Page 74 of Holly versus Mr. Ivy
Warm, delicate skin? Check.
Soft, full lips? Confirmed.
Silky, smooth hair? Substantiated.
Ability to make her breathless? Verified.
The checklist moved to myself.
Heart pounding in my chest? Profoundly.
Lower stomach tightening in the most pleasant way possible? Yes.
Thoughts scattered except for how to make this kissing session last the rest of our lives? Definitely.
Best feeling ever, highly recommended to one and all? Mmm-hmmm.
Holly turned the kiss from something tentative to full-blown, no holds barred, all-in passion. Hating the distance between us, I scooped my arms around Holly, hauling her onto my lap. Her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me until our bodies were stuck together like velcro. There was no breaking apart. No Holly or me, justus.
I wanted to linger, to explore every millimeter of her mouth with mine, and then move on to her neck and jaw, to do this for the rest of the night, but Holly slowed down our kiss, and before I had time to pick up the pace again, she buried her head in my neck.
“I’m really upset at Darby right now.”
“What?” I scoffed. That was not what I had expected her first words to be after that epic kiss.
“She walked in and interrupted us,” Holly complained. “If I’d known then what I know now about the way you kiss, Rhett, we would have spent the last month in an entirely different way. Of course, we also wouldn’t have jobs. So there is that.”
Leaning back, I cupped her face between my hands. “I promise we will be discreet. Uncle Anthony, or anyone else we work with, will never find out about us until after I’m gone from his company, okay? I don’t want to give my uncle any reason to fire either one of us.”
“I trust you.”
Her words warmed my heart, like an oven preheating. Every moment we spent together jeopardized our jobs, but if no one found out, what was the harm in enjoying my favorite time of year with my new favorite person?
Chapter 27
Holly
I’dhitanewlow in life. Thanks to my idiotic decision to save the turkey, I couldn’t shower, get dressed, or even go to the bathroom without help. Nothing was as embarrassing as your sick mom wiping, pulling up your pants, and helping you take a bath at thirty-one-years old. But with how bad my burns were, I legitimately had no choice.
I was heading to the restaurant with my wet hair pulled into a ponytail because by the time Mom finished helping me shower and dress, she had been too worn out to blow dry my hair. My face was free of all makeup, and my hands were bandaged.
In theory, staying home would have been the better choice, but then I wouldn’t see Rhett, and after the way he’d kissed me last night, how could I stay away?
Trevor picked me up and took me to The Boardwalk. He’d even opened all the doors for me. My brother really was good at taking care of me and Mom, even though he took full advantage of being an annoying brother most of the time.
I went straight to Rhett’s office. “Hey.” Smiling, I took in his handsome face and light blue button-down shirt.
Rhett returned my smile with one of his own. One that conveyed he was as happy to see me as I was to see him. “Hey, yourself. How are your hands this morning?”
They hurt, but the physical pain had nothing on the mortification I’d felt at Mom seeing me naked and wiping my behind. “They’ve been better.” I grimaced. “Actually, I’m going to need your help getting my chef’s jacket on. I, uh…” Heat flooded my cheeks. “Can’t get dressed on my own.”
Rhett’s lips fought back a smile and lost. “I’m a little bummed we’re not in a place that allows me to help you with that at home.”
Fire seared my chest. Rhett’s hands on my bare skin? I fanned my face with my mummy-like hand.
Rhett chuckled.
“Stop. Someone could walk in at any minute.”
