Theo’s watching me, his expression is apprehensive, but Ican tell he is soaking up every word that comes from my mouth.
“I have never been this—” I pause, trying to find the right word. “Conflicted about anyone before. We both obviously know the boundaries we’d be pushing if we pursue anything together, but at the same time, I can’t imagine us not.”
Theo pushes himself out of his chair, rounds his desk, and saunters up to me until I have to crane my neck to see him. His brown eyes seem to trace every feature of my face. Slowly, his hand rises to cup my cheek, and I can’t help but lean into his touch.
He looks deep in thought as he gazes down at me. His thumb strokes my cheek tenderly, and I want to cry at how intimate this moment is. “We should probably stop this while we’re ahead,” he says, his voice low too. “That’s what I was going to say when I emailed you that we should talk.”
My throat feels sick as I nod. “Okay. That’s probably for the best.”
“That’s what Iwasgoing to say,” he corrects, emphasizing the past. “But now, I don’t know. I think I’m just as conflicted as you are.”
“What do we do?”
“I don’t know,” he says. “I like working with you. I like you being the first person I get to see in the mornings.”
“Except for Charlotte,” I tease.
He breathes a laugh. “Except for Charlotte. But we both know the policy. No work relationships.”
“So maybe we just…see what happens? Outside of work?” I suggest hesitantly, unsure if this will be enough of a gray area that he’ll be on board with.
He nods twice. “I think that might work. As long as you are okay with that.”
A weight feels like it lifts off my chest, and I exhalelike I can finally breathe again. Theo’s still holding my cheek so tenderly that I never want to move from this position. “I like that idea,” I whisper, looking at him through my eyelashes.
Theo’s eyes darken ever so slightly, and he steps closer to me. “Whitney,” he begins, saying my name in the way that only he can. “I want to kiss you right now. If you don’t want this tonight, I need you to tell me. There will be no repercussions. We can end whatever this is right here, right now, or slow it down. You hold the reins.”
I swallow thickly as I stare into his warm eyes. He means it; I know he does. He’s giving me an out, a chance to back out before we both fall in too deep too quickly. Maybe if I were smarter, I’d take his offer, slow this down, and ease into it a little more.
But I don’t. My heart wants to step on the gas and go full throttle.
“The door is open,” I whisper.
Theo raises an eyebrow and a wicked smile appears on his lips. “Yeah?” he asks in challenge. “Tell me what you want me to do, Whitney.”
My lips part with a gasp as if I’m shocked I willingly agree to this, but I give a slight nod of my head. “I want you to kiss me.”
Theo’s eyes dilate, and then he closes the distance between us, not wasting any more time. He captures my lips in a wild, controlling kiss. The kind of kiss that only comes from desire which has been dampened for too long.
My back arches the minute his mouth is on mine, and I make a wanton sound low in my throat. Any other time, I’d be embarrassed at the sound, but currently? My mind is too focused on how Theo feels about me to care.
I wrap my arms around his neck and press myself againsthim, trying to get closer. He groans low in his throat as I kiss him back with just as much fervor.
This is so wrong. So out of pocket and against the rules. But it’s driving me mad. My body lights up within seconds and all I want is to be closer to him. I want his arms to wrap around me tighter and hold me to him like he never wants to let me go.
Too quickly, he’s putting space between us and breaking our lips apart. “Okay,” he says before pecking my lips again. “Okay. Let’s slow down a bit, baby.”
I can’t help the whimper that escapes me. Theo’s hands cup my face, brushing away the stray hairs lingering on my forehead.
“I don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves,” he whispers. I force myself to nod in agreement. I know he’s making the right decision here, no matter how much I dislike it.
I step away from him and straighten my shirt. Theo clears his throat and watches me appreciatively. My cheeks burn, but this time it is more from desire than embarrassment. If Theo hadn’t stopped me, I don’t know how far I would’ve taken things.
Kissing him was more than I could’ve ever imagined. Like a million shooting stars traveling across the night sky. Magical. Enchanting. Everything.
And now that I know what it’s like to kiss Theo Hurst, I can easily see myself not wanting to ever stop.
We each share a quiet smile and then slide back into our business modes without mentioning the explosive kiss we shared. I go back to my desk and gather my things. When I’m ready to leave, Theo has his stuff and is waiting for me.
