Chapter Nine
After his conversation with Randall Taylor, Harlan finally admitted the truth of what he’d been thinking since the night of Felicity’s Ball. What he’d realized the moment he’d seen Savannah again and talked to her. He wanted another chance with her. He didn’t know if it would work. Hell, he didn’t even know if she’d agree. All he knew was he wanted her.
Working with her had its pros and cons. On the one hand she was great at her job. He could already see that she’d be an invaluable asset. Bill had given her a lot of responsibility and she’d come through every time.
But it was getting harder each day to act as if he wanted nothing more than to be her boss. He wanted a hell of a lot more than that. He wanted to kiss her, put his hands on her, and have her put her hands on him. Wanted to feel her soft, bare curves, to run his hands over her while she was in his bed. He just flat wanted her. In his bed, on the floor, on the couch, in a chair, against the wall, anywhere he could have her.
Nothing would happen unless he made the first move and he was tired of waiting. Had they really only been working together for four days?
He walked out of his office and watched Savannah tidying up her desk, preparing to leave for the day. A whiff of lavender came to him, but he was used to that by now, even if he couldn’t figure out why he kept smelling it when there was no reason he could imagine that he should.
She looked up and smiled at him. “Is there something else you need before I leave for the day?”
“Yes.” Hooking his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans, he leaned against the doorjamb. “Have dinner with me.”
“Have—have dinner with you?” She stared at him a minute. “Harlan, are you asking me on a date?”
He half-smiled at that. “I’d say that was fairly obvious.”
“I work for you.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. I’m pretty sure we don’t have any non-fraternization rules.” He walked over to stand by her desk. Picked up a snow globe she used as a paperweight and shook it. “No, I’m sure we don’t. I’d know it if we did.”
Savannah laughed, but sobered quickly. “I don’t know, Harlan. I’m just not sure we should...go there.”
“Why not?” He put down the paperweight and leaned a hip on her desk.
“Come on. You know exactly what I’m talking about. If we go out together then that changes everything. It would impact our working relationship. It could be bad, especially if we started dating and something happened. We’d still have to see each other every day, unless I quit.”
“True, but that’s not the only reason, is it? Not even the main reason. You’re afraid I’ll hurt you again. Aren’t you?”
She stood up. “Are we really going to get into this? Now?”
“Apparently we are. You’re never going to forget what happened in high school, are you?”
“I’ve told you before, I’d almost forgotten until you brought it up at the ball.”
“Tell me the truth, Savannah. Have you really forgotten what we had?”
Their eyes met and held. She averted her gaze and shrugged. “I tried to forget.”
