Page 88 of Big & Bossy

A finger hooked under my jaw, lifting my head to him. “Please?”

My heart jumpstarted in the span of a millisecond. “Sure,” I breathed. I pushed myself down from the high-top chair, booted feet hitting the hardwood floor.

He pulled me to him, half-lidded eyes meeting mine, and as our bodies came together, he started to sway. His fingers dug lightly into the fabric on my back, just a small touch that sent me reeling. “I’m half tempted to put you on my feet again like I did at Tiana’s wedding,” he chuckled. “I think your boots might crush the little pandas though.”

I laughed as I looked down at our mismatched shoes moving in tandem. “I wouldn’t want to crush the pandas.”

“Take them off for me?” He pushed one of the little curls around my cheek behind my ear, his fingers dragging along my skin.

I couldn’t stop the smirk from spreading across my cheeks. “Just those?”

“Just those,” he confirmed, his laugh entirely infectious. “Save the rest for later.”

I giggled as I leaned down, the layers of my dress lifting as I turned from him. Just a peek, just my upper thighs, but I knew it was enough to make him positively feral inside. I unzipped each boot, kicked them off to the side, and padded across the floor until I was back in his arms again.

He lifted me immediately, placing me on the soft little heads of the pandas on each of his feet, and continued dancing.

In circles, we moved, sweeping across the floor and about the expanse of his kitchen. Song after song, he spun me, tipped me, laughed with me, and held me. It felt too natural in the best way possible — a perfect moment of this arguably perfect first date, and I couldn’t not smile, couldn’t be stubborn with him. I didn’t want to pretend with him, not anymore. I wanted it to be real, I always had.

The song slowed, reaching its end, and he slowed us in response. His mouth met mine, tenderly, hesitantly, and I kissed him back the way I wanted to be kissed. Fully, devouring, all-encompassing. I wanted it all. I wanted him, and I couldn’t lie to myself about that anymore, not after everything that had happened. Not after ten years of trying to forget the one person I needed most. The only one I ever tore my walls down for. The only one I let in, let see the real me.

“I love you,” I breathed, our lips parting for just a second. “Still.”

His fingers cupped my cheek, his breathing shallow. Lips brushed against lips, and when he spoke, I nearly lost it. “I love you too,” he said, his voice just a little stronger than mine. “Still.”

The world felt so much lighter, as if instead of holding a barrel of bricks I’d been gifted a feather hanging from a paper-thin wire. I arched up onto my tiptoes, his answering grunt telling me I was likely crunching the tops of his feet and planted my lips to his once more.

It felt right. It felt like home, like coming back after a long night lost in the frozen woods to a raging fire and a cup of hot chocolate. Like reading a book and hitting that final page, like going out in search of a Christmas tree and finding the perfect one. Like the first snowfall of winter. Like a warm bath.

“So,” he said, breaking the kiss again to hold my face wonderfully close to his. “What are we going to do about L&V? You’re going to have to figure that out.”

I grinned up at him, his green eyes beaming. “I already know what I’m going to do.”

Chapter 41

Jackson

“Iswear on Tiana’s life, Mandy, if you drop that box, so help me God?—”

“I’m not going to drop it,” she laughed, sidestepping my home office desk. The assorted non-valuables inside rustled, and within a second, her wide eyes met mine. “It’s not that fragile, right?”

I wanted to laugh, but I wanted to mess with her more. “That box has the main system for Infinius in it,” I deadpanned.

“Oh my God, I should put this down,” she said, her voice rising in pitch as the panic set in. “Jack? Jack, take it, please, I don’t want to wreck it.”

I laughed as I plucked the cardboard from her hands. “So gullible.”

Her wide eyes turned to slants. “Seriously? What’s in there, then?”

I shrugged, popping the top open and pulling out a silver medal. “Just my participation awards from middle school.” I slid the ribbon around my neck, the fake silver jingling. “This one was from… basketball maybe? I was so bad at sports.”

Mandy slapped my shoulder playfully. “Why do you even want these in the new office?”

“I like having my accomplishments on display.”

“Your seventh-grade basketball participation award is important enough to be on display?” She mocked, twisting the plastic medal around my neck as she inspected it.

“I don’t want my employees to feel overshadowed.”

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