He comes around the counter and runs his fingers through my hair. “You’re beautiful, but you’re definitely not fine.” He leans in to kiss me, and my doubts fade a little at the feel of his mouth on mine.
“I know what you need,” he says when he pulls away.
“Other than a lot of coffee?”
“I’ll get you any coffee you want,” he says and kisses my forehead. “But I know what else you need. New rules.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I don’t know, I think we were doing pretty well with our old ones.”
“Speak for yourself,” he says. “Your rules were torture. Although my rule still stands.”
“No dating anyone else?” I ask.
“You bet your ass,” he says, slipping his hands around my waist. “I don’t share.”
“I guess the no sleeping together rule is thrown out?”
“It better be,” he says.
“Okay, new rules,” I say. “No sex in the office.”
“Not a chance,” he says.
“You’re supposed to agree.”
“There’s no rule that says I have to agree to your rules.” He plants a soft kiss on my lips before I can argue. “I already told you I’m going to fuck you on top of my desk. I intend to make good on that promise.”
My heart flutters a little at the thought. Fuck, he’s hot. I almost hate that he can make me feel this way. “We at least need to be careful at work.”
“Wait, I thought I fired you.”
“You’re hiring me back on Monday,” I say, “and when that happens, we need to be careful.”
“Define careful,” he says.
I sigh. He keeps shifting closer, and I can’t seem to stop myself from touching him. I slide my hands up his chest. “People are going to freak out if they think I’m sleeping with the boss.”
“You are sleeping with the boss.”
“Correction,” I say, adding a little wickedness to my tone. “I slept with the boss. It doesn’t mean I’m doing it again.”
He grips the sides of my robe at my waist and pulls me closer. “You’re sleeping with him. As often as possible.”
I laugh. “Let’s just take things slow at the office. You’re the boss, so no one can give you too much shit. But people are going to think … they’re going to think a lot of things about me.”
“Who gives a fuck what they think?”
“I do,” I say, leaning back. “This is my career, Ronan. I have to work with these people every day, and I don’t have the benefit of being the one to sign their paycheck.”
“All right,” he says. “But it’s going to be very hard to work with you all day and keep this in.”
“Do your best.” My phone buzzes with a text. I have a feeling it’s either Braxton or Kylie. “I should check that. If it’s my brother and I don’t answer, he’ll come busting through that door in about three minutes.”
I grab my phone and check. Sure enough, it’s Brax.
You OK? Text me back now or I’m coming over.
I’m fine. You don’t need to come over.
U sure?
I shake my head and reply. Positive. TTYL
“Your brother?” Ronan says.
“Of course,” I say. “I told him he doesn’t need to come over.”
“He’s going to hate me, isn’t he?” Ronan asks. By his tone, he doesn’t seem too concerned about it.
“Not necessarily,” I say, although that’s kind of a lie. Braxton doesn’t like anyone I date. “But you can expect him to give you the suspicious side-eye a lot.”
Ronan laughs. “All right, since the old rules are gone, that means I don’t have to keep ordering dinner in the office to get you to go out with me.”
“So you admit those dinner meetings were all a ruse to get me in bed,” I say.
“They were much more than that, Selene,” he says, his voice throaty. He runs his hand through my hair. “So much more.”
I stare at him. What does he mean? Is this the same man who walked out on me five years ago? Do I dare believe he could be different now?
What the fuck am I doing?
“I’m coming on too strong, aren’t I?” he asks.
“No, I just…”
“You have doubts,” he says.
“Ronan, what is this?” I ask, leaning away. “If I’m just your latest conquest—”
He puts his finger to my lips. “No, Selene. I told you that when this happened a second time, it wouldn’t be a mistake.”
I open my mouth, but I’m not sure what to say.
Ronan lowers his voice. “I blew you off once. I’m not stupid enough to do it again.”
It feels good to hear him acknowledge what he did—like we aren’t hiding from it.
“So, we’re … dating,” I say. “Sleeping together. Exclusive.”
“Yes,” he says, grabbing my hair at the base of my neck, just hard enough that I can’t pull away. It sends a tingle through my whole body. “Label it however you want. Just tell me I’m staying with you today, and I can sleep with you again tonight.”
My mouth curls up in a smile. “Your place or mine?”
***