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“You’re closest to him. Any reason the boss is less grouchy today? We need to know what brought on the good mood so we can keep him this way.”
Shit. If they could tell something was different with Winston, surely they could tell the same about me. I felt as if it was written on my forehead, as if this giddiness was just floating around me. I barely kept from grinning.
“I couldn’t say.”
“Well, since he’s in a good mood, we should take advantage,” Mara said. “Since the party was such a great success, I had an idea. Why don’t we make an eggnog stand just for employees? Up here, so we don’t mix up with customers. Somewhere we can stop by after the workday’s over and relax? We could leave it until the New Year. The days between Christmas and the thirty-first are the most stressful for the poor schmucks like me who have to work. Would be great to have something to look forward to every day.”
“I love the idea,” I declared.
“Love it enough to run it by the boss?” Mara asked.
I was slowly becoming the team’s messenger, but I couldn’t blame them.
“I will,” I assured her.
I was trying to imagine how this would play out. Even before the weekend, every interaction with Winston had left me simmering.
Now that everything had intensified by a factor of ten... Damn! My heart rate quickened simply at the prospect of talking to him alone. How was I supposed to do my job when my mind was on Winston half the time?
I was on the phone almost the entire morning, negotiating rates for the Christmas program. I’d just finished the conversation when I checked my emails. One stood out.
Subject: Urgent
Sienna, I need you in my office.
He’d sent it only a few minutes ago. Licking my lips, I stood from my desk. Why did he need to see me? It was unlike Winston not to include any instructions in his emails.
The door to his office was open, and the second I stepped inside, my breath caught. He was leaning against his desk, arms crossed over his chest.
“Close the door,” Winston said in a low, rich voice.
***
Winston
“What’s this about? You didn’t give any details in your email.”
I’d been looking forward to this moment all morning. Having Sienna all to myself.
Was it crazy that I missed her even though I’d been with her all weekend? From the moment I dropped her off at her house yesterday, all I could think about was going back.
I tilted my head, studying her. I’d barely kept myself from pulling her out of that meeting room after every “Mr. Statham” to kiss her until she whispered “Winston” in that same shaky voice she’d used on our trip.
“I just wanted to be alone with you.”
“Okay.” She gave me a small, shy smile, and I lost the little composure I had. I strode across the room and kissed her right there, against the door.
Damn, this hadn’t been how I’d wanted to do this. I’d planned to talk to her about our weekend first, about what would come next, but I couldn’t stop kissing her long enough to talk. She tasted so sweet that I couldn’t help myself, and I deepened the kiss. I pushed her against the door with my hips.
“Winston,” she murmured.
“That’s right. Winston. Not Mr. Statham.” I looked her straight in the eyes. “What was up with that?”
“I was just... I don’t know. Trying to sound professional.” She blushed, lowering her gaze, shrugging. It just made me want to kiss her again, but I stopped myself. I couldn’t taste her again and stop at her mouth this time.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you all morning.” I feathered my thumb over her mouth, pressing lightly on the bow of her upper lip. Her eyes widened slightly. “You’re surprised.”
“I didn’t know how things would be between us. We haven’t talked about it.”
