Page 54 of Kissing the Boss (Fairy Tale Quartet 2)

I shook my head. “You don’t have anything to apologize for. Your reactions were completely understandable.”

He scowled, obviously disagreeing. “I was rude. I hurt your feelings.”

“And I hurt you first,” I argued. “So I deserved it.”

“The hell if you did.” He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair before taking five steps away and then abruptly whirling back. “You told me the truth. How does that deserve the rude, bitter things I spit back? I pretty much equated you with Lana.”

I sucked in a pained breath, remembering. “Yeah, but what else were you supposed to assume? I’m a stranger to you, and I’m associated with her, plus the situation was way too coincidental to believe. If I were you, I would’ve doubted my claims too.”

He didn’t look happy as his eyebrows knit with indecision. “Except I feel guilty for doubting you, because something in me keeps telling me you’re being straight with me about this. I can feel it. Right here.” He fisted his hand and jabbed his knuckles against his gut. “This swears you’re genuine.” Wi

th a bitter laugh, he shook his head. “Maybe that makes me a stupid sucker. But I don’t care. I believe you.”

A smile bloomed across my cheeks. “You do?” When he nodded most miserably, I stepped toward him. “Thank you.”

He swallowed noisily, his gaze wandering around my features. “It has nothing to do with the fact I’m dying to kiss you again, either.”

I laughed. “I just have one of those honest faces, huh?”

“One of those beautiful faces,” he murmured, lifting his hand to tuck my wayward piece of hair behind my ear.

My stomach shifted with anticipation. I wanted his mouth back on mine, where it belonged. When his lips quirked, letting me know he was well aware of what I wanted and was probably purposely holding off just to torture me, I frowned.

An annoying speck of reality intruded.

“You know, us hooking up now is a totally bad idea, right?” I blurted. “It is. A very bad idea. I mean, what about Lana? Even Brick thought we should stay away from each other because of her.”

He shrugged, the intent in his gaze making my stomach heat with want. “What can she really do to us?”

“Lie,” I immediately answered. “Cheat. Feed us insecurities about each other until it tears us apart. Heck, she managed to turn my own father against me a few times. I swear, that’s why he didn’t leave any of the company to me in his will. She manipulates and acts the victim until, wham, she has you caught in her web, a puppet to her will.”

“But we’re onto her tricks,” he insisted, shaking his head. “We know not to fall for—”

“Easier said than done,” I argued. “You are seriously underestimating her talent with deception. And… And what about the fact that I want to buy you out someday?”

“Someday,” he reiterated. “Not tomorrow. That’s something we can deal with as it happens.” He acted as if the suggestion weren’t a possibility, that it was just some hypothetical pipe dream I could never reach. I frowned, more determined to prove I could regain my company than ever, even as he took both my hands in his and sent me a warm, compassionate look that made my belly quiver with desire.

“One thing is for damn certain,” he murmured. “Nobody, not even Lana Judge, is going to keep me from the only woman who’s ever—”

When he broke off abruptly, most likely realizing he was revealing more than he wanted, my lips parted with wonder.

“The only woman who’s ever what?”

He let out a breath, studying my face. “I think you have an idea what you do to me.”

I nodded, only to confess, “You do the same thing to me.”

“Then we’re sure as hell not letting a couple little obstacles get in our way; I don’t care how devious your stepmother is.”

“Still.” I winced. “I’d prefer if she didn’t know.”

“Fine,” he said. “We won’t have an open, honest relationship, then. We’ll have a secret, tawdry one.” Winking, he loomed closer. “That sounds more fun, anyway.”

And…panties melted.

“So.” I took a breath when I looked up at him because he stepped even closer, only a breath away. “We’re…We’re really going to…?” I turned too breathless to finish the question.

He grinned wolfishly. “Oh yeah,” he answered. “We’re definitely going to.”

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