Page 120 of Grumpy Boss of the Year

“No. I just wanted to feel your heartbeat because it reminds me that I have one, too.”

“What do you mean?” she says, her expression changing slightly. Her eyes grow softer, and the teasing look disappears from her lips.

We’re being serious now, and it feels weird and yet, right.

“This is going to sound really corny…”

“Oh, boy, here we go,” she says, and then pauses. “Sorry, I don’t know how to act in serious moments.”

“It’s okay. Neither do I. I’ve never really had a serious moment like this before.”

“Me either,” she says, blinking. “I mean, I don’t know how serious this moment’s going to be. If it’s going to be serious, serious or not serious, but…let me be quiet,” she says.

“It’s okay. I guess what I’m trying to say is I like you.”

“And I like you, too,” she says, nodding, “which is weird because…”

“I know.”

“Because we haven’t known each other that long.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely correct.”

“But when we were kids, we always heard that there was a possibility of people liking each other very quickly.”

“Yeah, I mean, I always heard that. I didn’t know if it was true or anything, but, hey…”

I grab her hand and place it over my heart. “You feel this?”

“Your hair or your skin?” she says blankly.

“My heartbeat, goofy.”

“Oh, let me see.” She presses her fingers closer to my chest.

I never want her to let go of me. I feel like there’s a fusion going on between our bodies, and it’s both scary and amazing at the same time.

“I feel it,” she says softly.“I may not be a doctor or a nurse, but I kind of know what a heartbeat feels like.”

“It’s beating that way for you,” I say, feeling awkward and stiff.

“Okay. Thanks. I mean, isn’t it kind of beating so you can stay alive?” She pauses. “Sorry, that was awkward, wasn’t it?”

“No, but I never thought I would meet someone more awkward than me, and I guess I kind of have.”

She makes a face. “So, what are you trying to say?”

“I mean, isn’t it apparent?”

“I don’t know,” she says, shrugging and looking down.

“I mean, is it or isn’t it? I think it means that maybe I’m kind of falling for you, Elisabetta Franco.”

“Oh, yeah.”

I grab her chin and lift it so she can stare into my eyes. There’s a light there that maybe I’ve never seen before, and it makes my heart jump for joy. It makes me realize that not only am I falling for her, I’ve already fallen. Shock is all I can think of. Never in a million years did I intend to fall in love.

“You okay?” She blinks rapidly. “Your expression just changed.”

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