Page 75 of Bargain With the Boss

He flipped his T-shirt off, and I met his deep dark blue eyes. They crinkled at the corners as he smiled for me. There was pride there that I was enjoying the view, and an easy grace that I envied. He was comfortable in his skin and with me. He didn’t worry about messing this up.

Because he had nothing to fear.

I was the one who was lying.

I coasted my fingers up his chest and shoulders then around to all those delicious muscles at his back. He was made for touching and dammit that was what I was going to do. His eyebrows shot up as my hand dipped down to grip his rather delicious ass.

And this time when he tumbled me into bed, there was laughter woven in the moans. And when his name tumbled from my lips it was a sigh.

When morning came, I was wrapped around him and the sound of his breathing gave me more peace than I’d ever known.

And I slipped away before he woke.

It was my room, but I knew I couldn’t quite face him in the light of a new day.

Chapter 18

Xavier

“Housekeeping!”

The cheerful voice in the hall drew me into consciousness. I rolled, stretching my hand across the king-sized bed. When I got to the edge, I didn’t find the fascinating redhead who was making me insane.

I frowned, whipping the sheet over my bare ass as the door started to open. “Can you give me an hour?”

“Sorry! Yes, I can come back.”

The door closed and I flopped onto my back. “Shit.”

The sun was slanting across the bed telling me it was well into the morning. I sat up, grabbing my phone from the bedside table. “Double shit.” I bounded off the bed and across to the bathroom door. I knocked, but the door opened.

Empty.

What the hell?

I went back to my phone to see if she left me a message, but nothing.

No note.

Nada.

I dialed her number but it went right to voicemail.

The niggle of worry cartwheeled into anger. It didn’t ring long enough—she either had do not disturb on her phone or she’d pushed me to voicemail.

Annoyed, I took a quick shower and pulled on my suit slacks with a Voltron T-shirt. I grabbed my bag and was out the door in twenty minutes.

Where the hell did she go without a car?

Downstairs, I found the valet. “Jerry, did you see Miss Keller?”

He nodded. “I saw her get into a rideshare.”

“Any idea where?”

“Sorry, Mr. Hastings. She barely looked up.”

Sighing, I gave him a tight smile. “Thanks, anyway. Could you get my car?”