Page 76 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

I sighed, staring across the short distance between us into his compelling eyes. Who knew Jared could be so convincing?

"So my mom, well, she has an interesting way of mothering," I began. "I love her, of course. But she's simultaneously overbearing and distant, which I know sounds impossible, but that about sums up our relationship."

How could I explain it adequately without him knowing the real me and my actual family? This conversation would be so much easier if he knew.

For the first time with Jared, I felt a pinch of guilt about being undercover and lying to him about my name and identity. My God, what was happening?

"I get it," he said when I didn't continue. "Family dynamics can be complex."

"Yeah. Especially..." Shit. I'd almost let something slip about our family name and the constant pressure to live up to it.

"Especially what?"

Fuck. I needed to find another angle. "Well, when there's so much pressure as the oldest child."

"You're the oldest? Of how many?"

"I have two younger sisters."

"I don't know what that pressure's like, I guess," he said, his tone soft, "as an only child."

"I'm sure you have your own pressures."

"Maybe. I suppose." He shrugged, his broad shoulders glistening in the moonlight. "So what kind of pressures do you have?"

"It feels like I always have to be perfect, that I can't make mistakes." Not to mention the added pressure I had now with swapping between my two identities. But that was my own doing, my own bed that I had to lie in.

"Did your parents make you feel like that? Or didyoumake you feel like that?"

That was a tough question that no one had ever asked me before. "Both?"

He stared at me a long moment, so intensely that butterflies erupted in my stomach, the vulnerability of our conversation deepening this connection we'd slowly been forging.

"You know what I think?" he asked.

"What?" Those butterflies swarmed, wondering what on earth he had to say about something so personal to me.

"I think you're too hard on yourself."

Shaking my head, I smiled at how wrong he had it. "No way. It's the opposite. I'm not hard enough on myself."

He had the audacity to laugh. "Dee. What the hell? You work harder than anyone I know. From what I can see, you not only get along with everyone in the office, but you're a very loyal friend and co-worker. You put up with me, for fuck's sake, and I put you through pure hell."

"Yeah, you did." I splashed him, unable to stop the smile forming on my face. "Almost like you tried to annoy me on purpose."

"Who me? Never."

Biting my lip to keep from laughing, I watched as his eyes shifted to my mouth, instantly taking me back to our kiss, heat igniting the air between us.

"Why do you have to be so fucking sexy?" Jared said in a low voice.

"You think I'm sexy?" Desire was written all over his face, and God, it felt amazing to be looked at in that way.

"Do I think you're sexy?" he repeated slowly. "Let's just say I'm glad the lower half of me is underwater right now."

The urge to be self-deprecating and put myself down was overwhelming, but I managed to bite it back. Somewhat. "It, um, it must be quite a while for you then ifthis," I pointed at my sporty bikini top,"is doing it for you."

A muscle ticked in his jaw, that fucking jawline. "You have no idea how much that's doing for me."

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