Page 25 of Say You Remember Me
His lips quirked up into a small, teasing smile. “Doesn’t hurt to acknowledge the obvious, though, does it?”
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way my whole body was buzzing just from this flirtatious interaction.
His confidence, his easy charm—it was almost enough to make me forget that he was my boss, and that as tempting as this banter was, it could only lead to trouble.
“No, I suppose not,” I said, forcing a casual shrug even though my heart was racing. “But I think you might be overestimating yourself.”
Okay, what was I even saying? I really needed to stop it with these comebacks or I was going to end up with some kind of disciplinary action for sure.
But instead of firing me on the spot, Ian’s eyes flashed with amusement. Then leaning in close enough that the warmth of his breath brushed my cheek, he mumbled, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to challenge me.”
“Maybe…” I shrugged, feigning calm even though I was all shaky with nerves.
“Well,” he said, licking his lips. “It’s just too bad that you work for me. Otherwise I’d be more than up to the challenge.”
My heart stuttered as I imagined what it would be like for him to make good on what he was hinting at—to take my hand and pull me away from the group so he could show me once more what it was like to get lost in his embrace.
To continue what we started that first night we’d met and leap down the path we might have taken if I hadn’t been sitting at the desk outside his office the next Monday.
Would he have pursued me? Would he have contacted Sloan that very day and asked how he could get in contact with the mysterious girl he’d seen her with the Friday before?
Ah, I really wish I could have found that out. Because even if I wasn’t ready for something serious, another stolen kiss with this man—this magnetic, impossible man—might have been worth the risk.
But that can’t happen,I told myself, reining my fantasies back in.Because no matter how tempting he is, keeping your stable job is what you actually need right now.
So instead of saying something reckless like,Maybe breaking the rules would be worth it just this once,I met his gaze and said, “It’s too bad we’ll never know if you’re the superior choice, since proving that would involve breaking all sorts of rules.”
“Yes,” he said, his expression shifting as his gaze flicked down to my lips. Then bringing his eyes back to mine, he mumbled, “It really is too bad.”
8
IAN
“Didyou guys happen to catch Alessi’s show while you were in Norway?” Bash asked Owen and me as we all stood near the refreshments table in Sloan’s backyard, sipping our drinks. “Because as weird as it is having my ex write breakup songs about me, I’m kinda bummed I didn’t take time off to go to the wedding with you guys and catch her performance.”
“You two dated for like, what, two months? Almost five years ago.” Owen shot him a look, nudging him in the ribs. “You sure you’re not just wishing those hits are about you?”
“Who else would the lyrics‘Under the firework sky, your eyes meet mine, a secret spark ignites, but we’re out of time’be about?” Bash smirked, undeterred by our more practical friend. “We literally started dating after that Fourth of July party on Ian’s yacht. Who else was she igniting secret sparks with?”
“You’ve really dissected her new album, haven’t you?” I chuckled, taking a sip of my whiskey. “But did you also consider that there were plenty of us on that yacht? I mean, what if she was eyeing Owen? Or, I don’t know, someone even hotter like me?”
“You think she wrote a song about you?” Bash scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, right. Plus, I seem to recall you two being too busy with your dates that night to notice any looks from Alessi.”
“Pretty sure my date was mad at me that night,” I said, recalling the Fourth of July party Bash was talking about. The one where we’d all planned to stay overnight on my parents' yacht, but instead, I had to take my date back to shore in the middle of the night because, in her words, she couldn’t stand to look at my ‘ridiculously perfect face’ anymore since it 'didn't come with anything beneath the surface.’
Yeah…that one had stung a little—hurt my fragile player heart.
“Fine.” Bash raised his hands in surrender. “So maybe you weren’t charming your date that night. But do you seriously think it’s more likely for the song to be about you over me?”
“Okay, so it’s probably not about me,” I said. And I probably should have just left it at that. But since I could never resist pushing Bash’s buttons, I had to add, “But that still doesn’t mean it’s about you, either. I mean, for all we know, those forbidden glances could’ve been between her and Miles.”
“Miles?” Bash stared at me like I’d just suggested something heinous. “You sicko. He’s herstepbrother.”
And man, the scandalized look on his face was totally worth it.
“Okay, fine,” I said, unable to keep in my laugh. “So, maybe there’s asmallchance the number one pop song in the world right now is about you.”
“Thank you,” Bash said, his expression turning smug. “I’ll sleep soundly tonight now that that has been settled.”
