Page 21 of My Forbidden Boss

But this time Wesley would be there too. Could I even close an eye thinking about it? I felt like I was back in our teenage years, like the smitten, shy girl who saved herself and her heart with flippant remarks.

»Come on, I’ll show you the room,« Elliot said to Wesley. I followed the two down the hallway and ducked into a room one earlier. After tossing my bag onto the bed and closing the door, I went to the window and looked out. From here, you had a stunning view of the vast lake. Adjoining the broad garden, which was bordered by fir and pine trees, a pier led into the water. Toni’s little fishing boat was tied to it, with which I had often gone out with him in the past. I didn’t like catching innocent fish and potentially even eating them, no, I loved the peace of the lake in the mornings. The soft lapping of the water, the slight rocking, the silence.

»Whoever’s first in the water!« Elliot suddenly screamed and stampeded past my room. That childlike mind of his would never grow up. But he was right, a dip would do me good too. I turned away from the view and rummaged in my suitcase to find my bikini. For a moment, I wondered what Wesley would say when I came out in it, but then I remembered that he had already seen me with significantly less fabric. But apparently, he had liked it, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so hungry for me. And again, my thoughts were drifting in a direction that was anything but conducive to our situation.

Damn. I had to think about other things than our shared time, his kisses, or his hands in places, all over my body. I closed the door and drew the curtains before I changed and grabbed a towel that Veronika had laid out for me at the foot of the bed. After wrapping it around me, I went outside. My mom and aunt were chatting in the kitchen.

»There you are, Bri, we’ve poured you a sip too.« My aunt held up a filled champagne glass. I heard Elliot’s shouts and loud splashing.

»These children,« my mom said, laughing. »Men will never grow up.«

»No, never.« Veronika joined in.

I leaned against the free-standing kitchen island and took the champagne, before we toasted and took a sip. »Thanks, I needed that after the drive.«

»Sorry, darling, about the air conditioning, but you know I always get dreadful headaches from it.«

»That’s okay, Mom. I’ll just cool off in the lake now.« I gave her a smile. If she only knew that it wasn’t just the lack of air conditioning that had made the journey sweat-inducing for me.

»That Wesley,« my aunt began, grinning broadly at me. I knew exactly where this conversation was going. »You and him?«

»No! They’re just friends, right darling?« my Mom chimed in.

»Absolutely,« I confirmed quickly.

»Really? Then I must have imagined those looks.« Veronika wiggled her eyebrows and sipped her glass. »You don’t have to be embarrassed. If I were a few years younger and as beautiful as you, I wouldn’t let that sweetheart pass me by,« my aunt retorted, and I snorted into my champagne glass in laughter.

»Wesley was a friend of Elliot’s since childhood. They knew each other from school and he was often with us. The poor boy didn’t have it easy with his Dad.«

Did my Mom know more? Should I ask her, or wait to see if Wesley would tell me himself someday? »Oh, he’s certainly turned out well despite that. Friends or not, even our little Bri has noticed, right?« Veronika grinned from ear to ear. »Would certainly be a nice change from your workaholic tendencies.«

»I manage,« I said. »My job doesn’t keep me from meeting men, don’t worry.« If only they knew...

»It’s your business, you’ll find the right one.« My Mom patted my shoulder. She meant well, but I knew she’d always had a problem with my ex-boyfriends. Maybe because they were all unexciting stick-in-the-muds. Now that I had Wesley to compare them to, I could say that even myself.

»I think I’ll go and refresh myself outside for a while.« I gulped down the champagne in one go, for the sight of Wesley in swimming shorts required as much preparation as was possible for me at the moment.

»Do that!«

I left the two to their chatter, walked through the living room, and onto the back porch. We had driven for a long time, and the sun was already hanging low over the lake, shining brilliantly in the smooth water surface. Individual waves lapped around Wesley, who stood next to the pier in the water, watching as Elliot did a cannonball off it. My Dad and Dan were sitting on two deck chairs on the lawn, drinking canned beer.

No one had noticed me yet, and I had to admit, my aunt was right. I was definitely not immune when it came to Wesley. The water on his abs glistened as though its sole purpose was to highlight them even better. A dark strip of hair disappeared into his low-slung shorts, and he had that pronounced V that would drive any woman crazy. Sport was his relaxation, and it certainly showed on him.

No matter what our current relationship status was, whether boss and employee, friends, or something a little more, I couldn’t deny that he drew me in. He always had, only I had assumed it was a one-way thing and he didn’t find something about me too. But if I was reading the signs right, I wasn’t the only one here struggling to control her desires.

Apparently, he noticed my staring and looked over at me. Swiftly, I averted my gaze and descended the steps down into the garden. Taking off the towel now and baring myself to everyone demanded more of me than I had anticipated. If it had been just my Dad, my uncle, and my brother, it wouldn’t have been a problem at all.

Pretending not to feel Wesley’s gaze on me, I confidently strode towards a beach chair and unwrapped myself from the towel, chatting about trivial things with my father and Dan.

When I looked up, I could read so much in Wesley’s gaze that didn’t belong there. Not now. Hopefully, my brother was too absorbed in himself. He said something to Wesley and nodded towards a buoy some distance away before he took off and started swimming. Wesley hesitated, while I walked along the pier to the end, dipped a toe into the water and held on to the metal ladder. I hoped that the golden light of the sun made me look as advantageous as it did Wesley. As I looked at him, he turned away and followed Elliot. God, it was so hard not to do anything that would give us away. Ideally, I would have liked to get much closer to him than I could. The next two days were going to be harder than I had suspected.

17

Wesley

Bri had exaggerated. Her family was not half as embarrassing as she had claimed. They were warm, they laughed a lot, and had entertaining stories to tell. Above all, Toni and Veronika were unique. Toni had fired up the barbecue, and we had eaten together on the terrace, while I felt as though I had always been part of this family. An experience I definitely hadn’t known from home, but one that had always fascinated me about the Sullivans. Had I been secretly seeking this sense of unity - and was that why I felt so drawn to Bri? Because she embodied exactly that?

It was certainly going to be a pleasant weekend. At least if it weren’t for the aspect of the lake and Brianna in a bikini. I had significantly underestimated that. Seeing her as she slowly peeled off her towel, adopting that look that made me instantly forget everything, had tugged hard at my self-control and demanded more than a swim in the cool water.

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