I press my eyes shut, swallowing hard. I should protest, should tell her it can’t be. Remind her that I’m her boss.
Instead, I murmur, “Me too.”
Silence fills the room, and I begin to think she didn’t hear me, but then the top of the pillow wall vanishes as Iris tugs it away.
“I don’t want to be sensible,” she whispers.
My pulse surges as I feel her warmth. I don’t want to be sensible either, but I can’t switch off the rational part of my brain. The part that reminds me she works for me, in a job she’s been forced into by her father. That she’s only twenty-six.
“Iris,” I say gently, and feel her stiffen at my tone. “Baby…” Shit, that’s not helping things. I breathe out, deciding to be honest. She deserves that much. “I want you so badly, it’s killing me. I’ve wanted you since the moment we met.”
She’s quiet, processing this. “Really?” she asks at last.
“Really.”
“Even when…”
I know what she’s asking. If I wanted her when we first worked together, when we argued and I was a jerk.
“Even then.” I reach out in the darkness to stroke her hair. “The way I feel about you has only grown.”
“God, Aidan,” she says, wriggling closer, but I stop her.
“You’re young, sweetheart. So much younger than me.”
“I know.”
“And… you’re vulnerable. I don’t… I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“Vulnerable?” she echoes, and I can hear her frown. “How?”
“The situation with your father…”
“So, it’s him you’re worried about? Your job?”
“No,” I murmur, surprising myself. It’s not that I’mnotworried about losing my job by getting together with the boss’s daughter, but it’s getting harder to believe John’s promises about me making partner. With every ludicrous assignment he sends me on, it becomes clear how little he respects me, and it’s harder to respect him in return. “But… I know it’s difficult for you at work.”
“For God’s sake.” She huffs quietly. “Yes, I struggle sometimes, but I’m not some delicate snowflake you need to tiptoe around.” There’s movement on her side of the bed, then her lamp flicks on. She leans on one elbow, staring down at me. “If you don’t want to be with me because of your career, I can respect that.” Her jaw tightens. “But don’t baby me. I don’t need your pity.”
Guilt seeps through me as I think of Sophie. That’s something she’d say, and maybe they’re both right. Maybe I’m too protective, and that makes it harder for me to see Iris objectively. I think of all the ways I’ve viewed her as fragile, like with her father, or those women today, but just as frequently she’s shown me her strength. She stood up to me when I was too harsh with her. She’s executed amazing ideas at work when given the opportunity. And the way she spoke to those women today was admirable. She’s anything but weak.
“You might think you’re taking advantage of me,” Iris continues, lifting her chin, “but you’re the first person to actuallyrespectme. My thoughts, my creativity, my struggles. My desire. You’re the first person to actually see me.” She swallows, her blue eyes fierce. “That’s what Iwant, Aidan.”
She reaches for me, hand warm as she presses it to my heart, even through my Henley. My pulse accelerates against her palm as her eyes search mine. She’s not wrong. I’ve had every opportunity to take advantage of her, and I haven’t. Logically, I know that’s not what I’m doing. Not when all I want is to make her smile. Make her happy. Make her feel good, feel seen, feel safe.
Feelloved.
My stomach ripples. That’s what I really want. To love her. That fucking terrifies me.
But she’s also right about something else: I respect her. And that means no longer feeding her these bullshit excuses. It means giving in to what we both want. Letting myself fall.
Truly fall.
“Iris,” I whisper.
The ache inside me grows so intense that I can’t fight it anymore. I shove the pillows out the way, tugging her against me. Her warm breath ghosts over my lips, and she closes the last inch between us, pressing her mouth to mine.
This time, there’s no relief, only hunger. Her hands twine in my hair, tugging on the strands, and heat bolts through me. My cock stiffens between us, and I pull myself away with great effort, needing to check one last time. This isn’t some random hookup in a bar, a moment of lost control in my office. It’s a choice we’re making, and I know, for me at least, that it will change things. That I won’t be able to go back to the way things were before.
