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“I’ll be a perfect gentleman.” He’d have her begging before the night was over. “You won’t have to worry about a thing.” Except that he’d be snooping through her house once she fell asleep, and he’d be stealing back what was rightfully his.
Braden shone his light toward the steps and watched her head up. Like a predator after his prey, he followed those swaying hips snug in that killer dress. If he were totally honest with himself, he’d admit that Zara had the upper hand here. Even though she had no idea why she’d been hired and why he was so eager to be in her home, she had completely taken him by surprise with her professionalism, her kick-ass attitude and her sliver of vulnerability. She’d worked his party with a smile on her face and a firm hand where her assistants were concerned, all the while trying to keep Shane silenced and take on the difficult situation herself.
He tamped down his frustration. No personal emotions were allowed to creep in on his plan. A fling was all he’d allow.
He was on a mission, and Zara was in the crosshairs.
Three
Zara stepped into her bedroom, even more aware of the crackling intimacy. The intense stare Braden had offered, the way his eyes had darted to her lips more than once...she wasn’t naive and she wasn’t afraid of the rumors of him being such a bad boy.
Although he’d felt very bad in a delicious way when he’d been dancing with her earlier.
However, she was fully aware that he was her boss and no matter how much she ached for him to make a move, she knew anything beyond a professional relationship would be a mistake. Besides, she couldn’t commit herself to anything other than a physical relationship with any man, so that definitely left Braden O’Shea out.
Zara suppressed a laugh as they stood just inside her bedroom. Yes, this was totally professional, especially since she had a stack of bras on her dresser she’d yet to put away. Thankfully he hadn’t shone the light there yet. At least the unpacked boxes were lining her walk-in closet, so that was helpful.
“My room is the only one with a king bed, but I can sleep on the chaise and you can have the bed.”
Her face flushed. Why had she said anything about a bed? Why talk about the elephant in the room? She’d been so worried about this situation becoming awkward, but she was the one making it worse. Clearly Braden wasn’t nervous. And why should he be? He was well aware of how jittery she was, which only proved he held the upper hand here.
“I just meant that you’re a big guy and you’d be more comfortable in my bed—er, a bigger bed.” Great, Zara. Keep babbling. When one foot goes in the mouth, throw the other one in, as well.
Braden leaned against the door frame to her bedroom. With his light facing outward, she couldn’t read the expression on his face.
“I’m making you nervous.”
Clearly she wasn’t convincing him that she was confident. “No... Maybe a little.”
That low, rich laugh filled the bedroom, enveloping her in an awareness of just how intimate this situation was going to get, whether she wanted to admit it or not.
“Chemistry and attraction can often be misinterpreted as nerves.”
Zara couldn’t help but laugh. “Get off the attraction. I’m your employee, and your bold statements make this awkward.”
“I see no reason not to be bold.” He shifted, closing the gap slightly between them. “But I’ve promised not to bring up the matter again, so let’s just focus on staying warm. It’s late, and we both need sleep.”
Really? He was just going to leave it at that? Maybe he was going to hold true to his word. Zara was almost disappointed, but she shouldn’t be. Braden had to be strong, because if he continued to make remarks or advances, she didn’t know how long her self-control would hold out.
Hopefully the roads would be better tomorrow, and Braden could go home. Then this would all be a memory, and they would move on with their working relationship. Because that’s what they should do, right? He had another party coming up in a few months, and since she’d been hired as the O’Sheas’ permanent events coordinator, she had to keep her mind focused on her career.
“I’ll hold the light,” he told her. “Let’s get these logs on.”
After the logs were on and heat started filling the room, then they went in search of more flashlights, and Zara grabbed her cell. She had almost a full battery and she hoped it held out until the electricity came back on. If need be, she could always charge it in his car if the electricity stayed off too long.
