Page 64 of Boost

The cocky smirk returned. “Then, what?”

“Boundaries, Rafael.”

His eyes narrowed. “Work, or personal?”

I simply raised my eyebrows and gave himthe look—which he outright ignored.

After shouldering my bag and doing a final check of my belongings, I called farewell to Roxiee as I breezed past her desk. I ignored her raised eyebrows, as well as the snigger that came from Raf trailing behind me.

“Have fun, kids,” she sang.

“See you tomorrow, Rox,” I called before Rafael and I entered the elevator.

The doors closed and sealed us within a bubble that grew smaller with each passing second. Raf prowled the two steps across the cart with a darkening look in his eyes that made my thighs clench together. I dodged to the side before he could cage me against the handrail and turn his sex appeal up from a smolder to an all-outfuck me now.

“Wait, you go playin’ hard to get now that we’realone?”His voice pitched in incredulity.

“I’m not playing hard to get, we just can’t do this here.” I motioned to the elevator we were encased in.

He huffed, shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned his ass against the handrail. “Didn’t seem to be a problem in your office just before.”

Pressing my fingers to my temples, I searched for a way to sum up the thoughts tumbling throughout my head.

“We need to talk about whatever this is, Raf. At the moment, I’m taking a huge professional risk by crossing lines I never thought I would have a problem staying behind.” I cut off before I sounded even more like a stuck record droning on about blurred lines and forbidden romances.

“You’re mine,” he stated, as if it were that simple.

“In what capacity, though? I need more than justyou’re mine.I need to knowexactlywhere we stand. If I’m just some ass on the side to fill your time, or if it’s more. I need to know that this won’t come back to bite me.”And destroy my career.

“You’re not just some piece of ass, Greer. And I don’t give a fuck about the business ties that are holding you back. You’re-” He dashed his tongue over his lip again and rolled his head from side-to-side in frustration.

“I’m...” I trailed off, and waited for his clarification; one that I hoped would define exactly what we were.

“You’re more to me than anyone else has ever been. I wouldn’t be here otherwise. Fuck, even if I wanted to stay away, I can’t. The thing is, we’re in different leagues and that should be enough of a reason for me to walk. But fuck the league, baby. To hell with all the corporate bullshit you’re hiding behind. Iwantyou, plain and simple.”

“I’m nothidingbehind it,” I argued, only to receive a contemptuous snort.

“You’re a shit liar, Boss Lady. You keep tellin’ yourself that and you’ll never allow yourself to be happy.”

The blatant truth hit my chest and cut deep. Rafael called it like it was and he was spot on. It wasn’t him that scared me—it was the thought of losing everything I’d fought so hard to create from nothing but hopes, dreams and Tian’s matching tenacity.

The elevator doors opened and spat us onto the polished tiles of the ground floor, saving me from arguing to defend my hurt feelings. Rafael easily kept up with my power-strides and brazenly splayed his hand across the small of my back—a fraction lower than necessary—as we reached the revolving doors.

“We’re going to talk about this,” I hissed.

Brooding silence took the place of his reply.

Out on the street, I wasn’t surprised to see his car parked in the nearby loading zone; it was like he purposely flouted the rules any chance he got.

After depositing me into the passenger seat, Rafael rounded the hood of his Porsche and slid behind the wheel.

“I’d rather fuck some sense into you,” he snarled with surprising force, picking up where our conversation left off.

Thick waves of irritation radiated off him as he gunned the engine and speed into the street.

“Hear you scream my name as you come around my cock. But sure, if you wannatalk,then whatever.”

I spluttered for words. “There is absolutely no need to be an ass about it.”

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