Page 23 of Mated To My Boss

"I'm sorry," I say, straightening in my chair. "I got lost in thought for a moment. Could you repeat that?"

“I'm going to ignore that and go over it again. Listen this time.”

He's explaining again? I thought for sure he'd send me away for not listening. Maybe he wants me to be here too.

I focus all my attention on his words, making sure I understand every detail as he reviews the files and explains how he wants me to sort them.

“—and the signature pile will house everything else. I like to do that last because it's a repetitive task.”

I nod in acknowledgment. “Yes, that seems easy enough. What about this?” I point to a small stack of papers Nate has kept to the side.

“I'll handle those on my own.”

"Fair enough," I say with a small smile. "But if you change your mind, I'm happy to take on more."

“I doubt it.”

"I've been working hard to prove myself," I note. "Aunt Cora holds me to an even higher standard than the other interns."

He considers this for a bit, and I see resignation on his face. “Okay, but listen closely.”

I lean forward slightly, attentive but professional. "Ready when you are."

“Give me the first one; I'll show you what to do.”

I pick the paper and hand it to him. His fingers brush mine as he collects it. What is supposed to be an innocent touch sends a jolt of electricity through my body, rousing my wolf. That small contact makes my heart race faster than it has ever done.

From his pause, I can tell Nate felt the same. He clears his throat, trying to brush it off.

I settle back in my chair, giving him space while maintaining our professional dynamic. Though I notice his momentary distraction, I don't exploit it. Instead, I focus on learning the task at hand.

His scent fills my head, getting my gears going. I feel my body beginning to warm up, but I do my best to keep it at bay. There's still work to do.

“Ready to start?” Nate asks.

“Yes.”

I take the seat across from him, and begin working through the stack methodically. Though I'm acutely aware of his presence, I maintain my focus on the task.

Occasionally our eyes meet across the desk and I feel that familiar pull, but I resist the urge to flirt or draw attention to myself.

We manage to accomplish a significant amount of work in a short time. Nate and I fall into a groove, and even though it's nearly impossible to keep our eyes off each other, we channel it into working effectively.

By the time lunch rolls around, Nate and I are nearly done. He leans back, putting both hands behind his head. “You're great at this, I'll give you that,” he commends. “Maybe interns aren't so bad after all.”

"Thank you," I say with a genuine smile. "I'm glad I could help."

I glance at my watch. "It's lunchtime already. I should probably let you get back to your regular schedule."

"Actually," Nate says, surprising us both, "I wouldn't mind if you stayed a bit longer."

"Oh? Did you have more work in mind, or something else?" I raise my eyebrows slightly and smile to show him I'm joking before I tell him. “We need to talk.”

Chapter 9

NATE

My eyes move from the locked door to Madeline's face. Her expression is thoughtful as I watch her, a far cry from the impulsive girl I once knew.

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