Page 19 of Falling for the Bosshole
In a room that was heady with the smell of vegetation, he stood close enough for Ana to breathe in his scent. It was like a drug she had consciously been battling and constantly losing. The look in his eyes confused her. It said he desired her, wanted her somehow. The thought was scary, and she wanted to pull away but found herself helpless to do so. Instead, she found herself sucked into it like a relentless tornado that wreaked havoc along its path. But she was certain about one thing -that there was nothing she could do to stop him from getting whatever it was he wanted. His nearness was like a powerful spell, one that she had needed for quite some time now.
Ana closed the distance between them as his arms wrapped around her back. The feel of his skin on hers was scorching. His hands moved up her cheeks, and she felt him caress her face.
Ana’s arms moved to his waist. It was a superficial act that resonated with the desire to be held even closer. Ana raised her face and felt the stubbles on his chin graze her cheeks. He was so close she could smell the brandy on his breath. She offered her lips to him as she stopped breathing, anticipating the touch of his lips on hers.
Suddenly …
“Lash, are you in here?” The voice of Jonathan bellowed from the door.
Ana and Lash stepped away from each other like two startled rabbits.
“Oh, good. Ana is here too,” Jonathan said. “We’re ready for the traditional toast to the success of the opening night. Come on, everyone’s waiting,” Jonathan added.
Ana stole a glance at Lash. His face was a mask. Whatever there was between them before Jonathan barged in was gone. Her spirit fell, knowing that the spell had broke.
Ana wondered how she made it through the rest of the party. Part of her body was still back there in the garden. She wished she had the power to go back in time. She would have shut the panel door behind her when she got his note and went in search of him. She would have found a way to lock Jonathan up in the bathroom, so he didn’t come looking for them. Her mind was whirling with all the what “ifs.” She even wondered if she didn’t just imagine the whole scenario in her head.
When Lash made a toast, she marveled at the confidence he displayed. The words he spoke, the praises he heaped on the whole company, they all made everyone feel special. They were one big family, he said, who belonged together, worked together towards making opening night a great success. Ana felt it too, that sense of belonging that she was a part of something grand. They were all a part of him as he was to them all. So, she tried to ignore the voice that wished it was only she that belonged to him alone.