Page 29 of Playing with Fire

Lyla bounced slightly on her stool. “Yeah, come on. It's not like you to hold out on us. And EMT classes are boring. I could use a little drama.”

I sighed. “There's no drama. Nicole just won't let something I said go.” I glared over at my friend and brought my glass of cider to my lips.

She shrugged. “I think you like him.”

I choked on the liquid I'd taken a sip of.

Lyla tilted her head, glancing between the two of us. “I feel like I'm lost. You like your new boss?”

Nicole giggled. “Remember her brother's teammate she complained about for weeks? The one who flirted with her at the wedding and then almost immediately gave her the cold shoulder?”

Lyla's eyes widened. “Yeah...”

Damn Nicole. I wanted to strangle her.

“He's the single dad she's nannying for.”

“Oh my God, no way.” Lyla smirked at me. “And didn't you say he's like really hot?”

I sighed. I could feel the disappointment in Mia's look without seeing it. “Yes. But he's my boss now and he's not interested in me anyway, so I'm trying not to go there.”

“Liar.” Nicole coughed as she said the single word.

“I'm never telling you anything ever again.” I should have called or texted my sister that day. Why did I think Nicole was the best option?

She laughed. “I've heard that one before.”

“What does she think you're lying about? I'm lost again.” Lyla pouted.

I rolled my eyes and huffed. “I told her I thought he was checking me out that first week I’d started nannying. But I was probably just reading into things.” I chuckled. “You know me.”

“But Nicole's right, you did tell us he was definitely flirting at the wedding,” Lyla reminded me.

I shrugged, trying and failing not to remember. Because of all things I was fairly sure of. The way he leaned forward to talk to me. The way his gaze heated when I said I wasn’t there with a date. And I surely didn't imagine his eyes drifting down to the cleavage of my dress.

I shifted uncomfortably on my stool. It had only been two months since that day, and it was still fresh in my mind. The way he made me feel. Like not a single other person was in that damn ballroom but me.

“Maybe he was.” I schooled my features and shrugged. This wasn't helping. “But that was a one-time thing.”

“Back up.” Mia narrowed her eyes. “So was he or was he not checking you out a couple weeks ago?”

“Ugh.” I crossed my arms. “I don't know. I thought so, but?—”

“I'm with Nicole.” Mia slapped the table and leaned back. “It's not like you to be unsure. You were convinced he flirted at the wedding, and spent the next few weeks after that determined to figure out why the one-eighty. So now you really like him and are trying to talk yourself out of it?”

“I hate you all.”

“Nah.” Nicole bumped my shoulder with hers. “You love us. So how about you start from the beginning and tell us everything? Let us actually help you figure it out.”

I looked around at their sincere expressions. “Guys,” I whined. “There's nothing to figure out. I can't like my new boss, and nothing can happen even if I do like him.”

They had to agree. I couldn't imagine they wouldn't, but they all stared at me like they were waiting for me to go on.

Mia would give it to me straight. “Right?” I directed at her across the table.

She shrugged. “I need all the details first. Dating your boss isn't ideal, but dancing around mutual attraction isn't either.”

I glanced around at their expressions laced with anticipation, and finally gave in, starting at the beginning—that first night when he came home. I barely took a breath as I poured out the details of the past two weeks, ending with my ridiculous reaction to him when I dropped off the girls and the cookies.

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