Page 35 of The Love Syllabus

I clear my throat, acting completely unfazed. “Noted.” I say, mimicking his earlier response.

He grins, and with a silent exhale, I follow him as he finally leads me to the large bedroom that’s nearly the size of my entire house.

“This will be your room. I hope it’s large enough for you,” Large enough? He’s seen my nice but very modest home. This room is practically a guest house! Keeping my cool as if I’m used to living like a queen, I nod. Then, he leads me toward the expansive closet. “I know you have your own wardrobe, but I took the liberty of having my team buy a few casual and formal outfits for our scheduled outings and any other business events that might come up.”

“So, my clothes aren’t good enough?” I tease in mock offense.

He quickly backpedals, “Uh, no! I didn’t mean that at all.”

Laughing off his discomfort, I reassure him, “Just kidding, Mr. Grimes. I don’t have any fancy clothes. I usually just borrow Serena’s.” I shrug.

“Good because she’s the one who picked these out.” He reveals with a hint of pride in his voice.

I raise an eyebrow, suspicious yet intrigued. “Hmm, I’m impressed. But chatting it up with my ultra-gorgeous best friend? Not cool.”

“If you can flash googly eyes at my brother, surely I could reach out to your gorgeous best friend.” He smoothly retorts.

“Touche, Mr. Grimes. Touche.” I concede with a laugh.

He then proceeds to lay out the dresses on the bed, each a thoughtful selection in one of my favorite colors—an elegant pink, form-fitted lace gown, a sexy red short dress, and nearly a dozen more.

“Serena has such exquisite taste.” I comment, admiring the meticulous detailing of each dress.

Vic leans in closer, his warm breath against my ear and light touch against my arm, “And so do I.” He says in a low and seductive tone.

He reaches his arm around me from behind, just slightly pulling me back against him to lift the red dress. “I can’t wait for you to wear this dress for me. To make me proud to have the most beautiful woman in town on my arm.” He insists, his tone commanding and enticing.

His suggestions hang in the air as I bask in the shiver cascading down my spine.

My breath slightly hitches. “Okay,” I nod. “I’ll wear this dress next month.Ifand only if,” I start, the closeness making my heart race. “You set time aside to get to know me…deeper. This town knows me inside out. If we aren’t in sync, they’ll call our bluff. I can’t afford any further embarrassment, nor can you have a bad reputation. So, maybe we can have some alone time during my lunch break tomorrow? It’ll be like a…”

“Like a date? Or a parent-teacher conference?” He pulls back, his eyes searching mine and lips curving into a smile, amused yet intrigued by my proposal. “Because it should probably be the latter. Remember, I’m your boss now.” His tone is playful yet firm, his body still pressed close enough for me to feel his undeniably thick erection pressing against me.

The intensity of his presence sends my senses into overdrive. My pulse quickens, and my body responds with instant, overwhelming warmth and wetness. I haven’t been this turned on in…well, ever. And I’ve certainlyneverfelt a dick this big against my body. Vic is...well-endowed in every way imaginable.

The attraction between us is undeniable. It’s an unprovoked surge whenever we’re close to one another. It’s been years since I’ve allowed myself to succumb to impulsive desires—too many years. But with Vic, I find myself wanting to be reckless. Daring to blur the lines between professional and personal.

Why shouldn’t I take the leap? Why not explore our intense attraction and get these relentless, sinful urges out of our system? It’d be a well-deserved release, a way to satiate our craving for one another so we can work together without the constant distraction of erections and wet panties.

With Vic so close and his breath against my ear, I take my best friends’ bad advice and whisper, “Mr. Grimes, I think we should fu—”

Our moment shatters with rapid knocks at the door. “Ms. Kind! We’re waiting for you! Are you alone? Who’re you talking to?” Syd’s voice slices through the tension, prompting us to abruptly jerk apart.

I quickly but calmly answer, “No one! I’ll be out soon, okay?”

“Shit! Shit, shit,” Vic suddenly begins to panic, then paces back and forth. “What the hell am I doing? What the hell was I thinking? This is exactly why I didn’t want to hire you!” He blurts out.

“We’re both adults who got carried away. It’s okay.” I try to calm him down, but my words seem to spark something darker.

He whirls around to face me, his expression hardening. “No, it’s not okay, Kerry! I’m your boss; you’re my employee! And that’s all we’ll ever be!” His shout echoes off the walls, sending a painful jolt of fear through me, reminiscent of darker times I dared never to return to. His words cut deep, and his tone is now icier than ever. “If we can’t respect boundaries, thenthisisn’t gonna work. Now, you need to unpack, focus, and do your damn job, whichdoesn’tinclude doing me.”

What the hell? His harshness makes my heart sink, but I hold back my tears and swallow the lump in my throat. He flirted with me first!

“Do I make myself clear?” His voice is sharp, laden with authority, demanding my obedience.

As I slowly nod, my disdain for a man I had once judged too quickly as good fills me. I glare, standing tall, wounded yet unyielding and resolute forhimto understand thatthiswillneverbe tolerated again.

In this moment, I hope he realizes the fear he unintentionally evoked and the hurt his words have certainly caused. Regret casts a shadow over his face as he steps forward with his hand reaching out in a tentative gesture of reconciliation. “Kerry, I’m—”

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