One Week to Win Her Boss by Barbara White Daille

Author:Barbara White Daille [Daille, Barbara White]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: contemporary romance, Entangled, Bliss, sweet romance, Romance, Holiday, winter, boss employee, opposites attract, forced proximity, fake relationship, small town
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Published: 2017-11-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Amber let her eyes drift closed, wanting to focus the rest of her senses on this moment, needing to savor the taste and texture and pressure of Michael’s mouth on hers. He cradled her face in her hands, sending a tingle of pleasure through her, a shivery little show of proof that this could be so right…

Then why did something feel all wrong?

Her first clue came with Michael’s sigh.

She opened her eyes to find his gaze meeting hers. His eyes were dark and shadowed. Now she wished she hadn’t turned off the table lamps. She wished he would look toward the fire so she could read his expression.

His fingertips skimmed her cheeks, his touch oh so gentle. Another clue. He was treating her like something easily broken. Without saying a word, he was letting her go.

Well, she wouldn’t break. Those days were over. And she wouldn’t go quietly. “What is it?”

He sighed. “Pretending in front of your family is fine with me. But alone with you, I can’t pretend. I can’t lie. I want you.”

Her breath caught in her throat, leaving her struggling to speak, let alone breathe. “Michael,” she managed to whisper, “you have to know I want you, too.”

Backing up a step, he shoved his hands into his back pockets, as if to keep from touching her. “The difference is, I don’t want to want you.”

His words, his actions, his body language, all said he was fighting as hard as she was. The thought brought on another shiver of pleasure and allowed her a glimmer of hope. Struggle meant he was coming a step closer to her, maybe rethinking his ideas and even changing his mind about the holidays…and more.

He ran his hand through his hair and sighed again. But he didn’t break eye contact. Another glimmer of hope. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“What makes you think you will?”

“Every conversation we’ve had about family.”

“I need more of an explanation than that. As you said to me once before, you owe me.”

He winced. “All right. One example. Tonight, when the kids were all going at each other at the supper table. Everyone ended up laughing. You wouldn’t see that in my family. The teasing would turn ugly. Somebody would knock a glass or three onto the floor. Somebody else would throw a few punches.”

“You’re a family of boys. You play rougher.”

“No. We’re a family of mutts, from two different moms and four different dads.”

“That doesn’t mean you can never have a family of your own.”

“And that’s where I’ll hurt you,” he said quietly. “You believe in family. I don’t.”

She’d been wrong. She would break. But not in front of Michael. She took a steadying breath and let it out slowly. “What now? Are you firing me?”

“Of course not.” He sounded shocked.

“Then we’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing, until we get through the week. Pretending in front of my family and everyone else. Helping out with the auction. Running for King and Queen.” She could feel her heart crumbling to pieces as she spoke.

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