completely selfish considering I’m the one who left him before—I really have no right to demand anything of him.
“Lane.” The way he says my name makes my toes curl. “I’m still crazy over you. I know it’s been a while, but it feels like just yesterday when you walked out of my life. When you left me, I was so empty. There was this huge, gaping hole in my heart that no one could fill. I tried to get over you. I really did, but you were always there. Every woman I kissed was you.”
My heart clenches at his words. He’s pretty much laid all his cards out for me to see. I’ll admit there is something between us, and it’s strong, but at this point I’m not sure if it’s just purely a sexual thing. And I can’t chance my career on such a crazy risk.
I sigh. We can’t rush this.
“Noel, we have to stay professional. I work for you now—how’s it going to look if I sleep with you my first week here. Who’ll take me serious? Diana encourages me to do whatever it takes to keep you happy, but I’m afraid if I sleep with you, we’ll step over a line we shouldn’t, at least while I work for you, anyway.”
He leans in closer, his lips just inches from my face. “So quit. I’ll take care of you. You don’t need to work as long as you’re with me. I’ll take care of everything you need.”
“You don’t get it—still after all this time. This job is my dream, Noel. If I sleep with you now and things go bad, not only will I lose you, but my dream as well.”
He frowns. “This project means that much to you? It isn’t just about getting close to me?”
I shake my head and then pull his fingers away from my face and lace mine with his. “No. I mean, at first it was just the job, but now, after this, I can’t kid myself. There’s still something between us…”
“But?” he prompts.
“We can’t act on it. Things have to go slow, maybe after Diana sees I can actually do this, she’ll take me serious. Once that happens, maybe we can give us a shot.”
Noel traces my lips with his finger. “I don’t think I can live without at least kissing these. How about we make another deal?”
I tilt my head. Noel always has some sort of scheme brewing in that devilish mind of his. Before he has a chance to set the terms, I come up with some of my own that I can live with while still getting this project done. “How about for every kiss I give you, I get ten minutes of uninterrupted time working on the charity project.”
Noel smiles up at me through sexy, long lashes. “Sure, I’ll agree to that. But I warn you, if you kiss me like you mean it too much, I won’t promise to hold off.”
A fierce blush spreads all over my face.
“How about we start with one right now?”
Before I can answer, Noel pulls my lips to his. The warmth of his mouth is so familiar. I close my eyes and shut my brain off. Nothing else matters but the here and now. This kiss—the one I’ve been reliving in my mind over the past few years—is finally happening.
My lips part, and his tongue finds mine, swirling around like a well-practiced routine. A sound of intense need catches in the back of his throat, and I press my body against his.
His hand slips under my shirt and brushes against the skin on the small of my back. I shiver. The feel of his skin on me floods me with desire. I can’t remember ever wanting Noel as badly as I do now. Maybe it’s because I know what I’ve been missing. Or maybe it’s because he’s turned into an incredibly attractive man. Either way, he’s the only thing I want in the world right now, and I can’t get close enough to him.
My hand flies into Noel’s hair as he slides his hand down the length of my body. His fingers dig into my thighs before he hitches my leg around his hip. He pushes his pelvis into mine and all that separates us is a couple of thin pieces of fabric. His erection strains against his boxers—Noel wants this just as much as I do.
He trails
“Lane.” The way he says my name makes my toes curl. “I’m still crazy over you. I know it’s been a while, but it feels like just yesterday when you walked out of my life. When you left me, I was so empty. There was this huge, gaping hole in my heart that no one could fill. I tried to get over you. I really did, but you were always there. Every woman I kissed was you.”
My heart clenches at his words. He’s pretty much laid all his cards out for me to see. I’ll admit there is something between us, and it’s strong, but at this point I’m not sure if it’s just purely a sexual thing. And I can’t chance my career on such a crazy risk.
I sigh. We can’t rush this.
“Noel, we have to stay professional. I work for you now—how’s it going to look if I sleep with you my first week here. Who’ll take me serious? Diana encourages me to do whatever it takes to keep you happy, but I’m afraid if I sleep with you, we’ll step over a line we shouldn’t, at least while I work for you, anyway.”
He leans in closer, his lips just inches from my face. “So quit. I’ll take care of you. You don’t need to work as long as you’re with me. I’ll take care of everything you need.”
“You don’t get it—still after all this time. This job is my dream, Noel. If I sleep with you now and things go bad, not only will I lose you, but my dream as well.”
He frowns. “This project means that much to you? It isn’t just about getting close to me?”
I shake my head and then pull his fingers away from my face and lace mine with his. “No. I mean, at first it was just the job, but now, after this, I can’t kid myself. There’s still something between us…”
“But?” he prompts.
“We can’t act on it. Things have to go slow, maybe after Diana sees I can actually do this, she’ll take me serious. Once that happens, maybe we can give us a shot.”
Noel traces my lips with his finger. “I don’t think I can live without at least kissing these. How about we make another deal?”
I tilt my head. Noel always has some sort of scheme brewing in that devilish mind of his. Before he has a chance to set the terms, I come up with some of my own that I can live with while still getting this project done. “How about for every kiss I give you, I get ten minutes of uninterrupted time working on the charity project.”
Noel smiles up at me through sexy, long lashes. “Sure, I’ll agree to that. But I warn you, if you kiss me like you mean it too much, I won’t promise to hold off.”
A fierce blush spreads all over my face.
“How about we start with one right now?”
Before I can answer, Noel pulls my lips to his. The warmth of his mouth is so familiar. I close my eyes and shut my brain off. Nothing else matters but the here and now. This kiss—the one I’ve been reliving in my mind over the past few years—is finally happening.
My lips part, and his tongue finds mine, swirling around like a well-practiced routine. A sound of intense need catches in the back of his throat, and I press my body against his.
His hand slips under my shirt and brushes against the skin on the small of my back. I shiver. The feel of his skin on me floods me with desire. I can’t remember ever wanting Noel as badly as I do now. Maybe it’s because I know what I’ve been missing. Or maybe it’s because he’s turned into an incredibly attractive man. Either way, he’s the only thing I want in the world right now, and I can’t get close enough to him.
My hand flies into Noel’s hair as he slides his hand down the length of my body. His fingers dig into my thighs before he hitches my leg around his hip. He pushes his pelvis into mine and all that separates us is a couple of thin pieces of fabric. His erection strains against his boxers—Noel wants this just as much as I do.
He trails
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