“Yes.It’s beautiful out here.”She took a sip and continued to gaze at the sky.
“I never took you for a stargazer.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”She turned to look at me with those deep green eyes.Her lips were slightly parted as if she wanted to say something more.Instead, she took another sip of her drink.
I moved closer.Noticing her shiver, I pulled off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders.“I’d like to learn more about you, if you’d let me.”
She gripped the lapels of my jacket with her free hand.“Thank you,” she said.“It’s chilly out here.”
I nodded a few times.Now what?
It was Valentine’s Day.I was standing under the stars with a brilliant and beautiful woman who seemed utterly genuine—unlike so many from my past.
In that moment, it didn’t matter that I was her boss, that she was six years younger than me, that she had just gotten out of a long-term relationship, or that my sister had treated her terribly.None of it mattered.
Tilting her head to meet my gaze, she bit her lip.“What do you want to know?”
Emboldened by this unexpected invitation, I closed the distance between us and gripped her hip.A few seconds ticked by while I gave her the chance to push my hand away.When she didn’t move from my touch, I stroked her hip bone with my thumb.
“Tell me what happened with your ex.”
She tensed.“It actually happened the night I was offered this job,” she said.“I wanted to go out and celebrate.He didn’t, so I went with Marco instead.”
My jaw tightened.“So, you and Marco then?—”
“Ohmygod, no!”she said hastily.“I told you, we’re just friends.We’ve never crossed that line.”
I had questioned her enough on the topic.I needed to let it go.No matter what IthoughtI saw, I trusted her to be honest with me.
“Hugh and I had been fighting more and more.He stopped paying attention to me or showing me any kind of affection, so I just sort of gave up.”
Ah, so that’s Hugh.
“I know I made the right decision, but it’s still hard, you know?”
She peered up at me, her eyes had turned glassy.This was painful for her.I both hated her pain and relished that she was sharing it with me.She let out a quiet sob.The sound nearly broke me.“Come here,” I said, pulling her into my arms.It was a little awkward because we were still holding our drinks, but I needed to hold her, to comfort her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, leaning back to look at me.“It must be the champagne.It’s making me weepy.”The tip of her nose was red, and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.I took her glass and set them both on the edge of the marble fountain.When I turned back to her, she was blinking back her tears, attempting to master herself.
I could give this sharp, beautiful woman the attention and affection she deserved.It would be effortless.My body was so keyed up from a few simple touches that I knew I could give her what she craved.The angel on my shoulder warned me that I was taking advantage.She had been drinking.She was emotional.She was myintern.
But the devil didn’t care.
I brushed back a tendril of hair that had fallen into her eyes.The touch was featherlight, but she leaned into it.That subtle movement was enough to convince me.She wanted this, too.
She reached up, but instead of brushing my hair back, she trailed her fingers along my jawline.The moment her delicate fingers touched the rough stubble, a shockwave ran through me.I slid my hand into hers.She toyed with my fingers, tracing patterns on my skin that turned my legs to jelly.“Thanks,” she whispered.“It seems like you’re rescuing me a lot these days.”
Fuck—I’d rescue this woman from the pits of hell if it meant one more minute of her hand in mine.I would make her see that she deserved all the love in the world.
I’ll make her see it, and then I’ll give it to her.
I gripped her chin with my thumb and forefinger and tilted her head so our eyes met.Her skin was like velvet against my fingers.I stared at her mouth for a moment, giving her time to object.Instead, she sucked in a breath.It was all the permission I needed.Bending my head, I closed the distance between our mouths.Her lips were pillowy soft and tasted of strawberries and champagne.
She squeezed my hand.I wasn’t sure if it was shock or desire.My unspoken question was answered when her free hand shot up to grip my wrist and her body arched into mine.I deepened the kiss and our tongues tangled.She moaned softly into my mouth and my stiffening cock turned rock hard.I released her hand and wrapped my arm around her, holding her against me.I wanted her to feel what she did to me.
When she gasped and pulled away, I knew I had fucked up.Her hand flew to her mouth, and she shook her head.“Emmett,” she said, eyes welling with tears.“I can’t.”She took off toward the door.I went after her, but the crowd at the fundraiser had swallowed her whole.
She was gone.
