Lexie finished stirring the two sugars into the coffee, drew a deep breath, and forced her legs to move toward Kade’s office, unable to cross the threshold. She stood in the doorway, observing him unnoticed.
Thanks to his splint, he couldn’t shave, and he’d grown a healthy beard. Instead of hiding his handsome face, the scruff defined his features, giving him an even edgier appearance. Her sex, already primed by him on Friday night, tingled at the sight of his raw masculinity.
Her high school/college boyfriend had been just that, a boy, in comparison to Kade, her feelings juvenile in contrast to the overwhelmingly female, adult sensations and emotions Kade inspired in her. But she didn’t have time to dwell on those differences now. Not here.
She shook her head, reminding herself she was at work and needed to do her job. And to do that, she had to put their night behind them.
“Good morning,” she said in an effort to capture his attention.
He jerked his head up and met her gaze, his green eyes almost emerald this morning, and they brightened at the sight of her. That was a first, but she’d be lying if she said the heat in his gaze didn’t thrill her.
“Lexie,” he said, his voice rough, as if he hadn’t yet used it today.
“I have your coffee,” she said stupidly, because why else would she be standing in the doorway with a mug in her hand?
“Come in.”
She stepped into the room, pretending just looking at him didn’t have her stomach doing back flips.
“I thought about you this weekend. Wondered how you were feeling.” He tipped his head, studying her.
She could say she was fine and let things go or choose the more difficult path and get the awkwardness out of the way by being up front.
She placed his coffee onto the desk and forced herself to meet his gaze again. “You mean was I hungover after my big night out? Or did I spend the weekend mortified that I jumped my boss in a back alley?” she asked, being up front and honest. Because Lexie always had to choose the tougher path.
An amused bark of laughter escaped his throat. “And here I thought you’d try to avoid me this morning,” he said, admiration in his gaze.
“Well, cowering isn’t my style.” She clasped her hands together in front of her, doing her best not to fidget. “I figured I should give you the opportunity to fire me if you want to. I know you said you wouldn’t, but Friday night was completely inappropriate and—”
“One hundred percent mutual,” he informed her, taking her off guard, as did the suddenly sexy smile on his lips.
She rocked back on her heels, nearly losing her footing in surprise. “Kade.”
“I’m not firing you. You keep me on my toes, and that’s not an easy feat.”
He had her on her toes now, completely off-kilter and aware from the look in his eyes that something between them had changed. And that something both drew her in and made her wary at the same time.
Especially when he continued to stare at her, devouring her as if he hadn’t had a meal all weekend. And considering he hadn’t kissed her since Friday night, maybe he hadn’t.
She shivered at the so-very-sinful path her thoughts had taken. He was her boss. The man whose moods changed on a whim. And he hadn’t broken eye contact, which had her entire body lighting up with desire only he managed to ignite inside her.
Wrong. It was so very wrong. Which didn’t stop her from wanting him badly.
Chapter Seven
Kade stared into Lexie’s wary blue eyes and knew he should take heed of the warning there. She wasn’t all in. She was obviously confused by what had transpired between them.
He wasn’t.
He’d had a long weekend to think, and he hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything except Lexie and what she’d felt like coming apart—around his finger and in his arms. She invaded every conscious and unconscious thought he’d had. He’d even dreamed about sliding his cock inside her and finding heaven in her slick, warm, wet pussy.
The more rational part of him knew he shouldn’t have let things go as far as they had on Friday night, but he hadn’t been able to resist. The sexy woman at the club had revealed another facet to the able assistant who had no trouble going toe-to-toe with him by day. Her confidence and fearlessness, at least when it came to dealing with him, was refreshing, and it turned him on.
Everything about her turned him on.
She was different from the women in his past—from her honesty to her caring nature, Lexie was unique. Yet he couldn’t allow himself to believe it would last.
He had his past breathing down his neck, a reminder of what kind of betrayal the females in his life brought him and a threat to his future. As a result, he’d tried to convince himself that getting involved with Lexie further wasn’t a good idea.