Page 62 of Guarded King

“You may be attracted to him, but that doesn’t mean you have to act on it. You can just admire from afar, can’t you?”

“The thing is… We got stuck in an elevator yesterday. And you know how I am about small, dark spaces. He was comforting me, and…” I swallow, struggling to get the words out.

“And? Come on, don’t leave me hanging!”

“I think he almost kissed me.”

Lola is silent for so long, I worry that the call has been disconnected. Just as I’m ready to pull my phone away from my ear and check, she inhales audibly. “Youthinkhe almost kissed you?”

“Well, it was dark, but yes, it was a… a definite moment.”

“And if he did, would you have kissed him back?”

“I don’t know.” Eyes closed, I sigh. “No, that’s not fair. It makes him sound like a predator. Yes, I was right there with him. If he’d kissed me, it would have been consensual.”

“Girl, I don’t know whether to give you a virtual high five or tell you to get out while you still can.”

Though my throat aches, I can’t help but laugh. “He’s usually so restrained, so for him to lose control like that was kind of intoxicating. But then the elevator started working again, and we both backed off immediately.”

“And were you happy about that or disappointed?”

I chew on my lip, really weighing my answer before voicing it. “Disappointed. Even though it wouldn’t have led to anything good.” Until now, I’ve been torn about whether to tell Lola aboutwhat happened after that, but since I’ve opened up to her, it seems imperative that I get it all off my chest and ask for advice. “But later that evening, I walked in on him… you know…”

She makes an unintelligible sound. “You’re going to need to spell it out to me, Chloe. What was he doing?”

I lower my voice to a whisper, even though I’m alone. “Masturbating.”

The shocked silence between us is deafening, though the shriek she then lets out is far more painful. “What?” She quickly hushes her voice, probably remembering there’s a sleeping baby in her house. “You walked in on him masturbating? In his office?”

My cheeks heat. “He was in his bathroom, but the door was ajar and?—”

“Did he do it on purpose? Did he know you were going to come in?”

“No, no. He sent me home for the day, but I forgot to put a file he’d asked for on his desk. The door was locked, so I assumed he wasn’t there and let myself in. It was my fault. I just didn’t expect him to be doing… that.”

“I mean, why would you? So, what did you do?”

Face scrunched, I force myself to admit the truth. “I watched him.”

There’s another long silence. “Who are you and what have you done with my friend?” Her tone starts out serious, but then she bursts out laughing. “Oh my god, Chloe. You watched your boss masturbating? Did he see you? What happened?”

“You make it sound so sordid.” Though I can’t help but laugh as well, because she’s right. Who the hell am I? Before yesterday, I never could have imagined myself doing anything remotely like that. “But yes, he did see me. In the mirror.”

“What did he say? Was he embarrassed?”

An image of Roman, his focus locked on my reflection, appears in my mind, the effect it has on me making me squeeze my thighs together. There wasn’t a hint of embarrassment in his expression. Just raw hunger, and afterward… I shiver at the memory of the look on his face as he came with his eyes on me.

I clear my throat. “He told me to stay or go. Then afterward he told me to leave the file on his desk.”

“I. Am. Speechless,” she says, not speechless at all. “Chloe Callahan, are you telling me you almost kissed your hot billionaire boss in an elevator and then watched him masturbate tocompletion?” She emphasizes the word. “While he knew you were there. And then he just told you to leave the file on his desk?”

I drop my head into my free hand, my heart thumping against my ribcage. “Yes.”

“And did you?”

“What?” I ask, the word muffled by my hand.

“Leave the file on the desk? Because at this stage, I wouldn’t be surprised if you tell me you jumped his bones right there in his bathroom.”