Page 13 of Bossy Trouble

“Hmmm. If I didn’t know any better, Georgia Peyton, I’d think you were too scared to get in my car with me.”

“I’m not scared of anything.”Well, anything except the possibility of my daughter running out right now and you seeing her.The resemblance between them was uncanny. I could tell even when she was a baby. They both had the same almond-shaped, sea-blue eyes, the same dimpled smile, and the same arched eyebrows. He would instantly know that she was his daughter.

“Then get in,” he said.

I hesitated, caught in indecision. I didn’t want to get into the car with Donovan. I hadn’t yet fortified myself the way I needed to before meeting him again. But in any case, I needed to get him away from here as fast as possible.

“Fine,” I said as I slipped into the seat, careful not to touch the leather interior too hard.

He pushed a button, and the door shut automatically, enclosing us in the small space where I felt like his scent was everywhere.

“There. Isn’t that better than being out in the heat?” he suggested.

Yes, except the heat was inside me now.

I braced myself for more barbs, but Donovan was relatively quiet as we drove, which was unusual for him. I expected him to be teasing me by now, but he looked ahead, not even seeming to see the roads. He appeared to have something on his mind, and part of me wanted to ask what it was, but the other part of me held back. I already knew my concern would be met with either derision to irritate me or explicit words meant to inflame my lust.

And he was very, very good at both of those things.

So I simply stayed quiet, thankful for the brief reprieve of peace. That was until I realized he was driving straight up my driveway.

My head snapped to him in alarm. “How’d you know where I live?’

“I have my ways,” he responded, smirking.

I cocked my eyebrow. “Did you hire a private investigator?” I wouldn’t put it past him to do something like that on a whim.

“Hardly,” he said with a scoff. “Do you know people are still listed in the phonebooks? Curious, isn't it? I didn’t even know anyone still used landlines.”

I shook my head at him. “It came with the house.”

“Right.” He jabbed his head toward the entrance. “Are you going to invite me in?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really,” he responded as he got out of the car. I sighed and followed him. He stepped aside to let me unlock the door, and then he brushed past me and headed inside.

He looked around my home, humming slightly. “It’s small.”

“Yes, well, not all of us can afford million-dollar houses.”

“Mm. According to you, your business was doing pretty well. You never reached the million-dollar mark?”

“On the contrary, we more than surpassed that.”

This is it,I thought.Now’s your chance to sell Moniche.“Actually—”

“Hold on,” he cut me off, reaching out to move a hair from my cheek, letting his fingers trail down it. Goosebumps broke out wherever he touched, traveling straight down my body.

“That’s better.” His gratified whisper did something to me, something very dirty.

No. I couldn’t be distracted. I needed to get this back on track. “Donovan.”

“Did you know your eyes flash when you’re aroused?” He took another step closer, his lips hovering over my ears. My heart pounded and electricity sparked from points all over my body. “And your lips tremble just a little like they really want to be kissed.”

“Do you want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you?” he whispered.

Say no. Say no.

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