Page 51 of Boss of the Year
The thing was, I did. I had for such a long time when it came to this man.
This conversation was right out of my dreams, but now that it was happening, I found myself saying: “I’m not sure.”
“I mean, what are the odds? You disappearing to Paris for a year?—”
“I didn’t disappear. Your family sent me,” I mumbled, but he just rattled on.
“—coming back transformed, and ending up in the seat right next to me on that flight? It’s like fate was giving us both a second chance.”
How could it be a second chance when we never had a first one?
Again, I kept my question to myself. There was something desperate in the way he said it, like he needed me to believe the story as much as he did.
“And then seeing you at the party,” he continued, stepping closer so his citrus scent washed over me again. “Marie, when we danced, when I felt you in my arms…it was like seeing you for the first time. Really seeing you.”
His hand found my cheek. I couldn’t help but lean into it, eyes closed as my heart gave a loud thump.
How long had I wanted this? Ached for it? Begged God, the fates, the universe to make this man see me?
“I kept thinking, how did I miss this?” Daniel’s voice was practically a whisper now. “How did I go all these years without noticing that you were right there, waiting for me to wake up?”
We stared at each other for a long time as his thumb drew over my cheekbone, then down to brush over my lips.
“I know it sounds crazy. Ten years too late and completely out of nowhere. But Marie…I think I’m falling for you.”
The words I’d dreamed of hearing for a decade hung in the air between us. This was the moment—the culmination of every fantasy, every secret wish I’d ever had.
“I’ve thought about you too,” I admitted, and it was true, even if the reality was more complicated than I could explain.
Daniel’s face lit up. “Really?”
I nodded. God, I’d always wanted him to look at me like that.
His gaze slipped to my mouth and stayed there. “May I?”
When he asked for permission, the last of my resistance melted. I nodded, and he pressed his lips to mine while his free arm circled my waist.
Daniel was kissing me. Kissing me for himself. Not because he was sent or told to do it. Daniel Lyons was kissing me because he wanted to.
Thiswas supposed to be my first real kiss, my first everything. His mouth was soft, his touch was tender, and we were literally under the stars while a warm summer breeze serenaded us through the trees.
So why did I see Lucas’s intense glare when I closed my eyes? Why did I remember the insistent demand of Lucas’s tongue? The harsh growl, the bite of his teeth, the fervent exploration of his mouth?
Daniel’s kiss was pleasant. Sweet, even if he tasted like whiskey and seemed to be moving his lips in ways that had nothing to do with the shape of mine. It felt rehearsed somehow. Lucas’s kiss had been fire and intensity, without pretense, like he was on the edge of losing control, which somehow made it that much better.
But it was fake, I reminded myself. It wasn’t real. This kiss, with Daniel, was.
When we broke apart, Daniel rested his forehead against mine, breathing hard. It was hard to ignore the alcohol on his breath.
“God, Marie,” he whispered. “You’re incredible.”
I smiled, trying to ignore the hollowness in my chest. This should be perfect. This was Daniel, finally seeing me, finally wanting me.
So, why didn’t it feel like the culmination of all my dreams?
“Come on.” He took my hand again. “The night is young.”
We continued down a path to the water. Daniel chatted about his travels, his friends, and his plans for the rest of the year, which mostly consisted of working on his golf game until he could escape to the family’s Telluride lodge for ski season. His voice was warm and animated. I found myself genuinely enjoying his stories—mostly because they took the heat off me.
