Page 85 of Boss of Attraction
“What if he’s not here?” I asked.
“He’s home,” Fallon stated.
“How do you know?”
Fallon gave me a I-fucking-know look but then asked Rhett, “Handsome, he’s home, right?”
“Yes,” Rhett confirmed.
“Alone?” I asked.
“We didn’t get that intel,” Rhett stated.
My eyes widened as I glanced at Fallon. The light in the vehicle came from the streetlights outside, so I could barely see his face. “What if he’s not alone?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
What Fallon had suggested I do sounded good before we got to Sean’s place. Now every nerve in my body was running wild, and I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing.
If Sean would even want to see me.
“Sorry about ruining your New Year’s Eve,” I said to my friend.
“It’s all good. I’m sure these boys appreciate not having to be on high alert in a nightclub,” he responded.
“All right. Here I go.” I took a deep breath. My heart pounded against my rib cage like it was trying to escape and possibly save me from the pain of what was about to come. But there was no turning back. If I went up there and told Sean what I needed to say and he turned me away, at least I would know. And they say knowing is half the battle. I was done being at war with my own thoughts and just needed answers.
Fallon gave me an encouraging nod, and I slid out of the SUV.
“If I’m not back in ten, take that as a good sign.”
“Good luck,” the guys called out, and I shut the door.
After walking into the building, I said hello to Peter at the desk and took the elevator to Sean’s floor. With a shaky hand, I reached out and knocked.
Seconds felt like hours as I waited, my mind racing through a thousand different scenarios. What if Sean opened the door and slammed it shut in my face? What if he was with someone else? What if Morgan and Ryan were with him? What if he didn’t love me back? What if he saw me through the peephole and didn’t open the door at all?
However, the door opened, and he stood before me with a surprised look etched across his face. He was in a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants, and he’d never looked so damn handsome.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
I swallowed hard, gathering every ounce of courage I had left, and met his gaze. “When I imagine ringing in the new year, you're the only person I want to share it with. You're the only one I want to kiss at midnight. I can’t stop thinking about you. Every moment we shared. Every kiss. Every stolen glance in the office. And I know things have been complicated, especially with your kids, but I want you to know that my feelings for you are real.” I took a deep breath and then went for it. “I love you, Sean Ashford. Like head over heels, so fucking in love with you?—”
In one swift move, he took my face in his hands and silenced me with his mouth. Even though I knew I’d missed him, I hadn’t realized how much. But at that moment, everything disappeared except him and me and his lips on mine.
When we pulled apart, he grabbed my hand and led me into his condo. He took me to his couch, and we sat facing each other. I wasn’t sure what was about to happen. He glanced at the clock on the wall.
“We only have about thirty seconds, but I want you to know that you telling me you love me was exactly what I wanted to hear.” As the clock ticked down to midnight, he leaned in, his eyes ablaze with love, and confessed the words that started to glue my heart back together. “I love you too, Declan. More than I ever thought would be possible again. You’ve brought light back into my life, and I never want to let you go. Things might not always be easy, and I’ve had my fair share of hard times, but I don’t want to conquer those challenges with anyone but you.”
The clock struck midnight, and we sealed our declarations of love with another kiss. As fireworks exploded over the river in the distance, I was hopeful we were going to make things work no matter what.
Our kiss deepened and before I knew it, our clothes were being tossed on the floor and we shared what had to be the best way to ring in the new year.
26
Sean
In the fewweeks since the new year started, my workload had required a lot of late nights in the office, and this one was no exception. I was exhausted but still had a couple more things to finish before I could leave.
