Page 58 of Unlocking my Boss's Heart

“No!”

He took a step back, looking like I’d slapped him. The raw vulnerability in his eyes pierced through me, and for a moment, I almost wished I could take the word back.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to be around you, Mr. Waltons.”

“You can stop calling me that, for one.”

“It has to be this way. I’m your employee, and you’re my boss. Everyone else calls you Mr. Waltons.”

“But you’re not just anyone,” he argued and cupped my cheek, sending a thrill of warmth through me as my body betrayed me. “You’re so much more.”

His words were like a lifeline, pulling at the part of me that still longed for him, but I knew I couldn’t allow myself to reach out.

“I can’t listen to this,” I said as firmly as I could, but his presence was making me weak.

Myheart was rebelling against my mind’s futile attempt to maintain control.I wanted him to hold me, press me to himself as he did in the motel room, murmur sweet things in my ear, and kiss me slowly and sensually. I wanted—

He grabbed my hand, pulling me to stand in front of him. “This won’t take long.”

The intensity in his grip sent a shiver down my spine, and despite my resolve, a part of me wanted to surrender to the moment.

He leaned in, touching my waist. Our lips were so close that they nearly touched. My heart skipped, somersaulted, and flipped, and his breath spread across my cheek. I gripped his shirt for a moment, his hands spread across my back, but before our lips touched, I found the courage to push away.

“Celia, I—I—”

I shook my head vigorously back and forth. I nearly walked out, forgetting the deposition strewn across the floor. I wanted to run away from what this man was doing to me.

He smoothed his jacket down and hung his head.

Was he trying to hide tears? When I chanced a peek at him, his eyes told a story of their own. They were clouded with yearning in his gaze, a desperate longing that reached out to me, silently pleading for something lost. Yet, it was the frustration that struck me most—his jaw clenched tight, as if he were holding back a torrent of words, emotions he couldn't fully express. His eyes, now slightly glazed, bore into mine with an intensity that made my heart ache. It was as if he were searching for something, anything, to bridge the chasm that had formed between us, but all he found was the cold reality that stood in our way.

My heart lurched. Every bit of me wanted every bit of him. But I couldn’t have him.

A baby in the midst was just more than I could handle right now.

“Very well. I’ll leave you to it, then,” he said.

He then bent down to pick up my papers and set them on the copier before walking out. All I could do was stand there like a statue, my heart beating chaotically in my chest.

Worse, Winnie chose that moment to walk in to make copies. She gave me an odd sideways look. “Are you using this or can I?” she asked impatiently.

I gathered my papers and rushed out, mumbling, “No, go ahead.”

Anton was standing in the reception area of our floor when I passed by, and our eyes met. I felt the letdown of distancing myself from him.

Why did this hurt so much? My rational brain still clung to the belief that I would get over this, as others who had moved past heartbreak. I reassured myself that all I needed was time; patience was my tool.

Chapter twenty-two

Anton

Celia walked past me, turning, keeping her gaze straight as if I didn’t exist, and went to her desk. I wanted to punch something. If Reeva hadn’t been a woman, she might have made a good target for my frustrations. I couldn’t believe she’d gone so far as to threaten Celia. But I was also equally angry that Celia hadn’t told me about it and had tried to just take it like some kind of Joan of Arc.

As always, after talks with Celia lately, my work was less productive than I would have liked. My fingers drummed on my desk as I contemplated what needed to be done to get my life back on track. It had been torturous not being able to call Celia into my office for our regular chats. I hadn’t realized how much I’d come to depend on her, but now, the days dragged on without a bright spot to look forward to.

With a growl, I picked up the phone and dialed Johan.

“Hello,” he answered cheerfully.

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