Page 45 of The Bossy One

OLIVIA

After I put Catie down to bed, I retreated to my room to snuggle under the covers and scroll through some of my favorite book reviewer and author blogs on Snug. Declan had invited me to watch TV with him, but after the intimacy of this morning’s boat ride, I needed a break from proximity to him.

It was intimate, right?I found myself wondering for the millionth time. There’d been a moment when I smiled at him, and his eyes dropped to my lips, and I could have sworn…

I blew out an unsteady breath.

Evenifthere had been a moment, it didn’t mean anything. Declan was a hot, single billionaire with a sexy accent. Plus, he was a surprisingly decent man under his grumpy exterior. Most of the straight women he met probably thought they had “moments” with him.

Still. The way his eyes had darkened. The way he’d leaned in…

I kicked off the covers, feeling hot. When my phone buzzed with a message notification from @DBCoder, I was grateful for the distraction. We’d exchanged a few messages since the day Declan “fired” me, and @DBCoder had apologized for not seeing my message that day. Apparently, he’d been busy with a work thing.

Tonight’s message readCan I ask your advice?

Always, I typed.

Is there ever a scenario where it’s acceptable to ask out a woman who works for you?

Ooof. There was a thorny question. Before Declan, I would have said, “No, too messy, don’t go there.” I’d never been attracted to any of the men I’d worked for, and it would have made me deeply uncomfortable if any of them had made a pass.

But now I knew what it was like to meet someone through work and…wonder. I knew Declan would never ask me out. He valued our professional relationship, and even if he didn’t, I wasn’t his type. But for the sake of giving good advice to a friend, I tried to imagine what it would be like if Declan ever asked me out on a proper date.

Just imagining sent butterflies flapping in my stomach.

What if @DBCoder’s girl was waiting with those same butterflies for him to make a move? On the other hand, what if she wasn’t, and making a move would ruin a perfectly good working relationship?

You’re not going to like this, I typed,but the only scenario in which it’s ok to ask out your employee is if you already know she’s into you.

That makes no sense, he shot back.How am I going to know her feelings if I don’t ask her out?

You won’t,I replied,unless she tells you.

He started typing, then stopped. I could imagine him turning my answer over in his head.

Sorry,I wrote.I told you that you weren’t going to like the answer.

You did, he responded. Thenthanks.He sent a gif of some actor I didn’t recognize banging his head against a wall.

I laughed. Poor guy.

A part of me was envious of this real-world woman @DBCoder liked. But as long as I refused to take our relationship offline, I didn’t have any right to be jealous of who he dated. Besides, he was my friend. I wanted him to be happy.

If it makes you feel better,you’re not alone, I wrote. Before I could lose my nerve I added,I sort of have the hots for a guy I work with. It’s been…

I searched for the right word.

Distracting, I finished.

Naughty girl,he teased. Then,Does he work for you?

I’d mentioned to @DBCoder that I worked in childcare, but we’d never gotten into specifics. For all he knew, I was a principal at a primary school or the admin at a nanny agency.

I imagined Declan reporting to me in some imaginary office setting. It was both hilarious and strangely hot. I snorted and typedNo.

Then ask him out, @DBCoder said.By your own rules, you’re in the clear.

That was bullshit. There were a million reasons why asking Declan out was a terrible idea, but I didn’t want to get into them with @DBCoder.

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