Page 24 of The Boss's Forbidden Assistant

Taking his lead from her, he took a step backwards, hands on hips. ‘Nothing good can come from this. I wish you wouldn’t—’

‘Don’t blame me, don’t you dare,’ she said. ‘None of this is my fault.’

‘Isn’t it?’ he responded, and she had no idea what that meant.

‘What did I do wrong, then?’ she demanded angrily.

‘You came into my life.’

‘Gee, thanks.’ She blinked down the hallway, her face pale. ‘Do you really feel that way? Do you want me to leave? Because I will. I’ll go back to Chicago if you’d prefer.’

‘What I would prefer is never to have met you.’

She frowned, wondering at the soreness in her chest, the ache that was spreading through her whole body.

‘Forget what I said earlier,’ she muttered, spinning away from him and trying her key card once more. She could have cried tears of relief when it worked and the door sprang open. ‘You’re not a jerk. You’re an A-grade asshole and I can’t wait to see the back of you.’

She’d never been more satisfied to slam a door in her life.

He’d overreacted.

Royally.

She was right—he’d acted like an asshole.

But if he hadn’t stopped what had been happening between them, he would have stripped her naked and taken her right there in the corridor of the hotel. He wracked his brain, staring out at the stunning view from his hotel room, trying to remember what life had been like before Anna-Maria. He’d had lovers—lots of lovers—but had he ever felt an almost demonic need to possess a woman? Had he ever been driven so wild?

His features were grim, his body tense.

If he had, he’d forgotten over time, because the way he’d responded to Harper in the corridor outside her room had felt like a first to Salvador. And a last. It had to be the last. He couldn’t keep succumbing to temptation just because she was there, just because he wanted her with the might of a thousand gods.

Every incendiary touch just reminded him of how he’d failed Anna-Maria. Failed to respond to her, to want her beyond that first night. Even to love her as she’d deserved to be loved—not as an old friend, but as a lover and wife. And, the worst failure of all, he hadn’t been able to save her or their daughter.

With a groan, he dove into the water of his pool, holding his breath under water, willing himself to push Harper from his mind just as easily as he cut through the pool and emerged on the other side. Would that it could be so easy.

Venice was not much better. Another stunning hotel, this one on the Grand Canal and with no pretensions to ‘rustic charm’. It was the very last word in glamorous luxury, from the enormous marble keystone tiles to the golden chandeliers and curving timber staircase that sat grandly in the entrance foyer. At this hotel, their rooms were side by side—which would have made it harder to ignore him except for the fact they’d barely spoken two words since that kiss in Zakynthos. They’d exchanged emails as necessary, and Harper had tagged along to his meetings, nodding her agreement when he’d asked her to do various tasks, but that had been the extent of it. The flight had been conducted in silence—Harper had gone to her bedroom to work, stony as she’d passed him.

At least, she’d looked stony, but her insides had been quivering and melting, the memories of their kiss driving her almost crazy. Even sleep offered no respite: he was there, his hands on her body, his lips on hers, the kiss so perfect, so hot and demanding, so satisfying. She’d known how perfect it would be for him to come into her room...but she couldn’t think like that.

This was a disaster. Harper had become so caught up in how she wanted him that she had forgotten how committed she was to avoiding entanglements. There was nothing simple and uncomplicated about Salvador. He was an emotional wreck, someone she needed to avoid like the plague.

They’d arrived in Venice mid-morning and toured the hotel first, then headed into a meeting with one of the representatives from the consortium selling the chain of hotels. Harper’s head was swimming after those three hours—the figures discussed, the terms agreed to; it was all so much, such big business. She hadn’t really appreciated how much of this Salvador conducted personally, but of course it was his company, and he was known for taking a hand in all his dealings.

The flame of curiosity burned a little brighter in her chest, because her desire to learn about him hadn’t abated, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of asking questions.

When the meeting was over and she was walking alone through the hallway, her heels making a reassuring clackety-clack sound on the floor, he caught up with her.

‘Ms Lawson.’ The way he said her name was a command to stop walking, but she didn’t. ‘Harper.’ The second was said more sharply but she gasped, because the only other time he’d used her first name had been with his mouth pressed to hers. She spun to face him, eyes flashing anger.

‘What?’

‘What?’ he repeated, brows raised.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said with sarcasm. ‘What would you like, sir?’

A muscle jerked in his jaw. ‘Have dinner with me.’

‘But you eat alone,’ she reminded him tartly.

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