Page 63 of Never To Be Mine

“I should go,” I said.

He walked me to the door of his office. “You don’t have to.”

“I just need some time to think. I’m never this impulsive.”

“Fair enough.” He leaned against the doorframe, and I hated how good he looked even now, rumpled and post-sex gorgeous. “I promise I’ll keep things professional from here on out.”

“You promised me that like a half hour ago, and we saw how well that worked out.” I sighed. “You’re a bad influence.”

He chuckled and his eyes sparkled with humor. “I don’t mean to be.”

I forced myself to move, walking through the warehouse toward the exit. I could feel his eyes on me the entire way.

I made it to my car before I had a mini panic attack. What had I done? What had we done?

The worst part was that I wanted to do it again. Wanted to march back in there and demand a repeat performance. My body still hummed with the afterglow, every nerve ending alive in a way I hadn’t felt in years.

But wanting something didn’t make it right. And it certainly didn’t make it smart.

I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, refusing to look back.

20

HOLLIS

Iwoke up early. Not that I had gotten a great night’s sleep. I dressed in my running gear and headed out the door without bothering to have coffee first. The beach called. I needed the clarity that only a hard run could provide.

I stretched near the water’s edge, raising my arms overhead, and that was when I felt the sharp sting across my back. I reached around and my fingers found the raised welts Juno’s nails had left when she’d dug into my skin.

The physical reminder of yesterday sent heat through my body. I could still feel her wrapped around me, hear the way she’d moaned my name.

“Focus,” I muttered, starting my run.

The waves crashed beside me as I fell into rhythm. My mind couldn’t stop circling back to the problem of Juno Young.

On one hand, the sex had been incredible. Mind-blowing. The kind of connection I’d rarely experienced. And there was something about her that got under my skin in the best and worst ways. She challenged me. Didn’t take my shit. Made me want to be better.

But on the other hand, I had risked everything I’d worked for.

I needed to hit that million-order mark. PriceCo had given me half, but I still had a long way to go. If I screwed up this partnership with Young at Heart because I couldn’t keep it in my pants, I’d be sabotaging my own dream. My brothers would never let me live it down.

More importantly, I’d never forgive myself.

I pushed harder, my feet pounding against the wet sand. My back stung with every pump of my arms, a constant reminder of what I’d done.

And then there was the dating thing. I’d never been the relationship type. A few months was about my limit before I got restless and moved on. It wasn’t that I was a player. I was always honest about what I wanted. But long-term commitment? That had never been my style.

Juno didn’t strike me as a casual fling kind of woman. She had career goals, ambitions, and a reputation to protect. She wasn’t going to be satisfied with some no-strings arrangement that fizzled out in a few weeks.

And then we’d still have to maintain a professional relationship. That rarely worked. Something told me we weren’t the type to break up and still be on good terms. We were volatile in the best way.

It made for some hot sex, but those sparks could burn down both our careers if we weren’t careful.

So what the hell was I doing?

I ran until my lungs burned and my legs felt like jelly. By the time I made it back to my house, I’d come to a decision.

Professional. That was what she wanted, so that was what I needed to be. Keep my head down, keep working toward my goal, and follow Juno’s lead. If she wanted to pretend it never happened, I could do that. If she wanted to address it head-on and set boundaries, I could do that too.