Page 24 of Grumpy Boss's Secret

“What if I kiss you, Larry?” Ian said, his smile slow and impish.

"You don't want to kiss me; there was garlic in my dinner," said Larry complacently.

“Is he going to do it?” Katie asked, aghast and delighted at the same time.

Ian stood up, his eyes roaming the room. They lingered on me for a moment. The room fluttered with tittering and whispers. Everyone seemed amused. Most women's cheeks were flushed – they wanted him to kiss them. A man as beautiful as that, of course, they wanted him to.

Ian walked out from behind the table and into the circle's center. He spun around slowly, still wearing that impish smile. I was surprised. I hadn't expected him to perform like this. He seemed to enjoy his moment in the spotlight as much as Larry.

I didn't think he'd kiss me. I was sure of it, in fact. That might have hinted at what we'd done, and I was sure he didn't want to do that. I wondered which one of the women he would kiss or he would kiss one of the men as a joke. Maybe even Larry, as revenge for suggesting the kiss in the first place.

Ian turned around the circle, enjoying everyone’s suspense. Then he stopped, walked a few paces, placed his hands on my shoulders, and planted his lips on mine. I heard the room erupt into mock cheers and cat-calls. Ian didn’t move. He leaned into the kiss, lingering, his hands gripping my shoulders with his lips pressed warmly against mine. Finally, he stepped back, his eyes twinkling. He winked at me.

“You’re welcome,” I said, even though I felt like the wind had gotten knocked out of me.

He bowed.

“Well, that was a very steamy start to our game,” said Larry, looking at Ian and me with an intent gleam in his eye. I remembered how he’d teased me about being Ian’s date. Was he trying to get us together? Had he known that Ian would kiss me if he’d made a kiss the dare? He couldn’t have.

Ian walked back through the circle and back to his seat. He picked up his whiskey glass and took a leisurely sip. I wondered if his body was whirring with pleasure as much as mine was. I sipped my wine, watching as Larry dramatically turned to Katie, making her the next victim of the game. I wondered if my cheeks were flushed. Cautiously, assuming all eyes were on Katie, I glanced at Ian.

He was watching me.

Chapter Ten

“Do you hear that?”

“What, my stomach growling? Maybe I should order some food.”

“No, thunder. I just heard thunder.”

The mixer had been going on for almost two hours now. We were actually having fun. We'd pushed all the tables in the private room together and sat in a circle, having scattered conversations, creating a spiderweb of sound. I wasn't sitting near Ian but across the table from him. I'd caught him looking at me a couple more times.

“Nonsense, it was probably just someone dropping pots and pans in the kitchen,” said Katie.

“No,” Larry said, “I definitely heard thunder.”

I looked up, and my ears perked. I had a seven-minute walk home without an umbrella. Had it already started raining? I took out my phone and checked the weather radar. A nasty storm was rolling in, but it hadn't reached us yet. Definitely, time to leave. I stood up, draining the last of my second glass of wine.

"I should go," I said. "I walked here, and Larry's right; there's a storm about to hit."

“Do you want a ride?” Janet asked me, and a couple more people echoed her concern.

“No, I’m good,” I said, smiling. “It’s a short walk. Thanks for a fun evening, everybody,” I said, my eyes lingering on Ian as I said it. He was watching me, unsmiling, wheels of thought spinning behind his eyes.

I left the building, stepping out into the night. The wind rushed at me when my feet hit the sidewalk – a damp, wild wind.

"Sheesh," I muttered, starting to walk. The air was still warm – it was summer, after all – but the wind had a force that created goosebumps across my skin. I was glad I'd worn a dress with sleeves.

I hurried along the sidewalk towards my apartment, my heels clicking loudly. Thunder grumbled ominously, and a flash of lightning lit up the sky.

“Come on, give me six minutes,” I said.

I reached a crosswalk and had to wait. I felt a droplet on my shoulder.

“Blast,” I said.

Another droplet. Then a whooshing, pattering sound; suddenly, a curtain of rain tumbled from the sky, across the road, and over my body. It was cold. The droplets hammered against me with a force that only gravity could command.

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