Page 12 of My Forbidden Boss

Reagan quickly collected himself and rushed forward. He swiped a keycard on a panel and the door beside it opened. »This is your suite.« He let Bri step in first, careful not to let his gaze wander this time. Good for him. I passed him to take a look at the room myself. »A marble foyer, two separate bedrooms with king-sized beds, two marble bathrooms with televisions, steam showers, one equipped with a whirlpool. Who gets that, you’ll have to decide amongst yourselves.« He laughed and Bri flashed him a brief smile before once again taking in the expansive living room we had entered. A filled champagne cooler was on the dining table, flanked by two glasses as a welcome gift. I knew the amenities were luxurious, but Reagan continued to reel off the suite’s features as he showed us around. Our suitcases were already in the entrance area; the porters were indeed swift. I would love to offer Bri the bedroom with the larger bathroom.

»Unpack, settle in, we’ll meet in an hour in the lobby for your private tour.« Reagan bowed and lingered on a smile for Bri just a touch too long before the door closed, leaving us alone. Finally. Despite this feeling, I had to remember why we were here. This wasn’t a honeymoon vacation and we weren’t a couple. My uncharacteristically strong urge to be alone with her until tomorrow morning contributed nothing to the matter and I needed to get rid of it as soon as possible.

»You were rude,« she immediately called me to account, crossing her arms in front of her chest. I suppressed a smile. So now, in front of everyone else, we were boss and employee, but as soon as the door closed, we were... what?

»Reagan wants something from me, why should I waste time on pointless small talk?«

Bri snorted. »You could at least have answered his question about the flight.«

»What should I have said?« That I especially enjoyed feeling your fingers on me? I took a step towards her. Her breath immediately quickened and her expression softened, yearning. She couldn’t deny it any more than I could, that my proximity didn’t leave her cold. »It was just a flight, what use would that info have been to him? Nothing.« She stood so close to me that all I had to do was reach out to touch her. The fantastic view behind her, the luxurious room, they all paled in her presence. »If I want this damn hotel, I’ll get it without kissing Reagan’s ass,« I replied a little too forcefully. Could she feel my anger? The anger that had nothing to do with the Grand Fountains or Reagan. Only with her. Because even though I wanted her much more than I wanted this hotel, I couldn’t have her.

She glanced briefly at my lips and I could read in her eyes that she was thinking about our kiss. Our only kiss, which wouldn’t be repeated. Because even though I normally enjoyed playing with fire, this time it would burn me. She looked into my eyes again. My self-control hung by a thread, and that thread was stretched to its limit. It had been a stupid idea to bring her along. But she was my assistant after all, and I needed to be able to control myself in her presence.

»You probably won’t mind if I take the bigger room,« she whispered. »See you in an hour.«

She maintained an outwardly composed appearance as she walked past me, snatched her little suitcase, and wheeled it into the room. But the slam of her door was a bit too forceful for that.

***

The tour of the hotel had first bored me slightly and then increasingly angered me. Reagan made no attempt to hide his keen interest in Brianna.

As she readied herself for a joint dinner with him in one of the hotel’s finest restaurants, I paced restlessly in my room. I jammed my hands into the pockets of my tuxedo trousers. I should have taken the time and worked a little, but I couldn’t. This situation was increasingly throwing me off balance. I contemplated calling off the purchase just to stick it to Reagan, informing him that the Grand Fountains was merely mediocre at best. But it wasn’t, and he knew it as well as I did. Since when had I let anything influence my dealings? Never, because that was what had saved my mom and me back then. I just needed to find my groove again and everything would be fine.

When I heard Brianna’s door, I left my bedroom. What had I been thinking? My plan would be fine? Sure...

Brianna was rummaging in a small black bag, her gaze lowered. Thankfully, for she didn’t notice that I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was wearing a tight, off-shoulder evening gown in a deep green. It was skin-tight, accentuating her perfect hourglass figure, thrusting her breasts indecently so that the full curves peeked out from the neckline. The dress had a side slit that opened as she took a step forward, extending to the middle of her thigh. Soft, smooth skin came into view, killer heels. Her hair was styled in long waves over one of her half-exposed shoulders.

I had never been as hard as I was right now. If we had been together, I would have taken her right then and there, slid my hands under the slit of her dress, and relished her moans as I sought to fulfill every wish she had. But we weren’t together.

She pulled a lipstick out of her bag and looked up. As our eyes met, she seemed surprised for a moment. »Wesley! You startled me!«

»I’m sorry. Are you ready?« I would have loved to compliment her, but that certainly wasn’t appropriate as a boss. Or was it? I had no idea anymore and my brain was a complete mess.

»Just a moment,« she replied, stepped in front of the oval mirror hanging on the wall leading to the hallway, puckered her lips, and traced them with the lipstick. Damn. Damn. Damn. I wanted the imprints of her lipstick all over my skin, preferably around my...

»I’m ready now!« she said, pulling me out of my indecent and clearly inappropriate fantasies.

»Good.« I walked over to her and held out my arm, which she hooked into. I wouldn’t hand her over to Reagan without a clear gesture. She belonged by my side, as an employee and as my friend’s sister, whom I’d always had to look out for. I would certainly not deliver her into Reagan’s greasy fingers.

We left the suite and entered the elevator. Leaning slightly forward, I pressed the button for the tenth floor, where the restaurant was located, then placed my hand over her fingers, which gripped my arm. »You look good, Mr. Crush. Tuxedos suit you,« Bri softly said as we both stared forward against the elevator door. If I looked at her now, alone with her in this cramped elevator lined with mirrors on the sides where I could see her smile, I couldn’t guarantee for anything anymore.

»I could return the compliment twice over, you look even more breathtaking, Miss Sullivan.« I felt her briefly dig her fingers deeper into the fabric of my jacket. »Watch out for Reagan, he will notice that too,« I added directly.

»Maybe I want that. He’s an attractive man,« I heard the grin in her words. »And I am single.«

»Are you trying to provoke me, Miss Sullivan?«

»Why should it bother you if I had something with Mr. Reagan?«

Because you belong to me. »Because this is not your private vacation, but a business trip. I find it more than inappropriate to get involved with a potential business partner.«

»Business trip or not, I also have time off,« she retorted casually. The tension creeping into my body was almost unbearable. I had to not let her provoke me. Did she want me to do what I really wanted to do? Press her against this damned elevator wall, push aside her dress, and plunge into her with a single thrust?

The doors slid open and I didn’t know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or regret leaving with her now. Reagan was waiting for us in front of the restaurant’s reception. His eyes widened as he saw Bri, and I pulled her a little closer to my side.

»No jealousy, Mr. Crush, it’s just a business dinner,« she whispered so only I could hear. She detached herself from me and approached Reagan, who greeted her with two cheek kisses and showered her with compliments. She was playing with me, definitely. Or was she doing all this for me and the deal, to make it go smoother and more satisfactorily?

Finally, Reagan also greeted me. »Mr. Crush, how does it feel to be out with such a breathtaking companion?«

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