Maid for Each Other(33)
“Are you going to open it or what?” I asked, pulling myself away from her.
“Okay, okay,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “But this box doesn’t look like it would hold the engagement ring I picked out.”
“Like I would really buy that with you in the same room and all the shareholders here. Hardly seems romantic.”
“On the contrary, it seems like it would be a great way to shout out to the world how much you love me,” she said.
“You might be right. Perhaps it was a missed opportunity.”
“Well, I guess I will open this non-ring anyways,” she said, her nose crinkling as she smiled at me. I watched as she opened it, and I knew I was totally pulling off the besotted expression I was going for because I was absolutely charmed by her at the moment.
It was all an act, and I wasn’t foolish enough to think it was real, but I was having a great time pretending. It probably had to do with the shots, but this was honestly more fun than I’d had at a work-related event in a very long time.
Her mouth dropped wide open when she looked inside the box. She put her hand over her heart and said, “It’s so beautiful.”
“Would you like me to put it on you?” I asked. “And I totally get it if you don’t want to wear it right now; I won’t be insulted. There’s something about your bare neck that really works with this outfit.”
“You think so?” she asked in that flirtatious tone that was really starting to torture me. Was she drunk? I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or that she was just having fun, but I was genuinely feeling this vibe she was giving off.
“Yes,” I said, my voice low. “It’s been driving me nuts since you showed up in my closet needing help pinning yourself into your sweater.”
“Oh,” she said, blinking a little faster like she was surprised I’d said that. Her voice was also low when she said, “Um, yes, please.”
“The stones reminded me of the freckles on your right shoulder,” I admitted as I moved behind her, taking the necklace out of the box and lowering it to her neck.
I wasn’t lying.
When I’d been pinning her sweater together, I noticed the adorable constellation of specks, and the chocolate diamonds almost did them justice.
She looked at me over her shoulder, eyes searching mine. We weren’t saying anything, but the look we exchanged as I clasped the necklace was me admitting to the truth, and her acknowledging that she knew it was the truth.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice so quiet it was almost a whisper.
“You’re welcome,” I managed, my voice coming out a little raspy.
What the fuck is this?
But my what the fuck exploded into a thousand more when she turned and wrapped herself around me in a huge hug. A hug that felt real.
And there was nothing I could do but hug her back, right?
“Should we maybe kiss?” she said quietly in my ear. “I mean, if this was real, we would totally kiss right now.”
“Well,” I said, pulling back enough to see her face. “I’m all about the authenticity.”
I had every intention of giving her the public-appropriate kiss of a couple who’d just exchanged a gift, but something happened.
Just as I lowered my mouth to hers, our eyes met and she whispered against my lips, “Don’t disappoint me, Powell.”
17
First Kiss
Abi
I couldn’t believe I’d asked for it, but more than that, I couldn’t believe what he was delivering. Instead of giving me a quick, polite kiss, Declan slanted his mouth over mine and his tongue slid across my bottom lip and into my mouth.
And not in an obtrusive, unwelcome way.
Dear Lord, it was like being drugged.
One minute we’d been two separate individuals, and the next, our mouths were fused together and it was madness inside. His teeth nibbled, his tongue went deep, his lips dragged. It was smooth and hot, like his mouth was casting spells that made mine instantly desperate to accept the offering, regardless of where we were. Yes, sir, may I have another?
It was overconfident and decadent, like the man himself.
His big palms were supporting my back, but they’d somehow slid underneath my sweater, so I felt the caress of his warm fingers over my sensitive skin. When I sighed into his hungry mouth, he answered with a low groan.
This was no chaste, we-are-in-public kiss; this was the final kiss in a movie where the two main characters end up together.
Declan wasn’t completely lost in it, though, because he was aware enough to walk me backward while we kissed, moving us toward a hallway. I don’t know if we both forgot about pretending, or if we didn’t give a damn, but we were wildly kissing in the Employees Only hall.
“What is this?” I murmured into his mouth, my hands finding his hard jawline. “What are we doing?”
“Lust,” he breathed, opening those sexy green eyes to weaken me with his calm response of, “Innocent lust that is no big deal.”
“Right,” I managed. We kept kissing and I said against his lips, “I suppose as long as we both know this is just for fun right now, there’s no harm, right?”
“That’s right,” he said, nipping at my bottom lip. “This is no different than us holding hands while walking in front of the shareholders.”