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I just rushed past her to the kitchen, dropping everything and then pulling her into my arms and kissing her before she could say anything else.

Eloise let out a little sound of surprise before wrapping her arms around me and moaning into my mouth. Desire buzzed in my veins and all I wanted was to push her down on the couch and show her how much I’d missed her, but that wasn’t what a good assistant would do. No, I had to show some restraint. I couldn’t be completely hands off, but I could at least not ravish her before she’d had her morning coffee.

“Cade,” she said, but her voice was a groan. “We can’t spend the whole day making out.”

“Why not?” I said and she gave me a look and then I was the one groaning.

“Okay, I know.” She could have made a rule that we weren’t allowed to kiss at all during work hours and she hadn’t, so that was something.

“Your coffee, my dear,” I said, presenting her with the cup.

“Thank you, Cadence,” she said as we both sat together, but I yanked my chair closer.

“Decided to wear your hair down today?” she asked, and I was pleased that she’d noticed.

“I did. Someone seems to have a thing for my hair,” I said, flipping some of it over my shoulder.

“I might. A little bit,” she said, holding her thumb and forefinger a little bit apart.

“I think it’s more than a little bit,” I said.

She exhaled and twisted a few strands between her fingers. “You caught me. Apparently I have a weakness for women with red hair. One in particular.”

“Is it me? I hope it’s me.”

She glared and I laughed as I unwrapped my sandwich.

“Yes, Cade, it’s you.”

* * *

“I can’t work under these conditions,” Eloise said a few hours later when I’d gotten up to ask her something and instead had started massaging and kissing the back of her neck.

“Sorry not sorry,” I said, placing a kiss on the side of her neck and stopping myself before I took it too far. Hickeys during work hours were definitely not allowed.

“Cadeeeee,” she said, drawing my name out. “I’m not going to get anything done if you keep doing that.”

I stood up and forced myself to take a step back. “Okay, okay. I’ll behave. I’ll be good.”

She let out a sound of disbelief and swiveled her chair around and faced me.

“I don’t believe that for a second, but, I think we need to put up some boundaries.” Shit. That was what I was afraid of.

“No kissing during work hours, I get it,” I said, mad at myself for pushing too far.

Eloise put her hands on the arms of her chair.

“I didn’t say not kissing during work hours. Do you want to not kiss during work hours?”

“No, I definitely want to kiss during work hours. But maybe we can keep the kisses brief? And no neck stuff. Or removing clothing,” I said, hating every word but knowing that having some boundaries was a good thing.

Eloise nodded slowly. “That’s wise.”

“It is.”

I stepped between her legs and looked down at her gorgeous face. “Your eyes are amazing. I’m sure everyone has told you that already.”

She blinked. “People have mentioned it. I’ve been called Elizabeth Taylor once or twice.”