Page 3 of Beastly Boss

I take a step backward, and Kimbra moves with me, taking a step forward. “Good girl.” I’m not sure where those words came from, but the woman in my arms trembles slightly at my praise. God, what that does to me.

We take it slow as I lead us in a simple waltz box step. Kimbra keeps looking at our feet, trying to mimic my motions.

She steps on my toes a few times and shakes her head in frustration. “See? I told you I’m not much of a dancer.”

She tries spinning out of my arms, but I tighten my hold on her, sliding both of my hands to her lower back. “Don’t think about the steps; just feel the music. Feel the way we move together. Let go of the details and be here in the moment.”

Kimbra bites her bottom lip and searches my eyes for something. Is she deciding whether to trust me or not? She shouldn’t trust me, but damn if I don’t want her to. She places both hands on my shoulders while I keep her anchored to me.

She’s a bit stiff at first but then relaxes when I brush my fingers up and down her spine. The dress she’s in leaves most of her back exposed, and I can’t help indulging myself in smoothing my hands over her soft, creamy skin.

After a few moments, Kimbra circles her arms around my neck and melts against me. It’s a tender moment despite the dirty thoughts I’ve been having about her all night.

“Do you trust me?” I murmur.

“Yes,” comes her automatic response.

It pleases me greatly to hear that.

I slide my hand up her back, resting it between her shoulder blades while the other spreads over her lower back for support. I step forward and guide Kimbra to lean back, letting me dip her backward. She gasps and fists the back of my neck, letting out a soft laugh. Kimbra arches her back, opening herself up enough for me to lean forward and ghost my lips across her exposed throat.

“Kimbra? Where did you run off to? Kimbra!” comes her father’s voice from inside the ballroom.

Kimbra tenses and lets go of my neck, which knocks her off-balance. I still have my arms around her, and I easily take her weight so she doesn’t slip through my hands – literally and metaphorically.

“I should go before he sees us,” she whispers. I nod in agreement, though I hate the thought of not having her in my arms. “So, uh, I’m going to need to stand up on my own two feet to make that happen.” I nod again, still lost in those hazel eyes. “Aurelio!” she says a little more sternly, though she has an amused smile on her face. “You have to loosen your hold on me.”

Oh.Oh, right. I’m holding her captive. It takes a surprising amount of effort to untangle myself from this enchanting woman, and once I do, I shove my hands in my pockets to keep from touching her again.

“I should go,” she repeats, though it’s softer this time. Kimbra lingers for a moment longer as if wanting me to give her an excuse to stay. I can’t do that, however. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us. It’s not like we can ever share a moment like this again.

I simply nod, unable to say even a single word. She gives me one last look over her shoulder, then steps inside the ballroom, taking my heart and my sanity with her.

2

KIMBRA

“I’m going to throat-punch my douchebag of a boss,” my bestie, Sadie, says over the phone. “She’s conspiring against me, I swear.”

“What do you mean? They wouldn’t have hired you if they didn’t want you around.” Sadie graduated last semester and moved to Colorado for a job at a prestigious real estate agency.

“Yeah, you’d think that, right? Butoooooh noooo. Cindy is making me drive all the way up a freaking mountain to do a property assessment. The worst part is, I’m pretty sure the resident doesn’t know I’m coming. Cindy was allbe discrete, Sadie. Keep your distance, Sadie. Do this job no one else wants to do, and be thankful for the opportunity, Sadie.Ugh, I can’t stand her!”

“You could always come back home,” I suggest. “I’ll be graduating soon, and then we can move in together and take over this city.”

“Yeah? A real estate agent and a botanist ruling over Vegas? Sounds like a cheesy chick flick,” she muses.

“I’d totally watch that movie,” I counter.

A beat of silence passes between us. Sadie doesn’t say anything about my suggestion to move back. She made it clearshe’d never live in Vegas again, even though it breaks my heart. I understand, though. After what her foster parents put her through, I don’t blame her for getting the hell away from them.

“So, other than your final project, what else have you been up to? I worry you’re bored without me there to spice up your life.”

“I’ll have you know I went to a fancy ball last night,” I inform her.

“Yeah, the same one you go to with your dad every year?” She sounds unimpressed, which is fair. Truthfully, my life has been pretty dull without Sadie.

“This time was… different,” I reply. That’s an understatement. My mind wanders to Aurelio for the hundredth time since leaving him on the balcony.

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