Page 11 of My Bossy Mountain Man

Okay, maybe lecturing my boss about his facial expressions isn’t in my job description. At the same time, I like to think our relationship expands a little past job roles. I care for him like a friend would, and seeing him react like this is piquing my curiosity.

Unless he’s afraid of making every woman in town flock over here to get a library card, then he has nothing to worry about.

The compliment slips out before I can stop it. “You look nice when you smile.”

The words hang between us, made more intimate by our sudden proximity. Close enough now to catch the faded spice of his cologne, to see the way his throat moves when he swallows. Closer than strictly professional, probably—but when have I ever cared about that?

“I…” He clears his throat, gaze darting around the cramped space like he can’t decide where to land. His fingers twitch at his sides before he finally meets my eyes, hesitant. “I’m like that book, Tulip. When I smile, it’s unsettling.”

A cold prickle runs down my spine. Unsettling? No, I don’t like that at all. Maybe he’s like me—wearing his insecurities just beneath the surface, where no one else can see.

If that’s the case… Well, I might still be wrestling with my demons, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help him face his.

“Dallas.” My voice is firm, but when he doesn’t look at me, I soften it to barely more than a whisper. “Look at me.”

Those storm-gray eyes flicker up, uncertain, and something in my chest tightens. I offer him the gentlest smile I can muster, the kind I hope reassures him.

“Smile for me.”

A simple request. An easy one.

And yet, he hesitates like I’ve asked him to walk over hot coals. His jaw tenses, his throat bobs—but then, finally, he gives in. His lips curve, just slightly. Just enough.

It’s a quiet, reluctant thing, that smile. At the same time, it’s enough.

Butterflies erupt in my stomach, wings beating in frantic rhythm with my racing heart. My breath catches, my thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind. What was I saying? What was I trying to do?

All I know is that Dallas, smiling, is a revelation.

The way it softens the sharp lines of his face, the way it makes his eyes crinkle at the edges… he’s handsome. More than I originally thought. He’s the kind of man who makes a woman like me wonder how she ever got close enough to touch him in the first place.

Swallowing hard, I force myself to focus. His lips are still tilted in that faint, hesitant curve, and I can’t look away.

“Do I look unsettled to you?” My voice comes out lower than I mean it to, rough at the edges, and a bit shaky.

His gaze darkens, lingering on my face before he exhales slowly. His hands curl into loose fists at his sides, like he’s holding himself back.

“You look…” A pause. A heartbeat. “Flushed.”

Heat floods my cheeks all over again. Honest to a fault, this man.

I should be embarrassed. Maybe I am. But more than that, I’m tired of ignoring the way this man affects me every singleday we’re together—that every glance, every accidental brush, doesn’t send sparks skittering across my skin.

So I tilt my chin up, holding his gaze even as my pulse thunders in my ears.

“Whose fault do you think that is?”

Something foreign crosses his eyes. It’s not confusion or surprise. Deep down, I can see the hunger burning behind his gaze. Perhaps it’s always been there, and I’ve never noticed. Right now, it’s impossible to ignore.

“I should apologize.” The words come out rough.Should.

He’s my boss. I should stop him from taking two steps toward me. I should tell him that he can’t reach down and cradle my face like I’m precious, but I don’t. I let him touch my cheeks, all while keeping my eyes on his.

I’m one breath away from begging him to kiss me. Thankfully, he doesn’t need a big push.

He’s so tall, I’d have to stand on the tips of my toes to be able to reach him. Before I’m the one to run out of patience, he reaches that point first as he’s the one to swoop down, wasting no time to steal my breath.

I’ve never kissed someone before, so I’m no master here. Not that it matters. The moment our mouths meet, Dallas is in full control.

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