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I storm over to the bed and yank off the extra blankets neatly folded at the bottom, tossing them to the ground along with a pillow.
Jack should have thought about the consequences of his actions before he told my mom that we were together. I didn’t miss her smile when she thought I finally had a boyfriend. Now, she won’t be satisfied until I have a ring on my finger and she has another grandbaby on the way. She’s going to be devastated when Jack and I conveniently “break up” after the holidays, and it’s going to be all his fault.
“Immaturity doesn’t suit you, Ms. Stafford. Why don’t we handle this like grown-ups?”
“Ugh, you’re so… annoying,” I huff in frustration. “And for the last time, my name is Presley. You’re supposed to be playing the part of my boyfriend, not conducting a board meeting.”
“Okay, Presley.” He drawls out my name. “In that case, I’m hurt that you would even suggest that we sleep apart. Didn’t we agree to never go to bed angry?” he taunts.
“Oh my god, you’re insufferable,” I whisper-shout through gritted teeth. The last thing I want is for my parents to come upstairs to investigate the noise.
Jack and I have been here less than an hour and are already at each other’s throat. Letting him come home with me was a colossal mistake, but there’s nothing I can do about it tonight.
I grab my pajamas and my toiletries bag and rush to the bathroom, barricading myself inside. I put my things on the counter and look in the mirror, my reflection showing I’m a complete mess. Dark mascara streaks are smudged under my eyes, my hair is frizzy, and my lips are chapped.
“What am I going to do?” I mutter to myself.
This trip was supposed to be an uncomplicated and relaxing break from work, but it’s turning out to be the opposite.
I go through my nighttime routine and change into my sleep shorts and tank top. If I had known while I was packing that Jack and I would be sharing a bed, I would have brought my oversized Christmas onesie or long-sleeved flannel pajamas. As it stands, my options are limited, and I don’t want to raise any suspicions by asking my mom for something more modest.
Once I get the courage to leave the bathroom, I find Jack on the loveseat in the corner, typing on his phone. Is it too much to hope that he’s planning an early exit?
Without a word, he goes into the bathroom, and I take it as my cue to climb into bed. I’m just dozing off when I hear the click of the door.
I glance up and my eyes nearly pop out of my head when I see Jack walking toward me in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. No one told me he had the body of a Greek god under those three-piece suits of his. I can’t seem to pull my gaze away from his sculpted washboard stomach, and I have the urge to trace every ridge of his defined abs. Thankfully, I come to my senses and realize that would be highly inappropriate given that he’s my boss and I can’t stand him.
Then why are you staring at him?
“Where are your clothes?” I demand.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have time to stop at home and grab my pajamas,” he says flatly. “And this is how I sleep. You don’t want your boyfriend to be uncomfortable, now do you?”
“I just assumed since you were the older, more mature adult in this situation that you’d choose to be the bigger person and let me have the bed.”
“If sleeping next to me bothers you so much, you’re welcome to take the floor.” He points at the pile of bedding I threw down there earlier.
“Why do you have to be such a pain in the ass?” I hold my hand up when he opens his mouth. “Don’t answer that; it was a rhetorical question.”
I move to the edge of the bed, making sure there’s a comfortable distance between us.
I tilt my head to look over at him. “You’d better stay on your side,” I threaten.
“Don’t worry; I will. The last thing I want is to get booted to the floor,” he says with a wink.
He wouldn’t listen when I told him to sleep on the ground the first time around. So I highly doubt he’d do it even if he did invade my space in his sleep.
“Good,” I mutter. “Then we shouldn’t have a problem.”
I turn back toward the wall and pull the covers over my head. I hear the click of the lamp and Jack moving around to get comfortable. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.
4
PRESLEY
I WAS RELIEVED THAT JACK’S side of the bed was empty when I woke up this morning. After getting ready, I went downstairs and found him talking to a client on the phone. We’ve spent the rest of the day in my dad’s home office, hammering out the details for our virtual meetings with Mr. Wescott’s team.
“Where’s the finalized agenda for tomorrow? I asked you to email it out over an hour ago,” Jack says, not bothering to glance up from his computer.
