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He shakes his head. “I spent too long with Cassie, that’s all.”
“She didn’t like you seeing Maddie?”
“No. She was very jealous. But then she was jealous of any woman I had contact with, family or not. She accused me of having an affair at least six times over the course of the year.”
“Wow. So much for trusting your partner.”
“Yeah, and I never gave her anything coming close to a reason to accuse me. I’d never cheat on a girl.” He sounds indignant.
“You’re quite the gentleman deep down, aren’t you?”
He meets my eyes, and his turn sultry. “Most of the time.”
Ooh, I promised myself I wouldn’t flirt. He doesn’t make it easy, though. “Naughty boy,” I scold.
He blows out a breath and looks away. “So… you’re coming into the office on the third?”
I hide a smile. “Yes, I’ll be there. What time do you start?”
“I’m usually in by seven thirty, but you’re welcome to start at nine.”
“I can be there for eight if you like?”
He smiles. “Sounds great.”
We continue to chat until the plane lands, and then I call for an Uber.
“You going back to your place?” James asks, “or to your parents?”
“To my parents. I’ve given up my room to someone else.”
His brow furrows, but he just says, “Well I hope it all goes well. I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes, okay.”
We look at each other for a moment, while around us the others gather their cases and start heading across the tarmac. Today he’s wearing jeans and an All Blacks rugby top, and the summer breeze is ruffling his hair. He hasn’t shaved this morning, and he has a hint of stubble on his jaw. He’s incredibly good looking. I’d have said he was far too handsome and wealthy and powerful to be interested in someone like me, but there’s definitely a smidgeon of interest in his eyes.
He glances over at the others. I follow his gaze, expecting them to be watching us, but they’re all walking away, and he looks back at me.
“Happy New Year,” he says.
“Happy New Year,” I whisper, heart thumping as he moves closer to me. Oh shit, he’s going to kiss me. What do I do? I should say no. Tell him it’s an imposition. Scold him for assuming I’d want to kiss him back.
I don’t, though. Funny, that. I just forget to breathe as he bends his head and touches his lips to mine.
It’s an innocent kiss, the kind two friends might have when wishing each other well, just a press of lips, no tongues. But the feel of his lips against mine is like touching a lit match to a fuse. It shoots from my mouth all the way through me, firing all my nerve endings, making all the hairs on my body stand on end, while my nipples tighten in my bra. Ooh, it’s been a long while since a simple kiss has done that.
I wait for him to move back, but he doesn’t. He holds the kiss, just a fraction longer than he should before he lifts his head.
I glare at him, and his lips curve up. “What?” he asks. “You haven’t started working for me yet.”
“No, but somewhere Alex’s head is exploding.”
“He’s not my boss.”
“Don’t tell me he doesn’t scare you.”
That makes him laugh. He picks up his case and hands me mine. “Come on. The Ubers will be waiting.”
