Page 43 of Defying Her Arrogant Boss

She heard his sigh. ‘Hell, yes. Will be even better when we’re curled in bed together.’

‘I might need you to carry me there. I don’t think I have the energy to move.’ Or the will. It was so nice being held by him, still part of him, locked in his arms.

‘Okay, beautiful. But I need to rest you here for a second. I’ve still got my shoes on and my trousers round my ankles. If I try to walk we’ll both end in a heap on the floor.’

With a half-laugh she unhooked her legs from his waist and he eased her down a little so she could stand.

Leaning back, she watched as he quickly kicked off his shoes and stepped from his trousers, leaving them in a dark puddle on the floor together with the rest of the clothes they had managed to remove. Then with a mischievous grin he leant forward and caught her round her middle, swinging her up over his shoulder so she hung upside down over his back.

‘Hey, what am I? Your snowboard?’

He laughed. ‘Hell, no, you’re a lot more fun to ride.’ Her mouth fell open at his cheek and then she realised she was in a perfect position to assess the quality of his other cheeks, and reaching down, she gave him a playful pinch. ‘Huh!’

His chuckles didn’t abate. After five paces he laid her on her bed and with gentle hands undid her skirt and freed her from the rest of her clothes.

‘Now that we’ve addressed the raging inferno, let’s get back to the slow bum shall, we?’ He traced his hand slowly, softly down her body and unbelievably she felt the flicker all over again.

‘Just for tonight.’ She turned into the curve of his warm body and he lifted her to lie on top of him, his fingers gently tracing patterns down her back. She blanketed her body over his and slowly, lazily stroked him, soothing the marks she’d left on him in the passion of moments before.

Holding her head away for a moment, he smiled at her. ‘Let’s take it one day at a time.’ Then with a simple kiss he obliterated all argument from her mind.

* * *

She woke early. Alone. She tried to block the immediate stab of pain in her heart. He’d understood then— one last night only. She doubted her ability to see out the last few weeks at Franklin’s. He was far too much of a temptation and she knew he meant a whole lot more to her than just a fling. He had been right last night when he’d accused her of wanting to push him away. Of course she did because she wanted more than an affair. She wanted for ever. And that wasn’t going to happen. It had never been on the cards. He’d said six weeks was ages. Ages for their affair to bum itself out? For him maybe, but she had the sinking feeling it would take a lifetime or more for her. At least by ending it now she could start the long, slow road to recovery. Maybe she should investigate a final trip to Europe for these last few weeks. She sank deeper into the bed, for the first time ever finding the idea totally unappealing.

The key turned in the lock. She sat up, the sheet clutched to her as, round-eyed, she watched Rory stride in with several overloaded supermarket bags.

‘I know what’s in your pantry and, unlike you I cannot live on cereal alone.’ He calmly set about stocking her tiny kitchenette with fresh coffee and a brand new stove-top cafetiere. Croissants followed, together with cheese and ham to fill them as well as raspberry jam. A couple of litres of fruit juice—one being pineapple, she noted. He was good, she had to admit it.

He tossed the Saturday paper on the bed. ‘Rest up, you need it. You still look off colour.’

‘How long are you planning to stay?’ She finally found her voice still worked.

‘At least ’til you’ve had something decent for breakfast. Got your energy back.’ He winked outrageously.

Her cheeks burned. Her mushed-up heart started its crazy pulse again. She knew she just wasn’t going to be able to help herself.

Later he dressed again, ready to leave, telling her to stay the afternoon in bed. ‘I need to get home and get changed. Have dinner with me tonight. I’ll cook. I’ll pick you up at six. Don’t forget to pack an overnight bag and bring some good walking shoes. I’ve got a great sightseeing trip planned for you tomorrow.’

She gaped at him. ‘Last night was our one last night, Rory.’

‘No. One day at a time, remember?’

Awfully, it wasn’t that she couldn’t say no to him; she couldn’t say no to herself. Even worse was the fact that she couldn’t chalk it all down to lust either. It wasn’t only the sex. She liked walking with him, talking with him and, most of all, the laughing. When he smiled at her, the warmth it brought to her heart was like the most addictive drug—his company something she couldn’t get enough of. Oh, yes, she’d fallen for him big style.

She thought of her mother and for once didn’t think of that final heartache of what had happened with her boss. Instead she thought of her mother’s love for her father. And how she’d explained it to Lissa, how she had got through the months of grief after he’d died. How she had repeated to her the old saying—‘better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all’. And she knew she couldn’t give Rory up. Not even for her own well-being. Not until she was forced to.

* * *

Sunday night, after a day together that Lissa wanted to burn into her memory, he said he wanted to spend the night at her flat. She felt unsure about turning up to work together the next day.

‘Well, everyone knows, Lissa—what difference is it going to make?’

None. He was right, of course. Theirs wasn’t the only affair going on in the office and certainly wouldn’t be the last. And he’d said himself it was one day at a time, no looking to the future. There was no future. In a few short weeks she would be flying out of the country for good.

No one batted an eyelid when they walked out of the lift together at the start of the day. And when he stopped by her desk at the end of the afternoon wanting to know what time she’d be free to go home, Gina answered for her.

And she just couldn’t say no.

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