Page 494 of Manhattan Bossholes

“Never,” she breathed, nuzzling against my touch. I was no longer sure if her responses were part of the act or something else entirely.

I wasn’t about to let the moment get away, so I drew her to me and placed my lips on hers again, cupping her cheeks gently. Natalie circled her arms around my waist and made a little whimper that was a mix of delight and surprise.

We kissed as the noises coming from MG as he packed his bag got louder and louder, making it clear that he wasn’t impressed by what we were up to.

Natalie finally managed to pull away. “We should go. Unless you want to make that exhibitionism fantasy of yours a reality?”

I laughed. “Maybe someday…”

I grabbed her hand, leading her towards the door. She tripped along behind me, giggling.

“See ya, buddy,” I said in an overly cheerful voice. “Nice meeting you.”

MG glanced in our general direction and gave us a halfhearted wave, frowning.

Once we were outside the building, Natalie bent over and burst out laughing. “That was amazing! He’s never going to bother me again.”

“Glad I could be of service.” I bowed gallantly beneath the light of a streetlamp.

“No, seriously.” She straightened up and walked over to me, placing her hand on my arm. “I can’t thank you enough. I need to make it through this class, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep it up with him harassing me.”

The way she looked up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude and something else I couldn’t quite pinpoint, made me wish I had another excuse to kiss her.

“If he dares to try it again, let me know,” I muttered.

“I’m not sure what more we can do to convince him we’re together. I mean, that was a full-on, hardcore make-out session. What’s left? Fucking on his desk?” She slapped her hand over her mouth as soon as she said it, eyes wide, like she realized that she’d overstepped.

It was my turn to crack up. “Hey, if we have to, we have to. Whatever it takes.”

Her face slowly returned to normal once she seemed to realize that I wasn’t insulted. “Well…it wouldn’t be the worst idea…”

My pulse ticked up as I tried to understand what she was saying, because it sounded like Natalie Reynolds had just propositioned me.

I had to be sure, though. “What wouldn’t be the worst idea?”

Even in the dim light I could see pink flooding her cheeks, but she lifted her chin and looked me square in the eye when she said, “Us. We could consider it practice…just in case.”

She took a step closer to me, biting her lip adorably.

“Practice…fucking?” I asked as my pulse ticked up, adrenaline flooding my system.

Natalie nodded shyly, and it was all the confirmation I needed.

I grabbed her hand without another word and pulled her along towards where Hector was parked down the street.

Natalie turned to me, her eyes wild. “James…are you sure it’s okay? With work and everything?”

I forced myself to slow down. As badly as I wanted to fuck her, I also needed to make sure she felt safe. “The company doesn’t have any fraternization policies. Bernie actually likes to brag about how many employee couples Branson has produced over the years. It’s only an issue if you’re uncomfortable with my position compared to yours—if you feel pressured. So, are you sure? There’s no wrong answer. I only want this if you do, too.”

We stared at each other, and I could see Natalie’s chest rising and falling like she’d just finished a run. My heart thrummed in my chest, ready for her to change her mind but desperately hoping she wouldn’t. Her lips were parted, and her eyes scanned my face as if she didn’t quite believe what we were considering. She looked absolutely stunning as a gentle breeze tossed loose tendrils of hair around her face.

“Oh my fucking God, I want to kiss you so bad,” I managed in a hoarse voice.

“Then do it,” she whispered back, daring me.

I leapt at her, taking her into my arms and easing her back against the shadows alongside the building as my mouth found hers. Her lips slanted against mine, and I let my tongue dart into her mouth, possessive, hungry for more. The kiss in the classroom had been electric, but this one felt wild with the promise of what was to come. She arched against me, and I was sure she could feel my dick straining against my trousers. There was no longer any doubt about what Natalie wanted from me.

“Take me home,” Natalie murmured against my mouth. “Please.”