He shoots me a narrowed look as he walks into his office. He hates being cut off.
I grin and hand him the manila folder. “Everything is organized by date, as requested, and waiting for your signature.”
He raises one well-groomed eyebrow over his curious blue eyes. “I wasn’t expecting it to be ready until Jessica returns.”
“I like keeping you on your toes.”
He huffs and slips his arms out of the sleeves of his jacket, revealing a crisp white cotton shirt that hints at tight lines of muscle beneath.
“I’ll review and sign these this morning so you can file them with the court today. What else is on the agenda?”
I will my pulse to slow down, channel the role of competent assistant oblivious to her sexy boss, and recite his schedule for the day. When I first started working for him, memorizing his calendar was my way of proving how good I was at my job even though it was only a temporary role. Now I do it to see how his jaw twitches and the quick nod he offers when I’m done.
He likes my meticulousness.
I like his praise—even if it’s only subtle body movements.
“My two p.m.?” He rubs his forehead, something he does when he is tired.
“The client canceled. You have the afternoon free. Maybe you should take some time for yourself.”
And sleep. He is always tired on Wednesdays because he reserves Tuesday nights to work exclusively on his pro bono cases. I doubt he gets more than a few hours of sleep.
I’d be grumpy, too, if I was sleep-deprived and argued for a living.
He leans back in his chair, elbows on the armrests and fingers linked over his perfectly toned stomach. “You want me to do something self-indulgent?”
His question makes my smut-addled brain combust. He couldn’t mean it how I’ve interpreted it—no-fraternization policy, remember?“It’s important to take time to do things for yourself.”
“Any suggestions?”
I think about how indulgent I was last night while reading one-handedly. “I like to read and review books.”
I press my lips tight together.Why did I say that?
“What genre?”
The ones with naughty covers and filthy content.“A bit of everything.”
I step toward the door.
“Paige.”
The way he says my name, a little low and drawn out like I’m in trouble, does very naughty things to my lower belly. “Hmm?”
He taps the manila folder with one long finger and slowly arches a brow. “Should I expect the usual disobedience?”
Disobedience?Has he been reading the thesaurus of grumpy-boss book boyfriends? “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
I hide my grin and walk back to my desk. He’d make the hottest real-life book boyfriend if he didn’t have a stupid policy ruining everything.
I pretend to work on the computer while sneaking glances at him through the transparent glass wall separating his office from the rest of the floor.
He opens the folder and looks at the top page, absent of a sticky note. I’m too far away to know for sure, but he seems… disappointed.
He flips each page until he finds it, then shakes his head.
My gaze drops to his mouth, the permanent scowl I’ve grown accustomed to cracking, his mouth turning up at the corner and hinting at a smile.
