Page 23 of The Secret
But of course, following a direct instruction was too much to ask of my new employee. He stared at me in mock-concern. “Dude, I left thatwide openfor you, and you didn’t make a comeback. Are you sick?”
I put the van in drive and pulled out onto Weaver Street.
“I’m attempting to be professional,” I told him. “As you should. And on that subject, I wanted to apologize. For the other night.”
He sipped his coffee with a little smile playing around his lips. “Which part? The part where you scared Tyler off? Or the one where you kissed me? Or the one where you offered me a job?”
“The second part.”
“Whichpart?”
I shot him a glare. “I’m beginning to regret the entire thing.”
“I’m just trying to communicate, Mr. Bloom.Boss. I just want to make sure that we have an open and respectful employer-employee dialogue going on. To beprofessional,” he insisted, like the fuckingmenacehe was. “Which part of the other night do you regret?”
“The part where I kissed you,” I said, trying to sound bored.
But just as I’d suspected, saying the words out loud brought the kiss right back to the forefront of my brain. The fucking air smelled like cherries.
“I shouldn’t have done that at all, but as your new boss, especially.”
“Uh huh.” Constantine twisted in his seat to face me. “Is this the part where you explain sexual harassment to me?”
“Do you have to make everything a joke?” I demanded, frustrated and aroused, and frustratedbecauseI was aroused.
“Do you have to be so serious about everything?”
He sounded like Leandra, for God’s sake.
And Jesus, wouldn’t she and Lauren love to hear about me actuallyhiringConstantine? I vowed then and there that I wasnotgoing to breathe a damn word to either of them about this temporary insanity.
Ever.
I took a deep breath and prayed for patience. “I’m just saying, that kiss was not an accurate reflection of our relationship. It will never be repeated. Hell, I don’t even like you half the time, and I know you don’t like me any better.”
“True.” Constantine sipped his coffee pensively. “What about the other half of the time?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean,” he shot me a look that was blatantly flirtatious, “if you dislike me fifty percent of the time, what are you thinking about me the other fifty percent?”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “The rest of the time, I don’t think of you at all.”
Constantine hooted at this. “I think you’re lying. Wanna know how I know?”
“If I say no, will you shut up?”
“I know because—”
“Didn’t think so,” I sighed.
“I knowbecause,” Constantine insisted, “when I’m not hating you, I find you hot.”
“Jesus.”
“I know, Iknow! It’s insane. I can’t imagine having sex with a guy who’s incapable of smiling.” He pursed his lips and moved his arms up and down like a robot. “Oh. That. Feels. Nice. Yes. Just. Like. That. Ooh. Baby.” He peered at me over his coffee cup. “I mean, I’ll admit it’s intriguing.” He tilted his head to the side curiously. “Do you get angry when you orgasm?”
“Constantine.”
