Page 76 of Grumpy Boss of the Year

“I know, but just because you don’t wanna talk about something doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t. You know, in life, oftentimes the hardest conversations are the ones that you should be having the most."

"What are you, a therapist now?" I lean back. “You've totally killed my buzz.”

"I doubt it," he says, leaning forward and running his finger down the side of his face. "I don’t think I could kill your buzz at all, Elisabetta Franco."

He licks his lip. He lifts the armrest and moves closer to me. "I think that you need to destress." He chuckles slightly as he grabs the blanket that's on the ground in the plastic.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

I watch as he takes the blanket out of the plastic and shakes it and covers it over my lap. "I wasn't cold, but thank you. Very nice of you to offer me your blanket. I have my own, but?—"

"But what?" he says. "You don't want this one?"

"I mean, I don't need it."

"I think you do." His hand slides to my leg and shifts my skirt slightly up.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just seeing if your skin is as warm as it looks."

"Um, it is."

"It is," he says as he slides his hand up higher.

"Liam!"

"What?" he says as he shifts closer to me.

"We're on a plane."

"There aren't many people on the plane," he says, lowering his voice. "In fact, I think the lights will probably go out in about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.” He grins in a happy way as the lights dim. “Ta-da.”

“How the fuck did you know they were gonna go out?” I stare at him. “Are you psychic?”

“Some say I am.” He chuckles slightly. “But no, I just have a gift for these things.”

"But how? I don't?—"

"I saw the flight attendants by the lights." He smiles at me. "I could see she was about to turn them off."

"Oh, okay." I let out a deep breath. "I feel stupid for saying this, but a part of me thought you really may be psychic for a second, and I was about to lose my mind."

He chuckles then. "Do you really think there are psychic people in the world?"

"I don't know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are people who have supernatural powers that many of us wouldn’t understand. I mean, I don't, and I don't think you do, but somewhere out there? Sure, maybe."

"Really?" He looked surprised. "I thought you, a woman of science, of?—"

"Of what?" I say as he pauses.

"I just didn’t think you'd believe in such things."

"I mean, I didn't believe that I was the sort of woman who would have to get married to a man I've never met before," I say honestly. "Many things in life change."

"I know," he says. His fingers make their ascent back up.

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