Page 40 of Grumpy Boss's Secret

“Don’t get your hopes up, Jozi,” I murmured. “That doesn’t mean the woman you saw was Cynthia. There could still be another woman.”

Yeah, but Google could probably give me the answer to that in a few seconds. I sat down in my desk chair and typed rapidly. Cynthia Huntington. I clicked. I ignored the articles that came up and immediately went to images. My heart dropped through the carpet.

Yep, that was definitely her. Gorgeous, long blond hair, teeth like pearls. I leaned forward. On closer inspection, she shared a few facial features with Ian. They didn't look like twins, but now that I was looking for them, they were clearly siblings.

“I’m an idiot,” I whispered.

I sat back in my chair, my eyes on the wall before me. The events of the past week swirled through my mind. Oh, I really hadn't been fair to Ian. No wonder the poor boy was confused.

I stood up and started to pace. I glanced at my clock. It was only nine thirty – I didn't want to interrupt Ian during his workday. But I wanted to apologize. After a few more paces, my adrenaline had reached a peak. I couldn't stay in my office anymore. I couldn't possibly concentrate on my work. Not when Ian was on the other side of a hallway. And there was a chance he loved me. That he was free to love me.

I left my office, striding down the hallway, wondering what I would say. I still didn't want to confess to spying on him. I wasn't sure if I wanted to reveal that I was "Zee" yet or not – that was something I wanted to take some time to think about. Right now, my pounding heart didn't have time to think about anything except getting down that hallway and knocking on Ian's door.

I reached his office. I lifted a fist to the door and knocked. “Come in,” Ian’s voice called.

Was it my imagination, or did he sound curious? I opened the door, blinking repentantly like a contrite fawn.

"Jozi," Ian said, standing up. His eyebrows rose in surprise, but his eyes were sparkling at seeing me.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

Ian cocked his head to one side. “For…”

“I’m just sorry,” I said. “I was wrong about something. Misinformation. I apologize.”

“So, you were mad at me?” Ian asked, his eyes beginning to trace over my face fondly.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" I said in a calm tone, my eyes twinkling.

I was still standing by the door. I didn't have an excuse to walk farther into the room. But I wanted to. I tried to close the distance between us. He stood there, poised, but leaning forward as if trying to reach me. As if he also wanted to close the distance between us. I could feel his energy humming across the room, extending towards me. Trying to draw me in.

“Oh, maybe the way you threw the flowers I sent you in the trash?” Ian asked, taking a step around his desk.

"I was under the impression you shouldn't have sent them," I said, taking a step toward him. The heat seemed to shimmer on the surface of my skin. I felt warm, intoxicated, and drawn to this man as if he were a magnet pulling me with such force that I could feel the currents of the friction inside my body like heat.

“Why?” Ian asked, taking another step towards me.

"I'd rather not say," I said, finding my voice quieter as I drew closer to him. The distance between us was much smaller now, only a few feet.

Ian raised his eyebrows, and his lips curved upwards into a slow smile. “You are an enigma, Jozi,” he said.

Another step. “Funny,” I said, “I used to think the same thing about you.”

Another step. “And what do you think now?” he asked.

Another step. We were almost touching now. He gazed down at me, his broad shoulders looming over me. His eyes were gentle and affectionate. I thought about what he'd written in his book. About desiring a woman who looked like me. About feeling something for her he'd never felt for another woman.

“I don’t know what to think,” I whispered.

He kissed me. The next thing I knew, I was wrapped tightly in his arms, held so close to his chest that I hardly had room to breathe. His lips pressed against mine, the force of his energy sending shockwaves through me. I found I was shaking a little.

“Jozi,” he whispered, nuzzling his nose through my hair. “I’ve missed you.”

I pressed my hands against his muscular back, leaning back into his embrace, letting him hold me as he pushed the full weight of his passion against my lips. I wanted him… to take him and for him to take me - immediately and in that moment like nothing I'd ever wanted before in my life.

He inhaled, breaking our kiss, and rubbed his cheek against my forehead. My mouth tried to move, but I couldn’t get any words out. I wanted to whisper that I’d missed him too and was sorry I’d been unkind – that I wanted him… that I loved him.

But all I could do was take a shaky breath, treasuring the feeling of his strong arms around me. I felt dazed by his nearness, overwhelmed by my desire. Ian kissed my lips again and then let go of me. Disappointment crashed through me. Of course. We were here. I needed to leave this office and walk back to my own to face a long day of computer screens, typed words, and phone calls with strangers.

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