Page 61 of Bargain With the Boss

I was good at it. I fell back on fun, unrepentant sex. Emotions were inconvenient.

Which was why I was even more pissed that her words sliced.

She took my hand and let me pull her up.

The silence between us sucked all the easy fun out of the afternoon.

I helped her to the car, but instead of getting in, she folded her arms over those glorious breasts. “I’m sorry.”

Surprised, I frowned down at her.

She stared at the middle of my chest. “It was wrong for me to say what I did. I don’t know you enough to make such assumptions. I was just...off balance.”

I lifted her chin to meet my gaze. “You’re not wrong, Syd.” Her nickname didn’t feel right on my tongue right now. “Why you pissed me off.”

The fire was banked now. Ice was back, and her face was calm as the water below us.

“It could just be sex. It’s easy for me to offer up a good sweaty fuck.”

Her lips thinned and her hands fisted under her arms.

I reached for her hands and pulled them away to rest on my chest. “Relax. I’m not going to toss you against the car. Not that I’d hate that stupendous ass leaving a print on my hood, mind you.”

Exasperated her fingers unfurled and flattened on my chest.

I was pretty sure she wanted to push me back and maybe off the ledge a few yards away.

“Duchess, I’d spread those long legs of yours and eat you out until you were blind. You’d love it.”

“You’re vulgar.”

“And your eyes are dilated. You want me, even if it pisses you off a little.”

Her nails dug through my shirt. I was quite certain I’d have a few half-moon nail marks in my skin. and I was half hard again at the way she was getting riled up.

“I like when they’re hot instead of that calm ice. Though it has its place too.”

“Is this supposed to be making a case for us getting...horizontal.”

I threw my head back with a laugh then hauled her in and wrapped my arms around her in a hug. She froze against me, stiff with surprise.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s a hug. I’m pretty sure you know what that is.”

Or maybe she didn’t.

I held onto her tighter and she slowly relaxed, her hands sliding up my chest to my shoulders. We stood there in the afternoon sun. The breeze was cool enough that we were comfortable where we were and I really didn’t want to let her go.

I wasn’t quite sure what to do with that either.

Instead of breaking the spell, I held on, letting her be the one to break us apart.

Chapter 15

Sydney

I was so confused.