Page 3 of Waiting for It

I was typically pretty quick on the uptake, but my brain was struggling to keep track of this conversation. Maybe because that kiss had forced all the blood from my brain into every single extremity that could tingle with desire. “You can’t get out of this project that easily.” My laugh sounded as forced as it was.

“You were willing to sell your soul to Sauron to finish it.”

“That’s my soul. I’m not using it for much else, and these hours mean we’re already the walking dead. But you’re talking about—” his career. How did we go from fantasy kisses and dancing to this? I was taking things too seriously. Why did I always do that? I should have laughed off the I quit joke and gotten back to work like nothing happened.

Except Luke didn’t look upset. Not with me. He was still watching me with those dark eyes that made my brain turn to mush. “Every time you laugh or sigh or say... anything—” He shook his head and let out a long breath. “This is so inappropriate.”

“Yeah. Totally.” I knew that. Or I might have, if it were happening with anyone besides Luke.

“I never want you to think you’re in this job because of anything other than your skill, or that you have to do anything other than your work, to stay employed here.”

Right. Because sleep with me or I’ll fire you was a thing. I couldn’t imagine Luke doing that, which was a good reason for me to be wary of it. I could imagine him doing a lot of other things to me, though I usually tried to keep those thoughts to a minimum. Getting work done would be infinitely harder if I actually let the fantasies run rampant—of him pinning me to the wall and kissing along my neck... my chest... lower...

“Anne?” He studied me with concern.

I didn’t want to pretend the attraction didn’t flow both ways. If work weren’t an obstacle, would things go further?

What would Sadie do?

I didn’t know.

Don’t I?

Okay, I did, because Sadie and I might as well be twins, for as close as we’d been since we were kids.

“What if we pretended?” My voice cracked on the question.

“Pretended... I wasn’t your boss?”

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