Page 38 of Flirting With Forever
“You could stay.”
“You’re my boss. And you promised Cole, so we can’t.”
Unable to help himself, he lifted a hand to take a curl between his fingers, watching it wrap around him the way he wished she would wrap herself around him. “No one said you had to leave town. And it’s easy enough to fire you if that helps. I’ll call around, get you another job. Take away the whole workplace thing. If that’s really a concern.”
She stiffened at the words and pulled away, getting to her feet. Obviously his attempt at a solution and making a plan that meant she stayed in town hadn’t landed well.
“Sloane… Come on. Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on with your family. Why you’re afraid of them. And don’t say you’re not, because it’s obvious.”
He got up slowly, sensing she was about to bolt and not wanting to push her into doing it.
She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “I just don’t want to be part of their lives. But they want me to be.”
“They can’t force you.”
She shoved her hair off her face again, the nervous gesture one he’d started to recognize as a stress move.
“We’d be a bad idea. My life is too complicated, Gage. I’d get hurt.”
“I’d never intentionally hurt you.”
Her eyes looked glassy and bright with sudden tears. She felt it too. Whatever it was between them, she felt it, but she was scared. He could see it. Sense it. But why?
“I’m going to go shower. I’ll be out to help start cleaning up when I’m done.”
“Merida, don’t run away from me. Let’s talk. We have time. We won’t head out until the worst of the outer bands move through.”
“Fine. I’ll work on organizing the spare room then.”
“You’re avoiding me. And you’re not working when you’re hurt.”
“I can sit and sort through stuff just fine,” she said in a stern tone.
“So that’s it? We cuddle and almost kiss, and you pretend like it didn’t mean anything? That you’re not as curious as I am that there could be more? You feel it, too.”
“Maybe I do,” she whispered. “But chemistry isn’t enough. Not for me.”
Gage watched in frustration as she hightailed it into her bedroom as fast as she could limp there and shut the door. He even heard the soft snick of sound indicating she’d locked the door behind her.
Just like he’d locked his when she’d first arrived.
Two weeks. Her two weeks were almost up, and somehow the thought of her leaving left him unsure and angry because he battled his attraction for her, admired her tenacity and dedication, her work ethic, and somehow found himself fearful of losing the first woman to ever make him think of reevaluating his priorities.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
How stupid did someone have to be to develop feelings for their boss?
Her temporary boss. To admit she was as drawn to Gage as he seemed to be to her?
Sloane stood beneath the shower and let the tepid water beat into her skin, feeling the sting of it against the wounds on her leg and back as it sluiced down her body. She ignored the pain even as she welcomed it.
Ever since she’d gone on the road to escape her family, she’d never allowed herself to get close to someone. She knew the consequences if she did. Her college boyfriend had paid the price for her defiance, a ready-made weapon to be used against her in an attempt to gain her compliance. And to be honest, he wasn’t so much of a boyfriend as someone she’d spent time with and dated out of loneliness. But that had been enough. She couldn’t stand the thought of anyone getting hurt because of her, and when they’d gone after him to make their point…
She’d immediately ended things with the guy and taken that power away from her family. And she hadn’t allowed herself to be tempted to indulge in that type of connection since.
At least, not until now.
She hadn’t really needed a shower, but every breath held the tease of Gage’s cologne, and with her eyes closed against the spray, she could still feel him cradling her in his arms. The warmth and heat of him. The comfort and peacefulness she’d felt. Though the storm had raged, she’d slept deeply. Rested in his arms because she’d felt safe.
