Page 65 of Snowbound in Her Boss's Bed

CHAPTER NINE

FORTHEFIRST time in memory, Benjamin was awoken by the buzz of his assistant.

Adjusting so as not to disturb the still-sleeping woman at his side, he pressed the audio-only feed to answer.

“Yes?”

Glancing at the clock as he waited for her response, he was surprised to see that it was 8:00 a.m. He hadn’t slept in so late since leaving college.

Of course, it had also been a long time since he’d stayed up so late, and so exuberantly, with a woman.

Within the world of the storm and the safeties of their agreement to suspend the rules of the one outside of it for the time being, Benjamin was happy in a way he had not been in memory.

There was a difference, it seemed, between satisfaction and happiness.

Waking beside Miri made him realize that he had been confusing the rush of the former for the warmth of the latter over his past years and doing so to his own detriment.

Happiness led to sleeping in late.

“It occurred to me that your guest might appreciate a trip to the wardrobe sometime today, since the storm’s showing no sign of slowing down. Might be some moths in there with all the use it’s gotten since, but Sharice set one up here like she did in California and Ms. Howard might appreciate a change of clothes.” His assistant’s gravelly voice came through the speaker with even more of its stony quality.

Curled at his side, a naked Miri looked up at him out of one opened eye.

Her eyebrow was lifted and even though she’d only been awake for an instant, there was a look in that eye.

“That’s an excellent idea, Melba. Thank you. We’ll have breakfast in the private dining room today. A repeat of yesterday is fine. I’ll wake Ms. Howard.”

“Sounds good, sir.” And then his assistant was gone, and he was happy to have the world shrunk back down to himself and Miri.

Even with the look.

“You only have spa robes, huh?” she said, head lifted to face him now, both of her eyes open, her hair tousled and gorgeous, a smile beneath the sternness in her tone.

Unable to help himself, he laughed, and it, too, felt as unfamiliar as waking up happy.

“I had no idea. I told you, I never have company out here,” he said, smiling. “You’re the first.”

Abruptly, her sass disappeared, replaced with a warm blush. “Well, today, I will most certainly be making a visit to the wardrobe,” she said primly.

“And what about ice-skating after that?” he asked. “Or a movie?”

Wariness came into her eyes, even as he could sense her interest. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

He nodded, sure. He was deliberate when he made a decision. Rarely did he look back once one was made.

“No one knows you’re here. No one really even knows we know each other yet. While this storm rages, no one could even take a picture if they wanted to. We’ve already agreed that whatever happens while you’re here will stay here. Why not take advantage and make sure everything happens?” There was an eagerness in his voice, a mischievous enthusiasm and a kind of desperation for her to see his logic that even he could hear.

She turned him into a teenager again.

Once again, she repeated their mantra. “What happens here, stays here.”

He resented it, even as it thrilled him.

He was used to convincing his paramours that it was better to be circumspect when dating a man as wealthy as he was but found the fact that it was necessary with Miri distasteful.

He didn’t want her to be more concerned with keeping their secret than she was with enjoying it.

“Okay,” she said, nodding, her lips lifting into a smile. “But that means candles and Hanukkah, too. At least until the storm passes,” she added.

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