Page 23 of My Forbidden Boss

I leaned back a little, my grin getting broader. I felt transported back years, to a time when the girl I had a crush on actually gave me her attention.

»In reality, you were the one who gave me the cold shoulder more than once. You were the queen of rejections.«

»Me?«

»Yes, you, don’t act so innocent. You looked at Elliot and me like we were stinking animals.«

»Elliot, yes, but not you. You were pretty hot back then and always smelled good.«

»Then you really played it well.«

»I did indeed. I had quite a crush on you,« she confessed and bit her lower lip to hide her smile. But I had seen it clearly.

»Were?«

She snorted. »I was in love with the image you wanted others to believe. The handsome, profound boy.«

»Hey, I am handsome and profound!« I complained playfully.

»Yes, of course. And a bad idea.«

»Hm, it sounded quite different in Las Vegas.«

»What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Don’t you know the saying?« she cheekily asked.

»Then I want to move there with you.« Again, I made her laugh.

»You’ve already said no to an Elvis, so I guess that won’t happen.« She gave me one last look and stood up. »Feel free to sleep on the couch, no one will hold it against you.«

»I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to sleep on the couch, too. I mean, you’re hearing his snoring too, after all. I could scoot over.«

»Nice try, pretty boy.«

»And there’s another rejection. I feel like back in the day.«

She stood next to me, so close. It would be easy for me to pull her onto my lap now, and I knew she wouldn’t resist. She couldn’t. We’ve always had this magnetic pull towards each other, but she was right. We were not a good idea. It had to stay at this friendly banter if we wanted to stay on the safe side. And God, yes, I despised drama. Even though I wanted her. Urgently. Fervently. Throbbingly. Hard. Intensely.

»Goodnight, Wesley,« she whispered.

»Goodnight, Bri.«

With all my might, I pulled my focus back to my work, opened my laptop, and listened as her steps receded. Only when the door closed softly did I close my eyes and lay my head against the backrest.

Where was my damn restraint when I needed it?

18

Brianna

»And you guys did this all the time as kids?« I looked at my brother, his grin getting wider. »Are you scared, Wesley Crush?« I teased him. Immediately, he put on a nonchalant face, but I could clearly see his skepticism.

»If you want, we can start off with the baby speed first,« said Elliot, and Wesley gave him the middle finger.

But it was too late. He quickly clawed onto the handlebar as Steve sped up his speedboat. Elliot and I whooped with joy. Even back then, we had begged Toni’s neighbor Steve to do a round of fun tubing. An inflatable seat that could hold up to four people, and was dragged at breakneck speed behind the boat. Falls included. Elliot and I always used to bet on who would fall off first. The loser had to be the other’s butler for the entire day. Even this time, that was the wager, and I hoped Wesley would be the first one to surrender. His muscles were straining to their breaking point as he clung to the two handlebars.

I laughed out loud as Steve took a curve and the fun tube shot across the water surface. When I looked at Wesley, his features actually relaxed a bit, and he showed something like a small smile. Had he never done such things as a child?

I was flung to the right against his shoulder as Steve abruptly took a curve in the other direction. Wesley raised an eyebrow as I half hung over him and couldn’t resist the centrifugal force. With one final jerk, it happened. The fun tube flipped, and we all three hit the water with a mighty crash at the same time. Due to the impact, the thin strings of my panties came loose. I felt it before the fabric floated in shreds to the surface. Oh. No.

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