Read Online The Boss by Abigail Barnette - Free Book Online Page B

the
consequences. That made Neil a very dangerous man for me to be
around.
    He looked crestfallen. "You're right. I
shouldn't have... I just wasn't sure how we'd left it. And I would
like, very much, to see if there's anything between us."
    "I think it's pretty obvious that there is."
There was no point in denying that anymore. "But I’m not sure it’s
going to work.”
    "It isn't that I'm looking for a serious
relationship," he continued, watching me warily. I wondered if he
thought he’d hurt my feelings by not holding onto some tortured,
unrequited love for me.
    I had to put that notion to bed, right away.
Christ, had I just thought about bed? No, serious relationships,
that’s what we were discussing. Keep it together, Scaife. You
can’t be stupid about this.
    "I’m not in the market for anything serious,
either. At least not right now. Not for a while." It wasn't a ploy;
having a boyfriend was fairly low on my list of priorities. "I just
got a life of my own two years ago, when I graduated college. I'm
not ready to share it with anyone else."
    He smiled with... was that admiration? I
didn't think I'd said anything all that admirable, just honest.
    "That sounds fair. But earlier today you
suggested we might see each other casually." How did he manage to
sound so reasonable and smart while being stinking drunk? It
probably had a lot to do with the accent. He could have come in
here and said he was turning Porteras into a car magazine,
and I would have praised his vision, because he sounded so cultured
and posh.
    God, I could be so stereotypically American
sometimes.
    I shrugged. "That was before I really thought
about the job you offered me. I would love to take the position,
but the last thing I need is to have people saying I got a
promotion because I slept with the boss."
    "That would be a problem, if we were
indiscreet. Do you plan on broadcasting all of our sexual
activities to the entire office?" He raised an eyebrow.
    "No, of course not." I tried to think of a
time I'd ever... Oh, fine. I'm caught. "I do occasionally
discuss private matters with one of my work friends."
    "So do I, which is exactly why I'm here." He
motioned to the couch. "Do you mind if we -"
    "Oh, yeah, sorry." I covered my eyes with one
hand, but it didn't do much to hide my embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I
don't entertain much."
    "On the contrary, you entertain me
immensely." He sat on the couch and frowned as he picked up the
hemostat Holli used as a roach clip. The burned down end of a
healthy sized joint was still clamped tightly in the pinchers. I
grabbed it from his hand and in my panic, tossed it over my
shoulder to clatter on the kitchenette floor.
    "It's my roommate's," I explained quickly. "I
would never -"
    "Don't be so jumpy, I'm not here to inform on
you." He patted the sofa beside him, but I didn't sit there. I sat
on the arm of the easy chair, well out of the field of his sexual
magnetism.
    Who was I kidding? He could be in Finland
right now, and my girl parts would still be all achey at the
thought of him. Just the fact that he’d said “ our sexual
activities” had sent my pulse due south.
    "Sorry, I thought I might have shocked you."
Why had I said that? Maybe explaining further would make things
better. "You know, different generation and all."
    Explaining further never made awkwardness
better. I should have known that by now.
    "Yes, terribly shocking," he mockingly
agreed. "Since youth and recreational drug use were invented only
five years ago, I've obviously never been exposed to either."
    My face flamed with embarrassment. "Did you
come over here just to tease me?"
    His expression softened into one of remorse
at hurting my feelings. "I think it's quite obvious that I came
over here because I'm still attracted to you. I've thought of you
every day. I may have said that before, but it bears repeating. If
I hadn't stolen your plane ticket - and let me express again how
very sorry I am about that, in hindsight -