Page 12 of The Powerful Boss She Craves

‘So, knowing that, are you prepared to spend the next three weeks on and off in my company?’ Micah asked her, suddenly serious.

‘I am,’ Ella told him. ‘But can I ask you one more thing?’

Amusement flashed in his eyes. ‘A million pounds is my highest offer,’ he told her with an easy smile.

Ella shook her head. ‘I’m not asking for more money, Micah.’

‘Okay, we’ll settle on seven-fifty for now, Ella. What’s your question?’

Three quarters of amillion... The mind boggled. But her request wasn’t about the money. This was one last test, one more hurdle for him to jump over and, if he managed it, she knew she’d never spend another moment worrying about him. She gathered her courage. ‘You keep looking at my mouth. Does that mean you want to kiss me?’

He didn’t hesitate to nod. ‘Yeah, of course I do,’ he answered in a gruff voice.

She knew he’d say that but he hadn’t dropped his head or moved closer to put his words into action. So far, so good. ‘Why?’ she asked, pushing him, loving his direct way of answering her question.

‘Because I’m so damn attracted to you it actually hurts. I’d love to know how you feel in my arms, what you taste like, whether your skin is as soft as I think it is.’

Oh, God. His gaze darted between her mouth and eyes and she felt her back arching, her body betraying her.

‘But I won’t, because I gave you my word.’ He lifted his hand, as if to touch her mouth or cheek, but dropped it before he could make contact with her skin. She was both relieved and disappointed. Relieved because he’d kept his word, disappointed because she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. ‘You said that you keep your word. I do, too.’

Micah reached past her to open her car door and, when he spoke again, his tone was brisk and business-like. ‘I’d like you to spend the day tomorrow researching possible venues in areas not too far from here. I’m thinking Clarens, Parys—places like that. If you find any options, set up appointments for tomorrow and we’ll drive down.’

Her mind was spinning but she managed to nod.

‘I’ll confirm a pick-up time with you tomorrow, but it’ll be early.’

‘I’m not good at early,’ Ella confessed, sliding behind the wheel of her car. ‘If you give me your number, I’ll send you a GPS pin for my address.’

He asked for her number, punched it into his phone and a few seconds later her phone rang. ‘That’s my private number—save it.’

Oh, and he was bossy too! Ella resisted the urge to salute.

Micah closed her door and bent down so that their heads were level. ‘We’ll talk tomorrow, Ella.’

She nodded and cranked the key to start her car. She turned her head to look into Micah’s eyes and couldn’t help her gaze dropping to his sexy mouth. She sighed and, when she lifted her eyes again, saw amused frustration on his face.

He sighed. ‘It’s going to be a long, long three weeks, isn’t it? Because you want to kiss me as much as I do you.’

He was so honest, and she liked it. She was also so busted. ‘Yes, but we’re adults. We’ll cope.’

‘Speak for yourself,’ Micah muttered before walking away.

She grinned at his broad back and shook her head. He was the only person she knew who could be both charming and grumpy. She rather liked it. She liked him.

He was right, she thought as she drove away, it was going to be a very long three weeks.

CHAPTER FOUR

MICAHPARKEDTHEBentayga in his parking bay within the Hadleigh House garage and lifted his hands, noticing his trembling fingers. He switched off the ignition and leaned forward, placing his head on his custom-leather steering wheel. On the way home, a forty-five-minute drive, he’d ducked in and out of traffic, his entire concentration on the road and Johannesburg’s crazy drivers. But, now that he was home, he couldn’t avoid thinking of Ella.

He hadn’t had this strong a reaction to a woman in what seemed like a hundred years. Or, frankly, ever. From the moment he’d laid eyes on her, he’d imagined her head on his pillow, her naked body on his white sheets. He wanted her in the worst way and couldn’t work out why. She was lovely, but more wholesome than glamorous, more down to earth than fabulous. Because he was as shallow as a puddle, and he liked being that way when it came to relationships, he wasn’t normally attracted to anyone who wasn’t glamourous and over-the-top fabulous.

He desperately wanted to take Ella to bed and do wicked, wonderful things to her while he had her in it. But he’d made her a promise and he intended to keep it—keeping his word was vitally important to him. He’d be a monk around her. A frustrated monk, but a monk none the less.

Micah looked around the detached eight-car garage they shared with his stepmother, Liyana. His 1967 Jaguar E-type was covered with its custom-made tarpaulin and the fabric was covered in a thin layer of dust. He hadn’t driven it for months. Then again, neither had he taken his Ducati out for a spin either. He couldn’t remember when last he’d used the speedboat he shared with Jago, and it had been even longer since they’d taken the jet skis out on the water. There were ATVs and dirt bikes, and none of them had been touched in years.

They had too many toys and too little time, too much work to do.

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