Page 225 of Mountain Boss

But I don’t want to feellike thiseven more.

I stop when I’m a few feet away.

“Sterling,” I say. Just as he says, “Courtney.”

He reaches out and takes my towel-wrapped clothes from me, setting them on the steps behind him.

When he faces me again, I don’t know what to do with my hands.

I didn’t want to do this holding laundry, but now that I don’t have something to hide behind, I feel even more raw.

We watch each other for a moment. And the expression on Sterling’s face… It’s vulnerable.

And it sends a crack through my rapidly beating heart.

“Sterling.” I have to swallow to keep going. “I… I’m not good at this.”

He shifts like he might come closer, but he doesn’t. “Not good at what, Honey?”

Honey.

Why does he have to call me Honey?

I press my lips together and gesture between us. “Whateverthisis. I’m just not good at it.”

“This?” He shifts closer this time. Just an inch.

I nod.

Fuck, I hate this.

“I think…” I take a breath. “I think we need to stop. Go back to what we should’ve been.”

“And what is that?” His voice is too quiet for me to read his emotions.

I lower my gaze to his chest.

I can’t look into his eyes anymore.

I feel like I won’t be able to look into his eyes again. Not after this.

Not once we’re done.

“Boss and employee.” It comes out as a whisper. “We should just be boss and employee. Until I leave at the end of December.”

Chapter 169

Sterling

My lungs ache.

Until I leave.

I stop myself from pressing a hand over my heart.

I don’t want her to leave.

“Why would you leave?” I ask.

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