Page 23 of Craving Her Christmas Boss

He stepped closer, his eyes steak and blue and full of intent, and his hands lifted. She shrank back, bumping against the door, knowing her will would dissolve completely if he kissed her. She wanted to say no, but the nearer he got, the nearer she got to yes. But his hands bypassed her, pressed instead on the door behind her, on either side of her head. His face was shadowed as he looked down at her, as she fought to stand firm and not slither into that slimy pond of repetition.

You were supposed to learn from your mistakes, not make them again and again. She made herself remember that night with George—the accident and the aftermath. But Ryan leaned closer, and she could see nothing but him, and she had pressed her lips together hard to stop herself saying anything—not least the wrong thing likeyes, yes, yesorplease, please, please.

The longest of moments held them still as statues, both barely holding firm, until finally he pushed away. His eyes are glittered with an emotion she couldn’t interpret as he turned towards the street.

‘Don’t eventhinkabout calling me Mr Taylor tomorrow.’

* * *

Ryan strode, confusion and frustration pushing his feet fast and far. He’d gone to sleep happier than he could ever remember being, having had the most incredible experience of his life. Only then he had woken to find that the reason for his happiness was on the brink of slinking out of his room—as he suspected she would from his life if she could.

Why?

He paced the streets, replaying the night, trying to work out what it was that made her take fright so completely. He couldn’t come up with anything—hell, he’d never felt anything sorightin his life. Their bodies were meant to move together. Hadn’t she felt that too? They weren’t on different planets, were they?

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to have been fun and thrilling and the beginning of a fantastic fling. But instead of feeling tension free, and thus able to concentrate properly for the first time in about two weeks, Ryan found himself feeling more tormented and distracted than ever. How annoying was that?

The next day she clearly had plans to avoid him as much as possible. Indeed she succeeded right through almost to the end of her lunch break. But just as Mommy was kissing Santa Claus for the sixth time that day, Ryan finally got to the front of the queue and dumped his present on the wrapping desk between them, determined to reclaim his ground. Or at least try to understand what was going on in her head. Because there was more to them that this chemistry.

‘What’s that?’

Wow, where had her customer service smile gone?

‘A cactus. What else?’

He wasn’t exactly Mr Friendly, either.

‘I didn’t know we sold cacti.’

‘We don’t. I bought it at another store.’

She lifted the pot, disdain written all over her.

‘You think I’m abusing my position by getting you to wrap it for me?’ he asked.

‘Aren’t you?’

He inhaled. Was that what she thought he was doing with her—taking advantage? Injustice seethed—she’dcome tohim. And he’d make her come to him again. He told himself to calm down and follow the only plan he had thought of—to go a little slower, however much against the grain that was for him.

‘The thing about this little cactus is that it is very rare. And even though it has big, sharp prickles, it’s worth taking care of.’

‘Oh, really?’

‘Yes. Because when it flowers, it’s the most beautiful thing.’

Her hands were working a little slower now, but she still wouldn’t look at him.

‘You want to know something else about this cactus?’

‘Not particularly.’

He didn’t believe her. Her fingers were trembling. ‘It has medicinal properties.’

‘Uh-huh?’

‘That’s right. It makes people feel good. In fact, this particular cactus knows how to make me feelreallygood.’

There was a short silence. Then, ‘you can’t take plants on a plane.’

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