Page 15 of The Powerful Boss She Craves

‘Well, it’s what I do,’ she pointed out, though pleased at the compliment. ‘And, yes, I do love it.’

He leaned his forearms on the railing and looked at the scenery, watching three vultures lazily riding the thermal bands high above them. Standing in the sun, enjoying the quiet and the cool breeze, Ella could easily pretend they were on holiday, taking a mini-break, lovers instead of work colleagues. She wanted to step between his legs, lean her head on his chest and feel his arms around her. Taking the moment, being together in the present.

But that was impossible.

‘So, what do you think?’ Ella asked him, reluctantly turning her attention back to the venue. It was a pretty place, built from local stone, and the interior was exquisitely decorated. There was ample accommodation in the village and surrounding areas to accommodate the wedding guests but, sadly, the place was too small. The guests would be jammed into the venue like sardines in a can. And when a wedding was so upmarket and luxurious, space to move, dance and socialise—to see and be seen—was high on the list of priorities.

Ella still believed that Johannesburg was the right place to hold the wedding and was convinced that there had to be a private estate, a museum, a vintage hall or an industrial warehouse that could be prettied up. They just needed to think outside the box.

‘Very pretty.’

Ella turned at his low, intense voice, and when her eyes connected with his she immediately realised that he wasn’t looking at the view or the buildings but at her, his eyes hidden by his designer sunglasses.

‘I like your dress,’ Micah added in his still-business-like voice. She’d wanted to look professional but to be comfortable too, so she’d chosen to wear a graphic printed white-and-brown Boho-inspired maxi dress, its halter neck leaving her arms bare.

‘Thank you,’ Ella replied, feeling a little at sea. He was saying the right words, but she still couldn’t read him, and it was frustrating as hell.

She should stop this going-nowhere conversation, change the subject herself, but instead she dropped her gaze and idly noted that his beard was slighter thicker than it had been the day before and that his lower lip was fuller than his top lip. She wondered if he’d taste like the coffee he’d drunk earlier, or the apple he’d crunched as a mid-morning snack. Or a combination of both. She shouldn’t be thinking of kissing him; he was her boss. She was advising him on a venue, trying to help him solve a pretty big problem...

But how could she concentrate when all she wanted was to be in his arms, to have his mouth on hers?

‘Dammit.’

‘Problem?’ Micah asked and Ella cursed herself. Why did she let the mild curse leave her lips?

‘No, I’m fine.’

He pulled off his sunglasses and hooked them in the vee of his shirt. ‘Are you worried about being alone with me?’

God, no! Was that what he was thinking? Of course she wasn’t! ‘No, I’m not worried about you making a move on me.’

His mouth lifted at the corners in a sexy smirk. ‘Then are you worried thatyouare going to make a move onme?’

Yes.

‘No, of course not!’ Ella scoffed, cursing her higher-than-normal voice. How did he know that? He slid his hands into the front pockets of his shorts and rested his hip against the wooden railing, his raised eyebrows silently calling her out on her lie.

‘I think you want to kiss me but then you remembered that you are working for me, that we have a job to do,’ he said, a hint of teasing in his voice.

Ella felt embarrassed that he could read her so easily. Why couldn’t she play it cool, hide her feelings, be a little less transparent, dammit?

‘We are allowed to be attracted to each other, Ella,’ Micah pointed out in a reasonable tone.

Ella rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. ‘Yes, I’m more attracted to you than you are to me. Happy now?’ she asked, sounding belligerent.

Oh, why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? What was wrong with her?

‘You think that I’m not as attracted to you as you are to me?’ Micah demanded, genuinely astounded. ‘Why would you think that?’

‘Teasing voice, charming attitude, shuttered eyes...take your pick,’ Ella replied.

His eyes caught hers and he allowed her—of that she had no doubt—to see the turmoil inside him, his hot desire, his burning need. Where did all that heat come from, and how did he manage to hide it so well?

Was charm a cloak he pulled on, one that shielded his emotions from the world? He had a reputation for being laid back and easy going, but she’d seen his irritation and impatience the other day. Was he just very adept at hiding his feelings? Maybe. Possibly.

‘Did you not hear what I said yesterday about how much I want to kiss you?’

Ella dragged the toe of her shoe along a wooden beam of the deck. ‘I thought you changed your mind, that it was a blip,’ she admitted.

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