Holiday Bridal Wave - Gwyn McNamee Page 0,40

in the closet and then call the legal department to bring up the file. While I wait, the absurdity of his actions this morning occupies my mind.

Is he just going to ignore what happened between us on Friday? He wouldn’t. Would he?

The elevator dings, and Tina from legal hustles over with the Lancaster file. “Here you go. Let me know if he needs anything else.”

“I will.” And now I have to go into his office to give this to him.

Surely, now that we’re alone, he’ll want to discuss what transpired.

I knock on the frosted glass door to his office and hold my breath.

“Come in.” His invitation comes cold and emotionless.

I push open the door and find him leaning back in his chair, looking calm, cool, and collected while I’m an awkward hot mess of nerves and self-doubt. “The Lancaster files, sir.”

He quirks an inky brow at me, and for a moment, I can’t contain my laugh at my nervous mistake.

“Sorry, Archie.”

“Thank you, Blaire.”

I hand him the file, and he opens it on his desk and buries his head in the paperwork.

Huh. That’s it?

Nothing more to say? He’s just going to ignore the very awkward thing standing here between us, begging to be addressed? He’s just going to pretend it didn’t happen? Pretend his tongue wasn’t in my mouth and that his hard dick wasn’t pressed up against the terracotta pot glued to my sweater?

“Blaire?” Archie stares up at me with a raised eyebrow. “Was there something you needed?”

Really?

I guess we’re going to pretend it never happened.

Okay, then.

I force a smile. “Nope. I’ll just see myself out.”

And return to my desk more confused than ever.

Archimedes

Blaire exits, and the door to my office shuts behind her. I breathe a sigh of relief. I thought ignoring what happened between us last Friday would be for the best and would also be the easiest course of action. Far easier than having to look in her in the eye and actually discuss it…or even worse, what it might have meant.

Because I can’t let it mean anything.

Especially since I’m about to propose to Jessica. I was supposed to do it this weekend, but after that kiss with Blaire, I just couldn’t bring myself to pop the question.

There’s still time, though…

I can propose at the Christmas Eve party later this week. It’s really the perfect time and location. Surrounded by all the family friends and company clients, Mother and Father won’t be able to berate me for stealing their thunder or for finding a wife in this unusual method. They’ll have to smile and clap and sip a champagne toast to next week’s nuptials just like everyone else.

So, Thursday night, I’ll be engaged. And next Thursday, I’ll be married.

In the meantime, I just need to push what happened with Blaire out of my head and pretend like her lips and body were never pressed against mine. I just didn’t realize it would be this damn difficult and awkward.

Our usual relaxed and sometimes playful rapport has vanished, leaving the morning tense and uncomfortable.

It should be a sign that what I did was a horrible idea. It should confirm I’m doing the right thing by pretending it didn’t happen, yet I’ve made up excuse after excuse just to call her into my office or go to her desk.

Any excuse to be near her.

Requesting unwanted files, coffee, faxes, copies, supplies.

I’m finally out of excuses.

But I can’t get her out of my head. Not when her scent lingers in my office from when she brought my third cup of unwanted coffee this morning. Not when that red dress she’s wearing with golden embroidered Christmas trees along the bottom of the hem, hugs her every delicious curve, taunting me.

It’s all so enticing, even though my lack of acknowledgment of our current situation has only seemed to spurn her wrath. I’d like to think a better man wouldn’t be so turned on by her anger and annoyance, but I never claimed to be any such thing.

Seeing her so worked up is getting me worked up in a wholly inappropriate way.

That woman can’t occupy my mind any longer. Nothing can come of this newfound desire for my assistant.

The days are ticking off the calendar faster than I’d like to acknowledge. It’s time I seal the deal with Jessica and put everyone involved out of their misery, even though it means inserting myself right into mine.

Jessica is beautiful, intelligent, kind. She has the perfect job and ideal background to be a wife to a Warren.