Page 17 of The Powerful Boss She Craves

She had no fears of sleeping with Micah. Nothing about being with him, being held by him as tightly as she was made her have any flashbacks. She didn’t feel constricted, scared or flustered, she just wanted more. So, yes, she was interested in sleeping with him, of course she was. She’d initiated that kiss and she’d all but climbed inside him while they’d been kissing. To men like Micah, kissing was the first stop on the destination, but...

But maybe it was wise to slow down...just a little. To stop, think and work out whether she was heading in the right direction. Being around Micah was like stepping into a Category Five tornado, and she felt caught up in its turbulence. She’d prefer to make the decision to sleep with him when she was feeling a little less storm battered and more like the self-confident person she so wanted to be.

Ella waited for his suggestion that they go, that they pick this up at their hotel, but instead of going there Micah patted the top of her bottom and pulled back from her. ‘I’m starving. Why don’t we head into Clarens and find a place to eat? I need to check my emails and return some calls before we head a few miles out of town for our next appointment.’

Right, that wasn’t what she expected to hear. So what else could she do but nod her head and follow him to his car? And why did she feel so intensely disappointed?

CHAPTER FIVE

MICAH,AFTERCONSULTINGthe hotel receptionist, took Ella to the most popular restaurant in town for dinner. He couldn’t remember when he’d last been in anything but a modern restaurant, an upscale jazz joint or as a VVIP in a happening club, but this place was a pleasant surprise.

The owners of this high-class eatery seemed obsessed with quality, from the astounding art on the walls, to the extensive range of excellent spirits behind the bar and the daily menu. This included chic dishes such as roasted quail with grapes, fennel-roasted pork belly and whipped-honey and lemon ricotta. If he were in the market for a gastro pub—and he might be in the future—this place would be of interest. It also happened to be within the grounds of their hotel, so it was an easy walk from their chalets, and he didn’t have to worry about drinking and driving.

The décor was a mix of styles—wood, concrete, slightly rusted iron sheets and boldly coloured walls. He approved of the linen table cloths and serviettes and the quality glassware. He narrowed his eyes at a games room attached to the back of the restaurant containing a fine, antique billiards table, a vintage pinball machine and—ugh—a dartboard. It was currently occupied by a group of youngsters. The owners were making a mistake by not filling the space with tables. The rest of the joint was a fantastic blend of luxury and laid back, but that games room hindered rather than helped.

Standing at the modern, brushed-concrete bar, his lips still scorched from their earlier kiss, Micah looked in the counter-to-ceiling mirror behind the bar and watched Ella, who sat at a small table at the back of the room. She’d changed from her feminine dress into a pair of tight jeans and a simple navy-and-white-striped top. Ballet pumps covered her feet and she’d twisted her hair up into a loose knot on the back of her head.

She looked amazing, and her clothes told him that his choice of a more casual place to eat was spot-on. If he’d chosen one of the elegant restaurants in town, she might have felt pressured to continue what they’d started earlier and that was something he was desperate to avoid.

She might be on her way out of Le Roux Events—and, as a businessman, he regretted losing her talents—but he was still her boss for now. And he was very aware that, when a boss and employee became sexually involved, life could quickly become complicated. No, if Ella wanted more, she’d have to make the first move. Hell, she’d have to makeallthe moves.

Micah leaned his elbows on the bar, accepting it would be a while before the bartender took his order, and found he was happy to have a moment to think. He knew women and thought he understood them but he found Ella both mystifying and fascinating. She was a combination of confident and skittish, scared and brave. She kissed like a dream and she could be either hellishly straightforward or very cagey. She was a study in contrasts—light and shade, monochrome and intense colour.

Initially, she’d been worried about being alone with him, but after just one day, and a hellfire-hot kiss, she seemed to have got over that. She now seemed at ease around him, thank God.

Their employer-employee relationship and her recent history were factors in his hesitancy about taking her to bed. But there was a bigger reason for his caution: for the very first time since Brianna’s accident, he felt something more than lust, more than a man’s normal desire for sex, for a release, for a few hours of fun on a mattress. Ella intrigued him, confounded him and made him want to know more...

Sure, he wanted to explore her beautiful body, but he also wanted to take a walk around her maze-like mind. And he wanted her to like him too—a terrifying thought and one he’d never admit to.

She’d seen past his act and had sussed out that he was a great deal more impatient and less charming than he generally allowed people to see. She’d ignored his stylish exterior and the cash in his wallet and had caught glimpses of the man he really was: abrupt and easily irritated. Ella innately understood that, under his surface, he was more driven and less charismatic, and his occasional prickliness didn’t bother her.

But what was the point of letting her duck her head to see below his surface? Not only was she his employee—albeit not for much longer—but she was also leaving the country soon. He could give her some bed-based fun and physical pleasure, but nothing more because...

a) She’d recently been accosted by a person in power...

b) She’d made him feel too much far too quickly, and that was as dangerous as hell.

Not that he was thinking of her in terms of falling in love—that wasn’t possible, given that he’d been vaccinated against that emotional virus twenty years ago He would never marry and have kids. How could he when he’d taken that away from Brianna, when his actions had resulted in her existing in a space somewhere between life and death?

He’d offloaded onto her, and then had cut off contact with her, and he should’ve known that she would be worried about him, that his silence would’ve driven her crazy. He should’ve anticipated her jumping in her car and trying to find him...

It was his fault.

‘Sir, what can I get you?’

Micah ordered a beer for himself and a glass of excellent red wine for Ella and told himself to be sensible. He should ignore their attraction and stop thinking about that kiss, about how much he’d love to make love to her. No good could come of it. He didn’t, after all, deserve good.

Micah heard a wave of noise coming from a small room adjacent to the main pub, and looked across the crowded room to see a group of young adults playing pool and throwing back their drinks. There were going to be a couple of very sore heads in the morning, he thought.

So young. So dumb.

Micah paid for the drinks and picked up a couple of menus, tucking them under his arm. He walked back to Ella, placed her glass in front of her and handed her a menu.

‘I’m starving,’ Ella told him, opening it. She made her choice and he summoned a waiter and placed their orders before leaning back in his chair. He closed his eyes and allowed the music, the general noise and the occasional shouts from the rowdy group in the games room to wash over him. Unfortunately, his day was far from done, he still had hours of work ahead of him tonight. Le Roux International work didn’t come to a stop because he was out of the office. But being anywhere with Ella was a nice respite.

‘Why areyoulooking for a venue for your sister?’

Ella’s question made his eyes fly open and he stared at her, caught off-guard. Because he was the family trouble-shooter, the guy who sorted out the drama, the one who had amends to make.

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