Page 43 of Say You Remember Me
Me: No, it’s not like that. We’re not dating. We’ve been keeping things professional.
Well, mostly. Our relationship might be a little more flirty than with my previous bosses but…a little friendly banter was okay in the workplace, right?
Juliette: You’re delusional. No boss has ever upgraded me to a luxury suite!
Lexi: Make sure to let us know when he kisses you again. I want all the juicy details.
Me: He’s not going to kiss me. So don’t hold your breath for that update.
Lexi: Whatever you say…
Juliette: Well, I hope you have a great work trip. Have an extra glass of wine for me in that glorious tub.
Both Juliette and Lexi were expecting babies at the moment. Juliette and my brother Easton’s baby was due in just a few weeks, so they’d both been sticking to mocktails when we got together for our girls’ nights.
I answered a few more of their questions about the trip and then I went into the bedroom to unpack some of my things. After placing my toiletries in the bathroom, I stood at the closet, debating which dress to wear tonight. I didn’t have the funds to buy a bunch of fancy dresses for this event, so it was likely that I might stand out like a sore thumb among all the other company owners attending the business summit. But I hoped what I’d brought would be good enough.
For tonight’s dinner, which we would be having with Mr. Kwan—the CEO of a tech company that Hastings Industries was hoping to work with—I settled on a navy-blue dress that was simple but hopefully elegant.
After touching up my makeup and fixing my hair, I slipped into the dress. It fit well, and even though this was just a dinner for work and not a date, I felt a flicker of nervous excitement as I checked myself in the mirror. My phone buzzed.
Ian: I’m ready to head down whenever you are. You ready?
A thrill shot through me, and I quickly replied.
Me: Ready.
Less than a minute later, there was a knock at my door. I opened it, and there was Ian, standing tall in a navy suit that was tailored to perfection. He looked…well, devastatingly handsome as usual. His eyes swept over me, and for a moment, he seemed almost…speechless?
He cleared his throat and said, “Should we head down?”
“Yes,” I managed, feeling suddenly breathless. The way he was looking at me sent a warm, unfamiliar sensation through my chest.
I grabbed my purse, and with slightly wobbly legs, we made our way to the elevator. As we waited, Ian glanced sideways at me, a hint of warmth in his gaze. “I really like that dress,” he said.
“Thank you,” I replied, smiling.
He tilted his head slightly. “Pretty sure we’re a perfect match tonight.”
I furrowed my brow, momentarily confused, until he extended his arm beside my waist, indicating his suit. “My suit and your dress—they’re the same color.”
I laughed. “Well, look at that.”
The elevator arrived and we stepped inside. The few other times we’d been on an elevator together, there had always been other people with us. But this time, it was just the two of us.
We were alone.
My pulse quickened as I remembered a scene from the book I’d been reading last night—where a girl and her boss were stuck in an elevator. They’d been fighting their feelings for weeks and the sexual tension was so high they were about to explode. I had been internally screaming for them to finally just confess their feelings and kiss, and just when I thought the author was going to torture the characters—and me—for another chapter or two, the handsome boss had taken his secretary in his arms, pressed her against the elevator wall, and kissed her.
And man, the heated kiss did not disappoint. In fact, I’d gotten a little hot and bothered myself as I imagined finding myself in a similar situation with a sexy man.
And yeah, when I realized I’d been picturing myself and Ian as the two characters in the novel, I also realized that I should probably take a break from reading boss romances for a bit. Just until I’d gotten my attraction to my own boss under control.
Though I still had a few chapters left to read in that one, and since I liked to finish what I started, my swearing off boss romance novels might just have to wait until I finished the last chapter.
The elevator dinged, stopping at the fifth floor. And before I knew it, a big group was suddenly piling in, squishing Ian and me into the back corner.
“Sorry,” I said, my cheeks flushing when I found my back pressed firmly against him. “Tight fit.”
