the
kitchen. Something powerful had captured him and refused to loosen the stranglehold
it had on him. This thing, these feelings, had him drifting in a sea of desire.
And Eunice was the destination.
Dry leaves crunched
under their feet and wind howled through the trees as they moved along the path
behind his parents’ estate. There was nothing more beautiful than the colors of
fall.
Eunice tightened her
knee length coat around her. “Blake, it’s a little too cold for a nature walk,
don’t you think?”
“We’re almost there,”
he said. When Eunice’s teeth started to chatter, he removed his scarf and draped
it around her neck. “Better?”
“Yes, thank you.”
The kindhearted look in
her eyes told him she appreciated the gesture. A few feet more and the thatch
of woods opened to a breathtaking waterfall. Water cascaded down a forty foot
drop and flowed over a bed of rocks and along a stream.
“Look familiar?” Blake
asked.
“Your mother’s painting.
This was her inspiration,” she said more to herself than to him.
“Yeah.”
“Wow. You grew up with
this in your backyard.”
“If you think this is
amazing, you should see it in the summer. Colorful flowers everywhere.”
“It’s perfect.”
“Speaking of summer, we’re
having my mother a surprise birthday party in August. You should come.”
Eunice shifted to face
him, appearing confused by his invitation. “I would love to, but do you think
that’s a good idea?”
Blake slid his hands
into his coat pockets. “I guess it would be a bit awkward, huh.”
Especially since their
original plan was to tell his parents they’d broken up, but not until after the
New Year. She studied him for a moment. If she had questions concerning his response,
she didn’t ask them.
Hugging her arms around
her body, she said, “I’m freezing.”
Without giving it much
thought, Blake wrapped his arms around Eunice. Even when awareness of what he’d
done settled in, he didn’t pull away and neither did she. “Better?”
Eunice nodded.
Their bodies lingered
dangerously close. He desperately wanted to feel her lips pressed against his,
capture the heat of her waiting mouth, but he did nothing. Eunice’s lips parted
and he wondered if she, too, wanted the same. A trail of steam escaped from her
mouth, but nothing more. No words, no objections, no sounds.
The line he’d promised
himself he’d not cross blurred in the seconds he held her snug against his
body. This was the perfect setting, with the perfect woman, in an imperfect
situation. Tell me you want this , he willed to her. Eunice rested her
hands on his chest, her eyes searching his. For a brief moment, a glint of
desire danced in her brown eyes, but faded.
“We should make it
back. I’m sure your mother is looking for us,” she said, then pushed out of his
embrace.
What the hell was that?
She wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her; he was sure of it. So
why didn’t she? Hell, why didn’t he? He’d never been one to allow opportunity
to simply slip through his fingers.
Eunice tried to move
away, but he captured her hand. “There’s obviously something happening between
us. What?”
Turning to face him,
she stared at him for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe we’re just caught in the
moment. Everything will go back to normal when we’re back in New York. It has
to. There’s no other option.”
She attempted to pull
away, but his hold on her remained. “I don’t think this is just a moment,
Eunice.”
Eunice snatched her
hand away. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to—” She stopped
abruptly. “You’re my boss, Blake. Or have you forgotten that? There are reasons
why we can’t work.” She moved her hands back and forth between them. “Why this
can’t work.” She stormed away.
On her heels, Blake
said, “Tell me you don’t feel something for me. Tell me you don’t want me just
as much as I want you. I can see the desire in your
kitchen. Something powerful had captured him and refused to loosen the stranglehold
it had on him. This thing, these feelings, had him drifting in a sea of desire.
And Eunice was the destination.
Dry leaves crunched
under their feet and wind howled through the trees as they moved along the path
behind his parents’ estate. There was nothing more beautiful than the colors of
fall.
Eunice tightened her
knee length coat around her. “Blake, it’s a little too cold for a nature walk,
don’t you think?”
“We’re almost there,”
he said. When Eunice’s teeth started to chatter, he removed his scarf and draped
it around her neck. “Better?”
“Yes, thank you.”
The kindhearted look in
her eyes told him she appreciated the gesture. A few feet more and the thatch
of woods opened to a breathtaking waterfall. Water cascaded down a forty foot
drop and flowed over a bed of rocks and along a stream.
“Look familiar?” Blake
asked.
“Your mother’s painting.
This was her inspiration,” she said more to herself than to him.
“Yeah.”
“Wow. You grew up with
this in your backyard.”
“If you think this is
amazing, you should see it in the summer. Colorful flowers everywhere.”
“It’s perfect.”
“Speaking of summer, we’re
having my mother a surprise birthday party in August. You should come.”
Eunice shifted to face
him, appearing confused by his invitation. “I would love to, but do you think
that’s a good idea?”
Blake slid his hands
into his coat pockets. “I guess it would be a bit awkward, huh.”
Especially since their
original plan was to tell his parents they’d broken up, but not until after the
New Year. She studied him for a moment. If she had questions concerning his response,
she didn’t ask them.
Hugging her arms around
her body, she said, “I’m freezing.”
Without giving it much
thought, Blake wrapped his arms around Eunice. Even when awareness of what he’d
done settled in, he didn’t pull away and neither did she. “Better?”
Eunice nodded.
Their bodies lingered
dangerously close. He desperately wanted to feel her lips pressed against his,
capture the heat of her waiting mouth, but he did nothing. Eunice’s lips parted
and he wondered if she, too, wanted the same. A trail of steam escaped from her
mouth, but nothing more. No words, no objections, no sounds.
The line he’d promised
himself he’d not cross blurred in the seconds he held her snug against his
body. This was the perfect setting, with the perfect woman, in an imperfect
situation. Tell me you want this , he willed to her. Eunice rested her
hands on his chest, her eyes searching his. For a brief moment, a glint of
desire danced in her brown eyes, but faded.
“We should make it
back. I’m sure your mother is looking for us,” she said, then pushed out of his
embrace.
What the hell was that?
She wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her; he was sure of it. So
why didn’t she? Hell, why didn’t he? He’d never been one to allow opportunity
to simply slip through his fingers.
Eunice tried to move
away, but he captured her hand. “There’s obviously something happening between
us. What?”
Turning to face him,
she stared at him for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe we’re just caught in the
moment. Everything will go back to normal when we’re back in New York. It has
to. There’s no other option.”
She attempted to pull
away, but his hold on her remained. “I don’t think this is just a moment,
Eunice.”
Eunice snatched her
hand away. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to—” She stopped
abruptly. “You’re my boss, Blake. Or have you forgotten that? There are reasons
why we can’t work.” She moved her hands back and forth between them. “Why this
can’t work.” She stormed away.
On her heels, Blake
said, “Tell me you don’t feel something for me. Tell me you don’t want me just
as much as I want you. I can see the desire in your
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