Page 50 of Fool Me Twice

My laugh was dry. “Is that really true?”

“What makes you suspect it is not?”

“It’s just…” I pushed my tongue against my front teeth, unsure of how best to continue. “We have this history between us.”

“Yes,” he nodded, and suddenly I was incredibly aware of how close he was. Incredibly aware of his scent. The strong angle of his jaw. His thick, strong wrists.

My heart fluttered to life, and I licked my lips.

“We have a future, too,” he said. “Shouldn’t we focus on that instead?”

“Yes.”

But why forget the past? Yes, Rodrigo had apologized and our romance was long gone, but why did he seem so eager to not talk about any of it?

“If you are having second thoughts…” He trailed off.

“I’m not having second thoughts,” I said, making sure I took time to think about the answer first.

“Good.” His voice took on a honeyed cadence. “Because I want you here.”

“Good.” Realizing that I’d only parroted him, I shook my head. “I mean that’s… good.”

What the heck was wrong with me? It was like I suddenly couldn’t think straight to save my life.

It was him. I knew it. Rodrigo had an intoxicating presence. Every time I got this close to him I put myself at risk.

Standing, I forced a smile. “Thank you for bringing me here. I’m excited for whatever happens next.”

“As am I.” His gaze flitted across my face, and I knew I had to move but my legs felt frozen to the spot.

“Right,” I breathed, heat wrapping around me like a warm shower.

Rodrigo’s eyes dipped a little lower—right to my lips.

My breath caught in my throat. What would it be like to kiss him? Yes, he was my new boss. But, surely, one tiny little kiss couldn’t hurt? Just enough to see if he still tasted the same…

We jerked away at the same time, me stepping backwards and Rodrigo standing up. My calves hit the chair, and he knocked over a stapler, which he then had to bend and retrieve from the carpet.

“I’ll walk you around.” He patted his hair. “Everyone will love to meet you.”

“Great. Sounds good. Great.” I swung my hands forward and back, so that the palms repeatedly clapped together.

Rodrigo gestured for me to go first, which was good. As long as I walked ahead of him, he couldn’t see my cheeks burning red from embarrassment.

CHAPTER14

RODRIGO

“Georgia?” I knocked lightly on her bedroom door and held my breath, waiting for a response. When a few quiet moments passed, I knocked again.

Still no answer.

Turning away from the door, I considered where else to look for her in the house. I’d had an intercom system installed years earlier, but it was currently on the fritz and awaiting repairs. Which meant that now you had to find people in the home the old-fashioned way.

If I were Georgia in the late afternoon after a long day of work, where would I go?

Immediately, images of her sunning on the beach and relaxing in a bubble bath filled my mind. They weren’t exactly innocent images, either. Squeezing my eyes shut, I willed them away.

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