“You did, actually.You didn’t answer my question about the ball, and now you’re pushing me to the bed.”
He grimaced.“I’m sorry.”
“I got the sense you might like me.And I like you…”
“You do?”
Her eyes went wide.“Isn’t it obvious?”He wasn’t smiling.So maybe it wasn’t that obvious.Or maybe they were both incredibly dense.“I asked you if you were going to the ball!”
“Yeah, but that could mean anything.”
“No, it couldn’t,” Lilian deadpanned.
“I assumed you were… being nice.”
“Nice?”
“Lilian.”He looked so serious she thought he was going to reveal some deep, dark secret.Instead, he said, “You are the nice one between the two of us.You invite everyone to things.You invited me to the party tonight even though no one else wanted me there.”
A hysterical giggle bubbled out of her.“You seriously couldn’t tell that I liked you?”
“I mean, I know how I felt, but I thought you still hated me.”
“I don’t.I haven’t.Not for a while now.”
He smiled at that.“Really?So my attempts to woo you haven’t been in vain.”
A blush scorched her cheeks at the admission.She slapped his arm playfully.“Youwereflirting with me.I changed my mind.I don’t like you again.”
“No, don’t be like that.”He pulled her close.“I do like you.Iwantto kiss you.But we’ve both been drinking, and I am afraid if I kiss you, I won’t be able to stop myself from wanting to do other things with you.”
She was speechless.A shiver of anticipation ran up her spine at the thought of doing… other things with Hawk.“Really?”
“Fuck, Lilian.”He sat next to her on the couch, and the heat was back.This time it was from his body.“I want to do so much more than kiss you.But I want to make sure this is something you really want.”
Their knees touched.He leaned closer.This was the closest she’d ever been to him.She noticed the slight bump in his nose, the elegant curl of his hair, and the bow shape of his lips.Those very kissable lips.
“Me, too,” she admitted weakly.Unable to control herself anymore, she reached up and brushed his hair against his forehead.It was softer than she imagined.
“But I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“You aren’t.”
“I’m your boss.”
She smiled, even though her chest pinched in disappointment.“I thought that might come up.”
The severity of his face eased.“Am I that predictable?”
“Not at all,” Lilian whispered, pulling her hand back.If he’d been predictable, she never would have been able to foresee this happening between them.
“What do we do about this?”
Despite all the things he’d said so far, he hadn’t said the one thing she wanted to hear.That he wanted to date her.Hawk was exactly the kind of man who would hold himself back from a relationship out of fear of breaking rules.
“We can’t be together at the faire,” he said, stoic as always.“But we’re not at the faire here.”
She cocked her head at the expression on his face.“Hawk Carlisle, are you bending the rules?”
