Page 58 of The Boss I Can't Stand
“Yeah, I suppose that would kind of put a damper on the whole fiancée thing,” she said, finishing her plate.
“Might garner some sympathy, though,” I said. “GiveEvery Dayan extra competitive boost. I’d be sure to shed one very cinematic tear at your graveside.”
Sierra’s lips twisted. “Guess I’ll keep drinking them.”
I held her gaze, and her smile widened until she laughed, the sound beautiful and soft, before turning away. She really had no idea what she did to me sometimes. She stood and set her dishes back on the cart. “We should try to getsomesleep, huh?”
“Yeah. My phone’s on full volume, so the moment the notification pops up that the fabric is here, we’ll know.”
She nodded, picking up her pajamas and slipping into the bathroom to change. I finished my own meal, then stood to add my dishes to the cart. I noticed Sierra had left the bathroom door open a crack.
It was just enough that I could spy her reflection in the mirror…A strip of bare skin…A shoulder…Those wavy auburn locks…I twisted away, fighting the urge to turn back and look.
I’d been plagued with enough desperate dreams since kissing her, not to mention since hearing about her damn sex dreams. I didn’t need to give myself more reasons for her to occupy my thoughts.
When she emerged from the bathroom wearing an oversized Missouri-Kansas State university tee, we swapped places, but as I went to close the bathroom door, something halted me. Had she left the door open on purpose? Had shewantedme to look? Just in case she had, I left the door open as well, an invitation to look as I shrugged out of my clothes, replacing them with the pajamas Brenna had packed.
Maybe I was imagining things.
Maybe Sierra was making me lose my mind.
But I was confident her cheeks were red when I emerged.
“Ringer on?” she confirmed, sliding in on her side of the bed while I flipped the covers back on my side.
“Yep,” I said. There was a canyon of space between us as I laid down. All I wanted was to reach for her. To see if she would curl into me. “Good to turn the lights off?”
She nodded and I did, thrusting us into darkness. I sighed, but instead of the relief I thought I’d find, that coiling tension only tightened around me. I was acutely aware of every shift of the covers, every inhale she made, the way her moisturizer smelled, the way her body turned against the mattress. These thoughts were going to smother me.
And then Sierra laughed, that gorgeous sound cutting through the dark.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Just thinking that we’ve done this kind of backward—sharing a bed for the first time after we’ve been living together for a month. That’s not how it’s supposed to go.”
“Who says how it’ssupposedto go?”
The covers rustled as if she’d shrugged. “Beats me. It’s not like I have much experience with this kind of thing. I’ve never actually lived with a guy before.”
I hummed in response. “I did the whole moving-in-together thing once,” I admitted. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
“What happened?” Sierra said softly after a beat. The bed shifted, the blankets pulling, and I could tell she’d rolled toward me.
A mess was what happened.
“Her name was Layla,” I said. It was easier talking about her…easier to remember it all while I was shrouded in darkness.
“We were college sweethearts. You know, the whole cliché. When I was twenty-four, she got an amazing opportunity in New York for an eight-month artist mentorship. I told her to go chase her dreams andthat I’d be waiting for her when she was done. It never crossed my mind that she wouldn’t be waiting forme.”
“Oh no…” Sierra said.
“Oh yes,” I confirmed. “When I showed up to her art show to surprise her, I found her with hernewboyfriend. So, I flew home alone to pack up our place.”
“Finn, I’m…I’m so sorry,” she said, shifting again until her hand found mine beneath the covers.
When was the last time someone had held my hand like this? I never had any trouble finding a woman to take to bed when I needed that itch scratched, butthiskind of simple affection was something I’d gone without for a very long time.It was such a little thing…but the gesture was so sweet, it made my eyes sting.
“You deserved better than that,” she said.
