Page 14 of Hooked on Lane (Hooked #1)

Chapter Fourteen

Jennifer

M y laptop open with a half-finished spreadsheet when Laura stumbled over, her face glowing.

“So I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to do for Christmas this year and I’ve decided I’m going to go back to New Hampshire to be with my parents. They still have the old house in the countryside, and I’m sure they’d love to have me come home and spend a few days with them.”

So maybe I was a little jealous of her relationship with her parents.

Here I was, stuck in the city for yet another holiday season.

My mom had been on my case about throwing my life away, staying with the firm this long.

She thought my job was useless and when they let me go, I wouldn't be able to find another job. Why didn’t she have any faith in me?

So instead of going home and listening to that for a few days, New York City, here I stay .

Laura smiled and put her hand on my shoulder. “Hey, why don’t you come with me?” she suggested. “They’ll treat you like family. It’ll be so much fun.”

“That's okay. Your parents don't like me that much and if I wanted peering eyes on me, I'd just go home to my own family.”

Her parents came into the city three years ago for the holiday and thought I was the bad influence. It made me laugh because if anyone knew Laura, they would agree that it was the other way around.

Lane walked out and his eyes locked on mine. “Sorry to interrupt, but you shouldn't have to be alone during the holidays. This might be totally overstepping, but Amesbury is beautiful this time of year.”

“Amesbury? Like your hometown?”

“Yeah, I am going back to visit my mother and it's a great getaway. The lodge will be the perfect place for your binge-reading sessions. They even have a fireplace.”

Laura didn’t even give me a chance to reply. “Yes, she'd love to.” My eyes flicked to hers. “She needs to get out of this city and enjoy her holidays. Being cooped up in her apartment is no way to spend Christmas.”

Laura excused herself. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she would hear about it from me later.

“Why don't you come into my office and we can get a flight booked for you.”

I followed behind him but did not sit down once inside. We had been very good about keeping things professional since the bar, and even though Amesbury sounded wonderful, I wondered if this was a mistake.

“Are you sure this is okay? I mean…” I didn't lift my eyes. The burn on my skin told me he was looking my way.

“Don't worry, I will not cross that line. You made it clear, but that doesn't mean you should have to sit at home when you could enjoy yourself.”

Wait? I made it clear? So did that mean he wanted to be more than just colleagues? This man was sending me too many mixed signals, and it was hard to keep up.

“So, the best flight would be the first one out. It'll get us to Missoula in time to get one of the earlier buses to Amesbury. I'll be able to get you settled in at the lodge before I have to go get my mom in Sikita.”

So, now we were staying in the same place? As much as everything in me yelled to say no , I nodded. “That'll be perfect.”

So now, instead of curling up on my couch, I would be stuck in a small town at a lodge with my hot boss. What could go wrong?