web of regret, further complicating things. Adding the kiss we just shared to the mix, it’s obvious we’ve crossed a line that can’t be uncrossed. It could lead to a new chapter and have serious ramifications for both my heart and career.

Begging the question: Is the risk worth the reward, or will the potential consequences threaten the possibility of a chance at something real?

Reese left my office two hours ago, and I haven’t managed to get a single thing done apart from pace the room. It doesn’t sit right with me that we left things unresolved. I’m usually the guy with a solution for any situation, and it’s frustrating that this time, I’m at a loss about what to do next.

It took every ounce of willpower to pull away from our kiss. Reese’s mouth tasted like sweet temptation, and when she brought her lips to mine, it reassured me that she wants me as much as I want her. Yet, as soon as her body molded to mine, the worry crept in that I could cause her more harm than good.

I’m her boss, for crying out loud. If anyone should be listening to common sense, it’s me.

With Reese, that’s easier said than done.

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